Recent research has revealed concerning levels of ultrashort-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) present in the blood of Wilmington, North Carolina residents. The study, which took place from 2010 to 2016, produced shocking findings. It detected dangerous concentrations of two particularly toxic PFAS—perfluoromethoxyacetic acid (PFMOAA) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)—in nearly every single blood sample tested. The results underscore alarming public health risks from exposure to such chemicals. They can have quite dubious effects on human health.
The study sheds light on the prevalence of these chemicals. It drives home the fact that more research is desperately needed to determine the health effects of PFAS exposure. As of 2023, the Fayetteville Works facility is the predominant known source of TFA and PFMOAA in the lower Cape Fear River. Recent water samples show extremely high levels of these chemicals in that area.
Key Findings from the Research
The results of the study showed that PFMOAA had the highest median concentration of all substances detected. It was 42 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) in blood draws and made up 42% of the total PFAS detected. TFA was found with a median concentration of 17 ng/mL. For comparison, the median concentration of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) was 14 ng/mL and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was 6.2 ng/mL. Among those that were detected, the most interesting finding was perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA) as all three concentrations had a median of 5.4 ng/mL.
Five PFAS compounds represented a significant 85% of the total concentrations detected across samples. This toxic data underscores how pervasive these chemicals are in the communities where we live.
“These results point out the need to start thinking about how to study the human health effects of these PFAS, particularly TFA and PFMOAA.” – Jane Hoppin
The study tested water samples taken from the Cape Fear River. Second, PFMOAA came back at a whopping 38,000 ng/L, and TFA was actually even higher than that, coming in at 110,000 ng/L. Interestingly, in those water samples, TFA accounted for 70% of the total PFAS found.
Health Implications and Regulatory Concerns
The study’s results are extremely alarming and pose fundamental questions about the long-term health impact for residents exposed to these dangerous levels of PFAS. By comparison, the European guideline for drinking water suggests a limit of 2,200 ng/L for TFA. Yet, this study shows that the TFA level found in easily accessible local water samples was over 50 times higher than this guideline threshold.
“For reference, one European guideline recommends a drinking water level of 2,200 ng/L for TFA,” – Detlef Knappe
This striking departure from widely accepted safety standards requires urgent action from public health authorities and regulatory bodies. The limited data available on human health effects related to short-chain PFAS compounds complicates the understanding of their potential impact on local populations.
The Need for Further Research
Those in the field emphasize the importance of further study. It is important to get a better understanding of the health effects associated with exposure to ultrashort-chain PFAS like TFA and PFMOAA. New research goes against the prevailing assumption that these chemicals are less harmful. Individuals used to think they were safer because they were less likely to bioaccumulate.
“The conventional wisdom is that short-chain PFAS are of lesser concern because they don’t bioaccumulate, but what we’re seeing is that they can occur at high levels in people,” – Jane Hoppin
The current study serves as a crucial “timestamp” for evaluating exposure levels before residents became aware of potential contamination in their drinking water. Researchers are now calling for more comprehensive analyses. They are primarily interested in studying the health impacts of these chemicals, particularly as they have been detected in environmental and human samples.
“With the development of analytical methods targeting ultrashort-chain PFAS, researchers have found these compounds to be the dominant PFAS in environmental matrices including water and human blood,” – Detlef Knappe