Chemical giant DuPont is facing increased pressure as nine new lawsuits have been filed against the company in October, bringing the total number of legal cases against DuPont since April to 50, Huffington Post reported.
The latest wave of claims come from residents of West Virginia and Ohio, who believe that the serious health conditions they are experiencing have been triggered by a chemical which ended up in their drinking water. The claimants argue that the contamination had occurred with the knowledge of DuPont, reports said.
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In April, a court-appointed panel of scientists found a link between exposure to the chemical C8, or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and a series of diseases, including thyroid disease, kidney cancer and testicular cancer. The substance is currently used by DuPont at its plant near the West Virginia-Ohio border but the company has already announced plans to phase out its use by 2015.
Dan Turner, a spokesman for DuPont, said in a statement that the company has been engaged in solving the problem for years. It has been funding a medical study into the effects of C8 exposure and is financing a screening program for residents in the area. He pointed out that lawsuits against the company were often filed without key risk factors, such as family history and lifestyle choices, being taken into account and are thus not based on solid scientific evidence.
