‘Forever chemicals’ detected in multiple NC water sources, study reveals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – The water you and your family drink, bathe or swim in could be contaminated with chemicals known as “forever chemicals.”

A new study from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) found that nearly half of the tap water in America contains those chemicals.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a class of 12,000 different man-made chemicals.

In the past, WBTV has reported about the issue along the Cape Fear River, where the Chemours plant in Fayetteville polluted the river with PFAS chemicals for years.

USGS researchers tested water in 716 communities across the country, including 11 in North Carolina, according to the peer-reviewed journal article published by Science Direct.

The tests included private wells and public water supplies. They found PFAS in four of the North Carolina test sites.

While the study does not give the exact locations of the North Carolina test sites, the map shows positive tests at a private well near Durham, and public water supplies near Wilmington, Raleigh and Charlotte.

The researchers found most of the positive tests for PFAS chemicals in urban areas and close to plants, which could potentially be sources for PFAS.

Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to cancer, decreased fertility, liver damage and other health problems.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new rules for PFAS in drinking water.

EPA announces proposed regulations of ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

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