STAUFFER CHEMICAL COMPANY (TARPON SPRINGS)
TARPON SPRINGS, PINELLAS COUNTY, FLORIDA
CONCLUSIONS
Phosphate slag from the Stauffer Chemical Superfund site reportedly has been used as
concrete aggregate in homes, roads and roadbeds in the Tarpon Springs and Holiday, Florida vicinity.
Although there is elevated background radiation from radium-containing slag and aggregate,
the total background dose to a maximally exposed child in residence #1 is roughly the
national average background dose of 300 mrem per year.
Annual background dose contribution from building materials to the maximally exposed
child in residence #1 does not exceed the NCRP's recommended limit of 500 mrem per year.
Phosphate slag at sampled vicinity properties, does not appear to contain sufficient leachable
heavy metals to represent a public health hazard, based on current medical, epidemiological and toxicological information.
Combined exposures from driveways and roads containing phosphate slag are not a health threat.
RECOMMENDATION
The ATSDR recommends that public health education be provided to help the public better
understand that there is currently no general public health hazard posed by the phosphate
slag and to provide information to community members on the environmental health effects
presented in the Stauffer Chemical Vicinity Properties public health assessment addendum.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PLAN
The public health action plan for the Stauffer Chemical Vicinity Properties contains a description of
actions to be taken by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and other
government agencies at and in the vicinity of the site after the completion of this public health
assessment. The purpose of this Public Health Action Plan is to ensure that this public health
assessment not only identifies public health hazards but also provides a plan of action designed to
mitigate and prevent adverse human health effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances
in the environment.
Upon request from the public, the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) will develop and
implement an environmental health education program to help community members understand the
potential for past exposure and to provide information on assessing any adverse health occurrences
that might be related to phosphate slag.
PREPARER OF REPORT
Author
Michael D. Brooks, CHP
Health Physicist
Federal Facilities Assessment Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
ATSDR
REFERENCES
Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC, 1990 Census Data
Files.
Memorandum dated September 2, 1998, from Rick Button, Health Physicist to John
Blanchard, Remedial Project Manager, US EPA. Report on radiological surveys conducted
and observations for the offsite Stauffer Chemical visit of August, 1998 in Tarpon Springs, FL.
Memorandum dated September 17, 1998, from John Griggs, Chief Monitoring and
Analytical Services Branch to John Blanchard, US EPA Region IV, Waste Division.
Radiochemical results for Tarpon Springs Samples.
Florida Department of Health. Preliminary Public Health Assessment for Stauffer Chemical
Company/Tarpon Springs, Tarpon Springs, Pinellas County, Florida. FDOH: Tallahassee,
August 4, 1993.
Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental Toxicology, Under Cooperative
Agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Health Consultation
for the Gulfside Elementary School, Holiday, Florida dated June 18, 1998.
ICRP (1990). International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP)
Recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. ICRP
Publication 60. New York: Pergamon Press. 1990.
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Distribution in Time on Dose-Response Relationships for Low-LET Radiations, NCRP
Report No. 64. NCRP: Bethesda, 1980.
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Limitation of Exposure to
Ionizing Radiation, NCRP Report No. 116. NCRP: Bethesda, March 31, 1993.
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Exposure of the Population in
the United States and Canada from Natural Background Radiation, NCRP Report No. 94.
NCRP: Bethesda, December 30, 1987.
National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. Ionizing Radiation Exposure
of the Population in the United States, NCRP Report No. 93. NCRP: Bethesda, September
1, 1987.
