NC Residents and Coastline Both Test Positive for Toxic Forever Chemicals
Forever chemicals, known as PFAS, have been found in North Carolina residents, as well as the state’s sea foam. Here’s everything you need to know.
PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” are toxic. They’re typically found in everyday products, like cosmetics and nonstick cookware, and are man-made. Because they repel heat, oil, and water, they’re difficult to break down—both in the environment and in the human body. PFAS have been linked to infertility in women and increased cancer risk. Two recent studies found that they’re thoroughly spread along the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina, and in residents’ bloodstreams there as well.
According to WUNC, high levels of PFAS were detected by two separate studies: One in sea foam collected along the coast, and one in blood samples taken from Wilmington residents between 2010-2016. This area was targeted largely due to the fact that the Chemours chemical facility is located in Fayetteville. It’s believed that the facility may be negatively impacting the Cape Fear River, which is drinking water source for around one million people in the state.
A researcher from NC State, Jeffrey Enders, said that, “Sea foam along North Carolina’s coast can concentrate PFAS to levels thousands of times higher than the surrounding seawater.” He added, “Monitoring these coastal environments is critical because contact with contaminated foam could pose unexpected risks to people and ecosystems.”
The principal investigator of GenX’s Exposure Study, Jane Hoppin, said that the data they’ve been gathering will hopefully identify just how much of a risk there is to the people and ecosystems of North Carolina because of the Chemours facility. She told WUNC, “We’re now able to have a more complete picture of the total PFAS exposure for people in Wilmington before 2017. That’s pretty important.”
What else did the studies find? And what’s being done, if anything, to prevent the chemicals from being spread even further?
Here’s what the studies found
In 2023, a previous study found that Chatham County residents had a high level of PFAS in their blood. The most recent studies reported by WUNC have built off of that existing information by identifying additional forever chemicals in Wilmington residents, and along the city’s coast. Primarily, the studies detected high levels of trifluoracetic acid (TFA) and perfluoromethoxyacetic acid (PFMOAA), which are known as “ultrashort chain PFAS.” Basically, that means those chemicals have a specific composition made up of carbon chains that are really short.
A press release for the study explains why the presence of those chemicals is alarming: “PFMOAA and TFA have not been well-studied in people for two reasons: they were not thought to bioaccumulate due to their chemical structure, and until recently there were no analytical methods that allowed scientists to reliably detect them in blood.” In essence, many believed that because the chemicals were so small in structure, they would easily pass through a human’s system. Apparently, that’s not always the case.
Jane Hoppin said that this recent study “showed — that if there’s a lot of TFA or PFMOAA in your drinking water, you’re going to have these in your blood as well.” She said additional research would be conducted to determine if PFMOAA or TFA were still noticeably present in Wilmington residents. In addition to these findings, a secondary study found that sea foam collected along the coast tested positive for 35 of the 49 most common types of PFAS.
Those chemicals were most commonly found in the foam, not in the water. NC State researcher Jeffrey Enders explained that, “PFAS — tend to be unhappy in the water. They will tend to migrate to the surface.” He also warned residents to be careful when they’re encountering sea foam. “The main point that we’ve been able to drive home and tell residents is the sea foam on the beaches could be highly contaminated with PFAS,” Enders told WUNC. He added, “Keep track of your kids. Make sure they’re not playing in it or eating it, and don’t let your dogs lick it.”
What happens next?
According to WECT, Wilmington’s City Council is set to vote on a resolution regarding the expansion of the Chemours facility in Fayetteville, which is seemingly the source of the PFAS contamination. The resolution was initially brought forth by City Councilmember Salette Andrews, who opposed the expansion and wanted to “urge Chemours to engage in meaningful dialogue with affected communities, disclose all relevant environmental data, and prioritize the health and safety of North Carolinians.”
Councilman David Joyner echoed that sentiment, writing, “More than 500,000 people in North Carolina have drinking water contaminated with forever chemicals due to Chemours’ pollution. After millions of dollars invested in activated carbon filters at water rate-payers’ expense, we yet again learn of more ultra-short chain PFAS in our drinking water. It’s past time for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality to take these contaminants seriously and regulate bad actors like Chemors. Our message is short and clear: deny Chemors’ expansion permit.”
The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) is in the process of litigating Chemours “aggressively,” and the city’s legal team is ready to support the litigation as needed.
How to protect yourself from PFAS
Residents can reduce their exposure to PFAS in a few different ways. Click here to learn how to install in-home water filters at a variety of price ranges. In terms of everyday items, swap out any nonstick pans with glass, enamel, stainless steel, or cast iron alternatives.
Most fast-food wrappers, take-out containers, and microwave popcorn bags contain PFAS, as do plastic containers and stain-resistant and/or waterproof clothing and upholstery. If you can, read labels in advance and steer clear from products that contain ingredients beginning with the words “fluoro” or “perfluoro,” or that explicitly say they contain PFAS.
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