Claudia Hopenhayn, MPH, PhD and Vijay Golla, PhD for their study “Linkage of Atrazine Exposure and Birth Data in Kentucky: Assessment of Data Sources and Needs.” Atrazine is a herbicide widely used in production agriculture, and its potential for contamination of water supplies is a significant rural public health concern. This study will examine data from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Kentucky Geological Survey, and the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics to explore the potential association between atrazine levels in drinking water and adverse birth outcomes. Dr. Hopenhayn is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and has published widely on the effects of arsenic in drinking water in Latin America and elsewhere. Dr. Golla is an Assistant Professor in the Western Kentucky University College of Health and Human Services. In his doctoral research at the University of Iowa, Dr. Golla studied the exposure of farm families to take-home pesticide levels.

Karen Arrowood, MPH, et al, for a project titled “Characterizing the health risks associated with domestic well water use in rural Western Kentucky leading to an intervention study.” Together with Glynn Beck, MS, of the Kentucky Geological Survey, Dr. Steve Browning of the University of Kentucky College of Public Health (Epidemiology), and Dr. Gail Brion of the UK Department of Civil Engineering, Ms. Arrowood will be examining the relationship between rural well water quality and human health status in the Jackson Purchase Region of western Kentucky. This cross-sectional study will characterize the health status of a cohort of Kentuckians who rely on groundwater for their drinking water supplies and will combine the health effects dataset and KYGS water quality data to analyze for patterns related to levels of nitrate-N, herbicides, and bacteria. Approximately 22 percent of the population in the Jackson Purchase Region derives its drinking water from private water wells, the quality of which is not regulated by the state or by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency following initial well construction.  Aging or poorly constructed wells may be especially vulnerable to agricultural run-off and other contaminants, with potential for adverse health effects.

Each of these studies represents a worthy investment in the long-term health of rural residents, especially the many farmers and farm families whose groundwater may be affected by intensive agricultural production. The Southeast Center is pleased to support each of these collaborative projects, which involve meaningful cooperation among multiple agencies and institutions and affirm our commitment to applied, trans-disciplinary research.