A coalition of North Carolina health and science leaders is pressing the Environmental Protection Agency to publish a long-awaited toxicity assessment on PFNA, a forever chemical detected in drinking water systems across the state and nationwide.
The call follows a ProPublica investigation revealing that EPA scientists completed the report in April but have yet to release it.
In a letter to North Carolina Republican Representative Greg Murphy, researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, East Carolina University, and several former EPA officials urged transparency, warning that families cannot be assured their water is safe without the findings.
PFNA belongs to the PFAS class of chemicals widely used in industrial and consumer products. Studies have linked PFNA exposure to developmental issues, liver damage, and reproductive harms.
The Environmental Working Group estimates the chemical has been found in drinking water serving 26 million people nationwide.
