Medical monitoring: a beneficial remedy for residents living near an environmental hazard site.
case_series · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19952785.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1097/JOM.0b013e3181c558f1 and PMC identifier 2868344.
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Abstract
People living close to an environmental hazard site may suffer health harms from real or perceived contaminant exposures. In class-action litigation, medical monitoring is a potential remedy that has been allowed in some jurisdictions but not others. From 1952 to 1989, a US Department of Energy uranium metal plant near Fernald, Ohio, released ionizing radiation and uranium particulates into the surrounding community. Settlement of litigation between nearby residents and the Department of Energy resulted in an 18-year medical monitoring program (N = 9775), which focused on general health promotion rather than effects of uranium. Participation was higher than projected; decreases in common risk factors (cholesterol and blood pressure) and deaths from cancer have been observed. These data support the appropriateness of comprehensive medical monitoring as a remedy for people affected by defined sources of environmental contaminants.
Medical subject headings
- Environmental Exposure
- Hazardous Substances
- Particulate Matter
- Population Surveillance
- Uranium