Superfund Research Program

The researchers put their measured PFAS levels in the context of the health effects outlined in a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) titled “Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up.” That report was commissioned by NIEHS and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (Photo courtesy of Joyseulay / Shutterstock.com)

Following the discovery of high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the blood of GenX Exposure Study participants, researchers are working quickly to report their findings back to the North Carolina communities and address their concerns.

Led out of North Carolina State University SRP Center, researchers collected blood samples from 1,020 participants across three North Carolina communities and analyzed them for 44 different PFAS. The communities — Wilmington, Pittsboro, and Fayetteville — are exposed to PFAS via contaminated drinking water.

The team communicated these results to participants during an October 2022 community meeting which included a panel of experts who listened to and responded to questions from study participants and other concerned residents.

Read more in the NIEHS Environmental Factor newsletter.