Two New York State communities, the Hoosick area and the City of Newburgh, were chosen as part of the first national study to look at exposures to perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS) from drinking water. Researchers are looking closely at the role PFAS may play in various health outcomes by analyzing results from blood tests, health-related lab tests, and medical and exposure histories. This study will help scientists and communities learn more about PFAS and human health effects including:
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Changes in liver enzymes
- Decreased vaccine response in children
- Behavioral and developmental outcomes in children
- Increased risk of high blood pressure or preeclampsia in pregnant women
- Small decreases in infant birth weights
Additional Multi-site PFAS Health Study communities are located in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania
The Multi-site PFAS Health Study is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. New York State’s effort is led by researchers from the New York State Department of Health and the University at Albany.
For more information, please visit the Multi-site PFAS Health Study at the University of Albany.
The medical monitoring program was created under a settlement between St. Gobain, Honeywell, and 3M and claimants who drank water that was contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a type of PFAS, in Hoosick Falls, NY.
Medical monitoring is a form of surveillance that consists of repeated, non-invasive testing intended to detect specific changes in a patient that could indicate the need for further investigation. The program includes an annual survey, a limited physical examination, and clinical laboratory tests directed at useful “biomarkers” of disease processes known to be altered by PFOA exposure. There is also an initial measurement of serum PFOA and follow up every two years. The Hoosick Falls medical monitoring program will span 10 years of monitoring.
For more information, please visit the Hoosick Falls PFOA Settlement Website.