Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters Hurricane Katrina: Workshop Summary (2007) / Chapter Skim
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4 Nature and Extent of Environmental Exposures
4 Nature and Extent of Environmental Exposures
Pages 22-34
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From page 22... ...
The center deployed approximately 600 people in response to Hurricane Katrina and nearly 100 for Hurricane Rita. Personnel deployed by CDC were involved in a wide range of activities, including performing assessment surveys, serving as liaisons with federal and state agencies, contributing directly to rebuilding the public health infrastructure, and participating in vector and animal control.
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From page 23... ...
Furthermore, sampling results could be easily found; however, interpreting the meaning of the results for both policy makers and the public in order for In the absence of complete data, we them to make decisions was not easy. need rapid interpretation of the data we Inconsistent messages coming from do have, coordination among the various multiple sources created difficulties agencies in performing this interpretation, for the widely dispersed target popu- and consistent messaging to the public lation and a challenge for the agen- and policy makers.
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From page 24... ...
Unwatering -- that is, draining of the floodwaters -- was one of the first environmental concerns that people faced after Hurricane Katrina. When people try to reach destinations within the city where transportation and emergency medical services are completely impeded by water, unwatering becomes a health and safety issue.
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From page 25... ...
These aspects of environmental health add complexity to the organizational response, said Frumkin. 20 Gulf Coast landfall of Hurricane 15 Katrina on August 29 Alabama Louisiana 10 Mississippi Number 5 0 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Aug Sep Date FIGURE 4-1 The use of generators to produce electricity is a well-known issue following disasters because it causes carbon monoxide poisoning.
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From page 26... ...
The insect vector issue was of special concern in Louisiana because, according to national data, prior to Hurricane Katrina the state had confronted West Nile virus at fairly high levels. The majority of the West Nile diagnoses preceded the hurricane by sev eral weeks, but it was enough to raise concern that in the aftermath of the storm further cases of West Nile could occur (Figure 4-2)
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From page 27... ...
over time, and the ways to approach, measure, and control it will change -- HowardFrumkin as well, noted Frumkin. Typically, we approach environmental health risks by using risk assessment.
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From page 28... ...
Now is the time with an active living environment, in to help promote the public health of the which walking is greatly encouraged people of New Orleans, changing the and people drive less and get more Mardi Gras to the Mardi Svelte. physical activity.
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From page 29... ...
In addition, it ensures that exposure assessments are conducted and the results disseminated to protect the workers. Under WSHA, NIOSH responsibilities are specifically to provide technical support and expertise in the characterization of complex, unknown, and multiple-contaminant worker exposures and to collaborate in all areas so collective safety and industrial hygiene assets produce consistent, vetted advice to the incident command structure.
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From page 30... ...
Exposures in certain areas of the city may not be consistent with exposures in other areas of the city or other areas of Louisiana. It was hard to generalize the NIOSH characterizations of how someone was conducting debris removal or mold remediation or refurbishment.
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From page 31... ...
Initially, when workers were sent to the region affected by Hurricane Katrina, they were put into protective gear because of concerns and uncertainty about the contaminants that might be encountered. For some of the workers, these protective ensembles caused heat stress.
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From page 32... ...
These incidents mainly consisted of trauma, lacerations, falls, trips, electrocutions, and the like, said Kiefer. CLEANUP, ExPOSURE GUIDELINES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY DURING DISASTER: LESSONS TAKEN FROM THE AFTERMATH OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACK To understand what exposure is, we need to define it, said Paul Lioy of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute at Rutgers University.
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From page 33... ...
As a follow-up, the EPA's Council of Environmental Quality Expert Technical Panel on the World Trade Center is planning a series of samplings to be done in Brooklyn, which was not initially captured. With both 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, a number of people were exposed to material in an environmental medium, noted Lioy.
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From page 34... ...
Nonetheless, scientists need to begin these discussions and plan for monitoring while a disaster is not occurring, not as the event is happening. · Although exposure guidelines are available, there are no guidelines that effectively address acute exposure levels or routes of exposures that are experienced during a disaster.
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