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    Scientists to host PBB contamination meetings in Mt. Pleasant and Big Rapids

    By Olivia Fellows,

    23 hours ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2w3tKz_0vFqgvPG00

    The PBB research team wants to hear from people who were exposed to the chemical PBB after an accident that contaminated livestock feed, farmland, and food animal products such as meat, milk, and eggs on Michigan farms in the 1970s.

    According to an Aug. the team will host community meetings at 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 7 at Central Michigan University East Campus Drive and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 8 at Hampton Inn by Hilton in Big Rapids at 15320 Waldron Way.

    The goal of the meetings is to share research results from studies examining autoimmune disorders, weight loss, ADHD and continued concerns regarding the health effects of the polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) contamination.

    Polybrominated biphenyls are man-made chemicals that were used as fire retardants in plastics that were used in a variety of consumer products.

    In 1973, PBB was mistakenly sent to the Michigan Farm Bureau instead of a nutritional supplement. The PBB was mixed into livestock feed and fed to farm animals across the state of Michigan. It took a year to discover the cause of the farm animals’ illnesses.

    Due to the error, contaminated milk, beef, eggs and other farm products were sold throughout the state, and residents across Michigan ate the farm products contaminated with PBB.

    According to the State of Michigan, as a result of the incident, over 500 contaminated Michigan farms were quarantined, and approximately 30,000 cattle, 4,500 swine, 1,500 sheep, and 1.5 million chickens were destroyed. Along with over 800 tons of animal feed, 18,000 pounds of cheese, 2,500 pounds of butter, 5 million eggs and 34,000 pounds of dried milk products.

    Approximately 5,000 Michigan residents have participated in the Michigan PBB Registry to study the possible long-term health effects related to PBB exposure.

    More recent studies have suggested that PBBs may interact with the endocrine system. The endocrine system is a group of organs and glands, including the adrenal glands, which work to produce hormones.

    The endocrine system plays an important role in controlling your body’s metabolism, growth and development in infants and children, and reproduction in adults.

    The PBB research team has studied the health effects of Michigan PBB contamination for over 20 years and has partnered with local groups, including the PBB Citizens Advisory Board and the Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force.

    If you, your parents, or your grandparents were part of the Michigan PBB Registry (formerly named the Michigan Long-Term PBB Study), we hope you will come to talk with the PBB research team and help guide future research examining the health effects of Michigan’s PBB contamination.

    For more information on the research team and its work click here .

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