Chemical Company Site, Tarpon Springs--In
impact on affected communities. Activities across four
July 2003, ATSDR convened an expert panel to
research and environmental public health focus areas
get biomedical input for designing health follow-
were funded to initiate this new program. These activi-
up activities. ATSDR is designing two activities: a
ties include substance-specific toxicology research, en-
former worker cause-of-death study and a medical
vironmental exposure assessments, community-based
evaluation project focused on respiratory health.
environmental health education, and environmental
ATSDR is seeking CDC approvals for these
health education for primary-care providers.
activities. ATSDR hopes to collect, evaluate, and
Scientists at the Florida A&M College of Pharmacy
analyze data and write reports in 2004.
are conducting two studies--Lead/Manganese: Cell
Wingate Community Health Study--From 1954
to 1978, the City of Ft. Lauderdale incinerated
and Community-Based Internships to Address Envi-
solid waste at the Wingate Road municipal
ronmental Issues.
incinerator and landfill. In 1990, EPA added
Resource Materials
this site to the NPL. Residents near the Wingate
site were concerned that their health has been
ATSDR develops materials for public health profes-
adversely affected by exposure to chemicals from
sionals and medical care providers to use to assess the
the site. In response to these concerns, FDOH
public health impacts of chemical exposures. These
surveyed approximately 1,500 residents to assess
resources are available in print, on the ATSDR Web
self-reported diseases and symptoms in the
site, and on CD-ROM. For example, medical man-
Wingate area. Data collection began in August
agement guidelines are available for acute chemical
2003 and was completed in December 2003. A
exposures to more than 50 chemicals. These guidelines
draft final report is expected in March 2004.
were designed to aid emergency department physicians
and other emergency health care professionals, such as
Minority Health Professions
first responders, who manage acute exposures result-
Foundation Research Program
ing from chemical incidents. ATSDR's toxicological
profiles comprehensively describe health effects; path-
The Minority Health Professions Foundation (MHPF)
ways of human exposure; and the behavior of more
Program supplements the substance-specific informa-
than 250 hazardous substances in air, soil, and water
tion needs of the public and the scientific community
at hazardous waste sites. The toxicological profiles are
and supplies necessary information for conducting
primarily used as a comprehensive resource by health
comprehensive public health assessments of hazard-
professionals at all levels. In the last 5 years, more
ous waste sites. The program addresses ATSDR's
than 34,700 of these profiles have been sent to request-
goals to ascertain the relationship between exposure to
ers, including representatives of federal, state, and
toxic substances and disease and to build and enhance
local health and environmental departments; academic
effective partnerships. The purpose of the MHPF
institutions; private industries; and nonprofit organiza-
Program is to initiate research to fill ATSDR-identi-
tions in Florida. ATSDR also has developed extensive
fied data needs for priority hazardous substances, and
resources for community members.
to enhance existing disciplinary capacities to conduct
research in environmental health at MHPF member
institutions, one of which is Florida A&M University
College of Pharmacy in Tallahassee.
A new ATSDR/MHPF program, The Environmental
Health, Health Services, and Toxicology Research
Program, began in September 2003. The goals of the
new program are to
apply findings from the 10-year
Environmental Health and Toxicology Research Pro-
gram and to improve public health and environmental
For more information, contact ATSDR toll-free
medicine in low-income and minority communities.
at 1-888-42ATSDR (1-888-422-8737) or visit the
This new program will build on earlier efforts and
ATSDR Web site at www.atsdr.cdc.gov.
expand the program's public environmental health
March 2004