An expert in pediatric health

from Emory University wants to help local residents determine how they

were and are affected by exposure to contaminants in drinking water from

January's spill of de-icing fluids at Hartsfield International Airport.

Dr. Howard Frumkin of Emory

University will present a special program on the topic at the Peachtree

City Library Wednesday, April 24, from 7-8:30 p.m.

Frumkin will provide special

information on the health affects of ethylene glycol exposure to pregnant

and nursing mothers. He said a number of concerned residents called Emory's

Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit seeking that particular

information.

"We do have information

about what the levels of exposure might have been," Frumkin said,

adding that there is a "level of uncertainty" with the figures.

"We'll talk about the limits of the data and what we do know to evaluate

what ethylene glycol does to people."

State environmental officials

reported that tens of thousands of gallons of ethylene glycol spilled

into the Flint River from Hartsfield in early January when the chemical

was used to deice planes for takeoff. The Flint River is a water source

for the Fayette County Water System, and days after the incident local

residents began to report a funny "sweet" smell to their drinking

water. The reports led to the county water system shutting down its south

water treatment plant for several days as a precaution.

The meeting will focus on determining

a person's risk and measures that can be taken to minimize that risk,

Frumkin said.

"The higher your exposure,

the higher your risk," Frumkin said.

Frumkin said he is looking

forward to input from local residents at the meeting also.

"I think there will be

a two-way flow of information," he said. "It's going to be an

interesting case study in how the members of the community become aware

of exposure like this and how they think and react to it."

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