Residents in Kent County who have been exposed to PFAS contamination are being asked to take part in a study that could help researchers one day better understand the health effects the toxic chemical can cause.
The Kent County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services want to learn exactly what polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly called PFAS is doing to residents that have been exposed to the toxic chemical. To do so, health officials say they must first do what is called an exposure assessment which compares local residents who have been drinking contaminated drinking water with the national average.
Health officials are seeking 800 participants to take part the assessment. The requirement: residents’ drinking water must already have been tested to be above the Environmental Protection Agency’s 70 parts per trillion safety threshold for drinking water, residents must be from Northern Kent County, and residents must be willing to have their blood drawn.
Dr. Eden Wells is the Chief Medical Executive at Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services.
“Our hypothesis is being tested is there will be a higher level of PFAS in the blood of this community in comparison to an average United States community,” Eden Wells said.
Officials are emphasizing that the exposure assessment is only to gauge Kent County residents PFAS levels with the national average and that it will not determine the health risks associated with drinking the contaminated water.
However, they say it’s the first step required before a health study can be conducted.
