BDutch's bantam flock & natural breeding projects #5 🪺 🪺 and #6

[Skyeknight]

“The values in the eggs are too high, but we see that in more places in the country. Renkum is not exceptional in this", the GGD knows.

This is a scary statement. How many people are unknowingly eating more than allowed. But besides eggs, what about the amount of PFAS in milk or meat. There is the whole thing in Zeeland with too much PFAS in the water buffalo, cattle and sheep. What about every other region.

Because I find it worrying to have such a factory so close by, I bought a PFAS test kit for eggs. It costs 100 euros. But I want to be sure it’s safe to continue to eat the eggs.

Sucks that it's so expensive, but a very smart move!

 

[Sequel]

Yesterday my oldest send me some disturbing news about PFAS in chicken eggs, in a village just 5 km from here, with a large paper (recycle) factory.

The article is in Dutch. https://www.gld.nl/nieuws/8295334/g...utm_term=omroepgelderland&utm_content=artikel

That is very disturbing!

 

[BDutch]

You should have your garden soil analyzed, too.

If the soil is clean, the eggs are clean too. And vice versa.

How many people are unknowingly eating more than allowed.

??

But besides eggs, what about the amount of PFAS in milk or meat. There is the whole thing in Zeeland with too much PFAS in the water buffalo, cattle and sheep. What about every other region.

PFAS is everywhere. Its in vegetables too. People who grow their own veggies can test the soil if they want to know just like I do.

The eggs, milk and meat from factory farming that goes to the supermarkets and into food processing is tested every now and then. If the values are too high they cant be sold. And they trace where the contaminated products come from to avoid a repeat.

I havent heard of any problems though except for veggies from farmland close to a big factory (Chemours) where they make PFOA coatings for industrial use, special plastics and laminates, and Teflon (Tefal).

 

[AntiqueB]

Contamination can come from the soil or feed.

 

[BDutch]

Contamination can come from the soil or feed.

It’s not in the chicken feed. The AR ™ where I buy the food, is a large company that sells to both organic and to regular factory farmers.
The feed is checked by an independent governmental organisation every now and then.
If I have a problem it’s in the soil, or in the plants that grow on the soil, or in the insects that live from the plants or in he soil.

 

[Perris]

didn't the original article you linked about this say it was going into the water via the factory's waste water?

 

[BDutch]

Rijkswaterstaat has determined that Parenco has had to control wastewater more accurately since October 2023. In addition to washing waste paper, Parenco also burns scraps of paper. "The dirt burner is therefore the reason we have decided to add Parenco as a possible source to the research", says Kees Klappen - soil specialist at the Province of Gelderland.

in the first sentence the writer sort of says: The Parenco factory has an obligation to control the wastewater better bc the waste water was polluted too much. Maybe its just a statement that the management is not trustworthy in keeping the environment clean.

Further on the writer talks about air pollution. People make mistakes when they throw paper and cardboard waste in the special paper waste bins. Lorries pick up the collected paper waste and it goes in the recycle process in the paper factory. Sometimes there are pizza cartons and other waste with PFAS between the paper waste.
The factory burns the waste they cant use to make new paper/cardboard. And it seems they don’t have the proper installation or filters to avoid the spreading of PFAS particles by air. But they need to examine it before they can force the factory to stop burning the waste themselves.
There are waste burners with special filters about 25 km further away that prevent that PFAS comes into the air. Of course this comes down again somewhere in the area. Lucky for me, the wind comes more often from the west than from the east.

If the cause of the high amount of PFAS in the eggs in/near Renkum is the paper factory , and they stop burning the waste themselves, the forever chemicals are still in soil and in whatever grows and lives on it. But at least it’s not getting worse.

 

[BDutch]

More disturbing news about PFAS in BYC eggs

Intro of the NRC news article today:
The Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) warns against eating eggs from hobby chickens, because of the risk of excessive intake of PFAS. What happens if you do? And what about the rest of the vegetable garden? Five questions about the advice.

Spoiler: Eggs - PFAS news article

Stop eating eggs from chickens in the vegetable garden or the petting zoo. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) issued this drastic advice on Tuesday, after the first large-scale study in the Netherlands into PFAS in chicken eggs. The conclusion is that they contain excessively high concentrations almost everywhere.

PFAS are a collection of chemical substances that hardly break down and can be toxic. After the RIVM concluded in 2023 that eggs in the vicinity of the Dordrecht Teflon factory Chemours contained dangerously high amounts of PFAS, a national study was decided upon.

The researchers collected eggs at sixty locations to investigate how harmful it is to eat them. These locations are spread across all twelve provinces, from Northeast Groningen to the southernmost tip of Limburg. At only one location, near Assen, the researchers found no PFAS.

1. How is it possible that the eggs are contaminated in so many places?

It was already clear that PFAS are everywhere. Increased concentrations have been measured in numerous locations in recent years. The same property that made PFAS – used in electronics and non-stick pans, among other things – a success, ensures that the substances have accumulated in the environment for decades: they are non-degradable.

Factories worldwide have emitted and discharged tons of PFAS. It settles in seas, rivers and soaks into the soil. In addition, numerous other sources locally cause increased values in the soil. Think of fire brigade training locations, defense sites, landfills and places where foam parties have been held.

2. How do PFAS reach the eggs?

Based on previous studies, the RIVM suspects that earthworms transmit PFAS. They crawl through contaminated soil and are then eaten by chickens. In addition, chickens also peck and scratch around in the contaminated soil and drink contaminated water.

The RIVM is conducting a follow-up study to definitively trace how PFAS ends up in the eggs. The results are by expected in the autumn.

3. What quantities did the researchers find?

Of the sixty locations selected by the RIVM, people at 31 locations already ingested too much PFAS with one egg or even less per week. At ten locations, people can eat a maximum of one egg per week without exceeding the limit value. At nine locations, people can eat more than four eggs per week without exceeding the limit value.

It is certain that increased PFAS concentrations have been found at almost all locations. In addition, it is not possible to read from the outside how much PFAS is in an egg. "We cannot say in advance: that egg is safe," says Polly Boon, one of the researchers at the RIVM. "For that reason, we advise against eating eggs anywhere in the country."

4. What happens if you do eat eggs from your own chicken coop?

If people ingest quantities of PFAS that exceed the limit values for a long period of time, this can be harmful to their health. Some of these substances affect the immune response: you get sick more quickly, because your body is no longer as effective against viruses and bacteria, and vaccines no longer work as well.

The RIVM points out that eggs are not the only way in which people ingest PFAS. Other foods and drinking water already contain more PFAS than is healthy for a human. "We already ingest too much PFAS," says Boon. "If you do eat the eggs, you increase that by a considerable amount. Then the chance of illness increases."

According to the RIVM, eggs from the supermarket can still be eaten - they usually score considerably better in measurements. How that is possible is not exactly clear. It may have to do with the fact that commercially kept chickens often do not walk outside and are given controlled feed.

5. What about other crops from the vegetable garden?

The RIVM has a reassuring message about this: fruit and vegetables can be eaten with confidence. Eggs contain considerably more PFAS than other crops from the garden. This has to do with the fact that PFAS bind to proteins, which makes it easier for eggs to absorb the chemical compounds.

“The advice only applies to eggs,” Boon emphasizes. “People can still safely eat their vegetable garden crops.”

The test kit with my eggs arrived at the laboratory today.

At least my chickens seem very healthy.

 

[casportpony]

View attachment 4098679More disturbing news about PFAS in BYC eggs

Intro of the NRC news article today:
The Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) warns against eating eggs from hobby chickens, because of the risk of excessive intake of PFAS. What happens if you do? And what about the rest of the vegetable garden? Five questions about the advice.

Spoiler: Eggs - PFAS news article

Stop eating eggs from chickens in the vegetable garden or the petting zoo. The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) issued this drastic advice on Tuesday, after the first large-scale study in the Netherlands into PFAS in chicken eggs. The conclusion is that they contain excessively high concentrations almost everywhere.

PFAS are a collection of chemical substances that hardly break down and can be toxic. After the RIVM concluded in 2023 that eggs in the vicinity of the Dordrecht Teflon factory Chemours contained dangerously high amounts of PFAS, a national study was decided upon.

The researchers collected eggs at sixty locations to investigate how harmful it is to eat them. These locations are spread across all twelve provinces, from Northeast Groningen to the southernmost tip of Limburg. At only one location, near Assen, the researchers found no PFAS.

1. How is it possible that the eggs are contaminated in so many places?

It was already clear that PFAS are everywhere. Increased concentrations have been measured in numerous locations in recent years. The same property that made PFAS – used in electronics and non-stick pans, among other things – a success, ensures that the substances have accumulated in the environment for decades: they are non-degradable.

Factories worldwide have emitted and discharged tons of PFAS. It settles in seas, rivers and soaks into the soil. In addition, numerous other sources locally cause increased values in the soil. Think of fire brigade training locations, defense sites, landfills and places where foam parties have been held.

2. How do PFAS reach the eggs?

Based on previous studies, the RIVM suspects that earthworms transmit PFAS. They crawl through contaminated soil and are then eaten by chickens. In addition, chickens also peck and scratch around in the contaminated soil and drink contaminated water.

The RIVM is conducting a follow-up study to definitively trace how PFAS ends up in the eggs. The results are by expected in the autumn.

3. What quantities did the researchers find?

Of the sixty locations selected by the RIVM, people at 31 locations already ingested too much PFAS with one egg or even less per week. At ten locations, people can eat a maximum of one egg per week without exceeding the limit value. At nine locations, people can eat more than four eggs per week without exceeding the limit value.

It is certain that increased PFAS concentrations have been found at almost all locations. In addition, it is not possible to read from the outside how much PFAS is in an egg. "We cannot say in advance: that egg is safe," says Polly Boon, one of the researchers at the RIVM. "For that reason, we advise against eating eggs anywhere in the country."

4. What happens if you do eat eggs from your own chicken coop?

If people ingest quantities of PFAS that exceed the limit values for a long period of time, this can be harmful to their health. Some of these substances affect the immune response: you get sick more quickly, because your body is no longer as effective against viruses and bacteria, and vaccines no longer work as well.

The RIVM points out that eggs are not the only way in which people ingest PFAS. Other foods and drinking water already contain more PFAS than is healthy for a human. "We already ingest too much PFAS," says Boon. "If you do eat the eggs, you increase that by a considerable amount. Then the chance of illness increases."

According to the RIVM, eggs from the supermarket can still be eaten - they usually score considerably better in measurements. How that is possible is not exactly clear. It may have to do with the fact that commercially kept chickens often do not walk outside and are given controlled feed.

5. What about other crops from the vegetable garden?

The RIVM has a reassuring message about this: fruit and vegetables can be eaten with confidence. Eggs contain considerably more PFAS than other crops from the garden. This has to do with the fact that PFAS bind to proteins, which makes it easier for eggs to absorb the chemical compounds.

“The advice only applies to eggs,” Boon emphasizes. “People can still safely eat their vegetable garden crops.”

The test kit with my eggs arrived at the laboratory today.

At least my chickens seem very healthy.

So you're having your eggs tested?

 

[BDutch]

So you're having your eggs tested?

Yes. But no results yet. The test costs 100 €. I had to crack 1 egg in a firm plastic container with a tight lid.

To be sure they have enough material to test I cracked 2 bantam eggs.

The Netherlands became one big polluted area.