November 5, 2007

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has released responses to comments received on the 2005 public comment draft of "A Pilot Exposure Investigation: Dioxin Exposure in Adults Living in the Tittabawassee River Flood Plain Saginaw County, Michigan." MDCH responses to comments are provided in a final Pilot Exposure Investigation (PEI) report.

This final PEI report does not address new environmental or biological data that have become available since the draft PEI report was released in 2005.

The PEI report found that dioxin levels in some Tittabawassee River Flood Plain study participants were higher than background estimates for people of the same age with no known exposure to dioxins beyond background. While some of the total dioxin toxic equivalent (TEQ) levels in the participants' blood samples were on the high end of the range, all fell between the lowest and highest levels for people with no known exposure to dioxins beyond background.

These findings are consistent with those reported for the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study, which was completed in 2006.

The MDCH Division of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology conducted this Investigation under a cooperative agreement with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

The Pilot Exposure Investigation Report, "Dioxin Exposure in Adults Living in the Tittabawassee River Flood Plain" is available on the MDCH web page at http://www.michigan.gov/mdch-toxics, or by calling the MDCH toll free at 1-800-648-6942.

Copies of the Report are available for public review at the following locations:

- The Grace A. Dow Memorial Library, 1710 West St. Andrews, Midland, Michigan

- The Midland County Health Department, 220 W. Ellsworth Street Midland, Michigan

- The Saginaw County Health Department, 1600 N. Michigan Avenue, Saginaw, Michigan

- The Tittabawassee Township Office, 145 South 2nd, Freeland, Michigan

- The Zauel (Saginaw Township) Library, 3100 N. Center Road, Saginaw, Michigan

- The Thomas Township Library, 8207 Shields Drive, Saginaw, Michigan

- The James Township Hall, 6060 Swan Creek Road, Saginaw, Michigan

- The Hoyt Library, 505 Janes Avenue, Saginaw, Michigan

- The Saginaw Bay-District office of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, 503 N. Euclid Avenue, Suite 9, Bay City, Michigan.

Requests for copies should be addressed to Dr. Linda D. Dykema, Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Environmental Health, 201 Townsend Street, P.O. Box 30195, Lansing, Michigan 48909. People may also call the toll-free telephone number, 1 800 648-6942 (1-800-MI TOXIC).