PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

METACHEM PRODUCTS, LLC
(a/k/a STANDARD CHLORINE OF DELAWARE, INCORPORATED)
NEW CASTLE, NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE
EPA FACILITY ID: DED041212473

September 22, 2003

Prepared by:

Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PURPOSE

BACKGROUND

Site Description and History
EPA Site Activities
ATSDR Site-Related Activities

DISCUSSION

Community Concerns
Inhalation Pathway (Air Issues)
Dermal Pathway (Soil, Sediment, Surface Water, Products, and Waste Issues)
Soil and Sediment
Surface Water
Products and Process Wastes
Ingestion Pathway (Groundwater and Food Chain Issues)
Crops
Fish
Groundwater
Toxicity of Site-Related Chemicals
Chlorobenzene
1,4-Dichlorobenzene
1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene
Hydrogen Chloride
Benzene

PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS

Children's Susceptibility
Concerns about Specific Diseases
Obesity
Autism
Diabetes
Cancer

CONCLUSIONS

RECOMMENDATIONS AND PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PLAN

PREPARERS OF REPORT

REFERENCES

APPENDIX A: FIGURES

APPENDIX B: FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORIES

APPENDIX C: RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1–Exposure Pathways at the Metachem Site

Table 2–Site Pollutant Emissions in 1996

Table 3–1996 Statewide Peak Ozone Season Daily Emissions

Table 4–1999 Toxics Release Inventory for Delaware

Table 5–Air Toxics Summary Data

Table 6–2002 Air Toxics Summary Data from the MLK-Wilmington, the Ball Field in Delaware City, and Lums Pond Monitoring Stations

Table 7–Battelle Delaware Air Study for EPA in 1989

Table 8–Total Chlorinated Benzene Concentrations in Surface Soil and Sediment

Table 9–EPA 2002 and 2003 Dioxin and PCB Data

Table 10–Dioxin Toxicity Equivalents (TEQ) in Chlorobenzene Products

Table 11–Summary of Red Lion Creek Fish Tissue Analyses in 2000-2001

Table 12–Metachem Chemicals

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1–GIS Demographic Map

Figure 2–Spills in 1981 and 1986

Figure 3–Wilmington Air Toxics Concentrations–Annual Averages

Figure 4–Groundwater Contamination Plume

Figure 5–Aerial Photograph of Metachem Products, LLC and OxyChem Ball Field

Figure 6–Cancer Incidence Rates for 1980-1998

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