an office at the entrance to its Reservation, and it has
of hazardous waste sites. The purpose of the MHPF
a 40-year-old fire truck parked next to the security
program is to initiate research to fill ATSDR-identi-
office. All Reservation emergency and police services
fied data needs for priority hazardous substances, and
come from the city of Eagle Pass or the county of
to enhance existing disciplinary capacities to conduct
research in environmental health at MHPF member
institutions, one of which is the College of Pharmacy
The tribe hopes to get emergency response training
and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University
from Texas or from the federal government for tribal
(TSU) in Houston.
staff, but training has not been secured for the tribe.
The tribe does have a small health clinic funded by
Funded studies at TSU include an investigation to de-
the Indian Health Service, but the clinic does not have
termine the molecular events or mechanisms involved
medical emergency capability.
in lead-induced neurotoxicity. Investigators at TSU
developed an animal model for studying the molecular
Substance-Specific Applied
events that occur at blood lead levels that are associ-
Research Program
this investigation at TSU have been published in the
scientific literature.
to five universities, including Texas A&M Research
Foundation, to conduct research to assess health risk
Association of Occupational and
after exposure to mixtures of environmental chemicals.
Environmental Clinics
Results of this research will enable ATSDR staff to
conduct toxicity assessments of chemical mixtures that
affect public health; study the behavior of chemical
Association of Occupational and Environmental Clin-
mixtures; identify various end points that would be
ics (AOEC), ATSDR supports two occupational and
affected; evaluate target organs that could be affected;
environmental health programs in Texas. This support
study the mechanisms of action, initiation, progression,
is provided to improve education and communication
and repair of injury; identify biomarkers to determine
related to surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, and pre-
the health of an organism; and develop qualitative and
vention of illness or injury related to exposure to haz-
quantitative methods to assess multiple health effects.
ardous substances. The member institutions in Texas
are the Texas Institute of Occupational Safety and
The overall objectives of this project are to develop a
Health (Tyler) and the University of Texas Health
protocol to investigate the toxicity of several classes of
Services (Houston).
environmentally important chemical mixtures. Some
of the most common mixtures present in the environ-
Since 1998, ATSDR has provided funds to AOEC to
ment include the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
support a project establishing Pediatric Environmen-
(PAHs) that are present in air particulates, cigarette
tal Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs) as a national
smoke, petroleum products, and wood-preserving
resource for pediatricians, other health care providers,
waste. These analytical methods would be valuable for
federal staff, and the public. The PEHSUs develop
assessing risk of complex mixtures found in the envi-
materials and present training to health professionals
ronment or associated with lifestyle and occupational
and public health officials on environmental health is-
exposures. Individual chemicals and component mix-
sues and their impact on children's health. The PEHSU
tures can be tested and the data analyzed to investigate
for Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and
potential chemical interactions.
Texas is the University of Texas Health Center at
Tyler. The unit began operations in September 2000
Minority Health Professions
and offers multidisciplinary evaluation and manage-
Foundation (MHPF) Research
ment of children with known or suspected exposure to
a wide range of environmental toxicants.
Program
The MHPF program supplements the substance-spe-
For more information, contact ATSDR toll-free
cific information needs of the public and the scientific
at 1-888-42ATSDR (1-888-422-8737) or visit the
community and supplies necessary information for
ATSDR Web page at www.atsdr.cdc.gov.
conducting comprehensive public health assessments
November 2003
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