PA PFAS Multi-site Health Study

PA PFAS - Website

Recruitment has started for the PA PFAS Multi-site Health Study. Call 1-877-267-2890 to be screened for eligibility.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is studying the human health effects in communities exposed to per- and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through drinking water. PFAS are man-made chemicals that were used for decades in firefighting foam and in many different industries including those that made waterproofing materials. ATSDR is funding researchers from seven different sites across the United States to see how PFAS impacts health. The Pennsylvania site includes 11 townships near the military bases in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.

Researchers at RTI International, Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH), Temple University, and Brown University received funding from ATSDR to study PFAS and its possible relationship to health among those exposed to PFAS-contaminated drinking water in these communities.

The study team plans to enroll 1,000 adults aged 18 and older and 300 children aged 4-17 (with parent/guardian permission) to evaluate their PFAS levels, health measures like thyroid hormone levels and liver function, and medical history (including personal and family history of cancer). Participants will receive individual test results with their PFAS levels, which they can share with healthcare providers.