Village and Town will be Part of Multi-Site PFOA Study
Submitted by the NYS Department of Health
The New York State Department of Health and the University at Albany School of Public Health have announced that residents in the Hoosick Falls area (including Petersburgh) are invited to take part in a national Multi-Site PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) Health Study. This by-invitation-only effort seeks to recruit eligible adults and families who will then be invited for a health clinic visit for blood and urine testing along with a health evaluation to measure exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The study will also collect information about the immune response, lipid metabolism, kidney function, thyroid disease, liver disease, glycemic parameters and diabetes. In return, confidential test results will be provided to participants at no cost to them. Recruitment for participants in the Hoosick Falls/Petersburgh area is expected to begin in February.
“New York State is collaborating with some of the best researchers in the country to collect data from participants with common exposures,” said New York State Department of Health Acting Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “What we learn by working with these researchers could provide important clues about the complex relationship between PFAS exposures through drinking water and human health outcomes.”
A Community Advisory Panel (CAP), made up of unpaid individuals from Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh as well as other communities, is a critical partner in this study. Members relay community questions and concerns and encourage community outreach and participation. They also help advise researchers on study design, outreach and progress.
Learn more about the Multi-site PFAS Health Study at www.health.ny.gov/chemicalsandhealth