Dioxin study progressing

Kathie Marchlewski, Midland Daily News 10/08/2005

University of Michigan researchers working to find out if dioxin from contaminated soils is getting into the bodies of people living on the Tittabawassee River flood plain are on budget and ahead of schedule.

"We are finished in the field," said Dr. David Garabrant, who has been leading the $15 million, Dow-funded study.

For the last year, crews of more than 70 have been collecting soil from yards, dust from homes and blood from people living along the river flood plain on land expected to be contaminated. They also collected from people and yards who live in areas not expected to be contaminated -- locally in Midland and Saginaw outside of the flood plain and in Jackson and Calhoun counties, which are similar to Saginaw and Midland demographically but aren't home to a chemical manufacturing facility.

In all, 1,323 people have been interviewed for the study, 952 have given blood and 732 have given all four components of the screening; personal histories, soil, dust, blood.

"The samples are all at the labs and are coming back now," Garabrant said. "Many people have received letters giving them their results."

Others are still waiting for results, which are rolling out of analytical labs about every two weeks in batches of 30 to 60.

While personal results are being revealed to participants -- 352 flood plain residents, 196 Midland and Saginaw residents and 183 Jackson and Calhoun county residents, the entire study won't be complete with results analyzed and released to the public until spring or summer of 2006.

Next up in the process is a meeting with the scientific advisory board elected to oversee the study. The board will review results prior to the public announcement.

The process of informing the public is expected to be a long one, with plenty of informational meetings.

"We want to be sure we're here over and over again, so everyone has time to ask questions," Garabrant said.

The end result -- an answer to whether or not people living in contaminated areas have higher levels of dioxin in their blood -- will be important to each of the Tri-City communities as they deal with options for resolution to the historical dioxin problem, Garabrant said. "That's the foundation for a decision on what should be done."

Results will also be made available to the regulatory agencies working with The Dow Chemical Company on dioxin remediation.

"(The study) should be given very serious consideration by Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Michigan Department of Community Health," Garabrant said. "We hope that's what happens."

©Midland Daily News 2005
 

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