Tracing Toxins: New Studies Reveal PFAS Variations in Cape Fear River

POV: It's 2017, and you’re watching the news. PFAS has been dumped into the Cape Fear River–our main source of drinking water–and has been contaminating the water for over 40 years. Although the headlines eventually subsided, recent studies have revealed alarmingly high levels of PFAS in the blood of Wilmington residents.

PFAS is a harmful chemical, often described as a “forever chemical,” that can be linked to various long-term health and environmental problems for not only humans, but animals as well. It’s used in various everyday items, from non-stick cookware and food packaging to even cosmetics. In a study released last month, researchers tested 119 blood samples from Wilmington residents, identifying 50 new variations of PFAS. From an article on WECT: “Every sample also contained at least one type of forever chemical, with ten types of PFAS detected in more than 99% of samples.” Co-founder of Clean Cape Fear Emily Donovan states, “What this shows us is we still don’t know the full extent of the contamination that we were exposed to.” 

So we know this big problem exists and remains an ongoing issue … but how can we avoid it? The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists several actions you can take to reduce PFAS exposure in your everyday life. The number one recommendation is to ensure you have filtered drinking water in your home. If you eat seafood frequently, try to check whether the fish comes from waterways known for PFAS contamination. Simple switches, such as using cast-iron pans and pots rather than nonstick cookware, ensure that PFAS does not transfer into food. Reducing the use of plastic containers for food storage and limiting microwavable popcorn can also eliminate some of the main sources of PFAS. 

Overall, it’s important to make conscious choices to be aware of items that potentially contain PFAS and know how to avoid them. While PFAS contamination is not easily reversible, educating yourself on the impacts can help us live a healthier lifestyle. 

READ MORE: 

1. Natural Resources Defense Council. (2025, October 7). History of PFAS contamination in North Carolina. https://www.nrdc.org/media/history-pfas-contamination-north-carolina 

2. Smith, C. (2025, October 27). Study: High levels of new PFAS chemicals found in Wilmington residents’ blood. WECT. https://www.wect.com/2025/10/28/study-high-levels-new-pfas-chemicals-found-wilmington-residents-blood/ 

3. Earthjustice. (2024, May 14). Breaking down toxic PFAS: What PFAS are, why they’re harmful, and what we can do to protect ourselves from them. https://earthjustice.org/feature/breaking-down-toxic-pfas 

4. Cape Fear River Watch. (n.d.). PFAS (GenX) – advocacy and information. https://capefearriverwatch.org/genx/ 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Meaningful and achievable steps you can take to reduce your risk. https://www.epa.gov/pfas/meaningful-and-achievable-steps-you-can-take-reduce-your-risk