The small town on the Georgia border has a surprisingly high cancer statistic. This is what Christy Hiett, a concerned local resident, tells us Interior Journal.
According to Wikipedia, Fruithurst has 253 residents.
– He saved my life
– When the children started being diagnosed with leukemia, the local community came to me, she says.
Hiett then contacts geologists and sociologists from the University of Kentucky, the University of Alabama, and the University of Auburn.
The study causes a sensation
The researchers interviewed a number of families in both Fruithurst and the surrounding small towns over a period between 2017 and 2021.
The results – which are published in the study «Research on cancer clusters on a rural and community basis“- raise your eyebrows.
Roper’s Cancer Diagnosis
According to the Interior Journal, researchers identified 16 types of cancer that were more prevalent in the Fruithurst School District than in the rest of the United States.
Among other things, the frequency of mole cancer was 6.7 times higher than normal. For lung cancer, the number was a whopping 9.2.
sea View
– Lead to action
The study also found that the water in the city’s wells was found to have dangerously high levels of heavy metals and organic matter. In addition, the municipal water and sewage system had too high levels of bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, which is also toxic.
With the help of the findings, the inhabitants of the small town were able to intervene.
– I’m still fighting
Residents were able to take action, including installing cleaning systems to avoid exposure, one of the researchers behind the study, Loka Ashwood, told Interior Journal.
– Our study shows how local communities and researchers can work together to obtain more relevant data that leads to change and action, says the researcher.
