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PETITIONED HEALTH ASSESSMENT

ATLANTIC STATES CAST IRON PIPE
PHILLIPSBURG, WARREN COUNTY, NJ


CONCLUSIONS

  1. Ambient air levels of B[a]P in Phillipsburg do not appear to be related to adverse health effects. No air data were available prior to 1985 to make any public health conclusions.

  2. Past indoor levels of B[a]P detected in some residences do not appear to be a present health concern.

  3. The levels B[a]P and metals detected in on- and off-site soil samples are of no health concern.

ATSDR uses one of five conclusion categories to summarize our findings of the site. These categories are: 1) Urgent Public Health Hazard, 2) Public Health Hazard, 3) Indeterminate Health Hazard, 4) No Apparent Public Health Hazard, and 5) No Public Health Hazard. A category is selected from site specific conditions such as the degree of public health hazard based on the presence and duration of human exposure, contaminant concentration, the nature of toxic effects associated with site related contaminants, presence of physical hazards, and community health concerns. Based on these criteria, ATSDR categorized the ASCIP site as a No Apparent Public Health Hazard based on the levels of contaminants found in air and soil around the site, and in indoor air of nearby homes.


RECOMMENDATIONS

Based upon the conclusions and information reviewed, ATSDR makes the following recommendations:

  1. Maintain proper air pollution control equipment at ASCIP.

  2. Continue monitoring stack emissions at ASCIP as recommended by NJDEP.

  3. Continue monitoring the groundwater wells as recommended by NJDEP.

PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PLAN

The actions described in this section are designed to ensure that this public health assessment identifies public health hazards and provides a plan of action to mitigate and prevent adversehealth effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.

Actions Completed:

  1. ASCIP has completed the following emission control measures:
  1. NJDEP and Rutgers conducted a Total Human Environmental Exposure Study (THEES) to evaluate health effects of residents near ASCIP that may have been exposed to B[a]P in the particulate matter of indoor and outdoor air.

  2. ATSDR has evaluated existing environmental data pertaining to ASCIP as a basis for this Public Health Assessment.

Actions Ongoing:

  1. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection requires annual, and in some cases monthly (depending on the chemical tested for), monitoring of all municipal water supplies. Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA regulates all chemicals in the municipal water supply of Phillipsburg.

  2. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection monitors ambient air quality in Phillipsburg annually, and in some cases, quarterly.

Actions Planned:

  1. ATSDR will review additional environmental data if site conditions change.


Preparers of Report:

Kimberly K. Chapman, MSEH
Environmental Health Scientist
ATSDR/DHAC/EICB/PRS

Frank Schnell, PhD
Toxicologist
ATSDR/DHAC/EICB/PRS

Gregory M. Zarus, MS
Atmospheric Scientist
ATSDR/DHAC/EICB/EIS

Reviewers of Report:

Donald Joe, PE
Section Chief
ATSDR/DHAC/EICB/PRS

John E. Abraham, PhD
Branch Chief
ATSDR/DHAC/EICB

Review and Approval of This Public Health Assessment for Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe

Concurrence:

Kimberly Chapman
Environmental Health Scientist, PRS, EICB, DHAC

Donald Joe
Section Chief, PRS, EICB, DHAC

John Abraham
Branch Chief, EICB, DHAC


REFERENCES CITED

  1. Butler, J.P., G.B. Post, P.J. Lioy, J.M. Waldman, and A. Greenberg. 1989. Development of a Total Human Exposure Program in New Jersey. Presentation at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Air Pollution Control Association. Anaheim, CA.

  2. Eastern Research Group. April 18, 1997. Report on the Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Site, Phillipsburg, New Jersey. ATSDR Contract No. 205-95-0901. Task Order No. 0901-12. Atlanta, Georgia.

  3. State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. June 26, 1990. New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, response to comments. Trenton, NJ.

  4. United States Bureau of the Census. 1990. Census of Population and Housing: Summary Tape File 1B. U.S. Department of Commerce.

  5. Waldman, J.D., P.J. Lioy, A. Greenburg, J.P. Butler. 1991. Analysis of human exposure to benzo(a)pyrene via inhalation and food ingestion in the Total Human Environmental Exposure Study (THEES). Journal of Exposure and Environmental Epidemiology. Vol. 1 2:193-225.

  6. Lioy, P.L., J.M. Walman, A. Greenburg, R. Harkov, C. Pietarinen. 1988. The Total Human Environmental Exposure Study (THEES) to Benzo(a)pyrene: Comparison of the Inhalation and Food Pathways. Archives of Environmental Health. 4:304-12.

  7. ATSDR. 1995. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons. Atlanta: United States Department of Health and Human Services.

  8. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. October 22, 1997. Region III Risk-Based Comparison Table. Philadelphia, PA.

  9. ATSDR Official Record of Activity. June 21, 1999. Written document regarding ASCIP environmental sampling concentrations from Frank Schnell, ATSDR toxicologist.

  10. ATSDR Official Record of Activity. June 16, 1999. Telephone conversation between John Hartsel of Consumer's Water Company and Kimberly Chapman of ATSDR.

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