NC State receives $4.2 million grant to study PFAS health effects in Cape Fear River Basin

CAPE FEAR REGION, NC (WWAY) — Researchers at North Carolina State University have received a four-year, $4.2 million grant to continue studying the potential long-term health effects of exposure to PFAS and perfluoroalkyl ether acids, including GenX.

The funding comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The study will follow more than 1,000 residents from three regions within the Cape Fear River Basin. Researchers are examining how long-term exposure to PFAS and PFEAs may affect human health.

The project began in November 2017 following the discovery of GenX and other PFAS contamination in drinking water in Wilmington.

Researchers say the current phase will focus on potential metabolic health effects, including changes in cholesterol levels and body composition.

“These residents have been exposed to extremely high levels of numerous PFAS and PFEAs since 1980, but there is limited data on human health effects, particularly when we’re talking about the PFEAs,” said Jane Hoppin, a professor of biological sciences at NC State and the study’s principal investigator.

The study will continue collecting health data from participants and examine potential relationships between exposure to multiple PFAS and PFEAs and changes in lipid concentrations and body composition.

Researchers also plan to develop lifetime exposure estimates for PFEAs among participants whose drinking water was contaminated.

Study findings will be shared with participants and communities affected by the contamination.

NC State researchers involved in the project include Brian Reich, Gertrude M. Cox Distinguished Professor of Statistics, and Emily Griffith, professor of the practice in statistics.

Researchers from East Carolina University, including David Collier and Suzanne Lea, are also collaborating on the study.