Leaders of the Skarure Woccon tribe are encouraging members to avoid customary activities, such as eating fish from the Cape Fear River, due to health concerns. While there is no definitive evidence about the health risks PFAS pose to humans, there is mounting research that suggests links between extended exposure to forever chemicals and weaker antibody responses against infections, elevated cholesterol levels, decreased infant and fetal growth, and kidney and testicular cancer in adults.
Jane Hoppin (Project 1) who is leading the GenX Exposure Study, a large effort to look at the health effects in people exposed to PFAS, presented information about the study and answered questions. Scott Belcher (Project 3) discussed subsistence fishing. Currently, Scott is studying fish that are primarily located in the upper Cape Fear. Katy May (CEC Core) also discussed filtration systems and the challenges in securing and distributing the systems and how the City of Wilmington is filtering the municipal water supply. Click HERE to read more.
