The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a sector of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The main role of the ATSDR is community-centric, working to protect communities from the harmful effects of both manmade and natural hazardous chemicals in our environment. According to their website, " [they] do this by responding to environmental health emergencies; investigating emerging environmental health threats; conducting research on the health impacts of hazardous waste sites; and building capabilities of and providing actionable guidance to state and local health partners."
The ATSDR came about as a result of the “Superfund” Act. They act as a science-based federal agency looking into the harmful effects of hazardous waste in American communities. They work towards 3 major things, including: exposure prevention via water, soil and air, response to community requests for protection from exposures, and they provide funds to address environmental health threats. They also have a toxicological profile library, answering multiple questions about various chemicals. I'll be using this resource to research my lit review chemical DDT.
Hi Nalleli,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about ATSDR, prior to your post I didn't know the specifics of this agency's tasks and responsibilities. It was great to read that this agency operates itself based on evidenced-based information regarding the harmful effects of hazardous waste in American communities.