DEP To Host Sept. 16 Town Hall Meeting On Findings From The PA PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Multi-Site Health Study In Bucks, Montgomery Counties And What They Mean For Local Families

The Department of Environmental Protection will host a September 16 town hall meeting where senior researchers and community partners will share key findings from the PA PFAS Multi-site Health Study and discuss what they mean for local families.

There will be time for questions, discussion and community input and an announcement of next steps.

The town hall will be held at the Hatboro-Horsham High School Auditorium, 899 Horsham Road in Horsham, Montgomery County from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Featured research speakers include--

-- Linda Brown, MPH, DrPH: Study Director, PA PFAS Health Study, RTI International

-- Resa M. Jones, MPH, PhD: Co-Investigator, Temple University

-- Robin Taylor Wilson, MA, PhD: Co-Investigator, Temple University

Featured Community Partner speakers include--

-- Hope Grosse:  Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water

-- Joanne Stanton:  Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water

Background

In 2019, RTI International, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Temple University, and Brown University received $5 million in federal funding to study PFAS 'forever chemicals] and possible health effects from drinking PFAS-contaminated water in Pennsylvania.

The funding came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

The study was prompted by a 2016 finding that drinking water wells close to three former and active military bases in Bucks and Montgomery counties had high levels of PFAS chemicals as a result of extensive use of firefighting foams at the bases.

These earlier tests cause the shutdown of wells and treatment of the drinking water in Warrington, Warminster and Horsham.

The study team enrolled 1,251 adults aged 18 and older and 89 children aged 5-17 (with parent/guardian permission) in Bucks and Montgomery counties to evaluate their PFAS levels, health measures like thyroid hormone levels and liver function, and medical history (including personal and family history of cancer).

In July 2025, the PA PFAS Multi-site Health Study released preliminary results that found--

-- 4 PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFNA) in over 96% of adults in the study

-- adults in the study had higher average levels of PFOA and PFHxS than adults in the general population

-- Children in the study had lower PFAS levels than adults in the study. Compared to children in the general population, children in the study had higher levels of PFHxS.

-- Premenopausal females (ages 12-49 years) had lower levels of most PFAS than males. In older adults, levels in females and males were similar.

These results were published in an Environment International Journal article in August 2025.

Researchers from ATSDR and the Multi-site Study teams analyzed these results from all the study sites to understand how exposures to PFAS may affect the health of adults and children.

The results of that analysis will be presented at the September 16 town hall.

Click Here for a factsheet on the preliminary results.

Visit the PA PFAS Multi-site Health Study website for more information on the study.

Resource Links:

-- Courier Times: PFAS Levels ‘Higher Than Average’ Among Bucks, Montgomery Residents In National Study

-- PA Department of Health PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ webpage

-- PA Department of Environmental Protection PFAS in Pennsylvania webpage

[Posted: August 29, 2026 ]  PA Environment Digest