Overview
- Researchers analyzed 119 anonymized adult serum samples collected in 2010–2016, targeting 56 PFAS and detecting 34 compounds.
- Perfluoromethoxyacetic acid showed the highest median level at 42 ng/mL, with trifluoroacetic acid also widespread, together making up the majority of measured PFAS.
- GenX was found in roughly 20% of samples, indicating that ultrashort-chain chemicals—not GenX—drove most of the historical serum burden.
- A 2017 Cape Fear River sample measured TFA at 110,000 ng/L and PFMOAA at 38,000 ng/L, with TFA exceeding a cited European drinking-water guideline by more than 50 times.
- The study identifies the upstream Fayetteville Works facility as the dominant source of PFMOAA and TFA in the lower river and calls for health-focused research, with plans to test current GenX Exposure Study samples.