Rome school board member Alvin Jackson gets blood drawn as part of the PFAS exposure study, led by Emory UniversityÐÔÊӽ紫ý Rollins School of Public Health, at the Kelsey-Aycock-Burrell Center in February.
Rome school board member Alvin Jackson gets blood drawn as part of the PFAS exposure study, led by Emory UniversityÐÔÊӽ紫ý Rollins School of Public Health, at the Kelsey-Aycock-Burrell Center in February.
A recent study by researchers from Emory UniversityÐÔÊӽ紫ý Rollins School of Public Health has alarmed some residents about the presence of “forever chemicals†ingested by Gordon and Floyd county residents through the water supply.
The study was conducted in response to concerns from residents and involved collecting blood samples from 177 adults in these communities.
Participants were mailed their results the first week of June, and last week, researchers shared their preliminary findings of how the overall samples in these communities compared to the national average.
One of the more troubling statistics is that 40.1% of study participants had levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), part of the PFAS group of chemicals, higher than 95% of the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý population.
“This was a small pilot study, but itÐÔÊӽ紫ý clear that the region has a unique source of exposure to PFAS,†Emory UniversityÐÔÊӽ紫ý Rollins School of Public Health Professor of Environmental Health Dr. Dana Barr said. “And this study was just to get an idea of what chemicals are getting into people in the area.â€
According to Barr, exposure to PFAS can increase negative health outcomes, specifically with certain types of cancer and cause immunological problems.
And despite much of the information being distributed involving PFAS and drinking water, Barr says that there are several other ways to get exposed to the toxins.
“Reduce your overall exposure to chemicals any way you can,†Barr said. “Yes, drinking bottled and filtered water can help, but so can reducing your use of cosmetics and other chemicals.â€
Household dust is another way people are exposed to PFAS.
“Lots of everyday products contain PFAS, so knowing how to reduce exposure can be heard,†Barr said. “But eating fresh vegetables and reducing the amount of pesticides you use can also be helpful.â€
At certain exposure levels, Barr said itÐÔÊӽ紫ý important for people to have their physicians perform certain tests to check if there are problems.
“We did the study to give folks some peace of mind about their health,†Barr said. “The next steps would be another study to determine how and why people are exposed to these chemicals.â€
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