ECU researcher co-authors international plea for government, businesses to avoid harmful chemicals
WHAT: A group of 16 scientists from universities, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the European Environment Agency, and non-governmental organizations recently published a peer-reviewed article in Environmental Science & Technology Letter urging governments and businesses to treat all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as one class and to avoid them for nonessential uses because they are harmful to human and environmental health.
WHO: Dr. Jamie DeWitt, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine, is a leading expert in the U.S. on PFAS and was a co-author on this important article. She testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives twice last year and she is regularly called upon for her expertise by institutions and media outlets all over the world.
WHEN: One-on-one, 20-minute interviews will take place between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15.
WHY: PFAS are human-made chemicals – such as PFOA, PFOS and GenX – that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries for several decades. They are used to make nonstick and water- or grease-resistant household products and are also found in industrial facilities, drinking water and food grown in PFAS-contaminated soil or processed with equipment that used PFAS.
Research by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry indicates certain PFAS may affect the growth and development of infants and children, interfere with the body’s natural hormones, affect the immune system and increase the risks of cancer and other diseases.
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Contact: Rob Spahr, ECU Health Sciences Communications, spahrr18@ecu.edu
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Note to media: Dr. Jamie DeWitt, an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine, will be available for web-based or telephone interviews to discuss this release between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15. To reserve an interview time, contact Rob Spahr.