All individuals engaged in the ISS process attend a two-day training workshop hosted by international Blacksmith staff. Trainings cover a range of topics, including basic toxicology, sampling methodology, and database entry. Following the training workshop, investigators work with coordinators to develop lists of suspected contaminated sites. Priority is placed on a short list of contaminants with well-documented health effects, including lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, pesticides, and radionuclides, among others. Lists are then shared with New York-based technical advisors who assist in prioritizing visits. ISSs are typically conducted in a single day. At a mini- mum, basic site geography is documented, interviews are carried out, sampling is conducted, GPS coordinates are recorded, and photographs are taken. While visiting a site, the investigator identifies and records potential exposure pathways, such as contaminated drinking water or residential soil. This information then guides the sampling plan and identification of populations at risk. Certain industries comprise a majority of sites investigated. Areas where the primary contamination source is related to mining and ore processing make up nearly one-quarter of those sites screened between 2009 and 2012.