GENX is a trade name for a man-made and unregulated chemical used in manufacturing non-stick coatings and for other purposes. Chemours' facility in Fayetteville began producing GenX commercially in 2009 as a replacement for PFOA (perfluroctaniac acid).  This chemical is also produced as a byproduct during other manufacturing processes and it may have been present in the environment for many years before being produced commercially as GenX.