New York Times zooms in on Faroese research

Professor Pál Weihe has for decades been warning about the health risks of eating whale meat, much to the dismay of many Faroese people.

He has been insisting that children and pregnant women should avoid eating whale meat due to the high concentrations of harmful chemicals in the meat.

Back in the 1980s, he teamed up with Philippe Grandjean, a Danish professor of environmental medicine, and they have since published numerous papers on harmful chemicals, especially per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

These are a group of man-made chemicals that are used in a variety of products, including nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and firefighting foams.

Pál Weihe

Caption: 

Pál Weihe is a professor of public health

PFAS are known to be persistent in the environment and can bioaccumulate in the bodies of humans and animals, including fish and whales.

PFAS have been linked to a number of health problems, including cancer, reproductive problems and developmental delays.

The 18-page article includes numerous photos and an interview with Weihe which provides an outline of his lifelong research into PFAS and other toxic substances.

Read it here (requires a free sign-up that takes about a minute to complete).

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.