Sampling in Support of Human Health Risk Assessment, Tittabawassee River Floodplain, MI

Client: The Dow Chemical Company

Location: Tittabawassee River Floodplain, MI

Summary: Cardno ENTRIX professionals developed and implemented work plans for comprehensive sampling of human dietary items, including fish and wild game. Cardno ENTRIX initiated a large-scale field collection of sport fish on the Tittabawassee and Saginaw River system and wild game from the surrounding floodplains. Fish component included the collection (via boat electrofisher), of 10+ species of sport fish (950 fish total) from multiple rivers, and the processing of fish samples (e.g., transport, fillet, homogenize, ship to labs) for analysis. The wild game component included the collection (via traps and firearms), transport and processing of white-tailed deer, squirrels, rabbits, wood ducks, Canada geese, and wild turkey (150 animals total) from multiple locations with in the Tittabawassee and Saginaw River floodplains.

The scope of both collections required multiple Cardno ENTRIX teams operating in the field, sometimes in harsh conditions and terrains. Post collection activities involved, but were not limited to coordinating tissue shipments to four analytical laboratories, as well as the summarization, interpretation and presentation of analytical results. Cardno ENTRIX prepared multiple presentations and authored various documents for public meetings. Throughout the project, Cardno ENTRIX developed and maintained open lines of communication with local, state and federal natural resource agencies and law enforcement personnel.