PFAS in Sea Foam

About the Sea Foam Study

In 2025, Clean Cape Fear and NC State University’s analytical core staff, and community engagement experts, published a study finding extreme levels of toxic PFAS in the unusual “sea foam blooms” often seen along local beaches.

Over a nine-month study period, sea foam samples taken from sites including Oak Island and Carolina Beach State Park consistently showed PFAS levels in orders of magnitude higher than the surrounding ocean water.

The majority of foam samples contained PFAS levels ranging from 10,000 ppt to 8,000,000 ppt—one of the highest levels ever recorded in literature to date. The compound most frequently detected was PFOS. Although PFOS is no longer in commercial use, it was designated as a hazardous substance by the U.S. EPA in 2024, and a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2025.

Unlike other pollutants, most PFAS compounds tend to float on the water’s surface. As mixing wind and waves naturally create seafoam, forever chemicals can accumulate and become highly concentrated in the foam blooms. 

The research findings showed that compounds like PFOS and Chemours-specific PFAS are highly present in foam and can pose potential risks through dermal exposure and inhalation. The group is calling for the state to immediately issue foam advisories when seafoam blooms are present to protect children, pets, and frequent beach visitors. The state should also immediately stop all discharges of PFAS into North Carolina waterways and develop a clean up strategy paid for by all upstream polluters.