The Libby Community Childhood Health Investigation and Exposure Follow-Up Study (

描述（由申请人提供）：利比MT是一个服务不足的边境社区，从20世纪20年代到1990年，这里开采和加工蛭石矿石。这种矿石被分发到美国各地的245个地点，成千上万的家庭将其最终产品用于绝缘和园艺活动。利比蛭石，被称为利比角孔（LA），含有石棉矿物，接触与肺功能丧失、胸膜和间质性肺病以及呼吸性死亡率有关。一项联邦调查清楚地表明，在利比以及迄今为止调查的其他28个地点长大的儿童有许多接触途径。这些途径包括环境空气污染，以及居民区附近的家庭、学校、操场和制造业垃圾场的污染。洛杉矶对孩子们很有吸引力，因为它的银色闪闪发光，加热后会爆裂。我们回顾性地在一个年仅9岁的孩子身上发现了胸膜斑块。然而，关于在利比和其他受污染社区长大的儿童在童年时期持续接触环境的信息几乎没有。在出生时，婴儿仅完成了肺泡肺发育的20%，并且具有不成熟的清除机制，因此对儿童暴露的担忧被放大了。由于肺部的生长和发育一直持续到成年早期，儿童可能是最脆弱的群体。利比社区和许多其他受污染的城镇都非常关心他们孩子的健康。石棉相关疾病中心（CARD）自2000年联邦调查开始以来，一直是为利比服务的医疗和教育社区组织。CARD是这项研究的合作伙伴。研究的三个目的是：1)确定儿童暴露于LA是否与肺部不良反应的显著增加有关；2)开发和利用一个全面的环境暴露矩阵来描述儿童暴露；3)开发、实施和评估一个明确的互惠推广和交流计划。利比的年轻人现在已经有了足够的潜伏期，可以测量对他们肺部发育的影响，并采取措施预防或减少发病率。这项研究的影响远远超出了利比的范围，因为许多其他社区也受到了污染。此外，这项研究代表了广泛污染导致慢性暴露并可能对儿童肺部发育产生直接不利影响的最明显例子之一。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Libby MT is an underserved frontier community where vermiculite ore was mined and processed from the 1920s until 1990. This ore was distributed to 245 sites throughout the U.S. and tens of thousands of households used the end-product for insulation and horticulture activities. The Libby vermiculite, referred to as Libby Amphibole (LA), contains asbestos minerals and exposure is associated with pulmonary function loss, pleural and interstitial lung diseases and respiratory mortality. A federal investigation clearly demonstrated that children growing up in Libby as well as all 28 other sites thus far investigated, had numerous pathways of exposure. These pathways included ambient air pollution as well as contamination of homes, schools, playgrounds and manufacturing dump sites near residential areas. LA is attractive to children because of its silver sparkles and ability to pop when heated. Pleural plaques were retrospectively identified in a child as young as nine. Almost no information is available, however, on the children who grew up Libby and other contaminated communities who had on-going childhood environmental exposures. Concern about childhood exposures is amplified by understanding that at birth, infants have completed only 20% of alveolar lung development and have immature clearance mechanisms. As lung growth and development continues until early adulthood, children are likely the most vulnerable group. The Libby community and numerous other contaminated towns are very concerned about their children's health. The Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) has been a medical and educational community based organization serving Libby since 2000 when federal investigations began. CARD is a partner on this study. The three study aims are 1) determine if childhood exposure to LA is associated with a significant increase in adverse pulmonary effects, 2) develop and utilize a comprehensive environmental exposure matrix to characterize childhood exposures and 3) develop, implement and evaluate a well-defined reciprocal outreach and communication program. The Libby young adults have now had a sufficient latency period where effects on their lung development can be measured and actions to prevent or decrease morbidity taken. The impact of this study far exceeds the boundary of Libby, as many other communities also have been contaminated. Further, this study represents one of the clearest examples of widespread contamination resulting in chronic exposure and likely direct adverse impact on the developing lungs of children. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Libby MT is one of many communities with widespread contamination due to mining and milling operations of vermiculite containing asbestos minerals. Children of Libby have had documented chronic exposure due to contamination of their homes, schools and playgrounds. They are a particularly vulnerable population as their lungs are immature at birth and continue to develop until adulthood. This project will work in concert with the Center for Asbestos Related Disease in the Libby community to better understand the health effects on children in that and other contaminated communities.