The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is inviting residents of Paw Paw Township and Antwerp Township to join the Michigan Chemical Exposure Monitoring project.
The MiChEM project aims to gather data on the amount of certain chemicals in the blood and urine of Michiganders, including lead, mercury and PFAS.
Department environmental epidemiologist Rachel Long tells us they’ve been selecting random areas of the state for testing.
“It’s done so that we can represent the state both geographically and demographically because they’re looking for Michiganders of all backgrounds to participate to help us represent the state,” Long said.
The MiChEM project team will be in the Paw Paw Township area from February 14 to February 16, and over the next few weeks, households in parts of Paw Paw Township and Antwerp Township will receive the project invitations. Anyone who wants to help with the study can follow the instructions in the invitation.
People who are selected to participate will be given a survey and asked to provide blood and urine samples. They’ll then receive their results along with a $65 gift card.
