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Metabolic impacts of PFAS exposure in the Cape Fear Basin: GenX Exposure Study

Award Number: R01ES039536
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2030

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Metabolic impacts of PFAS exposure in the Cape Fear Basin: GenX Exposure Study - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – (Biomedical Research) Project 1 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are common drinking water contaminants in North Carolina and around the United States. These chemicals have been detected in the drinking water of communities living along the Cape Fear River in NC. Working with community groups along the Cape Fear River, we will evaluate PFAS exposure and metabolic health effects (dyslipidemia and obesity) in people from three communities whose drinking water has been contaminated with PFAS. Disruption of lipid homeostasis and impacts on weight gain have been associated with PFAS in other populations. The three communities have exposure to different PFAS. Two of the communities (Town of Pittsboro and Lower Cape Fear area -- New Hanover and Brunswick Counties, NC) rely on the Cape Fear River for drinking water, while a third (the private well community south of Fayetteville, NC) relies on private wells. Pittsboro, located on the Haw River in the upper region of the Cape Fear River, is exposed to historically used PFAS. The Fayetteville private well community is located near a PFAS manufacturing plant which has discharged novel PFAS to both air and water (Cape Fear River) since 1980; their wells are contaminated from PFAS air transport. New Hanover and Brunswick Counties, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River and downstream of the chemical plant, are exposed to both historically used PFAS (e.g., PFOA, PFOS) as well as novel PFAS (e.g., GenX, Nafion byproduct 2). Some of these novel PFAS were found in high levels in drinking water, but not detectable in human serum (e.g., GenX, PFMOAA); exposure reconstruction is necessary to estimate health effects from past exposures. We recruited ~1000 individuals ages 6 and older (200 from Pittsboro, 300 from Fayetteville Private Well Community, and 500 from Wilmington) into the GenX Study Cohort in 2020-21 to follow over time to evaluate how PFAS chemicals influence human health. For this current effort, we will focus prospectively on how PFAS influence dyslipidemia and obesity. We will update the health history of this cohort annually. In Years 2 & 3 we will collect new blood samples for lipid and PFAS analysis and measure body composition using bioimpedance. We will link previously collected information on residential history to estimates of historic levels of the new PFAS to create estimates for health effects analysis. Because most individuals have measurable exposure to more than 8 different PFAS and because the effects of PFAS on lipids and weight can be non-linear, we will develop new statistical methodology to evaluate both the effects of individual PFAS and all PFAS together. We will report back individual and community level results on a regular basis and will conduct community-initiated analyses. We have a Community Science Advisory Panel to provide input to the study and ensure that the study investigators are well informed about community concerns. This study with its complex mix of PFAS and geographically diverse sample will provide key insights to the human health implications of PFAS both in NC and around the world.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $4,233,899 )
2026	2026	NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY	2601 WOLF VILLAGE WAY	RALEIGH	NC	27695	WAKE	USA	NIEHS Superfund Hazardous Substances_Basic Research and Education	000	1	7/28/2026	NEW	$4,233,899
														Subtotal = $4,233,899

Grand Total All Awards = $4,233,899

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Metabolic impacts of PFAS exposure in the Cape Fear Basin: GenX Exposure Study

Award Number: R01ES039536

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2030

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