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Introduction
The Health Studies Branch (HSB) of the Division of Environmental Hazards and
Health Effects is responsible for investigating the health effects associated
with human exposure to environmental hazards and to natural and technological
disasters.
Our primary mission is to develop and evaluate strategies for preventing
people's exposure to environmental hazards and disasters and for minimizing the
effect of such exposures when they do occur.
To accomplish this mission, we identify potential threats to health, respond
rapidly to emergencies, recommend ways of reducing people's risk, and
collaborate with local, state, national, and international governments and
agencies.
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Research Activities
To identify environmental hazards and evaluate the health risks associated
with environmental hazards and disasters, we identify environmental risk factors
for specific health problems; identify etiologic agents responsible for disease
outbreaks; determine the health effects of toxic agents; and determine the
causes of mass poisonings. The following are some of our 1992 research
activities:
- Identifying the etiologic agents responsible for causing
eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). We maintain a data base on all EMS
cases reported in the United States; more than 1,500 cases have been
identified.
- Determining the state of disaster preparedness in communities recently
affected by natural disasters:
- Determining risk factors for morbidity or mortality in areas affected by
natural or technological disasters:
- Determining the long-term health consequences of EMS (with the South
Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control).
- Using new laboratory techniques to identify the etiologic agent that
caused toxic oil syndrome (with the Spanish government).
- Identifying significant health outcomes (e.g., mortality and cancer)
caused by polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) poisoning in Michigan.
- Identifying risks to human health associated with exposure to mercury from
amalgam dental restorations.
- Monitoring organic mercury poisoning among Native Americans in the Florida
Everglades.
- Determining the effects of food supplement ingredients for which potential
ill effects have not been examined sufficiently.
- Establishing the association between hypercalcemia and the
overfortification of milk with vitamin D.
- Identifying environmental hazards that affect populations along the
U.S.-Mexico border.
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Rapid Response
We can respond rapidly to emergencies involving environmental hazards and
disasters by sending teams of experts to help various agencies and governments
investigate the consequences of such emergencies. During 1992, we provided
epidemiologic or technical assistance to the following governments and agencies:
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) and Hawaii to assess the health
of the population affected by Hurricane Iniki.
- FEMA, Louisiana, and Florida to conduct rapid disaster assessments of
environmental and health conditions of populations affected by Hurricane
Andrew.
- New York City to identify risk factors for serious illness during the
World Trade Center bombing.
- North Dakota and Indian Health Service to identify the cause of toxic
hepatitis among American Indians.
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Practical Recommendations
When we help assess health risks associated with disasters or environmental
contaminants, we also recommend practical ways of minimizing the negative
consequences to human health. In 1992, we made the following recommendations:
- Enforce state regulations that require that vitamin levels in milk be
measured periodically. (This was in response to milk from a Massachusetts
dairy being poisoned with excessive amounts of vitamin D.)
- Use results of surveys of an area's immediate needs for disaster relief to
measure the impact of natural disasters.
- Continue the ban on the sale of
L-tryptophan until the etiologic agent
responsible for EMS is identified and the mechanism of the contamination is
understood.
- Encourage physicians to routinely collect information on patients' use of
food supplements.
- Assess whether proper laboratory techniques are used in handling biologic
specimens and in analyzing the specimens' mercury content.
- Incorporate biologic measurements of human exposures into the design of
the proposed National Human Exposure Assessment Survey, and encourage state
health departments to participate in the survey.
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Collaboration
To develop and evaluate strategies for disaster preparedness and for
preventing the effects of exposure to environmental toxins, we collaborate with
numerous governments and agencies. Following are a sample of the groups that we
collaborated with in 1992:
- American Red Cross. We analyzed data on disaster-related injuries and
deaths.
- Food and Drug Administration. We shared information on EMS, regulations on
milk fortification, health effects among Michigan residents exposed to PBBs,
and the health effects of silicone breast implants.
- World Health Organization (WHO). We participate as a member of the WHO
Advisory Committee on Toxic Oil Syndrome.
- Pan American Health Organization. We helped develop programs in
environmental epidemiology and disaster preparedness in Central and South
America.
- Japan (under terms of the joint United States-Japan Scientific and
Technical Agreement). We served as consultant on disaster prevention and
mitigation in Pacific Rim countries.
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For Further Information:
Health Studies Branch
Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects
National Center for Environmental Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
4770 Buford Highway, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30341-3724
Telephone: (770) 488-7350
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