Significant levels of PFAS have been detected in the blood of Michigan residents in one state county. The results are summarized in the initial report just released by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) as part of the PFAS Exposure Study Assessment.
This exposure assessment measured serum concentrations of 30 PFAS among a sample of residents in the northern part of Kent County area that previously had validated detectable PFAS levels in their private drinking water. According to the report, PFAS serum levels in participants of the exposure assessment exhibit a wide range of detected PFAS.
For seven PFAS compounds, a significant percentage of participants had serum levels above the top 5% of NHANES participants:
PFOA (28.6%)
L-PFOA (28.6%)
PFOS (17.2%)
L-PFOS (11.7%)
Br-PFOS (32.5%)
PFHxS (33.1%)
MeFOSAA (7.2%)
Residents living in northern Kent County were recruited to participate in the PFAS Exposure Assessment, including people living in Rockford, Plainfield Township, Algoma Township, and the Village of Belmont. The exposure assessment is being conducted to evaluate the relationship between drinking water contaminated with PFAS and the amount of PFAS in the body.
The objectives of the exposure assessment were to:
Determine the mean concentration of 30 PFAS in participants’ serum.
Determine the mean concentration of 30 PFAS in participants’ unfiltered private well water and filtered private well water (for those with drinking water filters).
Describe the data on individual characteristics that could affect PFAS exposure or elimination.
Compare concentrations of PFAS in participants’ serum to those among participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a national survey representative of PFAS concentrations in the U.S. general population.
The assessment targeted residents that have a drinking water well within the north Kent County environmental investigation area. This area is being investigated by the state for PFAS. According to the MDHHS, this area was selected for the assessment because it has more wells exceeding the advisory level and has the highest levels of PFAS contamination than any other location in Michigan.
As part of the assessment, residents participating in the study had blood samples analyzed for PFAS while also sharing information on their activities that may result in PFAS exposure. This is the first known study of its kind in Michigan.
A total of about 430 people participated in the study. The actual number participating in the study was lower than the original targeted number. The MDHHS and KCHD were originally hoping to get nearly 800 residents to participate in the assessment, 400 of which that had well water that tested above 70 ppt for PFAS and another 400 that have well water that tested below 70 ppt.
The MDHHS is planning to release future reports that:
Characterize PFAS concentrations in private drinking water wells;
Examine the association between private drinking water well PFAS concentrations and serum PFAS concentrations;
Describe self-reported factors that could affect PFAS exposure or elimination; and,
Make additional comparisons between participants’ PFAS serum concentrations and NHANES (objectives 2, 3, and 4 above).
Merit Laboratories is a leading national PFAS environmental laboratory, analyzing drinking water, soil, wastewater, groundwater, and other sample matrices, including biosolids and sludge. Analytical methods performed by Merit for PFAS include drinking water by EPA 533, EPA 537.1, and EPA 537 rev. 1.1 and soil, wastewater, groundwater, and surface water by ASTM D7979-19 with Isotopic Dilution and ASTM D7968-17.