New Hanover, Brunswick residents needed for GenX study

Residents of New Hanover and Brunswick counties are being asked to join in an ongoing study to measure exposure to the contaminant known as GenX that has been found in the area’s drinking water supply.

N.C. State University, Duke University and East Carolina University researchers, staff, students, community science advisory boards, organizations and study participants began working together in 2017 on the study to understand PFAS, or per and polyfluoroalkyl substances, exposure in communities along the Cape Fear River Basin.

Participants ages 6 and older are being recruited to join the GenX exposure study.

Researchers will be at the New Hanover County Health Department Friday through Sunday and from Oct. 15-16 at the Brunswick Center at Leland to meet with participants who will be asked to complete a questionnaire, provide a urine sample and agree to be contacted over time in return for $20 cash.

Visit the website to check eligibility for the study and schedule a clinic appointment.

PFAS, a group of over 5,000 human-made chemicals including GenX were found in drinking water in Wilmington in 2016. A chemical plant near Fayetteville has been releasing contaminants into the Cape Fear River since 1980. GenX, a product of the Chemours Co. at the Fayetteville Works site, has been found in water samples downstream of the chemical plant.

The GenX study began in 2017. Water and blood samples from Wilmington and Fayetteville residents were collected and tested for PFAS, including GenX. Researchers found three new PFAS and higher levels of known PFAS in the blood of most Wilmington residents, according to researchers.

GenX levels decreased the following year and were not found in the water of most homes. Researchers noted that was when the state started to control the chemical plant’s release of PFAS into the Cape Fear River. However, PFAS are still detectable in residents’ blood.

Learn more about eligibility requirements and study proceedings online, call 855-854-2641 or email at genx-exposure-study@ncsu.edu.