MSU Extension to help address your PFAS questions and concerns
Print
Email“Submit a Question” button to aid residents in finding pertinent information about PFAS.
The chemical contaminants, collectively named PFAS, have been found in communities across Michigan where their use in tanneries, metal plating factories and fire-fighting foams were once prevalent. PFAS, which stands for per- and poly- fluorinated alkyl substances, were also routinely used in many common consumer products including stain-resistant carpeting and non-stick cookware, paints, fast food wrappers and multiple other products. The two types of PFAS most commonly used in these products, PFOS and PFOA, have been removed from the U.S. market. However, these and other PFAS chemicals are now being detected in soils, groundwater, fish, wildlife and human blood, and can have potentially wide-ranging health and ecological impacts.
There are many excellent websites that provide information on these contaminants. The official Michigan website, developed by the Governors’ appointed Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART), provides detailed information on PFAS issues as well as where PFAS is being found and/or investigated in the state. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have national websites with important information on PFAS.
MSU Extension’s PFAS Team will help Michigan residents navigate the PFAS information sources most pertinent to them. The team will serve as an easily accessible conduit to direct people to the appropriate resources. To help direct inquiries, MSU Extension is establishing an easy to use ”Submit a Question” button on our PFAS website. If you have questions or concerns, you may ask them here, and we will help you find the best available information by directing you to specific resources or to a local or content expert who may be able to provide further advice.
