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GenXExposureStudyNorthCarolinaStateUniversity

CampusBox7633Raleigh,NC27695-7633

Phone:855-854-2641https://chhe.research.ncsu.edu/coec/projects/genx/the-genx-exposure-study/

[INSERTDATE]

[INSERTSTREEADDRESS]

[INSERTCITY,STATE,ZIP]

Dear[INSERTPARTICIPANT/PARENTNAME],

ThankyouforparticipatingintheGenXExposureStudy.ThepurposeofthisresearchstudyistoseeifGenXandrelatedper-andpolyfluoroalkylsubstances(PFAS)arepresentinthebodiesofNewHanoverCountyresidents.PFASchemicalsareafamilyoffluorochemicals;someofthesechemicals,likeGenX,areusedtomakenon-stickproducts.

Aspartofthestudy,wedevelopedmethodstomeasureGenXandotherPFASchemicalsinhumanbloodsamples.Thesetestsweredoneaspartoftheresearchproject.Thisreportdescribestheresultsfromthebloodtests.WearesharingyourPFASbloodresultswithyouonPage5.ResultsfromallbloodsamplescollectedinNovember2017andMay2018areincluded.

Whatdidwedo?

• Enrolled310participantsinNovember2017and35inMay2018.

• CollectedbloodsamplesinNovember2017andMay2018.

o 44participantsprovidedbloodsamplesinbothNovemberandMay.Thesesamplesletusseehowlongthesechemicalsstayintheblood.

• Testedfor23differentPFAS,includingGenX,inthebloodsamples.

o ThesechemicalswereselectedbasedonwhatweknowaboutTeflonmanufacturingprocessesandchemicalscommonlyfoundinUSresidents.

o ThesetestingtookplaceattheUSEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(USEPA).

o ThefulllistofthePFAStestedinbloodareontheGenXExposureStudywebsite(tinyurl.com/GenXstudy).

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Whatdidwefind?

• WedidnotfindGenXinthebloodsamplesatlevelsgreaterthan2ng/mL.

o Thiswasoneofourkeyresearchquestions.WeusedlaboratorymethodstodetectGenXifitwaspresentinblood.Wehadtheabilitytodetect2ng/mL(2partsperbillion)GenXorgreater.

o OneofthebigunknownsaboutGenXandthenewerPFASchemicalsishowlongtheystayinthebody.BecausewecouldnotdetectGenXinbloodsamples,weknowthatGenXdoesnotstayinthebloodforverylong.

• AnumberofPFASchemicals,bothnewlyidentifiedandhistoricallyusedchemicals,werefoundinthebloodofNewHanoverCountyresidents.

• NewlyidentifiedPFASchemicalscalledNafionby-product2,PFO4DA,PFO5DoDA,andHydro-EVEwerefoundinmostbloodsamples.

• ThebloodlevelsofnewlyidentifiedPFASchemicalsappeartohavedroppedfromNov2017toMay2018amongthe44participantswhoprovidedtwobloodsamples.(Figure1)

• Thehistoricallyused,or“legacy”,chemicalscalledPFOA,PFOS,PFHxS,PFNA,andPFDAwerefoundinmostbloodsamples.

• ThelevelsofhistoricallyusedchemicalsinthebloodofNewHanoverCountyresidentsarehigherthannationalestimates.(Figure2)

o Everyyear,theCDCconductsasurveycalledNHANES(theNationalHealthandNutritionExaminationSurvey).NHANEScollectsbloodsamplesandmedicalinformationfrompeoplefromacrossthecountry.BloodsamplesareanalyzedforthehistoricallyusedPFASchemicals.

o WeusedtheNHANESresultsforPFASchemicalsin2013-2014asacomparisonfortheseresultsfromtheGenXExposureStudy.

Figure1.ChangesinbloodPFASlevelsfromNovember2017toMay2018.Medianconcentration(ng/mL)ofnewlyidentifiedPFASamong44participantswhoprovidedbloodsamplesinNov2017(blackbar)andMay2018(graybar).

Med

ianbloo

dconcen

tration(ng/mL)

NewerPFASChemicals

Nafionbyproduct2

PFO4DA PFO5DoDA

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WhatarethelimitationsofthePFASbloodsamplingresults?

• TheseresultstellyouhowmuchPFASwaspresentinyourbloodonthedayyouprovidedasample.

o Wedon’tknowhowlevelswillvaryovertime.

o Wedon’tknowhowyouwereexposedorhowlongtheexposurelasted.Someofthesechemicalshavemanysources,sowedon’tknowwhatexposureresultedinthepresenceofthesechemicals.

• Chemicalswhicharenotpresentinbloodmaystillbepresentinthebody.GenXandotherPFASwillalsobeanalyzedfromtheurinesamplesyouprovided.WearelookingforGenXandotherPFASchemicalsintheurinesamplesthatyouprovided.

• TheresultsfortheHydro-EVEareconsideredsemi-quantitative.WeareconfidentthatHydro-EVEispresentinblood.Wedonotknowtheexactamountbecausethetoolsneededtocalculatethiswerenotavailableatthetimeofanalysis.

• Thisisaresearchstudynotaclinicaltest.o Thechemicalsthatwearereportingrequirednewandsophisticatedmethods

fordetection.

Whatdotheseresultsmeantoyourhealth?

• Forsomeofthechemicalswemeasured(Nafionbyproduct2,PFO4DA,PFO5DoDA,Hydro-EVE),therearenotoxicologydataavailabletoinformaboutpotentialhumanhealtheffects.Therefore,wecannotsaywhattheseresultsmeanforyourhealth.

o Ourfindingswillhelpinformfuturetoxicologystudies.

Figure2.Medianbloodconcentration(ng/mL)oflegacyPFASamong388samplesfrom344GenXExposureStudyparticipants(blackbar).NHANES2013-14data(whitebar)shownforcomparison.

Med

ianbloo

dconcen

tration(ng/mL)

Historically-usedPFASChemicals

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• WhilescientificresearchonPFASisgrowing,fornowthesePFASbloodresultscannottellyou:

o IfacurrenthealthproblemisrelatedtothePFASlevelsfoundinyourbody.o IfthePFASlevelsinyourbodywillhavenegativehealtheffectsnoworlaterin

life.

Wherethestudyisheading

• WeareworkingtoanalyzetheurinesamplescollectedinthestudyforPFAS.Wewillsendyouthoseresultswhentheyareavailable.

• WaterresultsforMayparticipantswillbesharedlaterthisyear.

YourPFASbloodresults

YourindividualPFASbloodsampleresultsarepresentedonPage5.IfyouprovidedbloodsamplesinNov2017andMay2018,bothresultsareshownonPage5.

Ifyouhavequestionsabouthowtoreadthisreport,pleasegoto“Studyupdates”onourwebsite(tinyurl.com/GenXnc)foravideothatwillwalkyouthroughit.Thereisalsomoreinformationonourwebsiteaboutthesefindings.

WeplantohostacommunitymeetinginWilmingtontodiscusstheseresults.ThismeetingwillbeheldTuesday,November13,2018at7:00PMattheCapeFearCommunityCollegeUnionStation,RoomU-170(502NFrontStreet,Wilmington,NC28401).

IfyouhaveadditionalquestionsrelatedtotheGenXExposureStudyorhowwecollectedandprocessedthesamples,pleasefeelfreetocontactourstudyofficebyphone(855-854-2641)oremail(genx-exposurestudy@ncsu.edu).

WethankyouforyourparticipationintheGenXExposureStudy.Yourresults,whencombinedwithothers,mayhelpusbetterunderstandanypotentialhealthrisksfromPFASexposureinthefuture.

Sincerely,

JaneHoppin,ScD GenXExposureStudy,PrincipalInvestigator

Belowareyourbloodsampleresults(ParticipantID#000).Theunitsareng/mLandNDis“non-detect.”Notethattheconcentrationrangesaredifferentforeachchemical.

WedonotshowconcentrationsforHydro-EVE.Weonlyshowwhereyoursampleisinthedistributionofallbloodsamplesfromstudyparticipants,andwhereitisrelativetothemedian(ormidpoint)ofallparticipants.

Legend

NewerPFAS:

Historically-usedPFAS: