The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is working to identify links between exposures to PFAS and health outcomes. We are doing this through two community-based studies: (1) the Michigan PFAS Exposure and Health Study (MiPEHS) and (2) the Multi-Site Study (MSS).

MiPEHS (pronounced: my-pez) is the Michigan PFAS Exposure and Health Study, conducted by MDHHS in the City of Parchment and Cooper Township in Kalamazoo County and the Belmont/Rockford area in Kent County.

MSS is a study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) in seven communities across the United States. ATSDR has partnered with MDHHS to conduct MSS in the same communities as MiPEHS. See the MSS webpage for more details about that study.

While these two MDHHS studies are similar, they have important differences in 1) what they look for, and 2) who can participate.

MiPEHS will study blood levels of PFAS and how they are related to several key health factors over time. Researchers will gather data from participants during three separate office visits that will occur about every other year beginning in 2020. People from any occupation are invited to participate in MiPEHS, as long as they meet other criteria.

Meanwhile, MSS will combine data from Michigan with six other communities around the country to study blood levels of PFAS and how they are related to several key health factors. MSS will also include additional health measurements in children. Another difference is that MSS will only be open to people without past work exposures.

MiPEHS vs MSS Comparison Graphic - Click for Full-Size PDF