PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT ADDENDUM
STAUFFER CHEMICAL SUPERFUND SITE VICINITY PROPERTIES
TARPON SPRINGS AND HOLIDAY, FLORIDA
- Phosphate slag from the Stauffer Chemical Superfund site reportedly has
been used as concrete aggregate in homes, roads and roadbeds in the Tarpon
Springs and Holiday, Florida vicinity.
- Although there is elevated background radiation from radium-containing slag
and aggregate, the total background dose to a maximally exposed child in residence
#1 is roughly the national average background dose of 300 mrem per year.
- Annual background dose contribution from building materials to the maximally
exposed child in residence #1 does not exceed the NCRP's recommended limit
of 500 mrem per year.
- Phosphate slag at sampled vicinity properties, does not appear to contain
sufficient leachable heavy metals to represent a public health hazard, based
on current medical, epidemiological and toxicological information.
- Combined exposures from driveways and roads containing phosphate slag are not a health threat.
The ATSDR recommends that public health education be provided to help the public better understand that there is currently no general public health hazard posed by the phosphate slag and to provide information to community members on the environmental health effects presented in the Stauffer Chemical Vicinity Properties public health assessment addendum.
The public health action plan for the Stauffer Chemical Vicinity Properties contains a description of actions to be taken by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and other government agencies at and in the vicinity of the site after the completion of this public health assessment. The purpose of this Public Health Action Plan is to ensure that this public health assessment not only identifies public health hazards but also provides a plan of action designed to mitigate and prevent adverse human health effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.
Upon request from the public, the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) will develop and implement an environmental health education program to help community members understand the potential for past exposure and to provide information on assessing any adverse health occurrences that might be related to phosphate slag.
Author
Michael D. Brooks,
CHP Health Physicist
Federal Facilities Assessment Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation ATSDR
- Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington,
DC, 1990 Census Data Files.
- Memorandum dated September 2, 1998, from Rick Button,
Health Physicist to John Blanchard, Remedial Project Manager, US EPA. Report
on radiological surveys conducted and observations for the offsite Stauffer
Chemical visit of August, 1998 in Tarpon Springs, FL
- Memorandum dated September 17, 1998, from John Griggs,
Chief Monitoring and Analytical Services Branch to John Blanchard, US EPA
Region IV, Waste Division. Radiochemical results for Tarpon Springs Samples.|
- Florida Department of Health. Preliminary Public Health
Assessment for Stauffer Chemical Company/Tarpon Springs, Tarpon Springs, Pinellas
County, Florida. FDOH: Tallahassee, August 4, 1993.
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Toxicology, Under Cooperative Agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry, Health Consultation for the Gulfside Elementary School,
Holiday, Florida dated June 18, 1998
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Protection (ICRP) Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological
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for Low-LET Radiations, NCRP Report No. 64. NCRP: Bethesda, 1980
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Limitation of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation, NCRP Report No. 116. NCRP: Bethesda,
March 31, 1993
. - National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
Exposure of the Population in the United States and Canada from Natural Background
Radiation, NCRP Report No. 94. NCRP: Bethesda, December 30, 1987.
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