Abstract
Background: Environmental public health disasters involving hazardous contaminants may have devastating effects. While much is known about their immediate devastation, far less is known about long-term impacts of these disasters. Extensive latent and chronic long-term public health effects may occur. Careful evaluation of contaminant exposures and long-term health outcomes within the constraints imposed by limited financial resources is essential. Methods: Here, we review epidemiologic methods lessons learned from conducting long-term evaluations of four environmental public health disasters involving hazardous contaminants at Chernobyl, the World Trade Center, Bhopal, and Graniteville (South Carolina, USA). Findings: We found several lessons learned which have direct implications for the on-going disaster recovery work following the Fukushima radiation disaster or for future disasters. Interpretation: These lessons should prove useful in understanding and mitigating latent health effects that may result from the nuclear reactor accident in Japan or future environmental public health disasters.
Highlights
Introduction and MethodsDespite our preparedness efforts, disasters are unpredictable, unannounced and unexpected.Occasionally disasters result in the release of a toxicological hazard into the affected environment
Sometimes ―ecological epidemiology‖ can be a useful alternative to human studies
Plume dispersion models were very imprecise due to the lack of sufficient local weather data
Summary
Disasters result in the release of a toxicological hazard into the affected environment Such events may be considered environmental public health disasters (EPHD). Attention wanes and humanitarian efforts dwindle, while adverse long-term health effects may follow. Such effects are frequently poorly understood and even less so concerning long-term repeated exposures to a contaminated environment resulting from a disaster. Environmental public health disasters involving hazardous contaminants may have devastating effects. Methods: Here, we review epidemiologic methods lessons learned from conducting long-term evaluations of four environmental public health disasters involving hazardous contaminants at Chernobyl, the World Trade Center, Bhopal, and Graniteville (South Carolina, USA). Interpretation: These lessons should prove useful in understanding and mitigating latent health effects that may result from the nuclear reactor accident in Japan or future environmental public health disasters
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