ATSDR - Presentation to SAP - Spring Valley Chemical Munitions, Washington, District of Columbia, DC

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ATSDR Presentation to the Washington, DC, Scientific Advisory Board

Regarding Plans for an Exposure Investigation at the Spring Valley Site

Presented by Ken Orloff, Ph.D. on December 7, 2001

Slide 1
ATSDR Exposure Investigation

Assess human exposure to hazardous substances in the environment by collecting and analyzing environmental and biological specimens

Slide 2
ATSDR Exposure Investigations

Limited in scope
Focus on “worst case scenario”
Identify exposure
Not a predictor of health or illness

Slide 3
Spring Valley EI

Request from DC DOH

ATSDR investigators:
- Robert Johnson, MD – principal investigator
- Ken Orloff, PhD, DABT
- Susan W. Metcalf, MD, MSPH

Slide 4
Spring Valley EI

January 2002
Top 10 homes with highest soil As levels
Current residents – adults and children
Urine and hair testing

Slide 5
Urine Arsenic Testing

(+) Non-invasive sampling
(+) Unequivocal measure of exposure
(+) “Speciate” arsenic to differentiate total from inorganic forms
(-) Limited to 2-3 days post-exposure

Slide 6
Hair Arsenic Testing

(+) 2-inch hair sample ~ 5 months growth
(+) “Fish arsenic” is not incorporated into hair
(-) Uncertainty: internal vs. external contamination
(-) Cosmetic blemish

Slide 7
Reporting Results

Individual letters to participants
ATSDR toll-free number
Public availability session, if necessary
EI report with summary data without personal identifiers

This page last updated on December 31, 2001

Dana Abouelnasr / DAbouelnasr@cdc.gov