Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that residents in just two communities affected by contaminated water from so-called forever chemicals, or PFOAs, can take part in a health study to monitor the long-term effects of exposure. That helps those drinking from polluted underground wells in Newburgh and eastern Rensselaer County, but not in Cairo in Greene County. The state is running an "invitation only" study that will include having participants provide urine and blood samples. “New York state is collaborating with some of the best researchers in the country to collect data from participants with common exposures,” said 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.” The Hoosick Falls area in Rensselaer County, downtown Cairo in Greene County including the elementary school, and the city of Newburgh in Orange County have all been polluted with PFOAs. In Cairo, a fire-fighting training center, where firefighters practiced using PFOA-infected foam, is the source of the problem. In Hoosick Falls, manufacturing companies, including Saint-Gobain, caused to the problem. PFOA exposure has been linked to testicular and kidney cancer, and thyroid disease. Read more about this story in the Times Union.