HEALTH CONSULTATION
ILLINOIS ZINC COMPANY
PERU, LA SALLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reviewed information from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) to determine whether current conditions at the Illinois Zinc Co. site in Peru, Illinois, pose a public health hazard. This document does not evaluate potential ecological impacts of the site.
BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF ISSUES
Site History
Illinois Zinc is an inactive zinc smelter at the southeastern edge of Peru, Illinois, in an area along
the Illinois and Michigan (I & M) Canal and Illinois River (Attachment 1). It is bordered by
Brunner Street on the north, the Illinois River and I & M Canal on the south, the Peru city
boundary line on the east, and the Peru Wastewater Treatment plant 
on the west. The entire site
occupies approximately 75 acres (1).
Illinois Zinc operated from the 1870s until the 1940s. The company was involved in the smelting of zinc ore, and produced sulfuric acid as a by-product. Coal used in the smelting process was mined locally. After the plant closed, portions of the property were bought and developed by different businesses. Some waste from Illinois Zinc was used for fill at nearby locations that were not part of the historical boundaries of the smelter. The old buildings used in the zinc smelting operations have been razed and new buildings built. The slag, waste, and rubble have been leveled and used for fill to elevate the land surface and reduce flooding.
Several businesses are now on the property (Attachment 2). The largest is Huntsman Chemical Company, which occupies about 32 acres in the northern portion of the site. Mertel, Consolidated Grain Company, and ADM/Growmark/Tabor are on the south side of the property along the I & M Canal and Illinois River. Consolidated Grain Company occupies approximately 5 acres in the southwestern portion of the site and was built on a large slag pile that is partially exposed on the west, north, and east sides. The ADM/Growmark/Tabor complex occupies about 25 acres. The Burlington Northern Railroad has a set of tracks that lie between the south side of Huntsman Chemical and ADM/Growmark/Tabor.
Huntsman Chemical has several large buildings and chemical storage tanks and associated piping. Much of the property has been covered with gravel or asphalt. Consolidated Grain has a seawall along the Illinois River and a facility for unloading grain. ADM/Growmark/Tabor have buildings and facilities for handling grain, and several large, covered salt piles to store salt brought in by barge.
Geology and Topography
The geology of Illinois Zinc consists of Wisconsin glacial till overlying the bedrock. The bedrock consists of fractured Silurian and Ordovician-aged dolomites and St. Peter sandstone. The Illinois River is adjacent to the site on the south, and glacial deposits in this area are overlain by alluvial deposits. The public water systems for the towns of La Salle and Peru use groundwater as a source of drinking water. La Salle has a shallow well field that uses the sand and gravel aquifer. The well field is approximately 1.5 miles east of Illinois Zinc along the south side of the Illinois River. These wells are upstream of the site and range in depth from 61 to 70 feet. Peru wells are about 0.5 miles west of the site and draw water from the St. Peter sandstone at depths greater than 2,500 feet.
The property is flat and surface water could enter the I & M Canal or Illinois River through direct runoff or from groundwater discharging to the canal or river. The property lies in the 100-year floodplain. No surface drinking water intakes exist within 15 miles downstream of Illinois Zinc. The site is sparsely vegetated and the nearest home is about 500 feet north of the site in the town of Peru.
Illinois Zinc and Residential Soil Sampling
In September 1999, Illinois EPA conducted a pre-Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act Information System (CERCLIS) investigation. Illinois EPA staff used an x-ray fluorescence (XRF) instrument to screen the surface soil on the site for metals and marked the XRF screening locations with a global positioning system (GPS) unit. During the screening, 193 XRF readings were taken on the property and 14 were taken along the I & M Canal.
On April 18 and 19, 2000, Illinois EPA collected 15 on-site soil samples and 6 sediment samples along the I & M Canal and Illinois River (1). Attachment 2 shows the sample locations, and Table 1 describes the soil and sediment samples. The samples were collected from 0 to 10 inches in depth. In September 2000, XRF readings were taken in 16 nearby residential yards west, north, and east of the Illinois Zinc site (1). No soil samples were collected from residential yards screened by the XRF.
Site Visit
On December 8, 2000, IDPH staff visited the site. Access to the property is limited. Huntsman Chemical Company is fenced and the entrance is through guarded gates. The other businesses are not fenced, but are on private roads that lead to dead ends. Signs stating "no trespassing" were posted to discourage unauthorized entry.
Chemicals of Interest
In preparing this health consultation, IDPH relied on the sampling information provided by Illinois EPA and assumed that adequate quality assurance and quality control measures were followed during the laboratory analysis and data reporting.
To select contaminants for further evaluation, IDPH compared the concentration of each chemical with appropriate screening comparison values developed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and other sources (2,3). A detailed discussion of each of the comparison values used is presented in Attachment 3. Chemicals exceeding comparison values - or suspect chemicals for which no comparison values were available - were further evaluated for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic health effects, considering exposure to children and adults.
Chemicals of interest found at levels greater than the comparison values in on-site soil samples were phenanthrene, chrysene, benzo(a)pyrene, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc (Table 2). Chemicals of interest in on-site sediment samples were phenanthrene, chrysene, benzo(a)pyrene, and cadmium (Table 3). In residential XRF samples, chromium was the only chemical that exceeded comparison values, and only exceeded the comparison values in two locations (4).
Exposure Scenarios
The potential for persons to experience adverse health effects from exposure to a chemical depends on the age of the person when exposure occurs, how much of the chemical a person contacts, how long the exposure lasts, and the health condition of the person exposed. For persons working at Illinois Zinc, IDPH considered an exposure scenario of an adult working on the site 5 days per week for 50 weeks every year for 30 years. For residential soil exposure, IDPH considered a scenario of a child playing in the yard 5 days per week for 9 months per year for 15 years.
On the basis of these scenarios, exposure to the levels of chemicals detected in soil and sediment are not expected to cause adverse health effects. Moreover, because the site is mostly covered with gravel and asphalt, the amount of contaminated soil and dust available for ingestion is further reduced. Also, access to the property is limited by fences, guarded gates, and its location on private roads that lead to dead ends.
Residential Chromium
Residential XRF screening at two locations detected elevated chromium levels. These elevated levels were 395.2 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of soil and 474.4 mg/kg of soil. On the basis of the scenarios presented previously, exposure to these levels of chromium is not expected to cause adverse health effects.
IDPH recognizes that children are more susceptible to chemicals because their developing systems are more vulnerable, and because on a per-weight basis they consume more food, drink more water, and breathe more air than adults do. Children also spend much more time at ground level than adults do and explore their environment with their hands and mouths, so they might contact and ingest more chemicals in surface soil.
Based on our exposure scenario for a child (playing in a yard 5 days per week for 9 months per year for 15 years), and the chemical concentrations detected in residential soil, IDPH does not anticipate that children will have sufficient contact with chemicals in soil at levels that would result in adverse health effects.
On the basis of the April 2000 soil and sediment sampling results collected from Illinois Zinc and the September 2000 XRF readings from nearby residential yards, IDPH concludes that under current conditions, exposures to chemicals in soil on the Illinois Zinc site and nearby residential yards are not at levels expected to cause adverse health effects. This site poses no apparent public health hazard.
None.
IDPH sent a letter to each household tested in September 2000 which contained an assessment of the respective specific residential soil screening results. Information on how to reduce exposure to chemicals in soil was also included. This was done as a precautionary measure to provide prudent public health information in case household members or activities should change.
As Illinois EPA continues to evaluate the Illinois Zinc site, IDPH will review new information and data as they become available. We will use this to help answer future public health issues or questions related to the Illinois Zinc site.
Constanta E. Mosoiu
Environmental Health Specialist
Illinois Department of Public Health
This Illinois Zinc Company Site Health Consultation was prepared by the Illinois Department of Public Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It is in accordance with approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the health consultation was begun.
W. Allen Robison
Technical Project Officer
Superfund Site Assessment Branch (SAAB)
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC)
ATSDR
The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, has reviewed this health consultation and concurs with its findings.
Roberta Erlwein
Chief, State Programs Section
SSAB, DHAC, ATSDR
Table 1: Description of Soil and Sediment Samples Collected at Illinois Zinc by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on April 18 and 19, 2000
| Sample ID | Depth | Location and Description of the Soil Sample | Appearance |
| X101, X102 | 0 to 3" | Background and duplicate from south side of Washington Park in Peru about 0.6 miles northwest of site | Dark loam |
| X103 | 8" | Eastern area of the site on property that was once the location of Peru Plow Co. | Brown cinders |
| X104 | 8" | Approximately 300 feet west of X103 | Brown-black cinders |
| X105 | 6" | Northeastern area of the property, near Brunner Street | Black-brown cinders |
| X106 | 8" | Approximately 250 feet west of X105 | Black-brown cinders |
| X107 | 6" | South-central area of Huntsman Chemical Co. where a 6-foot trench was being dug for a water main | Black-brown cinders |
| X109 | 10" | Northeastern corner of Huntsman Chemical Co. | Black cinders |
| X112 | 8" | Huntsman Chemical Co. property by the western loading and the Peru wastewater treatment plant | Fill material |
| X113 | 6" | Northeastern portion of the slag pile at Consolidated Grain Co. at the southwestern portion of the site. | Reddish slag material |
| X114 | 6" | Northeast area of the slag pile at Consolidated Grain Co. | Dark fine slag |
| X115 | 6" | Southeast area of the slag pile at Consolidated Grain Co. | Red-brown fine slag |
| X116 | 6" | Southwestern area of the slag pile at Consolidated Grain | Red fine to coarse slag |
| X117 | 6" | South end of the property, near where the Illinois and Michigan (I & M) Canal and Illinois River converge | Oily soil, cinders |
| X118 | 6" | South end of the site approximately halfway down the site's frontage along the I & M Canal | Broken brick, cinders, soil |
| X119 | 2" | Southeastern portion of the site, near the bank of the I & M Canal | Cinders and brick fragments |
| X120 | 6" | Southeast corner of the site, on the bank of the I & M Canal | Cinders and brick fragments |
|
Sediment Sample Description |
|||
| X201, X202 | 3" to 6" | Background sample from the I & M Canal approximately 300 feet upstream of the site | Black silt |
| X203 | 3" to 6" | I & M Canal at the southeast corner of the site | Black muck |
| X204 | 3" to 6" | I & M Canal midway between the site's frontage along the canal | Cinders, brick |
| X205 | 0" to 3" | I & M Canal near the canal's convergence with the Illinois River | Black silt, kernels of split corn |
| X206 | 3" to 6" | Illinois River background sample, approximately 700 feet south of the site | Black sandy silt |
| X207 | 3" to 6" | Illinois River near the Huntsman Chemical Co. crane | Black silt |
| X208 | 3" to 6" | Illinois River near Mertle Co. | Fine black silt |
Table 2: Chemicals in On-site Soil Exceeding
Comparison Values (in micrograms per kilogram)
| Sample ID | Phenanthrene |
Chrysene |
Benzo(a)pyrene |
Arsenic |
Cadmium |
Lead |
Zinc |
| X101 (background) | 0.026 | 0.032 | 0.025 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 46.6 | 373 |
| X103 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 1.5 | LCV | LCV | LCV | LCV |
| X104 | 0.43 | LCV | 0.28 | LCV | LCV | LCV | LCV |
| X105 | 1.3 | 1.2 | LCV | LCV | 26.0 | LCV | LCV |
| X106 | 1.2 | 1.2 | LCV | 25.1 | 34.8 | 1,470 | LCV |
| X107 | 0.2 | LCV | LCV | LCV | 20.6 | LCV | LCV |
| X109 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.0 | LCV | 28.5 | 1,170 | 27,209 |
| X112 | LCV | LCV | LCV | 23.3 | 46.6 | LCV | LCV |
| X113 | ND | LCV | LCV | LCV | 13.2 | LCV | LCV |
| X114 | LCV | ND | ND | 35.6 | 22.7 | LCV | LCV |
| X115 | 0.5 | 0.87 | 0.41 | 22.7 | 42.5 | 2,090 | 26,900 |
| X116 | LCV | LCV | ND | LCV | 18.6 | LCV | 26,800 |
| X117 | 2.2 | 0.76 | 0.6 | LCV | LCV | LCV | LCV |
| X118 | 0.81 | LCV | 0.2 | LCV | LCV | LCV | LCV |
| X119 | 0.91 | LCV | 0.27 | LCV | LCV | LCV | LCV |
| X120 | 0.36 | LCV | 0.1 | LCV | 10.2 | LCV | LCV |
| Comparison values (child) | 0.14 ATSDR |
0.64 ATSDR |
0.1 CREG |
20 EMEG |
10 EMEG |
1,000 IDPH |
20,000 EMEG |
LCV: less than comparison value
ND: not detected
ATSDR: upper range of background levels (5)
CREG: Cancer Risk Evaluation Guide for 1x10-6 excess cancer risk
(see Attachment 3)
EMEG: Environmental Media Evaluation Guide (see Attachment 3)
IDPH: Illinois Department of Public Health (3)
Table 3: Chemicals in Sediment Exceeding
Comparison Values (in micrograms per kilogram).
| Sample ID | Phenanthrene | Chrysene | Benzo(a)pyrene | Cadmium |
| X201 (background from Illinois and Michigan Canal) | 1.8 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 4.3 |
| X203 | 7.4 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 14.3 |
| X204 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 37.6 |
| X205 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 10.6 |
| X206 (background from Illinois River) | 0.19 | 0.31 | 0.28 | 0.15 |
| X207 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.1 | LCV |
| X208 | 0.96 | 1.5 | 1.3 | LCV |
| Comparison values (child) | 0.14 ATSDR |
0.64 ATSDR |
0.1 CREG |
10 EMEG |
LCV: less than comparison value
ND: not detected
ATSDR: upper range of background levels (5)
CREG: Cancer Risk Evaluation Guide for 1x10-6 excess cancer risk
(see Attachment 3)
EMEG: Environmental Media Evaluation Guide (see Attachment 3).
ATTACHMENT 1: DEMOGRAPHIC STATISTICS
ATTACHMENT 2: SAMPLE LOCATION MAP
ATTACHMENT 3: COMPARISON VALUES USED IN SCREENING CONTAMINANTS FOR FURTHER EVALUATION
Environmental Media Evaluation Guides (EMEGs) are developed for chemicals based on their toxicity, frequency of occurrence at National Priorities List (NPL) sites, and potential for human exposure. EMEGs are not action levels, but are comparison values. They are developed without consideration for carcinogenic effects, chemical interactions, multiple route exposure, or exposure through other environmental media. They are very conservative concentration values designed to protect sensitive members of the population.
Reference Dose Media Evaluation Guides (RMEGs) are another type of comparison value. They are developed without consideration for carcinogenic effects, chemical interactions, multiple route exposure, or exposure through other environmental media. They are very conservative concentration values designed to protect sensitive members of the population.
Cancer Risk Evaluation Guides (CREGs) are estimated contaminant concentrations based on a probability of one excess cancer in a million persons exposed to a chemical over a lifetime.
