ATSDR Biomonitoring Outreach and Recruiting

As part of its work, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) may test human blood and urine for biomarkers of exposure in communities of concern to evaluate whether potentially harmful exposures to chemical contaminants may have occurred. Launching such programs requires meticulous planning and organization to identify community members eligible and available for testing, typically on short order. ATSDR sought ERG’s support in launching three such programs: screening residents for the “JAK2” biomarker in three Pennsylvania counties where health officials had identified excess cases of polycythemia vera—a rare blood disease; PFAS blood testing in a community where sewage sludge had been applied to agricultural lands; and testing lead and arsenic levels in young children and pregnant women in a mining community.

In each case, ERG quickly came on board to recruit participants for the data collection program, building on and customizing tested systems to meet project-specific needs. Our work included mapping and identifying names and addresses of residents in each area; establishing toll-free numbers to facilitate the communication and appointment process; and assembling teams to schedule weeks of ATSDR screening and testing activities across these projects. We developed set protocols and general scripts to ensure consistent messaging and sensitive handling of calls and confidential information. We also developed customized databases to record information and generate appointment sheets—work that included scheduling over 1,200 appointments for the JAK2 biomarker monitoring project alone. We made reminder calls and assisted ATSDR in real-time during sampling events with last-minute adjustments and communications.