Alamance County’s health department will convene a community meeting in Eli Whitney next week to brief residents on a potentially hazardous chemical that has turned up in the local water supply.
The focus of this meeting, according to the health department, is the discovery of PFAS during a recent water quality test that Eli Whitney’s fire department has conducted as part of a statewide initiative.
Known formally as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS refers to a broad class of manmade compounds that appear in everything from nonstick cookware and cosmetics to the foam used to fight fires. Due to their water-resistant properties, these so-called “forever chemicals” tend to linger in the natural environment and, in some cases, pose an increased risk for cancer and other health problems…