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MiPEHS FAQs

MiPEHS FAQs

  • Michigan PFAS Exposure & Health Study (MiPEHS) iconMiPEHS (pronounced: my-pez) is the Michigan PFAS Exposure and Health Study, conducted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) in the City of Parchment, Cooper Township, and the Belmont/Rockford area.

    MiPEHS is a multiple year study. People who participated were asked to visit a local study office a total of three times to give a blood sample in 2020-2021, 2023 and 2025.

    Participants were asked to complete an individual and a household survey at each visit to help us learn about their health and the many ways they may have been exposed to PFAS.

    This study was completely voluntary. All participants received the results of their blood tests, if they wanted them, including PFAS levels and health tests.

    We will protect participant information shared with us to the fullest extent allowed by law. Any reports or articles that are written about the study will only talk about group results. These materials will not include information that could identify a participant, such as their name or address.

  • People could participate if they:

    House IconLived in the City of Parchment and Cooper Township (PCT) study area (see PCT map) during data collection periods and their Parchment or Cooper Township well or municipal water supply was a source of their drinking water between 2005 and 2018, OR...


    House IconLived in the Belmont/Rockford (B/R) study area (see B/R map) and have had their private drinking well water tested by, or at the direction of, a State of Michigan agency, and that well was a source of their drinking water between 2005 and 2018, OR…


    Father and Child IconWere a dependent of an adult that lives at an eligible household and drank water from that home between 2005 and 2018.

  • MiPEHS took place in these communities because they had:

    1. Enough residents to gather meaningful data. To be able to use statistics to detect an effect, a study requires a minimum number of participants.
    2. Residents that were recently exposed to PFAS in their drinking water. PFAS does leave the body through natural bodily processes, like urination, menstruation and breastfeeding. Participants must have a recent exposure to find out how much PFAS is in their body and where it could have possibly come from.

  • The purpose of MiPEHS is to better understand the relationship between PFAS exposure and human health.

    Participants:

    • Learned what their blood PFAS levels were after each study office visit.
    • Contributed to scientific knowledge about PFAS and potential health effects.
    • Contributed to the understanding of their community’s exposure to PFAS through drinking water.

    The data collected may help:

    • Health care providers understand what health problems to watch for in people who have been drinking high levels of PFAS in their drinking water.
    • Scientists learn more about how PFAS exposures may affect the health of the population.
    • Foster a healthier Michigan for future generations.

  • Michigan is leading the nation by addressing PFAS in our communities. Visit the following websites to learn more!

    The MDHHS PFAS webpage shares:

    • Basic PFAS facts.
    • Ways you and your family can reduce your exposure to PFAS.
    • Resources you can share with your community.

    The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team is a team of seven state agencies, including MDHHS, established to:

    • Identify sources of PFAS.
    • Address PFAS contamination at the sources.
    • Work with local health departments to protect people in areas where groundwater is impacted by PFAS.

  • Yes. Below are examples of the enrollment and results packets, and additional resources offered to participants.

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