GREAT LAKES HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS RESEARCH PROGRAM QUALITY ASSURANCE-QUALITY CONTROL PROGRAM

The goal of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) Great Lakes Human Health Effects Research Program is to identify at-risk populations and to prevent potential human health effects associated with exposure to chemical contaminants in the Great Lakes basin. While this research effort is mandated by the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of 1990, it also represents a significant opportunity to define a broader model or strategy for other regional or systems-level studies of potential health effects in at-risk populations. This article describes the strategy developed by ATSDR for this purpose in the Great Lakes Basin, as well as the program's specific research objectives and current status. It also outlines the projected implications of this research effort for greater comprehension of the potential health effects of exposure to contaminants in the Great Lakes Basin.

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Wildlife as sentinels of human health effects in the Great Lakes--St. Lawrence basin.

Environmental Health Perspectives ◽

10.1289/ehp.01109s6853 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 109 (suppl 6) ◽

pp. 853-861 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

G A Fox

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Effects ◽

Human Health Effects

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The Great Lakes: a Historical Overview

Toxicology and Industrial Health ◽

10.1177/074823379601200303 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 12 (3-4) ◽

pp. 303-313 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Heraline E. Hicks

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Effects ◽

Great Lakes Basin ◽

Adverse Health Effects ◽

Freshwater Resource ◽

Health Studies ◽

Human Health Effects ◽

By Products ◽

Early Human

The Great Lakes are collectively the largest inland body of freshwater on this planet. For more than two hundred years, the Great Lakes basin has been used as a resource for industry, agriculture, shipping, and recreation. The physical characteristics of the basin and the long retention time of chemicals in the lakes combine to make this huge freshwater resource a repository for chemical by-products of these activities. Many of the more than one thousand chemicals detected in the waters, sediment, or biota of the Great Lakes have known toxic effects. This overview will identify the 11 most persistent toxic chemicals known as "critical" Great Lakes pollutants. It also will describe some of the adverse health effects that have been observed in fish and other wildlife because of exposure to these pollutants. Finally. it will discuss some of the early human health studies that 1) have demonstrated a correlation between increased body burdens and fish consumption, and 2) suggest an association between consumption of contaminated Great Lakes fish and adverse human health effects.

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TU-F-CAMPUS-I-05: Semi-Automated, Open Source MRI Quality Assurance and Quality Control Program for Multi-Unit Institution

Medical Physics ◽

10.1118/1.4925830 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 42 (6Part36) ◽

pp. 3647-3647

Author(s):

J Yung ◽

W Stefan ◽

D Reeve ◽

RJ Stafford

Keyword(s):

Quality Control ◽

Quality Assurance ◽

Open Source ◽

Control Program ◽

Quality Control Program

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Fluoroscopy Quality Assurance and Quality Control Program

Principles of Fluoroscopic Image Intensification and Television Systems ◽

10.4324/9781003072980-16 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 159-176

Author(s):

Robert J. Parelli

Keyword(s):

Quality Control ◽

Quality Assurance ◽

Control Program ◽

Quality Control Program

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Action Research to Reduce Sickness Absenteeism

Concepts and Transformation ◽

10.1075/cat.3.3.02ste ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 179-206

Author(s):

Herman Steensma ◽

René van der Vlist

Keyword(s):

Quality Control ◽

Action Research ◽

Work Environment ◽

Research Program ◽

Change Process ◽

Control Program ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Communication Structure ◽

Quality Control Program ◽

Sickness Absenteeism

An action research program was started in two Dutch concrete construction factories to reduce absenteeism due to sickness. Representatives of workers and managers analyzed all possible causes of absenteeism. This process was guided by the action researchers, who also explained theoretical models. Smaller working parties were then formed to formulate proposals for action. The working parties consisted of workers and foremen. Top management set aside a budget for improving the work environment. The communication structure in the organization was improved, especially by encouraging two-way communication and by creating more opportunities for workers to have their say and to participate. Care was taken to ensure a good fit between the absenteeism program and a Quality Control Program. The program succeeded in drastically reducing sickness absenteeism. The change process is described, with special attention to theoretical models and to the characteristics of action research.

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Harmonizing Human Health Studies in the Great Lakes

Toxicology and Industrial Health ◽

10.1177/074823379601200318 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 12 (3-4) ◽

pp. 467-476 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Heraline E. Hicks ◽

Robert F. Spengler

Keyword(s):

Great Lakes ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Effects ◽

Tissue Bank ◽

Human Populations ◽

Toxic Substances ◽

Potential Health ◽

Research Activities ◽

Health Studies ◽

Human Health Effects

Epidemiological studies of exposed human populations can provide valuable evidence of human health effects. Information has been sparse on human health effects associated with consumption of contaminated Great Lakes fish. As part of its Great Lakes Human Health Effects Research Program, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has funded ten projects. Of these studies, eight are epidemiologic investigations of human exposure and potential health effects from consumption of contaminated fish. To strengthen and to enhance the findings and comparability across the health studies, ATSDR has initiated several activities. These activities include harmonizing questionnaires, analytical protocols, human health end points, and contaminants tested. Also included is the establishment of a quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program and tissue bank. These activities will allow ATSDR to enhance exposure assessment in the Great Lakes basin. In addition, these research activities allow ATSDR to evaluate and to interpret data across all the projects, including a basin-wide health risk analysis on exposure, levels of contaminants or body burden, and the potential for human health effects from exposure to Great Lakes contaminants.

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