ATSDR Exposure Investigation (EI)
Jasper and Newton Counties, MO
Who are we?
We are from a federal public health agency called the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry or ATSDR.
Who are we working with?
Region 7 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (MDHSS)
Your local public health departments
Why are we doing this Exposure Investigation (EI)?
We are doing this EI to try to better understand lead levels in your blood and your environment and how they are related.
What are we asking you to do?
Allow a licensed phlebotomist to take a sample of your blood and have it tested for lead by ATSDR.
Have the soil in your yard and private well water tested by EPA.
Have your dust, paint, and public water supply tested by MDHSS.
Complete a brief questionnaire that will ask questions to help us understand how you might be exposed to lead.
There is NO COST to you for any of the testing and each participant will receive a $20 cash gift card as a token of our appreciation for your participation.
What is required for me to participate?
There are three parts to your participation.
1. Blood Collection and Testing for Lead
A licensed phlebotomist will collect less than 1 teaspoon (3 milliliters) of blood from a vein in your arm.
This will take 10 minutes or less.
ATSDR will send your blood to a lab to test it for lead.
The blood will only be tested for lead. It will not be used for any other purposes and will not be tested for other things such as drugs, alcohol, diseases, or DNA.
Answer a Short Questionnaire
We will ask you some questions to better understand how you might be exposed to lead in and around your household.
This should take about 20 minutes.
Home and Yard Testing for Lead to be completed after the blood collection
Lead in Yard Soil and Private Well Water – collected by EPA
EPA will contact you to make an appointment to sign a consent form and collect soil from your yard and to sample your private drinking water well. On the day of the appointment, you or another designated adult must be present.
EPA will send all the water samples and some of the soil samples collected to a lab to test them for lead.
The soil and private well water collection should take about 30 minutes.
Lead Inside and Outside the Home – collected by MDHSS
MDHSS will contact you to make an appointment to sign a consent form and collect samples at your household. On the day of the appointment, you or another designated adult must be present.
MDHSS will collect dust samples in your home using a wet wipe and will send them to a lab to test for lead.
MDHSS will measure the lead in the paint on the inside and outside of your house using a hand-held instrument.
MDHSS will provide a sample bottle and instructions for collecting water from your tap if you have a public drinking water supply (you will get this bottle when you provide your blood sample).
The dust, water, and paint testing and collection should take about 30 minutes.
What will happen to any leftover blood, water, soil, or dust after testing is finished?
The lab will properly dispose of any leftover samples.
When will you get the test results?
You will get your blood lead and environmental test results by mail about 12 weeks after all samples have been analyzed. If your child/ward has a blood level greater than 3.5 ug/dL or if you have a blood lead level > 5 µg/dL, ATSDR’s medical officer will contact you by phone as soon as the results are received from the laboratory.
What are the benefits of being in this EI?
You will know the levels of lead in your blood, soil, water, and home.
If you are found to have lead in your blood that is higher than the reference value, we will recommend you follow-up with your physician and we will provide information that will help you reduce your contact with lead. You may have a follow-up investigation performed by the state or county.
If you are found to have high levels of lead in your soil, you may be eligible for EPA to remove contaminated materials from your yard.
If you are found to have high levels of lead in your private drinking water well, you may be eligible for EPA to provide you with a clean source of water.
If you are found to have high levels of lead in your paint or lead in your water from your pipes, MDHSS and ATSDR will provide information that will help you reduce your contact with lead in your paint and water.
What are the risks of the EI?
You may feel a sharp sting from the needle used to draw your blood. Sometimes a bruise or small blood clot can occur where the blood is taken. These bruises or clots usually go away on their own.
You may feel lightheaded for a short time and rarely, fainting may occur.
Although it is rare, infection could develop as a result of the puncture through the skin, or the needle could irritate or injure a nerve. This irritation may cause temporary numbness or pain in part of the arm.
If you have a history of anemia, a bleeding disorder, or are taking blood thinning medication, we recommend that you talk to your doctor before joining this study.
How will we protect your privacy?
We will protect your privacy as much as the law allows.
Missouri law requires that we report blood lead levels to the state.
Missouri law requires that information given to the state may be public if someone asks the State for that information, but your name and address will not be released.
We will share the results between the agencies, with your permission. We will require our government partners to treat your information as private.
We will give you an identification (ID) number.
Your ID number, not your name, will go on the tube of blood.
We will keep a record secured by password or lock and key of your name, address, and ID number. The information will be used by ATSDR to link the results to each person and the results will be sent to you.
We will not use your name or address in any report we write. Only group information that does not include individual names or addresses will be reported.
When can you ask questions about the testing?
If you have any questions about the testing, you can ask us now.
If you have questions later, you can call or email ATSDR:
Commander (CDR) Erin Evans at 913-551-1311 or [email protected]
Dr. Michelle Zeager at 470-727-6081 or [email protected] for medical questions
The Jasper and Newton Counties Exposure Investigation toll free number 833-678-2724 or [email protected]
Other considerations
If lead is found in your soil, water, or household, you may have to disclose this when you go to sell or lease your home in the future.
Voluntary Consent for Blood Lead Testing
I agree to have my blood tested.
I agree to answer questions.
I know that having the test done is my choice.
I know that even though I have agreed to this testing, I may leave at any time without penalty.
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Signature of Person Giving Consent |
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Printed Name of Person Giving Consent |
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ADDRESS: ______________________________________ |
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PHONE: ________________________________________ |
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Lab ID Number: __________________________________ |
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Certification of Permission Form Administrator:
I read the permission form to the person named above. He/she had the opportunity to ask questions about the Exposure Investigation and had his/her questions answered.
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Signature of person administering form |
Date |
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Scruton, Karen M. (ATSDR/OAD/OCHHA) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2023-08-27 |