The chemical that was considered to be a replacement for C8 is sparking similar health concerns among scientists and activists who say it is no safer than its predecessor. C8, or perfluorooctanoic acid, was reportedly used byDuPont for decades before investigations and lawsuits involving the chemical forced the company to halt production. European officials will launch an investigation this month into GenX, used by DuPont, and then its spinoff company Chemours, since 2012 to make non-stick Teflon, according to an article from The Columbus Dispatch.
Companies in Europe must register chemicals with the European Chemicals Agency, according to the article. Germany, joined by the Netherlands, will lead a study of the compound as initial tests of GenX were reportedly inconclusive. Chemours has a plant in the Dutch city of Dordrecht near Rotterdam. In June 2010, DuPont reportedly issued a statement that said GenX has a low potential to accumulate in humans and there is no evidence that the chemical is a carcinogen. According to The Dispatch, C8 is thought to remain in the environment and the body for years and has been linked to various cancers.
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