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four scientists sit at a table where they discuss water pollution

Not all in-home water filters completely remove toxic PFAS

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Not all in-home water filters completely remove toxic PFAS - North Carolina Health News

A new study finds that under-the-sink reverse osmosis systems work best at removing “forever chemicals,” but they aren’t cheap.

By Greg Barnes Not all types of in-home filters are completely effective at removing “forever chemicals” from drinking water, and a few could do more harm than good if not properly maintained, according to a new study released Wednesday by North Carolina researchers. Water filters in refrigerators, pitcher-style filters, under the sink reverse osmosis systems […]

Paper boats with different types of Middle Eastern Foods are lined up. This is an example of healthy food at the North Carolina State Fair

Want to eat healthy at the NC State Fair? Yes, it’s possible!

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Want to eat healthy at the NC State Fair? Yes, it’s possible! - North Carolina Health News

It’s state fair season and we’ve got you covered with healthy options to enjoy. This year’s roundup features everything from seafood to meat to vegan bites.

By Liora Engel-Smith and Rose Hoban When you think of the North Carolina State Fair, you’d invariably conjure images of deep-fried concoctions of all kinds, from the traditional french fries or beignets or donuts to newer creations (We’re looking at you, fried Oreo). But the annual 10-day extravaganza in Raleigh also has another side, and […]

Shows two women in a lab, manipulating tools in order to test water samples, which are arranged on the tabletop

North Carolina not among states getting federal grants to study PFAS exposure on health

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North Carolina not among states getting federal grants to study PFAS exposure on health - North Carolina Health News

Environmental group says the state wasn’t awarded a grant because it failed to apply. State DHHS says the grant “was not appropriate” as a research study.

By Greg Barnes North Carolina is not among seven states that will be awarded federal grant funding to conduct health studies on people in specific communities who have been drinking water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. The reason: North Carolina, which is said to have the third-worst PFAS contamination in the […]

Members of the Pittsboro town board discuss PFAS this week

Pittsboro agrees to notify residents of drinking water contamination

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Pittsboro agrees to notify residents of drinking water contamination - North Carolina Health News

The Town Board said chemicals found in the water don’t exceed standards, but residents need to know about the contamination so they can decide on their own whether they think it’s safe.

By Greg Barnes The Pittsboro Town Board of Commissioners has agreed to mail notices to local water customers to alert them of contaminants in the town’s drinking water. Board members stressed that the contaminants are unregulated and don’t exceed state or federal health advisories. But they said residents should be notified to let them decide […]

a woman in rubber boots collects water from a muddy river. She's wearing a sweater, winter clothes

PFAS shows up in Haw River, Pittsboro water, but gets limited local attention

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PFAS shows up in Haw River, Pittsboro water, but gets limited local attention - North Carolina Health News

Research shows that the level of PFAS in Pittsboro’s drinking water is 30 times higher than it is in Durham. A new study by Duke University aims to determine whether Pittsboro residents are being harmed.

This story has been updated with additional information provided by the NC Dept. of Environmental Quality. By Greg Barnes On a windblown day in March, Emily Sutton wore rubber wading boots as she stood on the muddy banks of the Haw River and dipped a plastic sample bottle into the chilly, rushing water. Sutton, the […]

shows a couple embracing in a room, in the foreground are the tanks of the water filtration system.

Duke to study PFAS health effects in Pittsboro residents

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Duke to study PFAS health effects in Pittsboro residents - North Carolina Health News

Michigan residents say their state failed to quickly warn them about PFAS exposure. Could the same thing be happening in North Carolina?

This story has been updated with additional information provided by the NC Dept. of Environmental Quality. By Greg Barnes The drinking fountains at Gray’s Creek and Alderman Road elementary schools will remain shut off when students return to classes in Cumberland County next month. Those students have been drinking bottled water since October 2017, when […]

shows an old fashioned black telephone, sometimes scammers call on the phone

State: Beware scammers posing as Social Security

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State: Beware scammers posing as Social Security - North Carolina Health News

N.C. residents are being raked for personal information by scammers posing as Social Security staff, whether it’s a computer or a person on the line. Don’t let them succeed, officials urge.

By Thomas Goldsmith The caller’s voice sounds oddly distant as she reels off a string of lies. But the meaning is clear as she falsely tells people on the line that their Social Security accounts will be “blocked permanently” unless they do what they are told. People in North Carolina and around the nation have […]

shows a group of people gathered on a graffiti covered bridge, they're working with equipment that's on the ground.

DEQ requires municipalities to test for PFAS, 1,4 dioxane in Cape Fear River basin

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DEQ requires municipalities to test for PFAS, 1,4 dioxane in Cape Fear River basin - North Carolina Health News

The intent of the requirement is to develop a basin-wide strategy for reducing the level of the compounds to state stream standards.

By Greg Barnes The state Department of Environmental Quality will require 25 municipalities in the Cape Fear River Basin to begin monthly monitoring this summer for unregulated but potentially cancer-causing chemicals known as emerging contaminants. The DEQ’s Division of Water Resources recently sent letters to municipalities in the basin with pretreatment wastewater programs, saying monitoring […]

shows low level satellite photo of a dam feeding into a river, surrounded by trees

Pending bills speak to water pollution concerns in North Carolina

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Pending bills speak to water pollution concerns in North Carolina - North Carolina Health News

A multitude of environmental bills point to the severity of fluorinated chemicals causing water pollution in the state, and the urgency to clean up the mess.

By Greg Barnes Although many are destined to die, the large number of environmental bills pending in the North Carolina General Assembly stand testament to the severity of water contamination in this state and legislators feeling the urgency to do something about it. At least six bills address potentially cancer-causing per- and polyfluorinated substances — […]

A collapsed barn with trees behind it and a yellow lab to the left of the photo

As mental health needs rise among farmers, experts are reaching out

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As mental health needs rise among farmers, experts are reaching out - North Carolina Health News

Mental health awareness is increasing among North Carolina farmers who have been hit with low crop prices and hurricanes.

By Taylor Knopf When Russ Vollmer’s father passed away five years ago, he left his job and went home to become the fifth generation to run his family’s farm in Franklin County. Historically, the Vollmer farm ran on tobacco. But the industry changed, and Vollmer’s father transitioned to organic strawberries, as well as some other […]