Minority populations often are at greater risk of exposure to hazardous
substances
The probability of living near hazardous waste sites is
higher in mid-to-low income neighborhoods that often have a higher proportion of
minority residents.
As a result, people in these communities are at higher risk for adverse health outcomes that are potentially associated with exposures to hazardous substances. Moreover, many of the health conditions considered to be most sensitive to exposures to hazardous substances, for example cancer, lung and respiratory diseases, also are linked with excess morbidity and mortality among minority populations.
This fact sheet describes the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) program to conduct research and other environmental public health activities in cooperation with the Minority Health Professions Foundation (Foundation).
The Foundation supports research, receives funds to carry out the mission of the Association of Minority Health Professions Schools (AMHPS), and addresses the program goals shared by AMHPS’ member institutions.
The Foundation manages numerous minority health-focused program activities for AMHPS’ member institutions and has demonstrated its expertise in minority health issues.
ATSDR has developed a collaborative relationship with the Foundation to provide critical information necessary to address national environmental health concerns.
In addition, findings from this effort will help determine how environmental hazards may contribute to racial and/or ethnic disparities in health and support efforts to eliminate these disparities.
In 1992, ATSDR began its collaborative relationship with the Foundation to:
Highlights of the ATSDR/Foundation Program
The ATSDR/Foundation Program (cooperative program) has filled 19 important public health research needs identified in the ASTDR Substance-Specific Applied Research Program. Among its other accomplishments are:
New Directions for the ATSDR/Foundation Program
A new ATSDR/Foundation program, The Environ-mental 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 Program and to improve public health and environmental medicine in low-income and/or minority communities.
This new program will build upon earlier efforts and expand the program’s public environmental health impact on affected communities. Activities across four research and environmental public health focus areas were funded to initiate this new program. They are:
Future efforts to expand the program will include health services research, additional health education efforts, and toxicology research.
Some Important Findings from the ATSDR/Foundation Program
Research shows that the lead body burden plays a role in elevated blood pressure during pregnancy. For example:
This study provides clear evidence that even low blood lead levels can influence blood pressure. Thus, lead may contribute to the increased risk for adverse birth outcomes related to high blood pressure during pregnancy.
Another study indicated that newborns may be at risk for effects from exposure to maternal blood lead levels <10 ìg/dL. Findings showed that:
This study was the first U.S. study to report lead-induced effects at levels below 10 µg/dL.
These results among African-Americans corroborate findings in other populations on effects from low-level, prenatal lead exposures.
In other research, inorganic mercury exposures altered reproductive function in animals. The study found:
These results suggest that adults (and their children) exposed to inorganic mercury could be at risk for altered reproductive success.
Other research indicated that benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), the most common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), affects reproduction and development in animals. Findings include the following:
These effects of BaP on the male and female reproductive system and on the developing fetus in animals suggest a potential risk for adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes when people are exposed to BaP in the environment.
Other research from the ATSDR/Foundation program suggests the following:
Archibong AE, Inyang F, Ramesh A, et al. 2002. Alteration of pregnancy related hormones and fetal survival in F-344 rats exposed by inhalation to benzo(a)pyrene. Reprod Toxicol 16(6):801-808.
Areola OO, Williams-Johnson M, and Jadhav AL. 1999. Relationship between lead accumulation in blood and soft tissues of rats subchronically exposed to low levels of lead. Toxic Subst Mech 18:1-13.
Atkinson A, Thompson SJ, Khan AT, et al. 2001. Assessment of a two-generation reproductive and fertility study of mercuric chloride in rats. Food Chem Toxicol 39(1):73-84.
Emory E, Pattillo R, Archibold E, et al. 1999. Neurobehavioral effects of low level lead exposure in human neonates. Am J Obstet Gynecol 181(1):S2-11.
Emory E, Ansari Z, Pattillo R, et al. 2003. Maternal blood lead effects on infant intelligence at age 7 months. Am J Obstet Gynecol 188(4):S26-32.
Hood, DB, Nayyar T, Ramesh A, et al. 2000. Modulation in the developmental expression profile of Sp1 subsequent to transplacental exposure of fetal rats to desorbed benzo(a)pyrene following maternal inhalation. Inhal Toxicol 12(6):511-35.
Inyang F, Ramesh A, Kopsombut P, et al. 2003. Disruption of testicular steroidogenesis and epdidymal function by inhaled benzo(a)pyrene. Reprod Toxicol 17(5):527-537.
Jadhav AL and Areola OO. 1997. Alteration in acquisition and pattern of responding in rats subchronically exposed to low levels of lead. Res Commun Biol Psychol Psych 22(1&2):11-24.
Khan AT, Atkinson A, Graham TC, et al. 2001. Effects of low levels of zinc on reproductive performance of rats. Environ Sci 8(4):367-381.
Knuckles ME, Inyang F, Ramesh AA. 2001 Acute and subchronic oral toxicities of benzo(a)pyrene in F-344 rats. Toxicol Sci 61(2):382-388.
Kondrashov VS and Rothenberg SJ. 2001. One approach for doublet deconvolution to improve reliability in spectra analysis for in vivo lead measurement. Applied Radiat Isotopes 54(4):691-694.
Kondrashov VS and Rothenberg SJ. 2001. How to calculate lead concentration and concentration uncertainty in XRF in vivo bone lead analysis. Applied Radiat Isotopes 55(6):17-21.
Manton WI, Rothenberg SJ, Manalo M. 2001. The lead content of blood serum. Environ Res 86(3):263-273.
Ramesh A, Hood DB, Inyang F, et al. 2002. Comparative metabolism, bioavailability and toxicokinetics of benzo(a)pyrene in rats after acute oral, inhalation, and intravenous administration. PAC 22(3-4): 969-980.
Ramesh A, Inyang F, Hood DB, et al. 2001. Metabolism, bioavailability, and toxicokinetics of benzo(a)pyrene in F-344 rats following oral administration. Exp Toxicol Pathol 53(4):275-290.
Rothenberg SJ, Manalo M, Jiang J, et al. 1999. Maternal blood lead level during pregnancy in South Central Los Angeles. Arch. Environ Health 54(3):151-157.
Rothenberg SJ, Manalo M, Jiang J, et al. 1999. Blood lead level and blood pressure during pregnancy in South Central Los Angeles. Arch. Environ. Health 54(6):382-389.
Rothenberg SJ, Kondrashov V, Manalo M, et al. 2001. Seasonal variation in bone lead contribution to blood lead during pregnancy. Environ Res 85(3):191-194.
Rothenberg SJ, Kondrashov V, Manalo M, et al. 2002. Increases in hypertension and blood pressure during pregnancy with increased bone lead levels. Am J Epidemiol 156(12):1079-1087.
Saunders CR, Shockley DC, Knuckles ME. 2001. Behavioral effects induced by acute exposure to benzo(a)pyrene in F-344 rats. Neurotox Res 3:557-579.
Saunders CR, Ramesh A, Shockley DC. 2002. Modulation of neurotoxic behavior in F-344 rats by temporal disposition of benzo(a)pyrene. Toxicol Lett 129(1-2):33-45.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO • 888-232-6348 (TTY)
Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov