PFAS found in hobby chicken keepers' eggs far from Dordrecht region: report

Eggs laid by hobby-kept chickens far outside the Dordrecht region also contain excessively high concentrations of PFAS, toxic substances used by chemical companies like Chemours, among others. Broadcaster NOS tested eggs from 12 hobby chicken keepers far outside the industry-heavy Dordrecht region and found PFAS in the eggs at six locations and excessive levels at three - one each in the provinces of Utrecht, Friesland, and Limburg.

Just before Christmas, the public health institute RIVM and health service GGD advised people in the Dordregt region to stop eating eggs from their own chickens. Their tests showed that many of those eggs contain excessively high concentrations of PFAS.

The research was limited to Dordrecht because Chemours had been discharging large amounts of PFAS there for years. However, the health services also found different types of PFAS than Chemours emitted, which led NOS to do its own study outside Dordrecht.

NOS found the highest concentration of PFAS in Maartensdijk, between Utrecht and Hilversum. The eggs there contained three times more PFOS - a type of PFAS - than permitted according to European Union regulation. By eating one egg, you ingest 150 nonograms of PFOS - half of what an adult weight 70 kilograms can safely consume per week. And that while you are also exposed to PFAS through other sources like tap water and packaging. Half a Maartensdijk egg is already the weekly limit for small children.

The broadcaster also found PFAS levels higher than the European maximum in eggs at two other locations. It found PFAS in eggs at three other locations, but the levels remained below the European limit.

The study only looked at eggs from hobby chicken keepers. Store-bought eggs are safe to eat. The Dutch Food and Consumer Products Safety Authority (NVWA) tests store-bought eggs randomly and found no increased PFAS values in its tests last year.

NOS showed its results to three scientists - professor Chiel Jonker of Utrecht University, emeritus professor Jacob de Boer of the VU University Amsterdam, and emeritus professor Martin van den Berg of Utrecht University. They called the results an important indication that the spread of PFAS in the Netherlands is a big problem and advised Netherlands residents not to eat too many eggs from their own chickens.

The RIVM told NOS that consultations are underway on whether to launch a nationwide study of PFAS concentrations in free-range eggs. It did not advise against eating eggs from hobby chickens, calling the NOS sample too small for such a measure.