Hi, my name is Kiki Hitchcock and I am conducting a small research study on PFAS, a group of chemicals found in many everyday products that can build up in the body over time and may pose health risks. The purpose of this study is to compare PFAS levels in fingernail samples and blood samples to see whether nails could be a low‑burden way to measure PFAS exposure.
This research may benefit the community by helping develop easier, less invasive methods for PFAS biomonitoring in the future.
Participation involves providing a small nail clipping and a small blood sample at Cloquet Memorial Hospital (CMH). Independent transportation to CMH is required.
The study is not specifically targeting pregnant women, and pregnancy is not an exclusion criterion.
The whole process takes about 30 minutes.
There’s no compensation, and participation is completely voluntary. If you’re interested, I can give you the consent form so you can read more about the study.
If you have questions about your rights as a participant, you can contact the Tribal Research Office at 218-655-3611.
Contact Kiki Hitchcock with questions, for more information, or to become a participant.