February 2012

Dear Community Member,

A new research study is being launched to assess exposure to heavy metal pollution present in the homes and bodies of children living near industrial facilities in the West Berkeley and West Oakland Area. This study is sponsored by Global Community Monitor in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco, Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, and Children’s Hospital Oakland.

Past air monitoring in West Berkeley has shown consistent levels of heavy metals known to come from industry: manganese (Mn) and nickel (Ni). Air monitoring in West Oakland has shown the consistent presence of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). This pilot study seeks to understand the connection between children living within a mile of industrial facilities in Berkeley and Oakland, CA and their exposure to pollution.

Body Burden Monitoring (also called "bio-monitoring") measures the amount of toxic chemicals and heavy metals stored within the human body. Thirty-five children between the ages of one to five will have one blood sample tested for manganese (Mn) in the West Berkeley area. Thirty-five children between the ages of one to five will have one blood sample tested for lead and cadmium in the West Oakland area.

This study is not meant to assess health effects or act as health care. We will not be able to correlate your child’s blood values with potential health risks to your child except in the case of extremely high levels, which should be rare.

After the body burden and environmental monitoring are complete, the East Bay Body Burden Study will be compiling a final report. This report will be incorporated into a broader discussion about addressing the issue of breathing space (buffer zones) between industrial operations and residential neighbors. This study may be utilized by public to engage policy makers, environmental regulators, community organizations and industrial management.

HOW TO JOIN THE STUDY

We will be enrolling 35 children (parental consent required) between the ages of one and five years of age, who live within one mile of Pacific Steel Casting OR Custom Alloy Scrap Sales to be involved in the study. Each participant will undergo a brief interview. If your family is accepted for this study, you will be asked to:

● attend an information session in mid January,

● sign a consent form,

● fill out a questionnaire,

● take your child to Children’s Hospital to give one blood sample and,

● be available to study team staff to schedule a wipe sample to be taken at your home.

Participants will receive their child’s blood test and wipe sample results compared to relevant guidelines and may participate in follow-up consultations with physicians and environmental health experts. This process should take about six to eight months with a minimal time commitment of about eight hours by your family.

Your child’s information will be kept strictly confidential. There will be opportunities for participants to share their story about their experience working with the study and about their response to the results. You have the right to leave the study at any time.

There will be an information session about this study:

January 25, 2012
6:30-8pm
Children’s Hospital Oakland
Conference Room OPC A, 744 52nd Street
Outpatient building directly across from Main Hospital

For more detailed information, please contact Ruth Breech, study coordinator. To sign-up or

ask questions, contact Study Team staff at (510) 233 -1870 or program@gcmonitor.org.

Sincerely,

East Bay Body Burden Study Team

John Balmes, MD: University of California San Francisco

Principal Investigator

Mark Miller, MD: University of California San Francisco

Study Doctor

Ruth Breech, Global Community Monitor

Study Coordinator