Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Outreach

Exposure to toxic substances pose a serious health risk for Americans. Hazardous chemicals can cause damage to body systems such as the nervous, circulatory, immune, and reproductive systems Therefore, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducts public health assessments at sites on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List to find out if people are being exposed to hazardous substances and, if so, whether that exposure is harmful and should be stopped or reduced. ATSDR communicates with communities about its work and the local environmental hazards through community outreach and education efforts.

AIR collaborated with ATSDR to develop a strategic plan and materials for several types and levels of target audiences, and created a risk communication training course with workbooks and video. The course enabled ATSDR to prepare health communication specialists for managing risk communication activities in the field.