The roll-out of two studies required for a research project into the potential health effects of exposure to PFAS have been delayed due to the COVID pandemic.
A cross-sectional survey and blood serum study, components of the PFAS epidemiological study in the comparison communities, are now due to take place in the second half of 2020.
The project was due to be completed in December
"Epidemiological studies take some time to conduct, and unfortunately the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the study team from continuing with some aspects of the study due to travel restrictions, demand on general practitioners and pathology services, restrictions on non-essential activities and re-assignment of the researchers to urgent work associated with the pandemic," a spokesman for the Australian National University, which is conducting the study, said.
Professor Martyn Kirk from ANU's National Epidemical and Population Health Centre told last November's hearing of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade that the impact of PFAS on mental health was comparable to individuals exposed to asbestos.
"I think the community concerns have been really quite immense....It's hard for us [the investigation team] as well, but we know that communities are suffering so that's been really difficult. The thing that I think has surprised us the most is the depth of feeling and the sense of anxiety," he said.
The ANU research team has also conducted a literature review about the potential health impacts.
"We ended up finding that the majority of studies didn't have sufficient information in them to really be able to conclude that there was evidence for a health effect. But there were several where we did find evidence of a health effect," Professor Kirk said.
"And then there was a range of different health outcomes where there was more limited evidence-there might have been fewer studies but they still found an association."
Evidence about the health impacts of PFAS exposure was due to be heard in the class action trial for communities who had suffered property loss as a result of PFAS contamination.
It is believed that the admission of the evidence may have influenced the government's decision to settle the three class actions in February for $212.5 million.
