ATSDR -- FY 1999 AGENCY PROFILE AND ANNUAL REPORT
followed by polyaromatic hydrocarbons (15%) and halogenated pesticides (13%). The
inorganic substances found most often at sites were lead, arsenic, and chromium. The
VOCs included benzene, trichloroethylene, and toluene.
Following are two examples of public health activities the Division of Health
Assessment and Consultation conducted in FY 1999:
ATSDR issued a public health advisory in March 1999 for the Hudson Oil
Refinery site in Cushing, Oklahoma, because of the site's immediate potential for
fire, explosion, and exposure to hazardous substances. The public health advisory
assisted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in proposing that the
Hudson Oil Refinery Site be placed on the National Priorities List. The advisory
also helped EPA obtain necessary funds to continue removal actions without
interruption.
ATSDR's public health assessment of Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, concluded that
the community is not currently exposed to levels of contaminants from the base
that would cause people to become sick, but that the community may have been
exposed to higher levels of contaminants in the past. ATSDR recommended
follow-up activities that involve health education and further evaluation of health
outcomes.
RESEARCHING AND DISSEMINATING TOXICOLOGIC
INFORMATION
ATSDR's Division of Toxicology oversees the agency's toxicologic research, disseminates
information about hazardous substances, and responds to emergencies such as spills of
hazardous substances. The division directs two major research programs designed to
help fill data gaps about the health effects of hazardous substances--the ATSDR Great
Lakes Human Health Effects Research Program and the ATSDR Minority Health
Professions Foundation Research Program.
The Great Lakes program provides funds for researchers to study the human health
consequences of exposure to persistent toxic substances found in the Great Lakes basin.
The program supported ongoing research conducted by nine universities or state health
departments in FY 1999. The program is adding to the body of research findings about
persistent toxic substances, such as dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls, found in the
Great Lakes. One example of a study being conducted through the Great Lakes program
follows.
A study being conducted by the State University of New York at Oswego reported
that initial test results for 3-year-olds who were exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) prenatally (via their mothers' fish consumption) indicate their scores on tests of
memory, verbal, and perceptual performance are lower than those of children whose
mothers consumed low amounts of Great Lakes fish or no fish. These deficits among the
children exposed to PCBs prenatally were also seen when they were tested as newborns.
The Minority Health Professions Foundation (MHPF) Environmental Health and
Toxicology Research Program provides funds for toxicologic research to be conducted at
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