NCEH Kids' Page: Laboratory Programs

 

Did you know that we can tell from your blood if you have had contact with dangerous chemicals?

The lab is where we study blood. Killer cells help to fight infections. NCEH has a machine that can tell us if people have enough killer cells to fight infections. NCEH also has a big machine that is called a mass spectrometer. From even a tiny speck of blood, it can tell us what poisonous environmental chemicals a person has been exposed to. It can also let us know if people are getting enough vitamins and minerals from the food they eat. These clues tell us if people are exposed to toxicants (bad things) in their environment and if they get enough nutrients (good things) to keep them healthy.