Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs “It was weird,” A’hern, now 67, said. “There was no family history with any of us.”A’hern’s blood test detected one of the most notorious forever chemicals, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), at a level of 46ng/ml, nearly six times the Australian average for men over 60.A filtration plant has been installed to purify the Blue Mountains’ drinking-water supply, but a leading theory suggests the water was contaminated as far back as 1992.A’hern is furious that authorities failed to test for PFAS until last year, under pressure from a Herald investigation. “You feel really angry because I’ve been drinking the water all this time,” he said. “My levels are pretty insane.”LoadingA’hern had one of a small number of free blood tests arranged by Jon Dee, who runs the local STOP-PFAS action group.A’hern slammed the government for not subsidising testing for all Blue Mountains residents, noting many would baulk at the $500 cost.“You need to know because then you can do something about it,” said A’hern, who is proactively seeking out ways to reduce his own PFAS levels. “I can’t believe the government’s not doing anything.”NSW Health does not recommend blood testing for PFAS on the grounds “there is not enough scientific evidence available for a doctor to be able to tell you if the PFAS in blood indicate a risk to your health”.A type of forever chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been linked to an increased risk of testicular cancer by health agencies around the world, including the World Health Organisation and US EPA.The Australian government has also acknowledged the association but stresses it is not the same as proving direct causation.But Samuel is now left to wonder what a sliding-doors moment may have cost her family.“You think you’re going up to have this beautiful haven up there, that fresh air and good life,” she said. “And I think we should have stayed in bloody Sydney.”The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
