The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) held a significant meeting on December 4, 2024, to provide updates on the ongoing toxicity studies related to five PFAS chemicals as mandated by a consent order with Chemours. This meeting highlighted the progress of aquatic toxicity studies and rodent toxicity tests, which are crucial for understanding the environmental impact of these chemicals, particularly in the Cape Fear River ecosystem.

The meeting revealed that three of the five aquatic toxicity studies have been completed, with results indicating varying levels of toxicity across different organisms. The studies included tests on algae, Daphnia (water fleas), and fish, with the results showing unexpected patterns in toxicity responses. Notably, the algal study indicated that one compound, Nafion byproduct 2, did not meet the validity criteria due to high variability in growth rates, prompting a dose increase for further testing. The Daphnia tests showed that while some compounds exhibited low toxicity, others, like PMPA, demonstrated increased immobility at higher doses.

The fish survival tests were particularly intriguing, revealing that higher doses of Nafion byproduct 2 resulted in complete mortality within 24 hours, while other compounds displayed different mortality patterns. These findings underscore the complexity of the toxicity profiles of these PFAS compounds, suggesting that they do not behave uniformly across different biological systems.

Looking ahead, the NC DEQ anticipates receiving final reports for the remaining studies in early 2025, which will further inform the understanding of how these chemicals affect various trophic levels in freshwater ecosystems. The results from these studies will be instrumental in developing environmental standards and regulations, as they provide essential data on bioaccumulation and potential human health impacts.

The meeting concluded with discussions on the implications of the findings, emphasizing the need for continued research to fully understand the environmental and health risks posed by these PFAS compounds. The NC DEQ is committed to transparency, with plans to make all reports publicly available, ensuring that stakeholders are informed about the ongoing efforts to address PFAS contamination in North Carolina.