HEALTH CONSULTATION
BANCROFT HOMES
BANCROFT, CUMING COUNTY, NEBRASKA
October 31, 1997
Prepared by:
Exposure Investigation and Consultation Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF ISSUES
The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality asked the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to review environmental data collected at the Bancroft Homes Site and determine whether contamination in indoor air poses a public health hazard. ATSDR has previously evaluated five rounds of indoor air data collected from three private homes at the site [1,2,3,4,5].
In the most recent sampling event (June-July 1997), indoor air
samples were collected from two houses. The concentrations of
contaminants detected in a living area of the two homes appear in
the table below:
| Property | Benzene (ppb) |
Toluene (ppb) |
Ethyl benzene (ppb) |
Xylenes (ppb) |
1Hydro- carbons (ppb) |
| Bargmann | ND (3.7) | 3.7 | ND (2.5) | ND (3.9) | 155 |
| Lutjen | ND (21.9) | 300 | ND (15.4) | ND (24.3) | 1620 |
DISCUSSION
The concentrations of air contaminants detected in the Bargmann home are comparable to levels that have previously been detected in the homes [1,2,3,4,5]; these levels do not pose a health hazard.
In the Lutjen home, the air levels of toluene and total hydrocarbons were higher than previously detected levels. The reason for these increases is not known. Benzene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes were not detected, but the analytical detection limits were high (see table).
Although the air levels of toluene and total hydrocarbons in the
Lutjen home were elevated, they would not be expected to pose a
health hazard. As discussed in previous reports, benzene is the
air contaminant at the Bancroft Homes site that poses the
greatest health hazard. Because of the high detection limit for
benzene in the Lutjen home (22 parts per billion), we cannot
determine whether benzene was in the air at a level of health
concern.
CONCLUSIONS
| (1) | The concentrations of air contaminants detected in a living
area of the Bargmann house were not at levels of health concern. |
| (2) | The concentrations of air contaminants detected in a living
area of the Lutjen house increased over previous monitoring results. The
reason for the increases is not known. |
| (3) | The detection limit for benzene in indoor air in the Lutjen house was too high to determine whether benzene was present at a level of health concern. |
RECOMMENDATIONS
| (1) | Continue indoor air monitoring until remediation is complete. | |
| Kenneth G. Orloff, PhD, DABT Senior Toxicologist |
||
REFERENCES
| (1) | Kenneth G. Orloff; Bancroft Homes - ATSDR Record of Activity
with David Parker; November 5, 1996. |
| (2) | Kenneth G. Orloff; Bancroft Homes - ATSDR Record of Activity
with David Parker; November 26 1996. |
| (3) |
Kenneth G. Orloff; Bancroft Homes - ATSDR Record of Activity with David
Parker; February 10, 1997. |
| (4) | Kenneth G. Orloff; Bancroft Homes - ATSDR Record of Activity
with David Parker; March 18, 1997. |
| (5) | Kenneth G. Orloff; Bancroft Homes - Health Consultation; May 15, 1997. |
