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More locations in Denmark considered health risk due to chemical pollution

At least 52 places in Denmark are polluted with PFAS chemicals to the extent they can be considered a possible or certain health risk.

Published: 26 January 2022 16:49 CET
Danish authorities say up to 52 locations in the country could constitute a health risk due to PFAS pollution.
Danish authorities say up to 52 locations in the country could constitute a health risk due to PFAS pollution. File photo: Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix

The Danish Environmental Agency (Miljøstyrelsen) released the number of polluted locations following consultation with local municipalities.

While 25 locations had already been reported to authorities as potential health risks, that number has now more than doubled according to information released by the authority.

Pollution at the 52 sites comes from fire service training. The chemicals in question are found in the foam used by emergency services to put out fires.

The pollution can represent a health risk to humans if ingested via cattle, gardens with edible plants, leisure fishing or bathing in contaminated areas, the Environmental Agency said.

At 35 of the 52 locations, analysis of the suspected pollution is underway or further investigation has been ordered, it said. No details have been revealed as to investigations at the remaining locations but the agency is to follow up on the issue with local authorities, it said.

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are large group of synthetic chemicals used in various products since the early 1950s. Their past uses include foam in fire extinguishers, food packaging and in textiles, carpets and paints.

PFAS and the related PFOS persists in the environment and have been detected in humans and wildlife, giving rise to with health concerns.

“(PFAS) can be detected in low concentrations in the blood in populations all over the world. PFAS is unwanted in the environment and its impact on health is a cause for concern,” the Danish Environmental Agency said.

READ ALSO: Pollutant chemical PFOS found in beef from Danish farm

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HEALTH

Denmark registers first 2024 case of tick-borne encephalitis

This year’s first Danish case of tick-borne encephalitis has been registered in northern Zealand, the national infectious disease agency State Serum Institute (SSI) confirmed.

Published: 21 June 2024 10:45 CEST
Denmark registers first 2024 case of tick-borne encephalitis

Although the disease is very rare in Denmark, there are usually a handful of cases each year. The forested area around Tisvilde Hegn and elsewhere in northern Zealand are particular risk zones along with parts of Bornholm.

“Infection is usually linked to spending time in risk areas, and typically going off the paths, Peter H.S. Andersen, doctor and head of department at SSI, said in a statement.

“But there have also been cases of TBE where the patient has not demonstrated known risk behaviour by going into in woods or thickets,” he added.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about ticks in Denmark and how to avoid them

Earlier this year, it was reported that people in Copenhagen and surrounding areas of Zealand have increasingly sought vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) after an increase in ticks in parts of the countryside.

The risk of TBE remains small but case numbers have increased slightly in recent years. Some 11 cases were registered in 2023 compared with around 1 or 2 annually a decade ago.

Ticks (skovflåter) can be found all over Denmark in forests, meadows, and long grass. They are particularly active during the summer months and increase in number if the weather has been warm and humid.

In Denmark, the most common disease ticks transmit is Lyme disease, but ticks can also carry the very rare but dangerous TBE.

Only people who spend extended time in forests near Tisvilde Hegn as well as on the island of Bornholm should consider vaccination, SSI experts have previously said.

TBE is a viral brain infection caused by a particular tick bite. Flu-like symptoms can occur a week or more after the bite and can develop to include nausea, dizziness, and in around a third of cases, severe long-term problems or permanent neurological damage.

Denmark’s tick season last from spring until autumn.

In contrast to Lyme disease, the TBE virus infects its target quickly after the tick bite.

“That’s why it’s important to remove a tick as soon as you find it. Either with your fingers, a tweezer or a special tick remover,” Andersen said.

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