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Science
Friday > Archives
> 2001
> March
> March 30, 2001:
Hour One: CDC Chemical Exposure Report
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released
the initial results of a study that looked in unprecedented detail at
exposures to chemicals among ordinary Americans. The study, known as the
National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, analyzed
the levels of 27 chemicals in blood and urine samples taken from over
2000 people across the country. Earlier research had looked at the presence
of some of these chemicals in the air, soil, or water samples. 24 of the
chemicals studied had not previously been included in national human exposure
studies.
Researchers analyzed the samples for metals, including lead,
mercury, cadmium, cobalt, antimony, barium, beryllium, cesium,
molybdenum, platinum, thallium, tungsten, and uranium, metabolites
from several pesticides, cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine that
tracks tobacco smoke exposure) and phthalate metabolites, chemicals
produced by the breakdown of ingredients in some plastics and
cosmetics. They hope that this data will help provide a snapshot
of what common chemical exposures many citizens may face.
By updating the data in future years, they also hope to be able
to track increases and declines in exposure over time. Over the
next few years, they also hope to expand the survey to include information
about a total of 100 chemicals.
In this hour, we'll take a look at the report, what the CDC scientists
found, and how the information might be used by public health researchers.
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Exposure: A worker tends a smelting furnace
producing elemental phosphorous, 1942.
Tenn. Valley Authority / NARA image.
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Join guest host David Kestenbaum for the discussion, call in with your
thoughts and comments at 1-800-989-8255, and share your opinions online
in our Listeners' Lounge
(registration
required)
Guests:
Richard Jackson, MD, MPH
Director, National Center
for Environmental Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Georgia
Lynn Goldman, MD
Former Assistant Administrator
Office of Prevention,
Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
Environmental Protection Agency
Pediatrician
Professor, Environmental Health
Sciences
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
Christopher Portier
Acting Director, Environmental Toxicology Program
National Toxicology Program
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
National Institutes of Health
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Books/Articles Discussed:
Related Links:
"National
Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals"
Press
release about the report
EPA Microbiological
and Chemical Exposure Assessment Research Division
MEDLine
Plus: Environmental Health
Glossary
of Environmental Health Terms
This segment produced by: Karin
Vergoth
Web Producer: Charles
Bergquist
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