When harmful chemical exposure happens, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is ready to respond. Our top priority is to protect people from harmful chemical exposures. ATSDR has helped people in more than 900 communities all over the country.
Did you know that environmental factors contribute to more than 25% of all diseases worldwide? In the U.S., the yearly cost of just four childhood health problems linked to chemical exposures- cancer, lead poisoning, asthma, and developmental disabilities – is greater than $54 billion. Chemicals make our lives easier and are included in everyday items like foods, personal care products, prescription drugs, and household cleaners. Sometimes, however, exposure to chemicals can harm us. Exposure to chemicals happens in homes, schools, workplaces, and throughout communities. Accidental releases, certain household products, or hazardous sites are all possible causes of chemical exposures.
These are the stories of how the work of ATSDR has impacted people’s lives over the last 25 years. We have been there in emergencies like Hurricane Katrina. We’ve helped people whose lives have been disrupted by harmful chemical spills. And we work hard every day to understand the cause of diseases through our health registry process.
Explore this site and check back often to read the latest ways that ATSDR helps create a safer, healthier America that enjoys protection from toxic substances.
ATSDR’s ToxProfiles enrich the classroom
“The Environmental Health instructor I've been working with absolutely loves this -- his students are just starting on a research project, and this makes good information easier to navigate.” For communities, physicians, scientists and environmental health professionals ATSDR’s Toxicological Profiles are an indispensible resource of information about toxic chemicals and health effects.
Protecting the people of Garfield, New Jersey.
ATSDR recently worked closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJ DHSS) to examine potential health effects from contaminated groundwater and surface dust in an area of Garfield, New Jersey.
Contact Us:
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
4770 Buford Hwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30341-3717 USA - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
Email CDC-INFO - New Hours of Operation
8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays