PFAS Projects

Pennsylvania PFAS Multi-site Health Study (PA PFAS MSS)

PADOH is working with Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International in administering a national health study involving PFAS exposure. Temple University and Brown University are also partners in this study which is being funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its sister organization, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR.) The study specifically examines the health of residents exposed to PFAS through their drinking water in Horsham, Warrington and Warminster areas in Bucks and Montgomery Counties.

The PA PFAS Multi-site Study will collect information on health conditions, including autoimmune disorder, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, immune response, kidney and liver function, osteoarthritis, thyroid conditions, and in participants ages 5-17, neurobehavioral conditions.

For more information on the study and to register to participate, visit the study website.

PFAS Exposure Assessment Technical Tools (PEATT) Pilot Project

During summer of 2018, DOH tested a toolkit created by the CDC and ATSDR to perform blood tests on residents living in communities exposed to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their drinking water. This project is funded by the Association of State and territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and allow DOH to give feedback on improving the process for a larger, national study.

The initial project is completed and the preliminary results of the study can be found in the PEATT Project Final Report.

In the summer of 2019, DOH conducted additional exposure assessments on our original PEATT pilot project participants. As part of this, DOH tested urine samples from the participants. DOH also tested dust and tap water samples from 10% (14) of our study households. The purpose of this environmental assessment was to examine other sources of PFAS exposure beyond drinking water. Please see the webinar and the report below for the results of these additional testing.

PEATT Project Documents

• PEATT Pilot Project Final Report - 4/29/19
• PEATT Pilot Project Report - 12/18/18
  
• PFAS Exposure Assessment Technical Tools
• PEATT Project Fact Sheet
• PEATT Pilot Project Community Presentation – 5/16/18
• PEATT Pilot Project Community Presentation – 5/30/18
  
• PEATT Pilot Project Community Presentation – 9/13/18
• PEATT Pilot Project Community Presentation - 12/19/18
• PEATT Pilot Project Community Presentation – 4/29/19
• PEATT Environmental Assessment Report - 6/24/2020

PFAS Reference Documents

Cancer Data Review (1985-2013) – Selected Zip Codes of Warminster, Warrington, and Horsham, PA

• Addendum 1 to Cancer Data Review
• Addendum 2 to Cancer Data Review

Family Tree of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

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