Category: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

International Disease Detectives Discover Cause of Disease in Ethiopia

Mystery Illness in Ethiopia A strange new illness was spreading throughout Tigray, the northern region of Ethiopia. People living in remote homes and villages developed swollen, painful abdomens and then lost weight. Some of them had trouble breathing as the fluid in their abdomens crowded their lungs. Three or four family members in one household Read More >

Posted on by Leave a commentTags

Meet the Scientist: Jona Ogden

My “Meet the Scientist” series brings you conversations with NCEH/ATSDR scientists that aim to give you a sense of the talented people who are working to keep you safe and secure from those things in the environment that threaten our nation’s health. Graduate student, homeless shelter volunteer, hand-washing expert, and rock-climber-in-training, meet Jona Ogden, one Read More >

Posted on by 2 Comments

Meet the Scientist: Sue Casteel

My “Meet the Scientist” series brings you conversations with NCEH/ATSDR scientists that aim to give you a sense of the talented people who are working to keep you safe and secure from things in the environment that threaten our nation’s health. I chatted with someone who knows the Clintons (yes, Bill and Hilary), and is Read More >

Posted on by Leave a comment

Meet the Scientist: Morris Maslia

My “Meet the Scientist” series brings you conversations with NCEH/ATSDR scientists that aim to give you a sense of the talented people who are working to keep you safe and secure from those things in the environment that threaten our nation’s health. He’s a water modeling expert, Croes Medal recipient, and lover of lamb chops. Read More >

Posted on by Dr. Christopher J. PortierLeave a comment

A Little History Lesson about Toxic Releases and the Oak Ridge Reservation

To commemorate the publication of ATSDR’s final report on the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee, we are posting this story about the history of the site and about two decades of ATSDR community work. The Manhattan Project Comes to Tennessee In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The Read More >

Posted on by 1 Comment

Earth Day: What is Environmental Public Health?

April 22 marks the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, begun in 1970 and celebrated around the world. Earth Day reminds us of our personal and collective responsibility to preserve and protect our environment.  Scientists and public health professionals at CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Read More >

Posted on by Dr. Christopher J. Portier6 CommentsTags

Meet the Scientist Blog Series with Amy Wolkin

For three decades, scientists at CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have been keeping America safe from hazards in our environment. For example, scientists at ATSDR have worked in more than 900 communities across the nation to assess and explain the health risks involved Read More >

Posted on by Dr. Christopher J. Portier4 Comments

ATSDR saves Super Bowl party in an Ohio community

“The stench was so bad that when I would bake a turkey in my kitchen, the only thing you could smell was the dump,” said Roger Pound. Now, thanks to an Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) intervention, Mr. Pound can once again smell the mouth-watering aromas coming from his kitchen. Mr. Pound Read More >

Posted on by Dr. Christopher J. PortierLeave a comment

ATSDR’s ToxProfiles enrich the classroom

For communities, physicians, scientists and environmental health professionals, ATSDR’s Toxicological Profiles are an important source of information about toxic chemicals and health effects. Robin Shapiro has been an academic librarian at Portland Community College in Oregon since 1997. She enjoys helping students learn how to use resources such as ATSDR’s Toxic Substances Portal where the Read More >

Posted on by Dr. Christopher J. PortierLeave a commentTags , , , , , , ,

Adventures in Public Health Part 1: Destination, India!

After an arduous 24-hour journey, I arrived in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India on August 21, 2011 at 10 pm to discuss ongoing and planned collaborations with multiple Indian government agencies on environmental health issues. The ride from the airport to the hotel was only a few kilometers, but we went down back alleys and when we got to the hotel, there was serious security with a search of the car and x-ray machines.  Read More >

Posted on by Dr. Christopher J. Portier3 CommentsTags