Jamie Howell Staff Writer The City of Durham Department of Water discovered chemical contamination in Lake Michie and the Little River reservoir, two sources of drinking water for the city.
According to NC Policy Watch, the compounds found in the water were the perfluorinated compounds known as PFOA, PFOS and PFB at concentrations of 2.4 to 7 parts per trillion.
High exposure to these compounds can lead to cancer, hormone distribution, liver and immune system damage and thyroid changes.
The only of the compounds found in Durham still being used in production is PFB, but the others are a persistent part of our environment.
These chemicals have a complex synthetic composition which makes them hard to break down by natural processes.
According to the US National Library of Medicine, PFOA was used to make things like Teflon.
The side effects once consumed are increased cholesterol, increased uric acid levels and kidney disease.
GenX, the compound that PFOS, PFOA and PFB are related to, is found in water all over North Carolina according to the Associated Press.
NC Policy Watch states that it’s very expensive to detect these compounds, but scientists from North Carolina universities are working with lawmakers to fund an NC Emerging Contaminant Observatory, an organization proposed by Duke University Professor Lee Ferguson.
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