South Region Health Concerns

ATSDR Exposures Survey (ACE)

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Page originally published 10/18/2024. Last updated 11/8/2024.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is working with the County of San Diego to conduct an online survey related to sewage and pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. This survey, called an Assessment for Chemical Exposures, or ACE, is another opportunity for people affected to share their experiences and help public health and emergency response leaders better understand the health status and needs in the South Region of San Diego County.

On this page:

Survey Schedule
Overview
Resources

Taking the Survey

Starting the week of October 21, 2024 through November 22, 2024, people who live, work, or recreate near the Tijuana River Valley and Imperial Beach have an opportunity to fill out an online survey.

This survey:

Is voluntary and confidential.
Will take about 20 minutes to complete.
Will ask about where and when you are in contact with the Tijuana River Valley, your health as it relates to sewage and pollution in the area, your lifestyle, and work history.
Is available in English and Spanish.
May be completed by parent(s)/guardian(s) for each of their minor children, as well as for themselves.

Click, or copy and paste into your browser, the following link to take the survey: https://redcap.link/tjrv2024.

Or, use a mobile device to scan this QR code, which should take you directly to the survey in a web browser.

For older adults and others who need help completing the survey, call (800) 339-4661 to complete the survey over the phone.

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Overview

What is an ACE?

The Assessment of Chemical Exposure (ACE) is an online survey carried out by the federal ATSDR. It is a way for local and state public health and disaster response agencies to quickly assess how many people were exposed to hazardous agents (chemical, radiological, nuclear, biological or other hazardous agent), and if they are experiencing symptoms or have any immediate needs.

An ACE may be requested when:

A toxic substance was released at levels that may cause acute human health effects.
People are exposed and experienced acute health effects.

How is an ACE Done?

An ACE asks people who may have been exposed detailed information on:

exposure history,
symptoms experienced,
who was exposed,
health services used,
needs resulting from the exposure,
medical history,
how people received information about the release, and
health impacts on pets.

What Will the Data be Used For?

Results from ACE help public health and emergency response leaders:

assess impact of the release on individuals as well as the community,
direct the public health response,
target outreach to prevent similar incidents,
assess the need to modify emergency response procedures, and
identify a group of exposed people that may need to be followed-for long-term effects.

How is This Different From the CASPER Survey?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with the County to conduct a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response, or CASPER. This is done by:

Using a two-stage sampling method designed to pick a representative number of households to interview in a certain block (cluster).
Interviewing the randomly selected household face-to-face.
Asking about the household’s health concerns, experiences, and impacts from sewage and pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.

The ACE is done using an online survey that any eligible individual can take. Both the CASPER and ACE are assessments and key to identifying community health concerns and prioritizing solutions.

When Will Results of the Survey be Published?

While the data being collected belongs to San Diego County, we are working with ATSDR for data analysis and future publication. ATSDR will share early results back to the County.

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