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WQ.266/2025
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY K.L. MOORE OF ST. MARY, ST. OUEN AND ST. PETER
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 9th JUNE 2025
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 16th JUNE 2025
Question
"Will the Minister advise what actions, if any, have been undertaken to assess and address the potential impact of PFAS contamination on children's health in Jersey in light of the Government's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC); and will he further advise whether the Office of the Children's Commissioner has been formally consulted on this matter?"
Answer
In 2023 Public Health commissioned the PFAS Scientific Advisory Panel to investigate the potential health effects of PFAS at hotspot levels on human health. In this report, the panel found that children exposed to PFAS at hotspot levels show higher risk of having a decreased antibody response to routine childhood vaccinations (although no increase in contracting infectious diseases), elevated cholesterol and changes in liver enzymes. Highly exposed girls in Ronneby, Sweden showed an increased risk of being diagnosed with a language disorder.
PFAS can cross the placental barrier, exposing the foetus in utero, and PFAS can pass through breastmilk to the baby. In their report, the PFAS Panel assessed this risk, concluding that the benefits achieved from breastfeeding outweigh the risks associated with PFAS transfer to the infant.
The PFAS panel in their third report have recommended that PFAS levels are reduced through an intervention with bile acid sequestrants in women with raised PFAS levels who plan to become pregnant, in order to protect PFAS exposure in any future offspring.
The Office of the Children's Commissioner has been consulted, and a Child Rights Impact Assessment conducted for planned public health actions based on the recommendations of the third report from the PFAS panel.