GenX Chemicals: Another Look at GenX in Water in North Carolina

Table of Contents

• GenX Chemicals: History in Brief
• GenX in Water
• GenX Contamination in Wilmington, NC: What’s in Your Water
• 1.4-Dioxane in North Carolina Drinking Water
• The Path Forward After GenX Chemicals: Solutions and Next Steps

GenX Chemicals: History in Brief

GenX is an alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which the scientific engineering company DuPont introduced commercially in 2009. It was intended as a safer means of producing Teflon and other products. At the time, the company submitted numerous statements indicating that GenX chemicals could be dangerous to humans.

Unfortunately, these concerns were largely disregarded, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted DuPont a consent order. Chemours, a DuPont spin-off company, then took over the contract.

Since then, GenX chemicals have been found in North Carolina drinking water, particularly around Wilmington. A 2016 study highlighted the issue, which gained significant publicity in early June. As a result, local authorities such as the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA), North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ), and EPA have faced growing pressure from the public. Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo has led calls for tighter regulations on GenX discharge.

What is GenX in Water?

GenX and other PFOA compounds are highly stable chemically, which is why they are used in the production of Teflon and other household items. However, this stability also means that GenX remains in water almost indefinitely.

Because it is a "water-loving chemical," researchers have had difficulty studying GenX's behavior in water. As a biopersistent compound, it is estimated to remain in the human body for up to three years. This poses a serious problem.

While the exact health effects of GenX on humans are still speculative, other PFOA compounds are known to be carcinogenic. Between 2006 and 2013, DuPont conducted several studies that showed GenX caused reproductive issues and tumors in lab animals.

Also known as C6, GenX is highly similar to another DuPont chemical, C8, which was phased out after its carcinogenic properties were confirmed. Numerous class-action lawsuits resulted in a $671 million settlement, and DuPont and Chemours had to pay the EPA $16.5 million for not disclosing the health hazards of GenX.

Despite internal tests revealing these risks, both companies have maintained that GenX is safer than C8. However, traces of GenX have been found in North Carolina's drinking water since 1980.

GenX Contamination in Wilmington, NC: What’s in Your Water?

Wilmington, a prominent port city and the county seat of New Hanover County, has been at the center of public outcry over water contamination. Located about 100 miles downriver from the Fayetteville Works site, which is responsible for much of the chemical discharge into the Cape Fear River, Wilmington gets most of its drinking water from the last 35 miles of the river.

On June 21st, the GenX Community Forum was held by the Cape Fear River Watch at Wilmington’s Coastline Conference Center. Several notable panelists spoke, including Professor Larry Cahoon, a biological oceanographer specializing in water quality at UNC Wilmington, and Susanne Brander, an ecotoxicologist.

According to Napoli Shkolnik PLLC, an attorney group involved in the class-action lawsuits, there is substantial evidence that GenX contamination in Wilmington’s water may lead to chronic health issues such as liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancers, as well as liver and kidney disease and uterine polyps.

Local pediatrician Dr. David Hill also noted that PFOA chemicals, including GenX, are endocrine disruptors. These chemicals are especially dangerous for children and teens as they wreak havoc on the body’s hormonal system.

Brander mentioned that GenX doesn’t penetrate the skin, so bathing in the water is likely safe. However, she expressed concerns about using tap water to wash food, saying she was “on the fence” about its safety.

Other UNC Wilmington researchers, such as Dr. Detlef Knappe, have shown that North Carolina's drinking water contains several PFOAs, not just GenX. Although Chemours initially claimed it couldn’t prevent further GenX discharge, the company has since changed its stance, announcing that it will stop discharges following an EPA investigation and sampling by NC DEQ.

1.4-Dioxane in North Carolina Drinking Water

During their investigations, scientists also discovered elevated levels of 1.4-dioxane, another harmful chemical, in North Carolina’s water supply. This industrial solvent is used in products such as varnishes, soaps, makeup, paint strippers, and antifreeze. The EPA has listed 1.4-dioxane as a probable human carcinogen.

In lab tests, 1.4-dioxane has been shown to cause liver and kidney damage in rats. While studies on humans exposed to 1.4-dioxane have not conclusively linked it to cancer, the EPA has flagged it as a chemical that requires further study. Unfortunately, it can take up to 20 years for newly identified chemicals like 1.4-dioxane to be federally regulated.

Tests have shown that levels of 1.4-dioxane in the Cape Fear River basin average two parts per billion, nearly six times the EPA's recommended safe level. Some areas, like Fayetteville and Harnett County, have reported levels as high as 11 parts per billion, down from 351 parts per billion in previous years.

The Path Forward After GenX Chemicals: Solutions and Next Steps

Kemp Burdette, the Cape Fear Riverkeeper, has added his voice to the movement calling for contaminants like GenX to be removed from North Carolina’s water supply. His organization is pushing for a binding agreement between Chemours and the CFPUA to permanently stop the discharge of GenX chemicals.

Chemours' state wastewater discharge permit has expired, and currently, it doesn’t require the company to disclose the presence of GenX in its waste. Burdette’s group is calling on the NC DEQ to add restrictions to the permit renewal and to include river sediment in their studies. Burdette also wants the EPA to extend its investigation into discharges.

Unfortunately, research on emerging contaminants like GenX is severely underfunded, meaning that chemical companies’ biased, in-house testing often goes unchallenged for decades. Both the EPA and NC DEQ are facing significant budget cuts, which further limit their ability to conduct independent research.

Attorney John Green has stated that “change will likely come through legal action,” with legal firms such as Hall & Green Law and Napoli Shkolnik PLLC working to ensure that Wilmington’s water supply remains safe for consumption.

Municipal filtration systems have been found to be inadequate at filtering out GenX and other contaminants. For now, reverse osmosis water filtration systems remain the most effective solution for removing GenX from North Carolina’s drinking water.