National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Ngaigu-Mulu Aboriginal Corporation, Katherine, NT, Australia.
PLoS One. 2021 Jan 14;16(1):e0245141. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245141. eCollection 2021.
Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a public health issue globally. In Australia high concentrations of PFAS have been found in environments close to sites where Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF) were historically used for firefighting activities. This has resulted in significant community concern about the potential long-term health effects of these chemicals.
We describe residents' perceptions and experiences of PFAS in three regional Australian towns where exposure has occurred.
We conducted focus groups to generate free-flowing open discussion on PFAS in three affected communities, including some with significant numbers of First Nations Peoples. We recruited participants using a range of media outlets and postal services. Focus group transcripts were analysed thematically to identify major shared concerns using Atlas Ti.
One hundred and eighty residents attended fifteen focus groups that were conducted in the three communities. They included 69 First Nations People living in three communities near the town of Katherine in the Northern Territory. Study participants were concerned about potential physical health effects of exposure to PFAS, such as cancer clusters, unexplained deaths, potential exacerbation of existing health conditions, and the future health of their children. They expressed feelings of stress and anxiety about living with uncertainty related to the possible health and the socio-economic impacts of PFAS contamination in their communities.
While research has concentrated on the physical health effects of PFAS, more attention needs to be given to the immediate psychosocial impacts of living in an affected community.
全氟和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）的暴露是一个全球性的公共卫生问题。在澳大利亚，靠近曾用于消防活动的水系灭火泡沫（AFFF）的地点，环境中发现了高浓度的 PFAS，这引起了社区对这些化学物质潜在长期健康影响的极大关注。
我们描述了澳大利亚三个地区城镇居民对 PFAS 的看法和经历，这些地区曾发生过 PFAS 暴露事件。
我们在三个受影响的社区（包括一些有大量原住民的社区）开展了焦点小组，以就 PFAS 问题进行自由开放的讨论。我们使用多种媒体渠道和邮政服务来招募参与者。使用 Atlas Ti 对焦点小组的转录本进行主题分析，以确定主要的共同关注点。
180 名居民参加了在三个社区举行的 15 次焦点小组。其中包括居住在北领地凯瑟琳镇附近三个社区的 69 名原住民。研究参与者担心接触 PFAS 可能会对身体健康产生影响，如癌症集群、不明原因的死亡、现有健康状况恶化以及子女的未来健康。他们对社区内 PFAS 污染对健康和社会经济的潜在影响感到压力和焦虑，对生活在不确定环境中感到不安。
虽然研究集中在 PFAS 对身体健康的影响上，但需要更多关注生活在受影响社区的即时心理社会影响。
