DEQ-CFW_00074576

GenX is a chemical used in the manufacturing of Teflon. GenX is part of the perfluorinated family
of compounds that include the chemicals PFOS and PFOA. The EPA has recently released its
health advisory levels for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water. The EPA issued a Health Advisory
with recommendations for drinking water not to exceed 70 parts per trillion (70 ng/L) for PFOS
and PFOA combined. 1
- According to media reports the GenX in the Cape Fear River is originating from Chemours Co. at
Fayetteville Works, a facility 100 miles upstream from Wilmington. GenX has been detected in
water treated by the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority as detailed in the article by Sun et a1.2
The recent media reports on GenX in the Cape Fear Riverare associate with the paper written
by Sun et al. This paper was published in November" -2016.``Meda reports cite 631 ng/L
concentrations of GenX detected in the Cape Fear River. This number is taken from the Sun et al.
article, however the data is from 2013-2014 Therefore, the levels reported in the media may or
may not reflect the current concentrations of GenX in the Cape Fear River.
Given the limited health information available for GenX; we can look at similar fluorinated
compounds PFOS and PFOA to�ur:derstand possibleeffeets. PFOA and PFOS were recently
reviewed by the EPA and the most common_effects observed in laboratory tests were kidney
and testicular cancer, impaired fetal development, and effects on the liver, thyroid, and immune
system.
In response to recently pubNshed research,6y-Sun and colleagues, OEES looked at the risk of
exposure to GenX: There are no, U.S. regulatory guideline levels for this compound. However, as
part ofthe. European chemical registration, a 2-year chronic toxicity and cancer study with rats
was performed. They reported a Derived No. EffectLevel (DNEL) of 0.01 mg/kg bw/day. We
applied the DNEL`to our U.S. risk assessment calculations to find a safe concentration for
drinking water of 70,909 ng/L of GenX. The value of 70,909 ng/L is more than 100 times greater
thamthe mean value of 631 ng/L detected in the Cape Fear River, suggesting safety until further
info rmatipn.can be gathered;
1. USEPA. Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS. https://www.epa.gov/ground-
water-and-drinkin, 1 4at"rinkine-water-health-advisories-pfoa-and-pfos
2. Sun et al. Legacy and Emerging Perfluoroalkyl Substances Are Important Drinking Water
Contaminants in the Cape Fear River Watershed of North Carolina. Environmental Science &
Technology Letters. Nov 2016. DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00398.
DEQ-CFW 00074576