[Peetwo]

Update on Brisvegas PFOS leak story. -

Reference:

Foam leaks spark fish warning

12:00amSEAN PARNELL

Firefighting foam has leaked out of a Qantas hangar at Brisbane Airport, potentially contaminating nearby waterways.

[img=0x0]https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/eea199fb46693fd5d9004e6a1df49130/?esi=true&t_product=the-australian&t_template=s3/austemp-article_common/vertical/author/widget&td_bio=false[/img]

From the AAP, via the Guardian today:

Queensland prawn farmers demand compensation from Qantas after toxic leak

Industry says it is losing money after firefighting foam leaked from airline’s hanger into Brisbane river


[/url]Qantas planes at Brisbane airport. Prawn farmers are seeking compensation after toxic foam leaked from the airline’s hangar into the Brisbane river. Photograph: Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images

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Australian Associated Press
Thursday 20 April 2017 11.21 AEST
Queensland prawn farmers are seeking compensation from Qantas after toxic firefighting foam leaked from its hangar into the Brisbane river.

The embattled industry, already struggling with white spot disease, was dealt another blow this week when it was advised not to catch produce from the contaminated zone.
The state government urged recreational fishers to steer clear of the area last Friday but commercial operators were not notified until Tuesday, more than one week after the spill.


Firefighting foam spilled at Brisbane airport enters river and kills fish

 
Read more

The Moreton Bay Seafood Association’s vice-president, Michael Wood, said he lost a $10,000 order because of fears the waterways were contaminated.

“What’s [url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/qantas]Qantas going to do? The industry’s looking for compensation,” he said.

Wood said prawn trawlers in the Brisbane river and Moreton Bay operators had been affected by the 10 April spill at Brisbane airport.

“We want to talk to [chief executive] Alan Joyce for starters to see what they’re going to do for us and how they’re going to repair the damage to the general public,” he said.
About 22,000 litres of foam, believed to have contained perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), was released into the stormwater system after a sprinkler system fault in the Qantas hangar. While about 75% was contained, it is believed thousands of litres of the foam leaked into the Brisbane river.

Wood said he did not believe 4,000 or 5,000 litres would infect the waterways.
“It’s just like picking up a glass of water, you won’t even notice it,” he said.

Wood said even if small amounts of the foam were digested, consumers would have to “eat a hell of a lot of product” to be affected.

Queensland Health spokeswoman Sophie Dwyer said although there was no consistent evidence chemicals such as PFOA could cause “adverse health affects”, people should try to reduce their exposure.

“But consumption of small amounts as part of a broad diet is of negligible risk,” she said on Thursday.

Dwyer said “fully detailed conclusions” about the risk from eating prawns could not be drawn until test results from the spill site came back.

“But we do know that this food ... only forms a small part of any individuals daily consumption of food,” she said.

Qantas has been contacted for comment.

MTF...P2