LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Since September 2022, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has been sending out invitations across the state for a study on chemical levels in residents’ blood and urine, including PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” due to their long-lasting presence in the body.
Approximately 138,000 households in Michigan have been randomly chosen to receive invitations containing instructions on joining the MiChEM (Michigan Chemical Exposure Monitoring) project.
First project of its kind in the state.
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In a written statement from Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive, she said, “The MiChEM project will help us understand more about the chemical exposures of Michigan residents, including if some groups have greater amounts of certain chemicals in their bodies and how the amounts compare to national averages. This is the first time that a project of this type and scale has been done in Michigan.”
What are they testing for?
The study will look for 197 chemicals including 45 PFAS chemicals, pesticides, lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminum and much more. On the MiChEM website, it states the purpose for the study as: investigating sources and health effects of chemical exposures; creating programs to reduce harmful chemical exposures; and improving laws related to chemical use.
Taking part in the study is completely free and those who sign up will receive a $65 Visa gift card and personal lab results concerning the 197 chemicals that will be measured in their blood and urine samples.
A diverse range of participants is sought.
Having already had participants engaged with their study in much of downstate Michigan, letters are now arriving in lower Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
MDHHS is focusing on having participants from “different races, ethnicities, age groups and regions of the state to participate.”
Anyone living in the households where the letters are sent can sign up to participate but only one person, 18 years or older, will be randomly chosen from the household. They
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will be instructed to participate in a 30 to 40 minute survey and show up at an on-site location to give trained professional a blood and urine sample.
Although the state will have your DNA, they reportedly won’t give it to “any other parties.”
MDARD says that blood and urine collected will not be tested for any drugs or DNA and “we will protect lab results and other data to the fullest extent of the law.”
They explain, “MiChEM will never publicly release information that could identify participants, such as their name or address. MiChEM will protect results to the fullest extent of the law. All project staff are required by law to maintain confidentiality for all project participants. Only MDHHS will have access to and maintain the privacy and security of participants’ data and samples.”
They go on to say, “Other parties may request to see their data, but MDHHS will not give it unless participants give their explicit permission. All samples will be stored at the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories. Participants’ DNA will not be tested or given to any other parties.”
18 months into the study, much of Michigan has participated.
According to the MiChEM website, they have had 1,437 participants to date and have completed 52 out of 66 areas.
