1. TOWN HALL MEETING GARFIELD, NJ JUNE 17, 2014

2. NYU in and around town…
Fire Co 4 Wet Down, June 2013
Visits to the Silver Sneakers Class at the Garfield ‘Y’
Bingo & Wellness Fair at the Senior Ctr
Gives an introduction to our outreach and engagement efforts in Garfield in the last 18 months
Survey & consent forms filled out after mass at MHN Church

3. TIMELINE OF NYU-GARFIELD PARTNERSHIP
Letter of Partnership
TIMELINE OF NYU-GARFIELD PARTNERSHIP
NOV 2012, Established partnership
SPRING 2013, NYU IRB approval; surveys and toenail study recruitment begins
SUMMER 2013, Recruitment continues: attend masses at MHN Church, Garfield Wet Down at Fire House, ‘Silver Sneakers’ classes, Bingo & Wellness Fair at Senior Ctr, visits to Library, YMCA, & Charter school PTO meeting
Fall 2013, 1st Town Hall meeting conducted; Collected 47 toenail samples from Garfield residents; sent for analysis in Dec 2013; survey analysis continues
WINTER 2014, Received toenail total chromium results from testing center; began data and survey analysis
SPRING 2014, Chromium data analysis/statistics complete, letters mailed to residents with results; Focus group & 2nd Town Hall Meeting scheduled

4. All fliers, protocols, consent forms & surveys were translated into Spanish & Polish
Made an effort to reach all the people of garfield, especially those most concerned about the plume/chemical spill!

5. Our first successful Town Hall Meeting, October 2013

6. In the Press (Local & National)…
“Garfield residents recruited for tests for chromium exposure ...”
“Toenails will be tested for chromium in Garfield - Community ...”
“New Jersey residents' toenail clippings to be tested for ...”
“Garfield, New Jersey Superfund Site, May Have Residents ...”
“NYU School of Medicine uses toenail clippings for chemical ...”
“Toenail clippings to measure toxic exposure in NJ - New ...”
“Toenail clippings to measure toxic exposure in NJ - Mid ...”
“Scientist takes first step to measure chromium contamination”
“Toenail clippings to measure toxic exposure in NJ - FOX ”
“NJ Residents Tested for Chromium”
Garfield residents to participate in chromium study
Published: March 26, :24 PM
Really tried to spread the word to the entire community about what we have to offer Garfield, NJ

7. How did we survey the Garfield community & collect toenails?
Garfield residents 18 yrs or
older were eligible to complete
the survey
72 respondents in total
There were a few toenail
criteria for study inclusion:
Must be a non-smoker
Cannot live with a smoker
Cannot be diabetic
Must live in Garfield for 2 or
more years
Must be 18 yr or older
Cannot have a knee or hip replacement
Cannot take chromium supplements
It is 72 participants- I double checked the number when making the slides
Clippers & Kit Information

8. GARFIELD COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS

9. PUBLISHED GARFIELD DEMOGRAPHICS
White - 17,972 (58.9%)
Hispanic - 9,830 (32.2%)
Black - 1,564 (5.1%)
Asian (2.2%)
Multiple races (1.1%)
Other race (0.3%)
Native American (American Indian)- 16 (0.05%)
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander - 2(0.01%)
Read more:
For population 25 years and over in Garfield:
High school or higher %
Bachelor's degree or higher %
Graduate or professional degree - 3.7%
Unemployed - 7.9%
Read more:

11. *The demographic results from the survey respondents do not necessarily reflect that of the town of Garfield as a whole (

17. What this survey tells us…
Respondent demographics for the most part reflected those published online (njmls.com, city-data.com, censusviewer.com)
Most respondents do not feel they have been exposed to chemicals or pollutants where they live or work
Water quality, air quality & cancer are top 3 environmental/health issues of concern
Industry air pollution, water pollution, & chemical spills are top 3 environmental health issues that should be ‘priorities for the community’

18. ‘The Plume’
TOENAIL ANALYSIS

19. Non-Plume Females Plume Females Non-Plume Males Plume Males
YEARS

20. Sources of & Notes on Chromium
Chromium is naturally found in soil, water, and our food
Total chromium levels include both trivalent (Cr III) and hexavalent (CrVI) chromium
The total chromium measured in toenails only reflects chromium exposure in the last months and measures both forms of Cr
The chromium levels found in Garfield residents’ toenails are similar (on average) to those reported nationwide
I added this to address Monika’s comment to provide some more information regarding chromium itself…

21. Range of total chromium levels found in toenail samples: The national average vs. Garfield, NJ
Neither reflect an
increase in health risks!
3.67 ug/g

22. Cholesterol also has a ‘range of normal’ in healthy individuals

23. Total chromium levels in toenails of Garfield residents living within the plume area are higher than those residing outside the plume area, but no levels found are suggestive of human health effects * a
Total Cr Concentration (ug/g)
Median
Median level
Median
Median level
These data indicate that living on the plume contributed to total chromium levels
n=22-25 sets of toenail samples per group
*Significantly different (p<0.0017) from toenail samples collected from non-plume residents
aThe range of total chromium levels found in toenail samples is ug/g

24. Total chromium concentration in toenails decreases in residents the further they live from the EC source of contamination
EC Electroplating
Plant
Distance from the source (miles)
Concentration (ug/g)

25. Where does the Garfield community want us to go from here?