West Wake News

Researchers from the GenX Exposure Study have identified PFAS, specifically those linked to a nearby fluorochemical plant, in household dust from residences in Cumberland and Bladen counties, North Carolina. Homes situated closer to the plant exhibited higher levels of these specific PFAS compared to those farther away.

The study also revealed significant concentrations of other PFAS not directly related to the fluorochemical plant in over 90% of the dust samples analyzed. These findings suggest household dust as an additional source of PFAS exposure. Nadine Kotlarz, assistant professor at North Carolina State University, elaborated on the research saying, “PFAS exposure via contaminated well water is relatively well studied but, given the air emissions from the plant, we wanted to learn whether household dust was also a source of exposure.”

In their February 2019 study, the team collected dust samples from 65 homes within approximately six miles of the plant, all of which had undergone previous well water testing as part of the GenX Exposure Study. The researchers focused on 48 PFAS compounds, including 12 PFEAs associated with the fluorochemical plant also found in local drinking water wells. They included ultrashort chain PFAS due to reports of their presence in dust and human exposure.

PFAS were detected in all dust samples, with GenX found in 89% of them. Six out of the 12 PFEAs appeared in over 75% of the samples, with concentrations decreasing as the distance from the plant increased. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), another ultrashort chain PFAS, was identified in 89% of the samples and had the highest median concentration among the targeted PFAS.

Jane Hoppin, an environmental epidemiologist at NC State and principal investigator of the GenX Exposure Study, commented on the significance of the findings: “For people living near the fluorochemical facility, it would be natural to wonder how important dust exposure may be. Generally speaking, we know that dust exposure can contribute to overall exposure, and that small children tend to have higher dust exposures than adults. This study demonstrates the need for evaluating household dust for PFAS in impacted communities.”

The study, published in Environmental Science and Technology, was supported by research funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NC State’s Center for Human Health and the Environment, the Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS, and the NC Policy Collaboratory. Susie Proctor from the University of Michigan was the first author, and the analysis of dust was conducted by Sharon Zhang and Heather Stapleton from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment along with NC State contributors Jane Hoppin and Detlef Knappe.