ATSDR Presentation to the Washington, DC, Scientific Advisory Board

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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
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Page last reviewed: September 22, 2015
Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry