Use our Spectrum News app for the best experience and stay connected with your community. learn more

Raleigh, North Carolina-Researchers in North Carolina are studying PFAS and its possible effects on health.

What you need to know

PFAS stands for perfluoro and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It is a class of toxic chemicals that can be found in everyday products, such as PTFE pans, fire-fighting foams and some food packaging

North Carolina researchers launched the GenX exposure study in 2017 to understand PFAS exposure in communities along the Cape Fear River Basin

On Saturday, researchers collected blood and urine samples from residents of Pittsboro to understand how these chemicals affect human health

GenX Exposure Research is a statewide collaboration of researchers, faculty, staff, students, community advisory committees, and research participants. Jane Hoppin is the lead researcher.

On Saturday, researchers collected blood and urine samples from residents of Pittsboro to understand how these chemicals affect human health.

Hoppin said she believes that the immune system is most affected by PFAS. However, there is not enough information to understand the link between PFAS and certain diseases. 

"We don't necessarily know who is highly exposed, that's why we collect blood samples," Hoping said.

Hoppin said they can detect low levels of legacy PFAS in almost everyone in the United States. However, in some areas, such as the Cape Fir River Basin, the concentration of PFAS is much higher. This is why researchers collected samples from people living in Pittsboro, Fayetteville, and Wilmington. 

"We want to track everyone for 5 to 20 years so that we can assess the potential impact of these chemicals on human health," Hoping said.

After the samples are collected, they will be analyzed in different laboratories across the state, including the laboratory in North Carolina. Kaylie Kirkwood is a doctoral student there and is responsible for testing some samples.

"PFAS is spread in many different ways," Kirkwood said. “So when we look at pine needles, we are looking at PFAS in the air. If we look at human blood, we are looking at the PFAS that you are exposed to through what you eat or drink.”

Kirkwood was originally from Ohio, but moved to Wilmington in high school. During her first year at North Carolina State University, news broke about PFAS in Wilmington’s drinking water.

"From then on, I started to be passionate about it," Kirkwood said. "When my friends and family worry about'how many years have I been drinking and how much?', I realized what I can actually do?" Kirkwood said. "I really want to follow up... to see if I can do anything to make a real impact."

Ultimately, researchers will report blood levels with potential health outcomes to the community. There is no precise timetable for when it will happen.

PFAS stands for perfluoro and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It is a class of toxic chemicals that can be found in everyday products, such as PTFE pans, fire-fighting foam, and some food packaging.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, because PFAS is so widely used, trace amounts of chemicals can be found in the blood of people and animals all over the world. Studies have shown that some PFAS may be associated with harmful health effects. This is what researchers like Hoping hope to find.

"We are more concerned with the chemicals used to make the products we use (such as Teflon pans and Gore-Tex), rather than Teflon itself," Hoppin said. "So don't throw away your Teflon pot, but if it breaks, just throw it away, don't give it to the thrift store."

PFAS does not decompose under natural conditions, so Hoppin, Kirkwood and other researchers are working with engineers to study how to destroy these chemicals, whether in extreme high temperatures or using other methods. They hope that future regulations will eliminate and restrict the use of PFAS under certain circumstances.

"Things like medical supplies that need to contain PFAS are an essential use and there is no good substitute," Kirkwood said. "But some things we choose to make non-stick or stain-proof, clothes or cooking utensils, they really don't need to contain PFAS."