Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

In compliance with the requirement of Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will publish periodic summaries of proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, or to send comments contact Sandi Gambescia, CDC Assistant Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road, MS-E11, Atlanta, GA 30333 or send an e-mail to omb@cdc.gov.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

Proposed Project

Factors Impacting Effective Removal of Arsenic by Household Water Purification Systems—New—National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Epidemiologic evidence strongly links ingestion of water containing inorganic arsenic with an increase in bladder cancer and other cancers. In Maine, approximately 10% of private domestic wells have arsenic concentrations greater than Maine's health standard for water of 10 μg/L. In wells with high arsenic concentrations, ingestion of water can be the dominant source of arsenic exposure. The preferred method for treating domestic well water containing elevated levels of arsenic is point-of-use water-treatment devices.

The purpose of the proposed study is to evaluate how the efficacy of water-treatment devices is affected by user behaviors such as maintenance and selection of appropriate technologies, and by variations in water chemistry. This study will focus on 100 households recruited on the basis of their geographic location in areas of Maine that have high concentrations of arsenic in groundwater. The study will have a cross-sectional component and a temporal component. For the cross-sectional component, total arsenic, inorganic arsenic species, and selected geochemical constituents will be quantified in the influent and effluent of filtration devices treating these 100 domestic well-water supplies. The study team will administer questionnaires to each participating household to collect data on the type of treatment unit used, routine operation parameters, and suggested and actual maintenance schedules. For the 3-year temporal component of the study, the study team will test the influent and effluent of the treatment units of 45 participating households for total arsenic once each year. The percentage of arsenic removed by the filter will be compared to the study criterion selected to indicate that a filter is failing. If the arsenic removal level indicates that a treatment unit meets criterion for failure, treatment unit influent and effluent water will be analyzed for inorganic arsenic species and geochemical constituents to determine whether the chemistry of the water has changed sufficiently to explain the failure.

A follow-up questionnaire will be administered biannually and at the time of a system failure to determine when the unit was last maintained and if operation and maintenance have changed. CDC/NCEH will request a 3-year clearance. There is no cost to respondents.