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1. ATSDR > Public Health Assessments & Consultations

PETITIONED PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

OTTAWA RADIATION AREAS
OTTAWA, LASALLE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the information reviewed, the ATSDR considers the Ottawa Radium Site to be a public health concern. Although evaluation of the hazards associated with exposure to gamma radiation cannot be adequately assessed, emission of Rn-222 into the air and the presence of Ra-226 in soils as a result of improper disposal practices, are the primary contaminants of concern for human exposure pathways. Exposure to gamma radiation and these types of radioactive materials has occurred for a minimum of 20 years following demolition and disposal of the original structure. There has been documented intake of Ra-226 in workers employed in the dial painting process. Exposure to high levels of Rn-222 in several homes has occurred over time, increasing the chance of developing lung cancers during the occupants' lifetimes. A review of the available health outcome data indicate that the cancer rates in LaSalle County males do not differ from the rates in the United States (Appendix II, Table V, VI). However, in LaSalle County from 1960 to 1969, the cancer rates for bone and jaw cancer were significantly elevated over those rates for the United States (Appendix II, Table V).

RECOMMENDATIONS

After reviewing available data for the Ottawa, Illinois Radium Sites, ATSDR recommends the following actions to protect public health in these areas.

1. The EPA is in the remedial investigation (RI) phase at Ottawa. The Illinois Department of Health will be reviewing those documents and preparing a public health assessment addressing information in the RI not known to ATSDR during the preparation of this petitioned public health assessment.

2. The installation of radon reduction technologies are under control of EPA. It is recommended that either interim or permanent radon reduction technologies be installed in those structures in which the radon levels exceed 10 pCi/L as determined by EPA approved methods and as discussed in the "Citizen's Guide to Radon."

3. To permanently reduce the risk of residential exposure to radiation resulting from the decay of radium, those sites with elevated levels of radioactivity of at least five times above background levels should be excavated. The excavated material should be disposed of in an approved manner and protective of public health.

4. Biota sampling of aquatic species obtained from the Fox River and food crops grown in areas shown to be contaminated should be monitored for the presence of radium and its decay products.

5. The community should make a concerted effort to locate all artifacts from operations at the radium dial shops that may be in residential properties. These artifacts should be monitored for radioactive materials and, if found contaminated, disposed of by accepted state and Federal procedures.

6. Persons who have been occupying residences where contaminated artifacts have been found, should discuss with their private physicians their potential exposures and the need for additional health examinations such as a chest X-ray.

7. As a temporary protective alternative, persons living in Area 7 and Area 9, the high radiation/radon areas, should be dissociated from the radioactive materials until radium remediation and radon reduction procedures have been completed.

8. When indicated by public health needs, and as resources permit, the evaluation of additional relevant health outcome data and community health concerns, if available, are recommended.

9. The data and information developed in the Public Health Assessment for the Ottawa Radiation Sites have been evaluated by the Health Activities Recommendation Panel (HARP) to determine appropriate public health actions for the community living near the site. Because human exposures to radioactive substances is believed to have occurred, the panel determined that the community needs assistance in understanding their potential for exposure and whether those exposures might cause illness. Local health professionals need information about hazardous substances and possible exposures that may assist them in diagnosing and treating conditions that may be related to those exposures. A health statistics review is indicated to determine if an excess of illnesses exists that may be related to those exposures.

Public Health Action Plan

The Public Health Action Plan (PHAP) for the Ottawa Radiation Areas contains a description of actions to be taken by ATSDR and/or the Illinois Department of Health (IDH) and the LaSalle County at and in the vicinity of the site subsequent to the completion of this health assessment. The purpose of the PHAP is to ensure that this health assessment not only identifies public health hazards, but provides a plan of action designed to mitigate and prevent adverse human health effects resulting from exposure to radioactive substances in the environment. ATSDR, IDH, and LCHD will follow up on this plan to ensure that it is implemented. The public health actions to be implemented by these agencies are as follows:

Local inspection of residences for radioactive artifacts should be conducted. The LaSalle County Health Department will continue to make a concerted effort to inform the public of this potential health hazard and take appropriate steps to notify both IDNS, ATSDR, and EPA when contaminated artifacts are identified.

The ATSDR Division of Health Education in conjunction with the local medical community will advise public health professionals and the local medical community of the nature and possible consequences of exposure to contaminants at the Ottawa Radiation Site. The value of obtaining a complete and accurate patient exposure history will be stressed as part of this program. In addition, information that is provided on the contaminant(s) of concern may include, but not be limited to, the physical nature of the contaminant, potential exposure pathways (i.e., soil, water, air, food) and exposure routes (i.e., inhalation, ingestion, dermal), potential health effects, symptoms of exposure and testing and treatment, if known.

The ATSDR Division of Health Studies will initiate a review of the health statistics as recommended by HARP.

Because temporary protective measures were recommended by ATSDR, the agency will remain involved with EPA and LCD to discuss future public health activities in Ottawa. ATSDR will work with EPA to determine what type of acceptable dissociation actions are appropriate.

PREPARERS OF REPORT

Health Effects Assessor:	Paul A. Charp, Ph.D. Health Physicist
Environmental Assessor:	Harvey Rogers Environmental Engineer
ATSDR Regional Representatives:	Louise A. Fabinski Manna Edwards

REFERENCES

Argonne, (1989). Estimate of volume of radium contaminated soil on five sites in Ottawa, Illinois. September-October 1988. Argonne National Laboratory. March, 1989. ANL/ESH/TS-89/100

BEIR (1988). Health Risks of Radon and Other Internally Deposited Alpha-Emitters. BEIR IV. National Research Council. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

BEIR (1990). Health Effects of Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation. BEIR V. National Research Council. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Bertrand, L.S. (1988). Assessment of Mortality and Morbidity of Chronic Diseases in LaSalle County. Graduate Candidate at Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois.

CFR-40. Code of Federal Regulations, title 40 section 141.

DHEW (1970). Radiological Health Handbook. US Department of Health, Education and Welfare, 1970.

Keane, A.T., Lucas, H.F., Markun, F., Essling, M.A. and Holtzman, R.B. (1986). The estimation and potential radiobiological significance of the intake of ²²⁸Ra by early Ra dial workers in Illinois. Health Physics 51:313-327.

Keane, A.T. and C.W. Mays (1987). Mastoid Carcinoma 52 years after childhood intake of ²²⁶Ra in a man retaining 1kBq: Estimation of skeletal Dose. Radiation Protection Dosimetry 21:197-203.

Kristoff, L.M., D.T. Lordi, and C. Lue-Hing (1990). Radium-226 and Tritium in Public Well Supplies of the Greater Chicago Area. J. Am. Water Works Assoc. March, 1990:77-82.

NCRP, 1984a. Exposures from the uranium series with emphasis on radon and its daughters. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, NCRP Report 77, 1984.

NCRP, 1984b. Evaluation of occupational and environmental exposures to radon and radon daughters in the United States. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, NCRP Report 78, 1984.

NCRP, 1987. Exposure of the population in the United States and Canada from natural background radiation. National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, NCRP Report 94, 1987.

Rundo, J., A.T. Keane, H.F. Lucas, R.A. Schlenker, J.H. Stebbings, and A.F. Stehney (1985). Current (1984) Status of the Study of ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra in Humans at the Center for Human Radiobiology. Strahlentherapie [Sonderb] 80:14-21.

Stebbings, J.H., H.F. Lucas, and A.F. Stehney (1984). Mortality from Cancers of Major Sites in Female Radium Dial Workers. Am. J. Indust. Medicine 5:435-459.

USGS, 1985. National Water Summary 1984. Hydrologic events, selected water-quality trends and ground-water resources. United States Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2275. USGS, 1985.

Weston, R.F. (1988). Site Assessment for Ottawa Radiation Sites, Ottawa, Illinois. Prepared by Roy F. Weston, Inc. under contract 68-01-7367. July, 1988.

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