NEWBURGH – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry released the report for the PFAS exposure assessment conducted near Stewart Air National Guard Base.
The report summarizes levels of PFAS in blood and urine from a group of residents living in and around the City of Newburgh and compares them to national PFAS levels.
PFAS levels are shown by age, race/ethnicity, sex, number of years living in the community, drinking water consumption patterns, and other exposure factors. The report also presents results from household dust and tap water samples and explores relationships between blood results and the environmental sampling data.
The exposure assessment found that the age-adjusted level of one PFAS, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid or PFHxS, in the blood of participants was higher than national levels, while the other PFAS tested were similar to national averages or not detected enough to calculate averages.
The elevated level of PFHxS in blood may be linked with past contamination of the city’s drinking water.
Tap water samples collected during the 2020 exposure assessment met the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2016 Health Advisory for PFAS and New York State public health standards for PFAS in drinking water.
ATSDR does not recommend community members use alternative sources of water.
The final PFAS exposure assessment report for Orange County is available here: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/activities/assessments/sites/orange-county-ny.html.
CDC and ATSDR invite residents living in and around the City of Newburgh to attend a virtual information session to learn more about the results of the PFAS exposure assessment. Experts also will answer community questions.
When: July 12, 2022
Time: 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. EST
To register, please visit: https://bit.ly/OrangeCountyEAMtg.
ATSDR staff will also host small meetings to answer additional community questions. Staff are available in-person at the Newburgh Free Library, located at 124 Grand Street Newburgh, on July 13 from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.
An additional in-person meeting will take place on July 14 from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. A virtual session is also scheduled for July 18 from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. Those interested in participating are encouraged to sign up online at: https://bit.ly/OrangeCountyEASmallMtg.
