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• Svendsen, E
• Runkle, J
• Dhara, V
• Lin, S
• Naboka, M
• Mousseau, T
• Bennett, C
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• Svendsen, E
• Runkle, J
• Dhara, V
• Lin, S
• Naboka, M
• Mousseau, T
• Bennett, C
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• Runkle, J
• Dhara, V
• Lin, S
• Naboka, M
• Mousseau, T
• Bennett, C

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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(8), 2894-2909; doi:10.3390/ijerph9082894

Article

Epidemiologic Methods Lessons Learned from Environmental Public Health Disasters: Chernobyl, the World Trade Center, Bhopal, and Graniteville, South Carolina

Erik R. Svendsen ^1,2,* , Jennifer R. Runkle ^2,3 , Venkata Ramana Dhara ⁴ , Shao Lin ⁵ , Marina Naboka ⁶ , Timothy A. Mousseau ⁷  and Charles L. Bennett ⁸

¹ Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, ENHS SL-29, 1440 Canal St., Suite 2100, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA ² Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA ³ Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA ⁴ Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA ⁵ Bureau of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, State University of New York-Albany, Albany, NY 84870, USA ⁶ Radioecological Center of the National Academy of Sciences, Kiev 04050, Ukraine ⁷ Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA ⁸ South Carolina College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA and Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC 29403, USA

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 18 June 2012; in revised form: 18 July 2012 / Accepted: 8 August 2012 / Published: 16 August 2012

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparedness and Emergency Response)

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Abstract: Background: Environmental public health disasters involving hazardous contaminants may have devastating effects. While much is known about their immediate devastation, far less is known about long-term impacts of these disasters. Extensive latent and chronic long-term public health effects may occur. Careful evaluation of contaminant exposures and long-term health outcomes within the constraints imposed by limited financial resources is essential. Methods: Here, we review epidemiologic methods lessons learned from conducting long-term evaluations of four environmental public health disasters involving hazardous contaminants at Chernobyl, the World Trade Center, Bhopal, and Graniteville (South Carolina, USA). Findings: We found several lessons learned which have direct implications for the on-going disaster recovery work following the Fukushima radiation disaster or for future disasters. Interpretation: These lessons should prove useful in understanding and mitigating latent health effects that may result from the nuclear reactor accident in Japan or future environmental public health disasters.

Keywords: environmental health; epidemiology; accidents and injuries; chemical safety; occupational health

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