Impact of TCE Exposures on Women--To
approximately 400 households in selected communities
affected by the fire and smoke.
gain more knowledge about the potential impact
environmental exposures to TCE on females, data
In 1999, ATSDR developed the border health program
collected as part of the National Exposure Registry
to provide funding and technical assistance to the
TCE Subregistry were used to compare reporting
Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) located along
rates for 19 health conditions and six symptoms in
the U.S./Mexico border. In 2001, the AHEC program
the female subpopulation with (1) national norms
was expanded to include Arizona. Building on
determined by the National Health Interview
community needs assessments, a plan was developed
Survey, and (2) rates of their male counterparts.
to provide a series of environmental health training
seminars for local health care professionals. ATSDR
Study results suggest that environmental exposures
provided continuing education presentations on risk
(to TCE and other chemicals) experienced by TCE
communication and on how to take an exposure history
Subregistry members might have had a greater
at the annual rural health and primary health care
health impact on female registrants than on male
conferences.
registrants.
Resource Materials
Association of Occupational and Environmental
Clinics, ATSDR supports the Samaritan Occupational
ATSDR develops materials for public health
and Environmental Toxicology Clinic at the Good
professionals and medical care providers to use
Samaritan Regional Medical Center campus in
to assess the public health impacts of chemical
exposures. These resources are available in print, on
for health professionals and evaluation and care for
the ATSDR Web site, and on CD-ROM. For example,
patients who have possible or established toxicologic
medical management guidelines are available for
disease resulting from occupational or environmental
acute chemical exposures to more than 50 chemicals.
exposures.
These guidelines were designed to aid emergency
department physicians and other emergency health care
Health Studies
professionals, such as first responders, who manage
Health studies are investigations to determine the
acute exposures that result from chemical incidents.
relations between exposures to hazardous substances
ATSDR's toxicological profiles comprehensively
and adverse health effects. They also define health
describe the health effects; pathways of human
problems that require further investigation through,
exposure; and behavior of more than 250 hazardous
for example, health surveillance or an epidemiologic
substances in air, soil, and water at hazardous waste
study. Following are examples of health studies or
sites. Health professionals at all levels use the
investigations that ATSDR conducted or supported in
toxicological profiles primarily as comprehensive
Arizona.
resources. In the last 5 years, more than 8,300 of
these profiles have been sent to requesters, including
National Exposure Registry Trichloroethylene
representatives of federal, state, and local health and
(TCE) Subregistry--ATSDR selected TCE
environmental departments; academic institutions;
as a target substance for one of its exposure
private industries; and nonprofit organizations in
subregistries and selected sites throughout the
Arizona. ATSDR also has developed extensive
nation where exposures have occurred. At these
resources for community members.
sites, initial (or baseline) and follow-up interviews
have been conducted; 4,986 people from 15 areas
associated with hazardous waste sites in five states
have been enrolled in the TCE Subregistry.
The Arizona site included in the TCE Subregistry
is the Tucson International Airport site. Baseline
interviews were conducted in 1994; follow-up in-
For more information, contact ATSDR toll-free
terviews were conducted in 1995, 1997, and 2000.
at 1-888-42ATSDR (1-888-422-8737) or visit the
ATSDR Web site at www.atsdr.cdc.gov.
June 2004
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