With the discovery of PFAS contaminated water across the state of Michigan, the federal government is sending the state millions to help study resident’s exposure to the toxic chemicals. Michigan is set to receive $4 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study residents’ exposure to contaminants like PFAS and lead.
The five-year grant will hopefully give the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services a better understanding of how much PFAS is in the blood of a typical Michigander.
PFAS, known as the forever chemical, is widely used in waterproofing agents and firefighting foam. Across the state of Michigan, the chemical has leached into private wells and contaminated the drinking water supplies of thousands of residents. Its called the forever chemical, because once ingested, it never leaves the body. To make matters worse, health officials say that if enough is ingested, it can lead to liver and kidney cancers.
Michigan was chosen for the grant in part because of the state’s large hunting and fishing industry, which provides greater risk at ingesting PFAS through the fish and animals hunters may eat.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services plans to select a group of adults that mirror the state’s population and test them in order to get a better idea of how much PFAS is in an average Michigan resident.