ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

ATSDR Releases "A Toxicology Curriculum for Communities"
Manual for Training Communities after Hazardous Waste Exposure

For Immediate Release: March 22, 2005

ATLANTA - A Toxicology Curriculum for Communities Training Manual, a guide that offers educational training tactics to communities affected by hazardous exposures, was released by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

The manual is designed to provide reliable, understandable information about toxicology to communities exposed to hazardous chemicals and waste. It also addresses community concerns about chemicals to which residents may have been exposed.

The curriculum was developed through a collaboration of ATSDR's Division of Toxicology, the Institute of Public Health at Florida A&M University and community leaders. The curriculum provides educational and training materials for the lay-public and uses a "Train the Trainer" format so community members can provide toxicology training and education sessions to other residents.

A Toxicology Curriculum for Communities Training Manual provides four 60 -- 90 minute training modules for community lectures or seminars on toxicology topics and issues surrounding environmental exposures. The modules - Introduction to Toxicology, Routes of Exposure, Risk Assessment, and Survey of Toxic Substances - are designed to be taught either independently or in combination. Each module is organized into the following six sections: objectives, presentation outline, lecture notes, test your knowledge quiz, activity lab, handouts and visual aids.

To view the training manual online, please go to www.atsdr.cdc.gov/training/toxmanual. The training manual is also available in hard-copy and on CD-ROM and can be obtained from the ATSDR Information Center toll-free at 1-888-422-8737.

For more information, community members can contact Environmental Health Scientist, Zemoria Rosemond toll-free at 1-888-422-8737.

ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances.

Established by Congress in 1980 under the Superfund law, ATSDR conducts public health assessments at each of the sites on the EPA National Priorities List, as well as other sites when petitioned. Headquartered in Atlanta, ATSDR is staffed by more than 400 health professionals including epidemiologists, physicians, toxicologists, engineers and public health educators.

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Members of the news media can request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling the ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700.