Researchers from North Carolina State University have received a four-year, $4.2 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to continue studying the effects of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and newly identified perfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEA) – such as GenX – on more than 1,000 residents from certain communities within the Cape Fear River Basin.
The work represents the continuation of a project that began in November 2017 in response to the contamination of drinking water in Wilmington by GenX and other PFAS. The current focus of the study is on how long-term PFAS and PFEA exposure influences human health. As a result, the study has grown to include over 1,000 people living in three regions of the Cape Fear River Basin.
“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,” says Jane Hoppin, professor of biological sciences at NC State and principal investigator for the GenX Exposure Study.
“This grant will allow us to continue monitoring our cohort of residents, focusing specifically on adverse metabolic outcomes – such as abnormal cholesterol levels and obesity – that may be associated with these chemicals.”
The study will assess the impact of multiple PFAS and PFEAs on changes in lipid concentrations and body composition by continuing to collect data from cohort members; create lifetime exposure estimates to PFEA for participants whose drinking water was contaminated; and share the results with cohort members and their impacted communities.
NC State co-investigators include Brian Reich, Gertrude M. Cox Distinguished Professor of Statistics, and Statistics Professor of the Practice Emily Griffith. Other collaborators include East Carolina University researchers David Collier and Suzanne Lea.
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