Six former Philadelphia Phillies players, Tug McGraw, Darren Daulton, John Vukovich, John Oates, Ken Brett, and David West have died due to glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer that seems to indicate a link in their environment — with the turf inside of Veteran’s Stadium from 1971-2003 being a common factor. A ranging report from the Philadelphia Inquirer noted that the six players all died in their 40s or 50s, roughly three times the rate of the average adult population. Even more alarming was their mutual diagnosis of glioblastoma.
Studies are in their infancy, but there appears to be some evidence linking an increased risk of brain tumors to “Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances,” or PFAS. These chemicals, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” have no organic means of breaking down. Past evidence has shown that PFAS can result in liver and kidney damage, as well as increased risk of thyroid disease — but these studies predominantly focused on the factories where these chemicals were manufactured, and workers were exposed. No necessarily how end-users could be harmed by PFAS.
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