PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

LOXAHATCHEE NURSERY
PALM CITY, MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA

Conclusions

On the basis of available environmental and toxicologic information, ATSDR concludes that the Loxahatchee Nursery site in Palm City, Florida, poses no apparent public health hazard. This determination is based on the following:

• The levels of contaminants, including 1,2-dichloropropane, detected in private wells are unlikely to result in adverse health effects for residents consuming this well water.

 

• Under site-specific conditions of exposure, the levels of contaminants detected in soil and sediment are unlikely to result in adverse health effects.

The Loxahatchee Nursery site is not currently fenced. One pond is located on site. During ATSDR's site visit, the staff noted that the remaining on-site structures were in a state of disrepair. ATSDR determined that the on-site pond and dilapidated structures could pose a potential physical hazard to area residents, especially children, who trespass on-site.

The future use of the site has not yet been determined; however, it is presumed to be residential. To date, the on-site pond surface water and sediment have not been sampled. Given that only low levels of contaminants were detected in on-site soils and drainage ditch sediments, it is unlikely that the on-site pond contains elevated levels of contaminants. However, ATSDR cannot evaluate the public health implications resulting from exposure to this on-site pond without environmental data.

Recommendations

1. Periodically sample private well water to ensure that residents will not be exposed to constituents in groundwater at levels of health concern in the future.

2. Restrict access to the on-site ponds and dilapidated structures as they could pose a physical hazard to individuals, especially children, who trespass on site.

3. Characterize on-site pond water and sediment to determine the presence or absence of contamination at levels of health concern.

Public Health Action Plan

The actions described in this section are designed to ensure that this public health assessment identifies public health hazards and provides a plan of action to mitigate and prevent adverse health effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.

ATSDR includes a commitment to follow up on this plan and ensure that it is implemented. Public health actions to be implemented are as follows:

• ATSDR will request the validated analytical procedure for flusilazole from FDEP.

 

• ATSDR is considering sampling at the site and testing for the chemical flusilazole.

 

• ATSDR is considering sampling on-site pond water and sediment.

 

• ATSDR will continue to review environmental sampling data as it is made available.

 

• The Martin County Health Department (MCHD), formerly called the Martin County Public Health Unit (MCPHU), plans to periodically monitor the groundwater quality of private potable water sources in the Gull Harbor / Pelican Cove area (HRS, 1996a).

 

• The MCHD plans to review cancer incidence data in response to community concern.

Preparers of Report

Danielle M. Langmann, MS
Environmental Health Scientist
Petition Response Section
Exposure Investigation and Consultation Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation

Frank C. Schnell, PhD, DABT
Toxicologist
Petition Response Section
Exposure Investigation and Consultation Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation

Adele M. Childress, PhD, MSPH
Environmental Health Scientist
Petition Response Section
Exposure Investigation and Consultation Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation

ATSDR Regional Representative:

Carl Blair
Region IV

References

ABB-ES, 1998. ABB Environmental Services, Inc. Loxahatchee Nursery Expanded Site Inspection, Split Sampling Documentation, Letter from Ronald D. White, ABB-ES, to William A. Martin, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. April 30, 1998.

ACS, 1997. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures - 1997, Atlanta, Georgia. 1997.

ATSDR, 1989. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological profile for 1,2-Dichloropropane, Atlanta, Georgia. December 1989.

ATSDR, 1992. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Public Health Assessment Guidance Manual, Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, Michigan. 1992.

ATSDR, 1993. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological profile for Arsenic (Update), Atlanta, Georgia. Report No. TP-92/02. April 1993.

ATSDR, 1994. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological profile for Chlordane (Update), Atlanta, Georgia. Report No. TP-93/03. April 1993.

ATSDR, 1996a. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Record of Activity. Loxahatchee Nursery Site Health Consultation, Atlanta, Georgia. September 30, 1996.

ATSDR, 1996b. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Letter from Robert B. Williams, Director - Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, to the petitioner. December 19, 1996.

ATSDR, 1997. Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Manganese (Update - Draft), Atlanta, Georgia. September 1997.

ATSDR, 1998a. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Record of Activity. Trip Report for March 2-3, 1998 Site Visit, Atlanta, Georgia. March 20, 1998.

ATSDR, 1998b. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Record of Activity. Record of Conversation, Details of telephone conversation between Robert Washam, Florida Department of Health, and Danielle Langmann, ATSDR. Atlanta, Georgia. May 20, 1998.

ATSDR, 1998c. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Record of Activity. Record of Conversation, Details of telephone conversations between Tony Murray, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and Danielle Langmann, ATSDR. Atlanta, Georgia. May 27, 1998.

ATSDR, 1998d. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Record of Activity. Memorandum, Details of memorandum from N. Turner, Sample Control, to Carl Blair, ATSDR. Atlanta, Georgia. May 14, 1998.

ATSDR, 1998e. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry - Record of Activity. Record of Conversation, Details of telephone conversation between Kevin Brown, Black & Veatch Special Project Corp., and Danielle Langmann, ATSDR. Atlanta, Georgia. June 4, 1998.

EPA, 1998a. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region IV. Loxahatchee Nursery Expanded Site Investigation Fact Sheet, Palm City, Florida. March 1998.

EPA, 1998b. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region IV. Results of METALS INORGANIC Sample Analysis, Memorandum from Keith Bates to Randy Bryant containing sampling results. April 17, 1998.

EPA, 1998c. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region IV. Final Field Study Plan Expanded Site Inspection, Prepared for the EPA by Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp. February 3, 1998.

EPA, 1998d. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region IV. Results of PESTICIDES/PCB ORGANIC Sample Analysis, Loxahatchee Nursery, Palm City, Florida, Memorandum from Denise Goddard to Randy Bryant containing sampling results. May 8, 1998.

EPA, 1998e. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region IV. Results of EXTRACTABLES ORGANIC Sample Analysis, Loxahatchee Nursery, Palm City, Florida, Memorandum from Denise Goddard to Randy Bryant containing sampling results. May 8, 1998.

EPA, 1998f. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region IV. Results of VOLATILES ORGANIC Sample Analysis, Loxahatchee Nursery, Palm City, Florida, Memorandum from Denise Goddard to Randy Bryant containing sampling results. May 8, 1998.

EPA, 1998g. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region IV. Results of PESTICIDES/PCB ORGANIC Sample Analysis, Loxahatchee Nursery, Palm City, Florida, Memorandum from Denise Goddard to Randy Bryant containing sampling results for carbendazim. May 13, 1998.

Evergreen Engineering, 1996. Historical Test Results: Loxahatchee Nursery, Results compiled from file sources by Evergreen Engineering for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. January 1996.

FDEP, 1995. Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Loxahatchee Nursery, Letter from Paul Alan Wierzbicki, FDEP, to Bill Thornhill, Durham, North Carolina. May 5, 1995.

FDEP, 1998. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Cleanup, Site Investigation Section. Chemical Analysis Report, Event Name (ID): SIS-1998-03-05-01, Tallahassee, Florida. June 17, 1998.

FNB, 1989. Food and Nutrition Board, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). Subcommittee on the 10th Edition of the RDAs, Washington, DC. 1989.

HRS, 1996a. State of Florida, Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. Palm City Groundwater Contamination, Stuart, Florida. Letter from Robert B. Washam, Environmental Health Director, to Randall Reid, Acting Martin County Administrator. August 1, 1996.

HRS, 1996b. State of Florida, Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, Martin County Public Health Unit. Super Act & Pesticide Sample Results: Gull Harbor/Pelican Cove Subdivision, Palm City, Florida. Sampling data from March, 1992 through July, 1996.

HRS, 1996c. State of Florida, Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. Gull Harbor/Pelican Cove, Palm City, Groundwater Contamination Monitoring, Stuart, Florida. Letter from Robert B. Washam, Environmental Health Director, to Randall Reid, Acting Martin County Administrator with Super Act & Pesticide Sampling Report attached. December 30, 1996.

Ma, Lena Q.; Tan, Fang; Harris, Willie G., 1997. Concentrations and Distributions of Eleven Metals in Florida Soils. In: Journal of Environmental Quality, volume 26, no.3, May-June 1997.

Marcus and Rispin, 1988. Threshold carcinogenicity using arsenic as an example. In: C.R. Cothern, M.A. Mehlman, W.L. Marcus (eds.). Risk Assessment and Risk Management of Industrial and Environmental Chemicals. Vol XV. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Scientific Publishing Co. 133-158. 1988.

McGinnes Laboratories, 1992. Paul R. McGinnes and Associates Consulting Laboratories, Inc. Raw Laboratory Data Reports, West Palm Beach, Florida. Report Date: February 18, 1992.

NRC, 1980. National Research Council, Safe Drinking Water Committee. Drinking Water and Health, Volume 3. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. 1980.

NTP, 1986. National Toxicology Program. Toxicology and Carcinogenesis of 1,2-Dichloropropane (Propylene Dichloride) in F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice (gavage studies). Technical Report No. 263. 1986.

Petition letter, 1996. Petition letter from a resident in Palm City, Florida, to ATSDR. June 11, 1996.

Shacklette and Boerngen, 1984. Element concentrations in soils and other surficial materials of the conterminous United States, U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 1270. Washington, DC. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1984.

Stohrer, 1991. Arsenic: Opportunity for Risk Assessment. Archives of Toxicology; 65: 525-31. 1981.

U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1991. 1990 Census of Population and Housing, Summary Tape File 1A [machine-readable data files]. Washington: The Bureau.

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