Danish military accused as pollution, cancer-causing substances found in drinking water

Harmful compounds from drills held by the Danish Armed Forces have been poisoning the groundwater and the local environment for years, and the military has watched the spread without acting, as per the reports of TV2, which cited internal papers. Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) chemicals with values between 100 and 1,000 times above the maximum permissible concentration in groundwater have been discovered in the country's three current air stations - in Aalborg, Karup and Skrydstrup. PFAS are a class of toxic chemicals that disrupt the immune system and increase the risk of infections, as well as raise the chance of cancer and involuntary abortion. 

Furthermore, as of late September, PFAS chemicals has been detected in 65 Danish water wells, according to Sputnik. In the future, harmful compounds that are particularly detrimental to unborn children and babies will be tested in 145 locations across Denmark. If the poisoned groundwater reaches drinking wells, according to Philippe Grandjean, professor of environmental medicine at the University of Southern Denmark and adjunct professor at Harvard University, this might have catastrophic ramifications for the nation's future.

'Bomb under the future drinking water'

Grandjean told TV2 that there is a bomb under the future drinking water and It's unconscionable. He further said that the groundwater they have now is the groundwater that the next generation will need, so it's critical to safeguard it from pollution. Since 2016, the Ministry of Defence's Property Agency has investigated how the Armed Forces' pollution extended to rivers, streams, lakes, groundwater and the environment.

Despite the fact that the Ministry of Defence's Property Agency suggested starting the cleaning up of the pollution in 2019 owing to the potential of injunctions and compensation cases from people, according to TV2, nothing has happened so far. Grandjean is outraged that dangerous compounds from firefighting exercises at the Armed Forces' air stations have been spreading to groundwater and the surrounding environment for many years.

Lack of intervention is due to lack of resource

In documents obtained by Avisen Danmark and Radio4, the Armed Forces themselves confirm the situation. At the same time, they point out that putting in place remedial procedures is challenged by the fact that they are very expensive. The Ministry of Defence's Property Agency said that their lack of intervention is due to a lack of resources as well as an assessment of the effect of existing approaches.

(Image: AP/ Unsplash)