Study: Dogs, horses near Fayetteville have 'forever chemicals' in their blood

A new study from North Carolina State University of pet dogs and horses in the Gray's Creek community near Fayetteville shows elevated levels of toxic chemicals in blood samples.

Forever chemicals, another name for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have been seeping into drinking water wells in the area for decades from the nearby Chemours Fayetteville Works chemical plant.

"The well water animals did have a signature of the PFAS that were manufactured in the Fayetteville Works facility," said Scott Belcher, one of the co-authors of the study.

The study included 31 dogs and 32 horses from the community, and was conducted at the request of community members concerned about their pets’ well-being.

All of the animals analyzed, including some given bottled water, had at least one of the chemicals detected in their blood serum. More than half had at least 12 kinds of PFAS detected.

"The changes that we saw were absolutely consistent with the types of effects that we would expect from PFAS exposures," Belcher said.

The study comes on the heels of major settlements against PFAS manufacturers. This week, chemical giant 3M announced it would pay $10.3 billion to cities and towns with forever chemicals in the drinking water. Earlier this month, Dupont and it's spin-off companies Corteva and Chemours agreed to pay $1.19 billion to resolve water contamination claims.