Branch Responsibilities

The Health Investigations Branch examines the risk of adverse health effects from hazardous substances by conducting studies to assess associations between exposures to environmental agents and adverse health conditions.

Health Studies

Health studies use a scientific approach to collect information to find out if a chemical exposure is making people get sick. Most ATSDR health studies have three steps:

• measure the amount of chemical that people are exposed to.
• determine the kinds of health conditions people have, how many people have these conditions, and when they developed them
• use statistics to evaluate the relationship between chemical exposure and disease.

After these activities are completed, a report is written and shared with the community.

Community Studies Team

• Oversee research conducted by partners and states funded under the agency’s broad cooperative agreement program. The purpose of the state program is to conduct and coordinate site-specific health activities to evaluate whether community members may be at risk from hazardous substances.
• Provide epidemiological consultation to cooperative agreement partners.
• Provide technical assistance to states and other partners on toxic substances, health effects, biomarkers, statistics, and the need to conduct health studies.

Research Activities Team

• Design and conduct studies to evaluate the association between exposure to hazardous substances and adverse health effects.
• Conduct health studies to assess risk of disease due to hazardous substance exposure.
• Develop methods and use new technology to examine the potential link between hazardous substance exposures and adverse health effects.
  

Health Investigations Branch Highlights

• Asthma and Hazardous Substances: Applied Research and Development Cooperative Agreements, New Jersey and New York. These projects evaluate the relationship between where people with asthma live and hazardous substances in the air.

• Dioxin and VOC Study, Calcasieu, Louisiana. After comparing dioxin and volatile organic compound (VOC) levels in residents of Calcasieu and Lafayette Parish, LA, the study found that dioxin and serum VOC levels were not significantly different in Calcasieu, a parish with a concentration of industrial sites, and Lafayette, a parish with little industry.

• Evaluation Reduction of Exposure to Hydrogen Sulfide, Warren Township, Ohio. This investigation assessed respiratory symptoms and self-reported health effects in community members who lived, worked, or attended school within 1 mile of a local construction and demolition debris landfill.

• Health Study of Exposure to PCBs and Adverse Health Effects, Anniston, Alabama. ATSDR awarded Jacksonville State University funds to study the effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) among residents of Anniston. Researchers are conducting several studies examining the health effects of PCB exposure.

• Respiratory Evaluation for Former Workers of Stauffer Chemical Co., Tarpon Springs, Florida. ATSDR arranged for and funded a medical evaluation of former phosphorous production workers at the Tarpon Springs Stauffer Chemical Plant. Medical testing showed that 70% of the workers tested had mild or moderate chronic respiratory problems.

• State Cooperative Agreement Program to Conduct and Coordinate Site-Specific Activities. Program recipients conduct site-specific health activities to determine the public health impact of human exposure to hazardous substances at hazardous waste sites or releases. Specifically, funds are used to build capacity in coordination and cooperation with ATSDR to conduct site-specific activities.