NEWTOWN COMMUNITY
GAINESVILLE, HALL COUNTY, GEORGIA
CONCLUSIONS
Emissions prior to 1986 could not be evaluated because prior to 1986, industry was not
required to report emissions and chemical usage to EPA. Therefore no record of historical
data exists to reconstruct past exposures. Without this information, it is impossible to
determine to what extent area emissions impacted residential health prior to 1986.
Air contaminant concentrations resulting from routine releases of chemicals from industries
in the area of the Newtown community are not likely to cause adverse health effects
currently or since 1986. Non- routine releases reported by residents were not likely to cause long-term health problems.
Based on 1990 and 1996 emissions, mobile sources including cars and trucks are creating the greatest health threat for Newtown residents.
ATSDR could not fully evaluate the potential health effects of specific Gainesville
urban/industrial chemical mixtures. No studies of similar exposure conditions and
contaminant levels could be located. However, an increase of respiratory and pulmonary
illnesses have been associated with urban and industrial air, and poor air quality in general.
Data generated for the Gainesville community, based on ATSDR and EPA models, does not
demonstrate an increase in estimated cancer or noncancer risk that is significantly higher
thanother similar cities in the state of Georgia.
Sources of indoor air pollution, which may be significant, were not part of this project but are an important consideration when considering total exposure to air pollution.
The air monitor is not in an optimal location for measuring exposures in the Newtown
Community.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources should continue to monitor for hazardous air pollutants.
If monitors are to be used to measure community exposure in Newtown they should be
located to the south and southwest of the community (see Figure on Page 19).
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources should periodically review (at least annually)
the available sampling and analytical methods for collecting and analyzing acrolein and
formaldehyde. Once the methods meet applicable quality control/quality assurance criteria,
the GaDNR should implement sampling analysis for these compounds in Gainesville.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PLAN
This section reflects actions taken in Newtown since ATSDR's involvement began in 1995. Since
ATSDR was petitioned by residents of the Newtown Community, it has produced two public health
assessments. The final version of the first was released on March 31, 2001. This document (the
second) is a follow-up to the actions suggested in the March 2001 document. The activities
mentioned below were taken to assist residents with their questions and concerns, as well as to assist in the writing and completion of both public health assessments.
ATSDR Actions Taken
ATSDR Action: Contacted the City of Gainesville regarding lead in tap water.
Result: The city tested the tap water of seven homes chosen by the petitioner. All homes had safe drinking water, with acceptable lead levels.
ATSDR Action: Contacted the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and asked the department to inspect the Gainesville Scrap Iron and Metal Company.
Result: The company was found to be in violation of several mandated environmental
requirements for similar facilities. Followup enforcement and regulatory action were
undertaken to bring the company into compliance for cited violations.
ATSDR Action: Conducted a cancer incidence review in the ten street area that is the Newtown Community. Reviewed Emory University lupus study in Newtown.
Result: No elevated cancers incidences were identified. An elevated lupus incidence was
reported. Per an ATSDR recommendation, an additional health study is being conducted by
UAB and FAMU to verify disease incidence.
ATSDR Action: Contacted the University of Georgia Agricultural Department in response to the concerns of Newtown residents about the rodent problem.
Result: A professor and a rodent expert at the University agreed to have a clinic with the
community to educate members about how to control the rodent population in their homes.
ATSDR Action: Reviewed Morehouse hair study of Newtown residents. Identified children
with elevated lead in hair. Contacted the National Center for Environmental Health and the
Hall County Health Department to discuss the issue of child blood lead testing. Learned that
Newtown children on Medicaid under 18 can have free blood lead tests done at the Hall
County Health Department; other children can have the tests done for $10 each.
Result: Residents have been advised of the testing, and some have reportedly used the service for their children.
ATSDR Action: Conducted an exposure investigation for soils in January 2000 and
retrieved the last air canister for analysis in May 2000. Elevated levels of some solvents
were found near two local facilities, and benzene levels were elevated at a third location. The
levels detected served as justification for further analysis via air modeling of current and historical emissions in the area.
Result: A thorough air model was generated to assess the air quality of the community. This document was written to explain ATSDR's findings.
Evaluated all existing ambient air and facility emissions data gathered in and around the Newtown Community as a basis for this public health assessment.
ATSDR, Division of Health Education and Promotion and the Newtown Florist Club held a
health fair on September 14, 2002. The purpose of the health fair was to disseminate
information to community members regarding health conditions and diseases they have
reported as a concern. Members of a number of health organizations were invited to attend
and present information, including the Lupus Foundation of America and the American
Cancer Society.
PREPARERS OF THIS REPORT
Authors Michelle A. Colledge
Environmental Health Scientist
Petitions Section
Exposure Investigations and Consultations Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Brian M. Kaplan
Environmental Health Scientist
Consultations Section
Exposure Investigations and Consultations Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Technical Assistance Jerri Anderson
Data Management Assistant
Spatial Analysis and Information Dissemination Section
Program Evaluation, Records & Information Services Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Steve Martin
Computer Information System Support Contractor
Information Resources Management Branch
Office of Program Operations & Management
Todd Raziano
Environmental Health Scientist
Petitions Section
Exposure Investigations and Consultations Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Reviewers John E. Abraham
Branch Chief
Exposure Investigations and Consultations Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
David Fowler
Toxicologist
Petitions Response Section
Exposure Investigations and Consultations Branch
Division of Health Assessments and Consultations
Kathryn Harmsen
Editor
Office of Policy and External Affairs
Donald Joe
Chief, Petitions Response Section
Exposure Investigations and Consultations Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Susan Moore
Chief, Consultations Section
Exposure Investigations and Consultations Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
REFERENCES
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. March 15, 2001. Petitioned
Public Health Assessment- The Newtown Community. Division of Health Assessment
and Consultation, Exposure Investigations Branch. Petitions Response Section.
Newtown Florist Club President. April 10, 1995. Petition letter to ATSDR.
Spears, EG. 1998. The Newtown Story: One Community's Fight for Environmental
Justice. Atlanta: Center for Democratic Renewal and the Newtown Florist Club.
Cater, J and Gibeaut, D. 1997. Report to Petition Screening Committee. ATSDR.
Kardestuncer, T and Frumpkin, H. 1997. Systemic lupus erythematosus in relation
to environmental pollution: an investigation in an African-American community
in North Georgia. Arch of Environ Hlth 52(2): 85-90.
Newtown Florist Club. 1990. Newtown project: community information data.
Gainesville, Georgia: 1990.
Friddell, M. 1993. An investigation of environmental conditions at a previous
landfill in the Newtown area of Gainesville, Georgia. Georgia Department of
Natural Resources, Georgia Geologic Survey.
University of Georgia Geology Department. 1994. Geology 801B. Site characterization
report at the former Newtown Dump, Gainesville, Georgia.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Benzene, Toxicological
Profile. Department of Health and Human Services.
Spaeth, KR. 2000. Don't hold your breath: Personal exposures to volatile
organic compounds and other toxins in indoor air and what's (not) being done
about it. Prev Med 31:631-637.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1997. Fact Sheet: EPA's Revised
Particulate Matter Standards. Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.
Georgia Environmental Protection Division (Ga EPD). February 1996. Newtown
Statement of Work.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1984. Network design and
site exposure criteria for selected non-criteria air pollutants. EPA-450/4-84-022.
Georgia Department of Transportation. 2001. Average daily traffic counts.
Accessed from http://www.dot.state.ga.us/
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2000. Air Toxics Monitoring
Concept Paper. Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. Revised Draft,
February 29, 2000.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1999. Compendium of Methods
for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air, Second Edition,
Compendium Method TO-15, Determination Of Volatile Organic, Compounds (VOCs)
In Air Collected In Specially-Prepared Canisters And Analyzed By Gas Chromatography/Mass
Spectrometry (GC/MS). EPA/625/R-96/010b. Center for Environmental Research
Information, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati, OH 45268. January
1999.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1999. Compendium of Methods
for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air, Second Edition,
Compendium Method TO-11A, Determination of Formaldehyde in Ambient Air Using
Adsorbent Cartridge Followed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
[Active Sampling Methodology]. EPA/625/R-96/010b. Center for Environmental
Research Information, Office of Research and Development, Cincinnati, OH 45268.
January 1999.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1998. Photochemical Assessment
Monitoring Stations (PAMS) Issue Summary. Monitoring and Quality Assurance
Group, Emissions, Monitoring, and Analysis Division, Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. October 6, 1998.
ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry). 2001. ATSDR Record
of Activity for telephone calls regarding air monitoring with Susan Zimmer-Dauphine,
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division,
December 20, 2001 and January 8, 2002.
ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry). 2001. ATSDR Record
of Activity for telephone call regarding air monitoring with Dennis Mikel,
U.S. EPA, EPA Monitoring and Quality Assurance Group, Research Triangle Park.
January 2, 2002.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 1,3-Butadiene, Toxicological
Profile. Department of Health and Human Services.
Bartle KD, Bergstedt L, Novotny M, et al. 1969. Tobacco chemistry II. Analysis
of the gas phase of tobacco smoke by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
J Chromatogr 45:256-263.
Blomberg L, Widmark G. 1975. Separation of fresh tobacco on a packed polar
gas chromatographic column prior to on-line analysis by gas chromatographymass
spectrometry using a non-polar capillary column. J Chromatogr 106:59-71.
Brunnemann KD, Kagan MR, Cox JE, et al. 1990. Analysis of 1,3-butadiene
other selected gas-phase components in cigarette mainstream and sidestream
smoke by gas chromatography-mass selective detection. Carcinogenesis 11:1863-
1868.
Lofroth G, Burton RM, Forehand L, et al. 1989. Characterization of environmental
tobacco smoke. Environ Sci Technol 23:610-614.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Carbon Tetrachloride,
Toxicological Profile. Department of Health and Human Services.
Brodzinski R, Singh HB. 1983. Volatile organic chemicals in the atmosphere:
An assessment of available data. Research Triangle Park, NC: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development. EPA-600/3-83-027(A).
Simmonds PG, Alyea FN, Cardelino CA, et al. 1983. The atmospheric lifetime
experiment. 6. Results for carbon tetrachloride based on 3 years data. J Geophys
Res 88:8427-8441.
Wallace LA. 1986. Personal exposures, indoor and outdoor air concentrations
and exhaled breath concentrations of selected volatile organic compounds measured
for 600 residents of New Jersey, North Dakota, North Carolina and California.
Toxicol Environ Chem 12:215-36.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). 1997. Washington, DC 20207
CPSC Document #725 (reprinted by the U.S. EPA) An Update on Formaldehyde.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Formaldehyde, Toxicological
Profile. Department of Health and Human Services.
Adlkofer F, Scherer G, Conze C, et al. 1990. Significance of exposure to
benzene and other toxic compounds through environmental tobacco smoke. J Cancer
Res Clin Oncol 116(6):591-598.
Appel BR, Guirguis G, Kim IS, et al. 1990. Benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, and
lead in smoke from tobacco products other than cigarettes. Am J Public Health
80(5):560-564.
Chan CC, Lin SH, Her GR. 1993. Student's exposure to volatile organic compounds
while commuting by motorcycle and bus in Taipei City. J Air Waste Manage Assoc
43(9):1231-1238.
Fleming AF. 1990. Benzene in petrol: a continuing hazard [letter; comment].
Lancet 336(8722):1076-1077.
Lumley M, Barker H, Murray JA. 1990. Benzene in petrol [letter; comment].
Lancet 336(8726):1318-1319.
Wallace LA. 1989a. Major sources of benzene exposure. Environ Health Perspect
82:165-169.
Wallace LA. 1989b. The exposure of the general population to benzene. Cell
Biol Toxicol 5:297-314.
Kawai T, Yamaoka K, Uchida Y, et al. 1990. Benzene exposure in a Japanese
petroleum refinery. Toxicol Lett 52(2):135-139.
Kawai T, Yamaoka K, Uchida Y, et al. 1991. Exposure to vapors of benzene
and other aromatic solvents in tank truck loading and delivery. Bull Environ
Contam Toxicol 46(1):1-8.
NOES. 1990. National Occupational Exposure Survey 1981-83. U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, Cincinnati, OH. July 1, 1990.
Thomas KW, Pellizzari ED, Clayton CA, et al. 1993. Temporal variability
of benzene exposures for residents in several New Jersey homes with attached
garages or tobacco smoke. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 3(1):49-73.
EPA. 1987g. June-September, 6-9 AM, ambient air benzene concentrations in
39 U.S. cities, 1984-1986. Research Triangle Park, NC: U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Atmospheric Sciences Research Lab. EPA/600/D-87/160.
Allen PD. 1987. Residential population exposure to ambient benzene in California.
California Air Resources Board. ARB/TS-87-001.
Ott MG, Townsend JC, Fishbeck WA, et al. 1978. Mortality among workers occupationally
exposed to benzene. Arch Environ Health 33:3-10.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Acrolein, Toxicological
Profile. Department of Health and Human Services.
Anderson GE. 1983. Human exposure to atmospheric concentrations of selected
chemicals. Vol. II. Report to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office
of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Research Triangle Park, NC, by Systems
Applications, Incorporated, San Rafael, CA. NTIS No. PB83-265249.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1984a. Health assessment
document for manganese. Final draft. Cincinnati, OH: Office of Research and
Development. EPA-600/8-83-013F.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1985c. Locating and emitting
air emissions from sources of manganese. Research Triangle Park, NC. Office
of Air Quality Planning and Standards. EPA- 450/4-84-007h.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1985d. Federal Register 50:32627-
32628.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1987a. Toxic air pollutant/source
crosswalk: A screening tool for locating possible sources emitting toxic air
pollutants. Research Triangle Park, NC. Office of Air Quality Planning and
Standards. EPA-450/4-87-023a.
Lioy PJ. 1983. Air pollution emission profiles of toxic and trace elements
from energy related sources: Status and needs. Neurotoxicology:103-112.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Manganese, Toxicological
Profile. Department of Health and Human Services.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Hexane, Toxicological
Profile. Department of Health and Human Services.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1998. Latest trends in air
quality: 1997 status and trends. Office of Air Quality. EPA-454/F-98-0009.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1999. Smog--Who Does It Hurt?
What You Need to Know About Ozone and Your Health. Office of Air Quality. EPA-452/K-99-001.
Wong, GW et. al. 2001. Temporal relationship between air pollution and hospital
admissions for asthmatic children in Hong Kong. Clin Exp Allergy 31:565-569.
Dicky, JH. 2000. Part VII Air Pollution: Overview of sources and health
effects. Dis Mon 46(9):566-89. Review.
Suh, HH. et. al. 2000. Criteria air pollutants and toxic air pollutants.
Env Hlth Persp 108, Supplement 4.
Wallace LA. 1987. The TEAM Study: Summary and Analysis. Vol. I. United States
Environmental Protection Agency. EPA 600/6-87/002a.
Tucker, WG. 1992. Characterizing emissions and health effects of sources
of indoor contaminants-Introduction. Ann NY Acad Sci 641:1-6.
Jouni J, Vartainen M., and M. Jantunen. 2001. Personal exposure levels and
microenvironmental concentrations of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in the
Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland Air Waste Manage Assoc 51:17-24.
Schnieder P. et. al. 2001. Indoor and outdoor BTX levels in German cities.
The Science of the Total Environment 267: 41-51.
Morello-Frosch, RA. et. al. 2000. Air toxics and health risks in California:
The public health implications of outdoor concentrations. Risk Analysis 20(2):
273-291.
Young MK, Harrad S, and RM Harrison. 2001. Concentrations and sources of
VOCs in urban domestic and public microenvironments. Environ Sci Technol 35:
997-1004.
Schwartz J, Douglas W, Dockery DW et. al. 1997. Acute effects of summer
air pollution on respiratory symptoms reporting in children. Am J Respir Crit
Care Med 150:1234-42.
Peters JM, Avol E, Gauderman WJ et.al. 1999. A study of twelve southern
California communities with differing levels and types of air pollution. Am
J Respir Crit Care Med 159:768-75.
Boezen HM, van der Zee SC, Postma DS et. al. 1999. Effects of ambient air
pollution on upper and lower respiratory symptoms and peak expiratory flow
in children. Lancet 353:874-78.
Segala C, et. al. 1998. Short term effects of winter air pollution on upper
and lower respiratory health of asthmatic children in Paris. Eur Respir J
11:677-85.
Roemer W, et. al. 1998. Daily variations in air pollution and respiratory
health in a multicentre study: the PEACE project. Eur Respir J 12:1354-61.
Wichmann HE, Mueller W, Allhof P, et. al. 1989. Health effects during a
smog episode in West Germany in 1985. Enviro Hlth Perspect 79:89-99.
Gouveia, N and T Fletcher. Time series analysis of air pollution and mortality:
effects by cause, age, and socioeconomic status. J Epidemiol Comm Hlth 54(10):
625-33.
Kunzli, N et. al. 2000. Public-health impact of outdoor and traffic related
air pollution: a European assessment. Lancet 356: 795-801.
Yoon-Keun, K. et. al. 2000. Outdoor pollutants derived from industrial processes
may be causally related to the development of asthma in children. Ann Allergy
Asthma Immunol 8(4): 456-60.
Strachan, DP. 2000. The role of environmental factors in asthma. Br Med
Bull 56(4):856-82.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2000. Baltimore Community
Environmental Partnership Air Committee Technical Report, Community Risk-Based
Air Screening: A Case Study in Baltimore, Maryland. EPA 744-R-00-005. Office
of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
Cargill, 1993 Letter from Bob Foote, Cargill Oilseed Processing to Georgia
EPD, Air Protection Branch, June 17, 1993 regarding application for revised
facility air permit.
California Air Resources Board, Chronic Reference Exposure Levels and Target
Organs, September 26, 2000.
California Air Resources Board, Final Statement of Reasons for Rulemaking
Staff Report/executive Summary Proposed Identification of Inorganic Lead as
a Toxic Air Contaminant http://www.oehha.org/air/toxic_contaminants/leadrpt.html
[accessed 26 September 2000].
Courtney Consultants, Inc. (1995). Letter to
Doug Payne of Cargill from F.E. Courtney of Courtney Consultants regarding
determination of the acceptable GA DNR 24-hour concentration at the site boundary
and beyond of hexane at the Cargill Gainesville, Georgia plan., September
14, 1995.
Özkaynak 1999. "Exposure Assessement," Halûk Özkaynak.
in Air Pollution and Health, Edited by Stephan T. Holgate et al., Academic
Press, 1999, London, pp 149-162.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1992. Procedures for Substituting
Values for Missing NWS Meteorological Data for Use in Regulatory Air Quality
Models. Dennis Atkinson and Russell F. Lee. July 7, 1992. [http://www.epa.gov/scram001/surface/missdata.txt].
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1997. Analysis of the Affect
of ASOS-derived Meteorological Data on Refined Modeling. EPA-454/R-97-014.
Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Emissions, Monitoring, and Analysis
Division, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711. November 1997. [http://www.epa.gov/scram001/surface/asos.zip].
Miller, C.W., and L.M. Hively. A review of validation studies for the Gaussian
plume atmospheric dispersion model. Nucl. Saf. 1987: 28(4): 522-531 in Rogers,
Felix, J., George G. Killough, Shirley J. Thompson, Cheryl L. Addy, Robert
E. McKeown, and David J. Cowen. 1999. Estimating environmental exposures to
sulfur dioxide from multiple industrial sources for a case-control study,
Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology. Vol. 9, 6: 535-545.
