UNC Chapel Hill asking for breastmilk samples to test for chemicals
NORTH CAROLINA (WWAY) — A post on social media says researchers at UNC Chapel Hill are recruiting members of the community who are actively breastfeeding or who will be breastfeeding in the near future to donate samples of breastmilk to test for PFAS and other chemicals.
To be in the study you must meet the following requirements:
- Actively breastfeeding
- Pickup a sample collection kit
- Provide ~1 fl. oz. of breastmilk using provided pump
- Provide ~1 fl. oz. of tap water
- Drop off samples two weeks after pickup
- Fill out a brief survey
Anyone interested in taking part can contact Dr. Erin Baker for more information via email at erinmsb@unc.edu. For questions or concerns about your rights as a research subject, please contact the Institutional Review board at 919-966-3113 or by email to IRB_subjects@unc.edu.
A report in 2017 found high levels of PFAS in the Cape Fear River.
Cape Fear Public Utility Authority’s facilities now have “granular activated carbon filters” which work to filter forever chemicals like PFAS.
