[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 151 (Wednesday, August 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46644-46645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-19980]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[30Day-60-03]


Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and 
Recommendations

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a 
list of information collection requests under review by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these requests, call 
the CDC Reports Clearance Officer at (404) 498-1210. Send written 
comments to CDC, Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 20503 or by fax 
to (202) 395-6974. Written comments should be received within 30 days 
of this notice.
    Proposed Project: Assessment of Exposure to Arsenic through 
Household Water, OMB No. 0920-0472--Revision--National Center for 
Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC).

Background

    Arsenic is a naturally occurring element present in food and water 
as both organic and inorganic complexes. Epidemiologic evidence shows a 
strong link between ingestion of water containing inorganic arsenic and 
an increase in certain cancers (e.g., bladder cancer, lung cancer). 
Although consumption of arsenic-contaminated food is the major source 
of arsenic exposure for the majority of U.S. citizens, in some areas of 
the United States, elevated levels of arsenic occur frequently in 
water. In such areas, ingestion of water can be the primary source of 
arsenic exposure.
    Currently, point-of-use (POU) devices are the preferred method of 
treatment of private domestic well water containing elevated levels of 
arsenic. Bottled water and POU treatment systems are considered 
effective means of managing arsenic exposure based on the assumption 
that people's other water exposures, such as bathing, brushing of 
teeth, cooking, and drinking occasionally from other taps, contribute 
relatively minor amounts to a person's total daily intake of arsenic.
    We propose to conduct a study to methodically test the validity of 
the commonly made assumption that secondary water exposures, such as 
bathing, will not result in a significant increase in arsenic exposure 
above background dietary levels. Specifically, we are interested in 
assessing total urine arsenic levels and levels of organic and 
inorganic arsenic species among people in areas in which ingestion of 
arsenic-containing water is controlled by either POU treatment or use 
of bottled water.
    Potential participants who are interested in being part of the 
study will be interviewed by telephone. Recruited participants will be 
asked to participate in a survey interview about potential exposures to 
arsenic. Participants in the study will use short-term diaries to 
record diet, water consumption, and bathing frequency. In addition, we 
will assess long-term arsenic exposure by analyzing toenail samples for 
total arsenic.
    The total annualized burden hours are estimated to be 2,689.

[[Page 46645]]



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                                                                                     Number of    Average burden
                           Respondents                               Number of     responses per   per response
                                                                    respondents     respondent       (in hrs.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-screening postcard completion...............................          16,470               1            5/60
Free Water Test Completion......................................           3,790               1            5/60
Initial recruiting postcard completion..........................           1,480               1            5/60
Screening/Recruiting telephone interview........................             490               1           15/60
Survey interview (in person)....................................             780               1           30/60
Short-term diary completion.....................................             780               1           15/60
Biologic specimen collection....................................             780               1           10/60
Toenail analysis phone call.....................................             260               1            5/60
Toenail analysis consent forms..................................             260               1            5/60
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    Dated: July 31, 2003.
Thomas A. Bartenfeld,
Acting Associate Director for Policy, Planning and Evaluation, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention.
[FR Doc. 03-19980 Filed 8-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P