HEALTH CONSULTATION
Public Health Implications of Exposures to Chemicals in Residential Indoor Air
(FORMER) LONG BRANCH MANUFACTURED GAS PLANT SITE
(a/k/a NEW JERSEY NATURAL GAS COMPANY/LONG BRANCH GAS CONTAMINATION)
LONG BRANCH, MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
This Public Health Consultation evaluates indoor air contaminants measured in the Seaview Manor Property, which is adjacent to and partially built on the former Long Branch Manufactured Gas Plant site. It has been prepared in response to a petition that was submitted to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) by the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch, Monmouth County, requesting an evaluation of the health implications from living near the former manufactured gas plant.
Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes were identified in air in a crawl space on Seaview Manor property in 1994. Additional indoor air samples were taken in 2002 and 2003, when it was recognized that volatile organic chemicals present in soil or groundwater could enter structures built over the contaminated media. This is known as vapor intrusion.
Nineteen Seaview Manor apartments that were located on property formerly part of the manufactured gas plant were tested for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes on March 1, 2003. The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) evaluated the highest levels measured for potential health implications. Based on the sample results, the NJDHSS and ATSDR do not believe that adverse health effects are likely. However, because of weather conditions at the time of sampling (including a recent snow melt and heavy rains that caused flooding in some of the crawlspaces, resulting in more water than typical for winter months) the results may not represent a "worst case scenario" or maximum current exposures. Therefore, the NJDHSS and ATSDR classify indoor air exposures among residents of the Seaview Manor Property to represent an Indeterminate Public Health Hazard. Additional sampling of indoor air at Seaview Manor is recommended.
Indoor air at two nearby day care centers was also tested, based on their proximity to the former gas plant site. Indoor air was the only exposure pathway that was considered in this Public Health Consultation. Levels of benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes were below health comparison values, and were also comparable to or below ambient air levels. Therefore, indoor air at the day care centers represents a No Apparent Public Health Hazard. Other potential exposure pathways will be evaluated as part of a Public Health Assessment of the (former) Long Branch Manufactured Gas Plant site.
The NJDHSS and ATSDR also considered other issues of concern to the community. Because a remedial plan for soil beneath the Seaview Manor Property has not yet been determined, and remedial actions will not occur if the buildings are occupied, the Long Branch Housing Authority has begun implementation of a relocation plan. All Seaview Manor residents have been or will be moved to other housing, beginning in April 2003. The relocation of residents during the remedial process, in addition to the knowledge that long-term exposure to the site has occurred, have raised concerns about stress among the residents. The NJDHSS and ATSDR recommend that licensed counselors with training in contaminated site issues be available to residents as needed.
None of the other diseases or health conditions of concern, such as bronchitis and lupus, are likely to be associated with the indoor air levels measured in Seaview Manor. However, asthma may be triggered by outdoor contaminants, including particulate matter. Dust suppression and odor control measures were in place during soil remediation, and will continue to be conducted as future soil remedial actions occur. This is a standard requirement by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection during site remediation when soils are disturbed.
This Public Health Consultation will evaluate potential indoor air exposures in the Seaview Manor property, based on sampling that was conducted through March 1, 2003, in residences adjacent to the former Long Branch Manufactured Gas Plant site in Long Branch, Monmouth County. This is in partial response to a petition from the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), requesting an evaluation of public health issues related to the site (3). In addition, this Public Health Consultation evaluates results of air sampling taken inside two area day-care centers, as well as community concerns that were expressed relating to indoor air quality.
The former Long Branch Manufactured Gas Plant (LBMGP) is a 12.33 acre site located at 100 Brook Street in the city of Long Branch (Monmouth County), New Jersey. It is bordered by Long Branch Avenue to the east, residential areas to the west, Seaview Avenue to the north, and the former Conrail property to the south (1). Troutman's Creek, a tidally influenced surface water feature, flows through the LBMGP site from the south to the north. The creek, prior to its diversion for remediation, ran through a culvert adjacent to the Seaview Manor property and beneath Seaview Avenue, resurfacing across the street from the complex. It drains into the Branchport Creek, a tributary of the Shrewsbury River. Groundwater generally follows the flow of Troutman's Creek (1).
The LBMGP manufactured coal gas from approximately 1870 through 1960 (2). The LBMGP site is presently owned by New Jersey Natural Gas.
A portion of the property between Seaview Avenue and the former Jerry Morgan Park was redeveloped in the early to mid-1950s by the Long Branch Housing Authority, and is known as the Seaview Manor Housing property. The Seaview Manor Housing property was built partially on the LBMGP site. The on-site portion of the Seaview Manor Housing property was not built on land that formerly contained any manufacturing structures or operations. The property was reported to have been filled with cinders prior to 1950.
Soil, groundwater, sediment and surface water samples were collected throughout the LBMGP site, beginning in 1983 (7, 20). Soil samples exhibited varying concentrations of priority pollutant volatile organic compounds, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, styrene, and n-propylbenzene, and non-priority pollutant volatiles; polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); and inorganic compounds, including lead, zinc, copper, arsenic, cyanides and phenols. Groundwater samples were found to contain PAHs, benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene. The higher levels of contaminants are generally in the southern portion of the site (on the side opposite Seaview Manor); however, groundwater flows to the north in the direction of Troutman's Creek. Off-site testing of Troutman's Creek water and sediments across Seaview Avenue showed PAHs in both water and sediments.
The water table at the site is approximately two feet below surface (21). In November 1994 air sampling was conducted to address potential impact to Seaview Manor residences through vapor intrusion from groundwater. One Seaview Manor crawlspace and four outside (ambient) locations upwind of the site were selected, and sampled for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX). Concentrations of contaminants in the crawlspace were comparable to those measured in ambient air, and were below the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Reference Concentrations for Inhalation (January 1994) that were in effect at the time (22).
Further soil sampling on the Seaview Manor property in 1997 and 1998 found exceedences of NJDEP Residential Direct Contact Cleanup Criteria for volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds and metals (21). No exceedences of the NJDEP Class IIA Groundwater Standards were found in monitoring wells on the Seaview Manor property at that time (21); however, the NJDEP later determined that the sampling methodology employed was unacceptable for groundwater delineation, and required that additional monitoring wells be placed on the Seaview Manor property (7). Subsequently, elevated levels of several volatile and semi-volatile compounds were detected (21).
In August 2002, the Concerned Citizens Coalition of Long Branch petitioned the ATSDR to evaluate public health issues relating to the site, including the potential for adverse health effects in general and cancer specifically. The ATSDR and the NJDHSS began attending the regular meetings of the Concerned Citizens Coalition, and proposed responding to the petition through several Public Health Consultations, as well as a full Public Health Assessment. In addition to this Public Health Consultation evaluating indoor air, other Public Health Consultations will review cancer incidence in the area, and review the remedial plan for the site. The Public Health Assessment will consider all pathways of exposure to residents living near the former manufactured gas plant site. Community concerns were gathered through regular meetings of the Concerned Citizens Coalition, public meetings in Long Branch on the site, discussions with local officials, and Availability Sessions conducted in March 2003. Community concerns are discussed below.
Because of known site-related contamination on the Seaview Manor property, remediation of soil and groundwater is imminent. Remedial activities will, in effect, place the housing complex on a construction site. For the safety of the residents, the Long Branch Housing Authority has begun implementation of a relocation plan that will remove all residents from the Seaview Manor property. Relocation began in April 2003. It is currently unknown when all residents will be relocated from Seaview Manor, how long remediation will take, and when (or if) the residents will return.
ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING FOR INDOOR AIR EXPOSURES
In November 1994, air samples were collected in and near the Seaview Manor Housing property, to determine if there were any impacts to the property as a result of volatilization from groundwater. One interior sample and four ambient samples were collected and tested for BTEX. The results of this sampling event did not exceed NJDEP reference concentrations for inhalation. Table 1 presents the results of the analysis of these samples (6, 8).
It was noted at the time of sampling that the average air temperature was approximately 69º F. Winds were from the northwest, placing the Seaview Manor property upwind of the former manufactured gas plant site (6). Sampling was conducted according to the USEPA Method TO-1. Samples were collected over a four hour period.
On December 19, 2002, a total of eight crawl space air samples were collected from three buildings in the Seaview Manor Housing complex. These included seven distinct areas and one duplicate. Two additional samples were collected from areas outside the buildings: one upwind and one downwind. All samples were tested for BTEX. The results are found in Table 2. Benzene and ethylbenzene exceeded the NJDEP screening level at one location, resulting in additional sampling in January 2003 (17).
On January 7, 2003, air from the crawlspace with the elevated benzene and ethylbenzene levels, as well as air from the apartment above that crawlspace and two outside air samples were tested for BTEX. Results are found in Table 3 (18). All results were below NJDEP reference concentrations.
On March 1, 2003, New Jersey Natural Gas collected air samples from the living spaces of 19 apartments in the three buildings from which crawlspace samples were taken in December 2002. Results are found in Table 4 (19). Benzene exceeded the NJDEP reference concentration in four apartments (two each in two buildings) and one crawlspace in a third building.
Samples were collected via SUMMA canisters for approximately 8 hours. Ambient temperatures averaged approximately 36º F. SUMMA canisters were placed approximately four feet off the floor. It was also noted that water with an oil odor had been pumped out of the basement of Building B (units 27 through 32), although there is often water in this area during the winter months.
Weather conditions can impact air sample results, especially the volatilization of organic compounds. These factors are described in the Discussion section, under Vapor Intrusion Pathway.
Air Sampling: March 27-28, 2003 and April 9-10, 2003: Day Care Centers
Two day care centers are in the immediate vicinity of the LBMGP. These are the Check Mate Day Care Center on C. P. Williams Place, and the Second Baptist Church Day Care Center, at the intersection of Liberty Street and C. P. Williams Place. The day care centers are approximately 50' and 250' from the site boundary, respectively. New Jersey Natural Gas collected indoor samples from both facilities for BTEX testing on March 27 through March 28, 2003.
Results for the Check Mate Day Care Center are presented in Table 5. Levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes were similar to background concentrations, and below NJDEP reference concentrations. The samples collected at the Second Baptist Church Day Care Center at that same time were likely contaminated by a motor vehicle idling near the collection point (19); therefore, a second set of samples were taken April 9-10, 2003. These results are presented in Table 6. Concentrations of all compounds were below NJDEP reference concentrations.
Community members have voiced their concerns to the NJDHSS and the ATSDR through the Concerned Citizens Coalition, at public meetings, two Availability Sessions on March 26, 2003, and privately. Concerns have been grouped as follows:
The following table summarizes the March 1, 2003 data from the Seaview Manor living areas and compares each level to ATSDR Minimal Risk Levels and the NJDEP reference concentration for each of the contaminants of concern.
| Contaminant | Range of levels detected | ATSDR Minimal Risk Level (MRL)1 | NJDEP reference concentration2 |
| Benzene | 0.83 - 4.5 µg/m3 | 12.8 µg/m3 (4 ppb) intermediate |
1.59 µg/m3 |
| Ethylbenzene | Non-detect to 0.87 µg/m3 | 4,333 µg/m3 (1,000 ppb) intermediate |
2.16 µg/m3 |
| Toluene | 1.6 - 7.1 µg/m3 | 300 µg/m3 (80 ppb) chronic |
420 µg/m3 |
| Xylenes | 0.74 - 2.8 µg/m3 | 433 µg/m3 (100 ppb) chronic |
7,300 µg/m3 |
Exposure Pathways and Contaminants of Concern
This Public Health Consultation was written to determine if there is (or was) a completed exposure pathway to site-related contaminants in indoor air in the Seaview Manor residences and the two area day care centers, and, if so, how these exposures may affect health.
The ATSDR and NJDHSS evaluate the environmental and human components that lead to human exposure from releases of hazardous substances from a given site. A pathways analysis consists of five elements: (1) a source of contamination; (2) transport through an environmental medium; (3) a point of human exposure; (4) a route of human exposure; and, (5) a receptor population. ATSDR classifies exposure pathways into three groups: (1) "completed pathways", that is, those in which exposure is reasonably expected to have occurred, to occur, or to occur in the future; (2) "potential pathways", that is, those in which exposure might have occurred, may be occurring, or may yet occur, and, (3) "eliminated pathways", that is, those that can be eliminated from further analysis because at least one of the five elements listed above is missing and will never be present, or in which no contamination of concern can be identified.
After the pathways are designated as "completed," "potential," or "eliminated," ATSDR follows a two-step methodology to comment on public health issues related to exposure pathways at hazardous waste sites. First, ATSDR obtains representative environmental monitoring data for the site of concern and compiles a list of site-related contaminants. ATSDR compares this list of contaminants to health-based values (health comparison values or HCVs) to identify those contaminants that do not have a realistic possibility of causing adverse health effects. Second, for the remaining contaminants, ATSDR evaluates site-specific conditions to determine what exposure scenario is realistic for a given exposure pathway. Given this exposure scenario, ATSDR determines a dose and compares this dose to scientific studies to determine whether the extent of exposure indicates a public health hazard.
The health-based comparison values used in this report are concentrations of contaminants that the current public health literature suggests are unlikely to result in adverse health effects. These comparison values are conservative because they include ample safety factors that account for the most sensitive populations. ATSDR typically uses HCVs as follows: if a contaminant is never found at levels greater than its comparison value, ATSDR concludes the levels of corresponding contamination are below levels of public health concern. If, however, a contaminant is found at greater than its HCV, ATSDR designates the pollutant as a contaminant of concern and examines it further in the assessment. Because HCVs are based on conservative assumptions, the presence of concentrations greater than an HCV does not necessarily suggest that adverse health effects will occur among the exposed population.
The NJDHSS and ATSDR find that, although contaminant levels are similar to background levels in urban environments, it is likely that a completed exposure pathway exists or has existed in the past to site related contaminants through inhalation of indoor air at Seaview Manor residences. The NJDEP and New Jersey Natural Gas have identified benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes as contaminants associated with the Long Branch Manufactured Gas site which may be present in indoor air in the Seaview Manor Housing complex. These compounds can enter air in the living quarters in the residences by volatilization from groundwater into the soil in crawlspaces. The crawlspace floors are either bare soil or covered with a concrete slab. Some of the slabs reportedly have cracks, linking the soil below the slab to the air above. Contaminants can then enter the living quarters through air flow within the buildings. This pathway of exposure is referred to as the vapor intrusion pathway, and is discussed in the following section.
Benzene is the only contaminant of concern detected in Seaview Manor residential living spaces that is in excess of a health comparison value, and the only contaminant classified as a human carcinogen.
Indoor air at the two day care centers was tested in response to concerns about their proximity to the former manufactured gas plant, not because of known site-related contaminants. The day care centers had levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes below health comparison values, and similar to those of outside air levels, and are not evaluated further in this Public Health Consultation.
Vapor Intrusion Pathway - General Information
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) developed guidance for the evaluation of indoor air contaminants resulting from groundwater or soil contamination that could affect indoor air quality (15). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) has also developed guidance for this pathway which provides a summary of factors that influence contaminant concentrations in indoor air (16). Many factors can influence the rate at which gaseous contaminants can enter a building, and these are described more fully in Appendix A. Factors that are relevant to the sampling that was conducted on March 1, 2003 at the Seaview Manor complex and community questions regarding the sampling are primarily meteorological factors, which affect the penetration and distribution of pollutants into a structure. These include:
Temperatures on March 1, 2003 averaged 36º F. A representative of the Long Branch Housing Authority stated that the crawlspaces in one of the buildings typically contained water during the winter months (24). However, approximately two weeks prior to this sampling event, Long Branch received over 20 inches of snow (32). Standing water in at least one of the buildings was pumped out prior to sampling. Under these conditions, sampling may not demonstrate a "worst case scenario" to determine the public health significance of this exposure pathway.
This section focuses on the public health implications of indoor air levels of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes measured in living spaces of the Seaview Manor complex in January and March 2003. Each of the four compounds, as well as the mixture of all four, has been evaluated for its potential impact on human health.
In order to determine what the possible health effects might be, the NJDHSS and the ATSDR review the following:
The potential for health effects is related to all of the items on the list above. The ATSDR and NJDHSS generally consider a "worst case scenario" to evaluate potential health outcomes. To provide residents with information on the possible health effects from exposures to the chemicals measured in air in the Seaview Manor complex, several assumptions were made. These were:
Benzene is widely found in the environment, including indoor and ambient air. Studies indicate that both ambient air in urban areas and indoor residential air typically contain benzene levels of up to approximately 6 µg/m3 (10).
The highest concentration of benzene measured in indoor air on March 1, 2003 was 4.5 µg/m3, or 4.5 micrograms of benzene in one cubic meter of air. This was found in one Seaview Manor apartment living area on March 1, 2003, and is the level that will be used to evaluate public health implications of exposure. Since most studies that are discussed below provide benzene levels in parts per billion (ppb) or parts per million (ppm), the maximum level measured on March 1, 2003 has been converted to ppb for comparison purposes. Conversion equations are shown in Appendix B. The maximum level of benzene is 1.4 ppb.
Biologic fate of benzene: Benzene is rapidly absorbed by inhalation and ingestion (23). After exposure, benzene is found throughout the body, but then largely distributes into the bone marrow, organs or tissues that have a high fat content (such as the brain or fat cells), or tissues with a high blood or fluid flow (such as the kidney and liver). Once absorbed, benzene is initially metabolized in the liver, and later in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the primary target organ for damage due to chronic benzene toxicity. Benzene, as well as the compounds that are produced during benzene metabolism, exit the body through exhalation and urine in several phases ranging from minutes to hours.
Effects of benzene: High levels of benzene can cause significant damage to blood and bone marrow, including a decrease in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Aplastic anemia may result, in which the bone marrow ceases to produce blood cells. These effects have been found to occur at levels more than 1,000 times greater than the levels measured in Seaview Manor.
At high levels of exposure, benzene is known to cause cancer in humans, specifically acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Studies of workers have consistently linked benzene exposures with AML, the only form of cancer that is consistently associated with high occupational exposures to benzene. Studies have also shown that benzene causes cancer in animals (10).
Sensitive populations: Susceptible populations will show different or stronger reactions to benzene than will most people exposed to the same level of benzene. ATSDR examined studies that describe sensitive populations to benzene. The factors that increase an individual's sensitivity to benzene include:
Non-cancer effects:
Acute and intermediate MRLs for benzene (inhalation) are 50 ppb and 4 ppb, respectively. No chronic MRL has been derived for benzene.
All benzene concentrations detected in the living spaces and crawl spaces in Seaview Manor are below ATSDR's intermediate MRL of 4 ppb. The intermediate MRL is derived from an animal study in which the Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (the effect was an increase in rapid response) occurred at 0.78 ppm, or 780 ppb (Li et al, 1992) (10). The ATSDR derives the MRL by adjusting for human and mouse ventilation rates and weight ratios. It also includes an uncertainty or margin-of-safety factor of 90. Therefore, at the maximum benzene level that was detected, acute or intermediate duration exposures are not likely to result in any serious adverse health effects. For chronic exposures, the effect of concern is cancer, which is discussed below.
Cancer effects:
The ATSDR utilizes Cancer Risk Evaluation Guidelines (CREG) for chemicals known or suspected to cause cancers. A CREG provides an estimated level of a contaminant that is associated with a 1 in a million excess risk for cancer. The CREG for benzene is 0.1 µg/m3, or 0.03 ppb.
The USEPA has estimated levels of exposure to benzene through inhalation that are associated with an increased risk for leukemia. They have estimated that, at a lifetime exposure (70 years) to 0.04 ppb benzene in air, there is a one in a million risk for leukemia. Based on the maximum level (1.4 ppb) found in Seaview Manor, risk for leukemia can be estimated at less than four in 100,000. The second highest level of benzene found in Seaview Manor living spaces was 2.7 µg/m3, or 0.85 ppb. This is associated with a risk of approximately less than three in 100,000. The average level of benzene measured in living spaces was 1.4 µg/m3, or 0.44 ppb, which relates to a risk of less than two per 100,000. Exposure to background levels of benzene for 70 years is associated with a risk of less than seven for 100,000. The ATSDR defined these levels of risk as a "low increased risk for cancer."
Ethylbenzene, Toluene and Xylenes (Individually)
None of these contaminants was found at levels above health screening values, and are not evaluated further individually. However, because community members asked about the potential health effects of these chemicals, they are described further in Appendix C.
Benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes are among the most frequently found mixtures at contaminated sites. The ATSDR developed a draft Toxicological Profile to:
Animal studies were conducted to learn if the presence of two or more of the compounds were broken down differently than each one alone. All four of the compounds are broken down in the liver. It was found that, at high levels of exposure, the compounds compete with each other for metabolism, resulting in higher levels of the chemicals in the blood than if exposure occurred to each chemical separately. However, this is only true at exposure levels greater than approximately 20,000 ppb for each compound. Therefore, at levels measured in Seaview Manor living spaces, it is unlikely that health effects from the mixtures would be different than health effects from each individual compound.
Former manufactured gas plants can be contaminated with odor-causing chemicals, including volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, and coal tar residues. These are or were present at the Long Branch Manufactured Gas Plant site. In addition, there is a sewage treatment plant located approximately 1 block north of Seaview Manor. The NJDEP published guidance for odor control at municipal treatment facilities, and notes several odor-causing compounds, including hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan (31).
In public meetings and the NJDHSS and ATSDR Availability Sessions, residents of Seaview Manor voiced their complaints about foul and strong odors. Some of the residents who described these odors stated that it didn't matter if the windows were open or closed, although several stated that odors were less of a problem when the windows were open. Several residents also attributed heart palpitations or headaches with the odors. Description of odors included "mercaptan," "lighter fluid," and "sewage" (19). Most residents could not specifically describe the type of odor. The unit with mercaptan odors had been tested for natural gas leaks, but none were detected. In addition, water that was pumped from the crawlspace of Building B (units 27 through 32) prior to the March 1, 2003 sampling was noted to have smelled "like an oil odor," according to a Long Branch Housing Authority representative (24). Charcoal briquettes were found in this crawlspace, but it could not be determined if they were the "matchlight" variety, which would contain volatile organic chemicals.
The relationship between odor and health is not fully understood because odors are complex, identifying and measuring odorous compounds is difficult, and human responses to odors are variable (25). Odor-causing chemicals can produce health symptoms by irritation, because of psychological or genetic factors, or because the odor is also associated with dusts or allergens.
The levels of benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes measured in the residential units, as well as the crawlspaces, are not likely to produce the odors described by residents. Because there are at least two potential sources for strong odors, this issue should be examined further as part of a community-wide investigation of potential exposures.
OTHER HEALTH ISSUES OF COMMUNITY CONCERN
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. This inflammation causes periodic episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing, particularly at night or in the early morning. Airflow to the lungs is usually blocked. Airflow often returns to normal on its own or with treatment. Inflammation also causes an increase in existing hyper-responsiveness to a variety of stimuli (9).
Many factors can cause or worsen asthma, including allergies, a family history of asthma, infectious diseases, occupational conditions, socioeconomic and psychosocial factors, environmental factors, weather changes, and exercise. Environmental agents associated with asthma include dust mites, cockroaches, pet dander, ragweed, and other pollens. Pollutants including ozone and sulfur dioxide can worsen asthma symptoms in a person who has asthma. Environmental tobacco smoke can both cause and worsen asthma. Smoke, dust, gas or diesel fumes, or chlorine, can trigger an asthma attack in people with increased airway hyper-responsiveness.
Environmental agents may affect asthma severity in the following ways:
Particulate matter in air is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets. Larger particles (PM10) include dust, vehicle exhaust, and particles released from crushing or grinding operations, and wood burning. These can increase the severity of health conditions such as asthma. Smaller particles (PM2.5) penetrate deeper into the lungs and can cause more serious health effects. Sources of PM2.5 include vehicle exhaust, industrial and residential combustion, and reactions between gases such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere.
Exposures due to releases from industrial facilities may affect asthma severity. Some hazardous air pollutants, including aldehydes, metals, and isocyantes are known to cause asthma in occupationally exposed adults. Noxious odors can increase the severity of symptoms in people with asthma.
There is no research to indicate that benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes are associated with asthma, either individually or as a mixture (10, 11, 12, 13, 14).
Bronchitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which are the tubes that conduct air to and from the windpipe (trachea) to the small sacs in the lungs (alveoli). Inflammation of the bronchial tubes causes swelling and an increased amount of mucous production, making it difficult to breathe. Bronchitis may result from an infection.
Chronic bronchitis may also result from exposure to environmental chemicals, including tobacco smoke, sulfur dioxide, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes are not known to cause bronchitis, although very high levels (over 1,000,000 ppb) of ethylbenzene may cause respiratory depression in rats (10, 11, 12, 13).
Psychological stress can and does occur among individuals and within communities in which there is actual or perceived exposure to environmental contaminants. The ATSDR notes that, unlike catastrophic events in which there is a defined time frame (the event, the recovery phase, and eventually a return to a state of normalcy), living near a contaminated site "is a more nebulous and uncertain situation" (26). The slow onset and recovery from these situations may make adjustments difficult, cause concerns about exposures and potential health effects, and may cause social breakdowns, resulting in additional stress (27).
Chronic stress is related to physical health, and may be associated with long-term elevations in blood pressure, and heart rate, as well as evidence of changes in immune-system function and biochemical parameters. There may also be persisting symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (28).
Residents expressed stress-related concerns, including fears about their health and the health of their families (including children, parents and grandparents that were or are current residents of Seaview Manor). Residents expressed a distrust of the agencies involved in, as well as the outcome of, the remediation. In addition, since the remediation of Seaview Manor will require relocation of all residents, there was much anxiety about where they would be moved to, the length of time the remediation will take, the protectiveness of the remedial plans for both Seaview Manor and the site itself, and whether they would be able to return to Seaview Manor after the remediation is complete. Residents range in age from infants to elderly, some of whom have been living at Seaview Manor for over thirty years. ATSDR has stated that relocations of this nature often lead to stress and a sense of loss and grieving, especially among long-term residents.
Systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, is an autoimmune disease with a prevalence of approximately one in 2,000 for the general population, but one in 700 for women between the ages of 20 and 64 years, and one in 245 for black women of the same age group (29). Research indicates that there is a genetic component to the disease, although factors may influence the disease in susceptible individuals. These factors include sunlight, stress, certain drugs, and infectious agents such as viruses, as well as hormonal factors. (30). At the present time there is no indication that environmental contaminants are linked to lupus.
Residents expressed concerns about the rate of cancer in the area. The New Jersey State Cancer Registry has collected data on most cancers since October 1978. The NJDHSS will review New Jersey State Cancer Registry data and evaluate the incidence of cancers in the area near the site. The results of that evaluation will be provided in a separate Public Health Consultation.
ATSDR and NJDHSS recognize that the unique vulnerabilities of infants and children demand special emphasis in communities faced with contamination in their environment. Children are at greater risk than adults from certain kinds of exposures to hazardous substances emitted from a waste site. They are more likely to be exposed because they play outdoors and they often bring food into contaminated areas. They are shorter than adults, which means they breathe dust, soil, and heavy vapors closer to the ground. Children are also smaller, resulting in higher doses of chemical exposure per body weight. The developing body systems of children can sustain permanent damage if toxic exposures occur during critical growth stages. Most important, children depend completely on adults for risk identification and management decisions, housing decisions, and access to medical care.
The NJDHSS and the ATSDR evaluated the potential effects in children exposed to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes at the levels measured in Seaview Manor. At the levels detected in Seaview Manor it is unlikely that children would be affected differently than adults. Levels measured in the Check Mate Day Care Center and the Second Baptist Church Day Care Center are below those measured in Seaview Manor, and are also unlikely to result in adverse health effects.
A draft of this Public Health Consultation was released for public comment from October 9 through December 12, 2003. Comments are listed in Appendix D.
Low levels of exposure have and are occurring to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes from indoor air in Seaview Manor residences. Sampling conducted on March 1, 2003 provides a "snapshot" of contaminants present under the conditions in which the samples were taken. Although the levels detected at that time are not likely to result in adverse health effects, the NJDHSS and the ATSDR classify indoor air exposures among residents of the Seaview Manor Property to represent an Indeterminate Public Health Hazard. This is because the sampling conducted on March 1, 2003 was performed after severe weather caused flooding in some of the crawlspaces, resulting in more water than typical for winter months. This may have had an effect on the vapor intrusion pathway. In addition, since seasonal variations can affect the volatility of the compounds measured, the sampling that occurred provides only a "snapshot" of exposures, and may not be indicative of year-round exposures.
The NJDHSS and the ATSDR classify indoor air exposures among children using the Check Mate Day Care Center or the Second Baptist Church Day Care Center, based solely on the sampling conducted on March 27-28 and April 9-10, 2003, as No Apparent Public Health Hazard.
The NJDHSS and the ATSDR further classify odors in the vicinity of the Seaview Manor Complex as an Indeterminate Public Health Hazard because of the following three factors: the long-term effects of repeated exposure are not well understood, odors are complex, and human response to odors is variable.
This Health Consultation was prepared by the Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC), ATSDR, and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) under a cooperative agreement with the ATSDR. It has been produced in accordance with approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the Health Consultation was begun.
Gregory V. Ulirsch
Technical Project Officer
Superfund Site Assessment Branch (SSAB)
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC)
ATSDR
The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC), ATSDR, has reviewed this Health Consultation and concurs with its findings.
Lisa C. Hayes
for Roberta Erlwein
Team Leader, Cooperative Agreement Team, SSAB, DHAC
ATSDR
Preparers of Report:
Sharon L. Kubiak
Bruce E. Wilcomb
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
Consumer and Environmental Health Services
Hazardous Site Health Evaluation Program
ATSDR Regional Representatives:
Arthur Block
Leah Escobar
Regional Representatives, Region II
Regional Operations
Office of the Assistant Administrator
ATSDR Technical Project Officer:
Gregory V. Ulirsch
Technical Project Officer
Superfund Site Assessment Branch (SSAB)
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation (DHAC)
Any questions concerning this document should be directed to:
Julie Petix
Health Assessment Project Manager
Consumer and Environmental Health Services
New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
3635 Quakerbridge Road
PO Box 369
Trenton, NJ 08625-0369
Table 1. November 9, 1994 air samples collected
in and near Seaview Manor
USEPA Method TO-1
| Sample Location | Benzene µg/m3 |
Toluene µg/m3 |
Ethylbenzene µg/m3 |
Xylenes µg/m3 |
| Play-ground | 7.1 | 6.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| Fence line | 5.7 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 2.2 |
| Courtyard | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Crawl space | 11.1* | 8.4* | 0.6* | 1.9* |
| East yard | 13.6 | 11.7 | 0.4 | 1.1 |
| NJDEP reference concen-tration** | 19 | 68 | 1,000 | 165 |
µg/m3: micrograms of contaminant per cubic
meter of air
NJDEP: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
USEPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency
* Although this table list results as they were reported, these results should be qualified because one of the three surrogate compounds was detected below the laboratory's recovery limits.
** Reference Concentrations for Inhalation, NJDEP, as of January 1994. Note that later reference concentrations are different.
Table 2. December 19, 2002 Seaview Manor
Housing complex crawlspace testing.
USEPA Method TO-14/TO-15
|
Sample Location |
Benzene µg/m3 |
Toluene µg/m3 |
Ethylbenzene µg/m3 |
Xylenes µg/m3 |
| Crawlspace for Apt. 33 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 3.9 | 13 |
| Crawlspace for Apt. 34/35 | 0.7 | 2.0 | ND | 1.6 |
| Crawlspace for Apt. 36/37 | 1.2 | 4.5 | 0.65 | 2.9 |
| Crawlspace for Apt. 38/39 | 0.89 | 3.8 | 0.82 | 3.7 |
| Crawlspace for Apt. 40 | 0.64 | 2.2 | ND | 1.5 |
| Crawlspace for Apt. 40 (dup) | 0.45 | 1.4 | ND | 0.61 |
| Crawlspace for Apt. 30 | 0.86 | 6.4 | 1.2 | 5.2 |
| Crawlspace for Apt. 44 | 0.45 | 1.2 | ND | 0.65 |
| Upwind, ambient | 2.0 | 11 | 2.4 | 11 |
| Downwind, ambient | 1.7 | 7.5 | 1.2 | 5.6 |
|
|
||||
| NJDEP reference concentration | 1.59 | 420 | 2.16 | 7300 |
Shaded boxes show levels above the NJDEP reference concentration.
µg/m3: micrograms of contaminant per cubic
meter of air
ND: not detected
NJDEP: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
USEPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency
NJDEP reference concentrations for air based upon USEPA Region 3 Risk-Based Concentration for residential air (revised 4/99) for toluene and xylenes, and on the practical quantitation limit for benzene and ethylbenzene. The USEPA Risk-Based Concentrations for residential air for benzene and ethylbenzene are 0.22 µg/m3 and 1.60 µg/m3, respectively.
Table 3. January 7, 2003 Seaview Manor Housing
complex sampling
USEPA Method TO-14/TO-15
|
Sample Location |
Benzene µg/m3 |
Toluene µg/m3 |
Ethylbenzene µg/m3 |
Xylenes µg/m3 |
| Crawl space | 1.2 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 4.0 |
| Apt. #33 | 0.89 | 2.3 | 0.43 | 1.8 |
| Upwind, ambient | 0.85 | 1.7 | ND | 1.2 |
| Downwind, ambient | 1.0 | 2.0 | ND | 1.8 |
| NJDEP reference concentration | 1.59 | 420 | 2.16 | 7300 |
µg/m3: micrograms of contaminant per cubic
meter of air
ND: not detected
NJDEP: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
USEPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency
NJDEP reference concentrations for air based upon USEPA Region 3 Risk-Based Concentration for residential air (revised 4/99) for toluene and xylenes, and on best available reporting limit for benzene and ethylbenzene. The USEPA Risk-Based Concentrations for residential air for benzene and ethylbenzene are 0.22 µg/m3 and 1.60 µg/m3, respectively.
Table 4. March 1, 2003 living quarters and
crawlspace air sampling, Seaview Manor Complex property.
|
Sample Location |
Benzene µg/m3 |
Toluene µg/m3 |
Ethylbenzene µg/m3 |
Xylenes µg/m3 |
| Upwind, ambient | 0.93 | 2.3 | ND | 0.74 |
| Downwind, ambient | 0.77 | 1.7 | ND | ND |
| Crawlspace for 27/28 | 0.57 | 1.1 | ND | 0.48 |
| Apt. 27 | 1.1 | 3.5 | 0.43 | 1.9 |
| Apt. 28 | 1.2 | 2.2 | ND | 1.1 |
| Crawlspace for 29/30 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 2.3 |
| Apt. 29 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.87 | 2.2 |
| Apt. 30 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 1.0 | 1.6 |
| Crawlspace for 31/32 | 0.70 | 1.1 | ND | 0.56 |
| Apt. 31 | 0.99 | 2.5 | ND | 1.1 |
| Apt. 32 | 0.89 | 3.4 | ND | 0.91 |
| Crawlspace for 34/35 | 0.86 | 1.6 | ND | ND |
| Apt. 34 | 1.2 | 7.1 | 0.61 | 2.8 |
| Apt. 35 | 0.96 | 2.5 | ND | 0.78 |
| Crawlspace for 36/37 | 1.2 | 2.9 | ND | 1.7 |
| Apt. 36 | 0.99 | 2.6 | ND | 0.95 |
| Apt. 37 | 1.9 | 22 | 0.56 | 2.5 |
| Crawlspace for 38/39 | 0.86 | 2.1 | ND | 1.0 |
| Apt. 38 | 2.7 | 3.1 | ND | 1.1 |
| Apt. 39 | 0.89 | 2.1 | ND | 1.0 |
| Crawlspace for 40 | 1.1 | 2.3 | ND | 0.74 |
| Crawlspace 40 (dup) | 0.83 | 1.6 | ND | ND |
| Apt. 40 | 0.86 | 2.1 | ND | 0.74 |
| Crawlspace for 41/42 | 0.57 | 1.0 | ND | ND |
| Apt. 41 | 0.86 | 2.2 | ND | 0.82 |
| Apt. 42 | 4.5 | 2.9 | ND | 0.65 |
| Crawlspace for 43/44 | 0.86 | 1.8 | ND | 8.2 |
| Apt. 43 | 1.7 | 5.4 | ND | 1.6 |
| Apt. 44 | 0.89 | 3.2 | ND | 1.0 |
| Crawlspace for 45/46 | 0.8 | 1.7 | ND | 0.69 |
| Apt. 45 | 1.4 | 2.4 | ND | 1.1 |
| Apt. 46 | 0.96 | 2.8 | ND | 1.0 |
| NJDEP reference concentration | 1.59 | 420 | 2.16 | 7300 |
Table 5. Check Mate Day Care Center, March
27-28, 2003
|
Sample Location |
Benzene µg/m3 |
Toluene µg/m3 |
Ethylbenzene µg/m3 |
Xylenes µg/m3 |
| Upwind, ambient | 0.83 | 2.0 | ND | 1.6 |
| Downwind, ambient | 0.99 | 2.5 | 0.48 | 1.7 |
| Crawl space | 0.54 | 1.2 | ND | 0.65 |
| Main floor, center | 0.93 | 2.3 | 0.43 | 1.2 |
| Main floor, center | 0.80 | 1.8 | ND | 1.0 |
| NJDEP reference concentration | 1.59 | 420 | 2.16 | 7300 |
Table 6. Second Baptist Day Care Center,
April 9-10, 2003
|
Sample Location |
Benzene µg/m3 |
Toluene µg/m3 |
Ethylbenzene µg/m3 |
Xylenes µg/m3 |
| Upwind, ambient | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Downwind, ambient | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Basement, North | 0.57 | 3.6 | ND | 1.0 |
| Basement, South | 0.57 | 2.2 | ND | ND |
| Basement, South (duplicate) | 0.61 | 2.1 | ND | ND |
| NJDEP reference concentration | 1.59 | 420 | 2.16 | 7300 |
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