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Thursday, November 18, 2021, from 12 to 1 pm, ET
" Occurrence and Community Impact of
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in
North Carolina Drinking Water "
Some of the nation’s highest concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) occur in the Cape Fear River basin of North Carolina (NC). This watershed is the largest in NC and serves as a source of drinking water for about 1.5 million people. In addition to commonly studied perfluoroalkyl acids, a range of perfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs), including GenX, have been identified. PFEAs are byproducts generated during the manufacture of fluoropolymer building blocks.
A fluorochemical manufacturer located in the central region of the watershed released PFEAs into the air and into surface water for almost four decades. PFEA levels in a 2015 sample of Cape Fear River water at the drinking water intake for Wilmington (NC) and surrounding communities exceeded 100,000 ng/L, and PFEAs passed through water treatment plants unabated. For the majority of the PFEAs, which were identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry, no information was available about their toxicity, environmental behavior, and removal by water treatment processes.
In this presentation, Dr. Knappe will describe the impacts of PFEA contamination on NC communities, responses by the NC Departments of Environmental Quality as well as Health and Human Services, and results of ongoing research projects designed to develop the science needed to reduce exposure and answer community questions.
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