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Dioxin Contamination Issues in Midland
2007 Updates
MDEQ and Dow to Meet (Aug. 9, 2007)
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and The Dow Chemical Company will host the next quarterly Tri-Cities Dioxin Community Meeting
on Thursday, August 9, 2007, from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Horizons
Conference Center, 6200 State St. in Saginaw.
Agenda items will include updates on the Upper Tittabawassee River investigation work, the Middle Tittabawassee River sampling and the analysis plan approval with modification, the Saginaw River Sediment Trap Study, EPA orders for the Tittabawassee River interim response activities, and removal actions for sections of the river.
For more information, visit
www.michigan.gov/deqdioxin and click on the "DEQ/Dow Community Involvement" and "Dow Off-site Corrective Action" quick links.
U of M Dioxin Exposure Study -
June 5, 2007 Meeting to Discuss Progress and Updates
On June 5,
2007, Dr. David Garabrant, head of the U of M scientific team
that conducted a human exposure study of dioxins in the
Midland/Saginaw area, gave a progress report to the study's
Community Advisory Panel.
Dr. Garabrant confirmed that the study of local dioxin levels
has found almost no relationship between the amount of dioxin in
soil and the amount found in residents' blood. The study also indicates
that very little dioxin enters the body through
dirt. The study shows that much of the variation in blood dioxin
levels can be explained by age, fishing, food choices (eating
wildlife and fish), property use,
occupation, and other factors.
In many cases, older people who
participated in the U-M study were found to have slightly higher
dioxin levels than younger participants. Researchers said that was because the older
participants had been
exposed to more contaminants over time, and as people age it
takes more time for the body to process the contaminants.
U-M researchers also indicated that the Midland area
that was thought to have high levels of dioxin - near
Dow Chemical's Michigan Operations site - is actually smaller than originally
anticipated. A new model of the plume found that levels to the
south and east of the plant are actually lower than previously
thought, and some areas directly north are higher than thought. This finding was made after the U-M study results were initially released in August 2006.
Additional Data Collection: Additional
data collection began in April 2007. Researchers will compare more than 50 people with high blood dioxin levels to a control group.
During the June 5 meeting, Dr. Garabrant indicated that this is the only new data collection that is currently taking place.
It is expected to continue through the late summer or early fall of 2007.
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