Garden Produce Grown Near Fayetteville Works Fluorochemical Plant Contains GenX, Other PFAS
November 20, 2024 Tracey Peake

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Residential garden produce grown near the Fayetteville Works fluorochemical plant can expose those who consume it to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a new study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University, East Carolina University and the Colorado School of Mines.

“It is often assumed that contaminated drinking water is the main pathway through which we are exposed to PFAS,” says Detlef Knappe, professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering at NC State and a lead investigator of the study. “An important goal of our study was to determine whether people who live in PFAS-impacted communities are also exposed to PFAS through home-grown produce.”

The researchers collected 53 produce samples from five residential gardens located near the fluorochemical manufacturer Fayetteville Works in Fayetteville, N.C. Samples were analyzed for 43 PFAS. The targeted PFAS included GenX and 12 other per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs) that are uniquely associated with the Chemours-owned facility.

The summed PFAS concentrations detected in as-received produce reached up to 38 nanograms per gram (ng/g), with PFEAs from the manufacturer overwhelmingly dominating the PFAS profile.

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