Health Consultation: Responses to Public Comments: Chelated Metals in Groundwater, Sturgis, St. Joseph County, Michigan. EPA Facility ID: MID005174339

摘要

The purpose of this health consultation is to assess public health risks and document activities conducted by the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) in a community affected by chelated metals in the groundwater. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) requested assistance in determining the hazard posed by exposure to the contaminated water. The chemicals previously detected in private residential wells above their respective drinking water screening levels were cobalt, iron, lead, manganese, and nickel. The chemicals were likely bound to the chelator EDTA, making it unclear whether they would be absorbed in the gut when the water was drunk. MDCH conducted this health consultation for the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) under a cooperative agreement. ATSDR conducts public health activities (assessments/consultations, advisories, education) at sites of environmental contamination and concern.