Are you able to tell me the potential danger regarding
a chemical substance to which I have been exposed?

Yes. ATSDR's mission is to prevent exposure and adverse human
health effects and diminished quality of life associated with expo-
sure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned re-
leases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment.
The agency employs personnel with toxicologic, epidemiologic, and
other specialized expertise who can assess the hazards posed by
chemical substances.

Is my family, especially my children, in any potential danger
by living near a chemical manufacturing company?

The ability to answer this question depends on the material released
in the environment, whether people might be exposed to it, and what
harm exposure can potentially cause.  An important part of deter-
mining whether a hazard exists is to meet with members of the com-
munity to hear health concerns that may be related to environmental
exposures.  ATSDR has been able to reassure some communities
that people near chemical plants were not being exposed to hazard-
ous substances.  And, in other cases, after determining that some
people were being exposed to hazardous substances, our agency 
has been able to advise communities about how to reduce their 
exposure.

What am I required to do when property owners next door, ex-
employers, competitors, etc., have discarded objectionable waste
on their property that has contaminated the groundwater and
air?  What if reports of alleged illegal or offensive releases or 
dumping have been ignored by local authorities?

Check with your local authorities (city, county) first.  State agencies
are also typically authorized to operate programs for clean air, 
groundwater, and solid waste. Regional EPA offices will have infor-
mation about current Superfund investigations and potential new
ones.  Contact the regional EPA offices to report alleged illegal or
offensive releases or dumping in cases where local authorities or
state agencies have not responded. You can find web site/contact
information on EPA's regional offices at:

http://www.epa.gov/epahome/locate2.htm.

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How can I obtain the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for a
particular compound of interest?

Contact the product manufacturer for a specific MSDS.  Many of
these sheets are also available on the Internet. Some helpful sites are
the Cornell University Internet web page at:

http://msds.pdc.cornell.edu/msdssrch.asp

and the Vermont Site at:

http://hazard.com/msds/

What substance is considered to be the most toxic?

This is a very difficult, if not impossible, question to answer.
Several factors need to be considered when discussing toxicity.
These include the route of exposure, i.e., skin, inhalation, ingestion,
etc., the duration of exposure, how much of the substance you were
exposed to, and a number of other factors.  ATSDR can provide
you with a list of chemicals most frequently found at Superfund
sites as well as documents explaining how the ranking is determined.

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