The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is expanding its Michigan Chemical Exposure Monitoring project into Benton Harbor and Benton Township.
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.
State health department environmental epidemiologist Rachel Long tells us they select areas of the state for testing based on statistical models. They want to get a statewide picture of what chemicals people have been exposed to.
“We know that Michigan has a legacy of industrial activity,” Long said. “We know there are sites of contamination across the state. This project is simply trying to get a representative sample across the state so we can understand Michigan as a whole, understand whether there are certain groups that are more exposed than others, whether there are any trends over time that we can see in chemical exposure.”
Benton Harbor and Benton Township residents can expect to receive information in the mail in the next month asking if they’d like to participate in the program. Those who do will be asked to fill out some forms and go to an appointment to give blood and urine samples for testing. They’ll get their results as the state tests for 197 chemicals. Plus, participants will receive $65 Visa gift cards.
Long says the MiChEM program will continue through the summer.
