HEALTH CONSULTATION
OREGON STATE PENITENTIARY
SALEM, MARION COUNTY, OREGON
This Health Consultation addresses environmental contamination of the groundwater in and around the Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP) in Salem, Oregon. The primary contaminants of concern at this site are tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). The consult explores pathways of human exposure to these contaminants and considers the possibility of health effects. This Health Consultation was requested by ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) Region X Office, Richard Kauffman, Senior Representative.
The Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP) is a 306 acre site located in Salem, Marion County, Oregon. The penitentiary buildings are predominantly located on the west side of the site, while the east side of the site is an open field. Adjacent to the site to the north is the Oregon State Hospital facility. Single-family and multi-family residential use property is located west of the site. [See Attachment 1 map.]
The State of Oregon has owned and operated the property as a penitentiary since approximately 1865. An industrial laundry facility is located in the northwest quadrant of the property and currently includes approximately 28,880 square feet of building space. According to personnel at OSP, dry cleaning and laundering operations have occurred at the site since the late 1950s. In 1983, the facility was remodeled to automate and upgrade laundry and dry cleaning operations with new equipment. Drinking water supplies for OSP were derived from on-site drinking water wells between approximately 1866 and 1989, when OSP was put on water supplied by the city of Salem. [1]
In October 1989, the Oregon Department of Corrections sampled four water supply wells located at the Oregon State Penitentiary, in anticipation of testing required by law with the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Various chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in two wells. Subsequent investigations confirmed that the groundwater had been impacted with VOCs, primarily consisting of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), which were likely the result of past dry cleaning operations at the site. PCE levels in one well were as high as 1690 ppb and TCE levels were as high as 61 ppb. [1]
Since 1991 various investigations and studies were performed under the supervision of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as part of the voluntary cleanup program. [2, 4] A plume of contaminated groundwater extends from the OSP facility toward nearby residential areas to the west-northwest. Some of the key facts about the investigations are summarized below:
A. EXPOSURE TO CHLORINATED SOLVENTS AT THIS SITE
There are still a number of uncertainties and questions about the degree of exposure at this site. Consideration should be given to three distinct populations-penitentiary staff, inmates, and community members. A completed pathway in the past has exposed both OSP staff and inmates. This exposure has been stopped, but it is unclear what degree of exposure occurred and what potential human health effects, if any, might be anticipated. Community members are now dealing with a contaminated plume of groundwater moving beneath their residential area. Past exposure of this population at significant levels is doubtful, but potential future exposure is possible if water from this plume reaches any private wells which are still in use. If the contaminated groundwater plume reaches wells which are still in use for household purposes and plume contaminants do not attenuate significantly, exposures would potentially be above acceptable drinking water guidelines for PCE and TCE.
The Oregon Department of Corrections has contracted with SECOR International Incorporated to better characterize the plume of contaminated groundwater. Halogenated volatile organic compounds detected during the previous and current sampling events include tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (DCE), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA). Calculated relative groundwater elevations were used to infer the groundwater flow direction and gradient at the site. Based on static water level (SWL) data collected from the shallow groundwater monitoring wells the inferred groundwater flow direction in the shallow aquifer zone across the OSP facility and the residential area was oriented in a northwesterly direction under an average gradient of 0.007 foot per foot (ft/ft). Based on SWL measurements the inferred groundwater flow direction in the intermediate aquifer zone was oriented to the west-northwest under an average gradient of 0.004 ft/ft. SWL measurements from the deep aquifer zone indicates groundwater gradient and flow direction in the deep zone are similar to the intermediate zone. Transport time of the contaminants in the plume over the past 30-40 years was estimated at 57 to 71 ft/yr. Over the next 50 years a rate between 123 and 174 ft/yr is estimated. [2]
The significance of the plume to off-site exposures may need further characterization. The basic issue is whether any private wells might be pumping from a contaminated aquifer, and whether any of this water is being used for drinking or other household purposes. Field work has been done attempting to answer these questions, but ongoing surveillance is needed.
The Oregon State Penitentiary has recently installed an interim cleanup system. This system consists of a groundwater extraction well (RW-1 on attached map) and a treatment system that will treat groundwater that is pumped from the well. This system will provide data that is required to better understand how the groundwater moves beneath the site and is designed to prevent further migration of the groundwater plume into the residential neighborhood. It will also have a carbon recovery filter system to minimize release of volatilized contaminants into ambient air. If this carbon filter system is in place, exposure of individuals by off-gassing from the system should not occur. SECOR International Incorporated (SECOR) has been contracted by the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) to conduct remedial investigation (RI) activities at the Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP). [2]
Past exposure of Oregon State Penitentiary staff and inmates by contaminated soil is a potential pathway. Details of how the chlorinated organic compounds left the laundry facilities and entered the groundwater are not known. It is presumed that the contaminants leaked or were poured onto soil which would then prove an additional pathway through soil ingestion and dermal absorption. Significant soil contamination is not currently detected at the site. [2]
Concern by residents regarding possible exposure through flooding of basements has been expressed in the past. Contaminants in the groundwater are too deep to enter these basement spaces. Volatilization through the soil at significant levels is unlikely. The likely source of basement flooding is surface water, which has not been shown to be contaminated.
Completed Pathways of Exposure
| Media | Route of Exposure | Exposure Point | Exposed Population | Time |
| Groundwater | Ingestion Inhalation of aerosol Dermal absorption |
Tap Shower/bath Shower/bath |
Staff/Inmates | Past |
Potential Pathways of Exposure
| Media | Route of Exposure | Exposure Point | Exposed Population | Time |
| Soil | Ingestion Dermal absorption |
OSP grounds | Staff/Inmates Staff/Inmates |
Past Past |
| Groundwater | Ingestion Inhalation of aerosol Dermal absorption |
Contaminated private wells used for domestic water | Residents | Future |
| Air | Inhalation | Air stripping system | Residents | Future |
B. TOXICOLOGY AND HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE OF CONTAMINANTS
AT THIS SITE
The chlorinated solvents at this site consist of tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and various breakdown products of these chemicals. A brief description of PCE and TCE is included as Attachment II and includes their use, environmental fate, and possible health effects [5, 6].
Although no significant exposures are occurring at present, it is clear that past exposure of workers and inmates to PCE and TCE at this site did occur. Water that was being used for drinking, bathing, and other purposes was documented in 1989 to be contaminated. The chlorinated solvents in this water may have been present for as long as 30 years (since the late 1950s). Additionally, potential future exposure pathways to nearby community members should be considered as the contaminated groundwater plume moves off-site.
Prepared by:
Robert H. Johnson, MD
Concurrence by:
Susan Moore
Figure 1. Site Plan with Monitoring Well Locations
1. Tetrachloroethylene
Tetrachloroethylene is a synthetic chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning fabrics and for metal-degreasing operations. It is also used as a starting material (building block) for making other chemicals and is used in some consumer products. Other names for tetrachloroethylene include perchloroethylene, PCE, perc, tetrachloroethene, perclene, and perchlor. It is a nonflammable liquid at room temperature. It evaporates easily into the air and has a sharp, sweet odor.
Tetrachloroethylene enters the environment mostly by evaporating into the air during use. It can also get into water supplies and the soil during disposal of sewage sludge and factory waste. Tetrachloroethylene may also get into the air, soil, or water by leaking or evaporating from storage and waste sites. It can stay in the air for several months before it is broken down into other chemicals or is brought back down to the soil and water by rain. Some of the chemicals that are formed from tetrachloroethylene may be harmful if encountered in high, toxic concentrations.
Much of the tetrachloroethylene that gets into water and soil will evaporate to the air. However, because tetrachloroethylene can travel through many soils quite easily, it can get into underground drinking water supplies. Tetrachloroethylene that gets into underground water may stay there for many months without being broken down. If conditions are right, bacteria will break down some of it and some of the chemicals formed may also be harmful. Under some conditions, tetrachloroethylene may stick to the soil and stay there.
In general, tetrachloroethylene levels in air are higher in cities or industrial areas where it is in use than in more rural or remote areas. You can smell it at levels of 1 ppm in air. However, the background level of tetrachloroethylene in air in rural areas is less than 1 part in 1 billion parts of air (ppb). The air close to dry cleaning shops and chemical waste sites has levels of tetrachloroethylene higher than background levels. These levels are still less than 1 ppm, the level at which you can smell it. Water, both above and below ground, may contain tetrachloroethylene. Levels in water are also usually less than 1 ppb. Levels in contaminated water near disposal sites are higher than levels in water far away from those sites. Water polluted with tetrachloroethylene may have levels greater than 1 ppm. In soil, background levels are probably 100-1,000 times lower than 1 ppm.
Tetrachloroethylene can enter your body when you breathe air containing it. How much enters your body by this route depends on how much of the chemical is in the air, how fast and deeply you are breathing, and how long you are exposed to it. Tetrachloroethylene may also enter your body when you drink water or eat food containing the chemical. How much enters your body depends on how much of the chemical you drink or eat. These two routes are the most likely ways people will take in tetrachloroethylene. These are also the most likely ways that people living near areas polluted with the chemical, such as hazardous waste sites, might take in tetrachloroethylene. If tetrachloroethylene is placed directly on your skin, a portion of it can pass through your skin into your body. Very little tetrachloroethylene in the air can pass through your skin into your body.
Most tetrachloroethylene leaves your body from your lungs when you breathe out. This is true whether you take up the chemical by breathing, drinking, eating, or touching it. A small amount of the tetrachloroethylene is changed by your body into other chemicals that are removed from your body in urine. One of these chemicals, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), is also thought to be harmful. Most of the changed tetrachloroethylene leaves your body in a few days. Some of the tetrachloroethylene that you take in is found in the blood and other tissues, especially body fat. Part of the tetrachloroethylene that is stored in fat may stay in your body for several days or weeks before it is eliminated.
Results of animal studies, conducted with amounts much higher than those that most people are exposed to, show that tetrachloroethylene can cause liver and kidney damage and liver and kidney cancers. Although it has not been shown to cause cancer in people, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that tetrachloroethylene may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has determined that tetrachloroethylene is possibly carcinogenic to humans. Tetrachloroethylene can be toxic to the unborn pups of pregnant rats and mice. Changes in behavior were observed in the offspring of rats that breathed high levels of the chemical while they were pregnant. Rats that were given oral doses of tetrachloroethylene when they were very young, when their brains were still developing, were hyperactive when they became adults. How tetrachloroethylene may affect the developing brain in human babies is not known.
The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. EPA has recommended limits on how much tetrachloroethylene can be present in drinking water. EPA recommends that there should not be more than 5 parts per billion (ppb) in the drinking water.
2. Trichloroethylene
Trichloroethylene is also known as Triclene and Vitran and by other trade names in industry. It is a nonflammable, colorless liquid at room temperature with a somewhat sweet odor and a sweet, burning taste. This manmade chemical does not occur naturally in the environment. Trichloroethylene is now mainly used as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts. It is also used as a solvent in other ways and is used to make other chemicals. Trichloroethylene can also be found in some household products, including typewriter correction fluid, paint removers, adhesives, and spot removers.
By far, the biggest source of trichloroethylene in the environment is evaporation from factories that use it to remove grease from metals. It can also enter the air and water when it is disposed of at chemical waste sites. It evaporates easily but can stay in the soil and in groundwater. Once it is in the air, about half will be broken down within a week. When trichloroethylene is broken down in the air, phosgene, a lung irritant, can be formed. Under certain conditions found in the workplace, trichloroethylene can break down into chemicals such as dichloroacetylene and phosgene. In the body, trichloroethylene may break down into dichloroacetic acid (DCA), trichloroacetic acid (TCA), chloral hydrate, and 2-chloroacetaldehyde. These chemical products have been shown to be toxic to animals and are probably toxic to humans.
Once trichloroethylene is in water, much will evaporate into the air again and about half will break down within a week. It will take days to weeks to break down in surface water; in groundwater the breakdown is much slower because of the much slower evaporation rate. Very little trichloroethylene breaks down in the soil, and it can pass through the soil into underground water. It is found in some foods; the trichloroethylene found in foods is believed to come from contamination of the water used in food processing, or from the food processing equipment cleaned with trichloroethylene.
Trichloroethylene is found in the outdoor air at levels far less than 1 ppm. When measured several years ago, some of the water supplies in the United States were found to have trichloroethylene. The most recent monitoring study found mean levels in surface water ranging from 0.0001 to 0.001 parts of trichloroethylene per million parts (ppm) of water and a mean level of 0.007 ppm in groundwater. About 400,000 workers are exposed to trichloroethylene in the United States on a full-time (i.e., a 40-hour workweek) basis. The chemical can also get into the air or water in many ways-for example, at waste treatment facilities; by evaporation from paints, glues, and other products; or by release from factories where it is made. Another way you may be exposed is by breathing the air around factories that use the chemical. People living near hazardous waste sites may be exposed to it in the air or in their drinking water, or in the water used for bathing or cooking. Products that may contain trichloroethylene are some types of typewriter correction fluids, paints and paint removers, glues, spot removers, rug cleaning fluids, and metal cleaners.
Trichloroethylene enters your body when you breathe air or drink water containing it. It can also enter your body if you get it on your skin. You could be exposed to contaminated water or air if you live near or work in a factory that uses trichloroethylene or if you live near a waste disposal site that contains trichloroethylene. If you breathe the chemical, about half the amount you breathe in will get into your bloodstream and organs; you will exhale the rest. If you drink trichloroethylene, most of it will be absorbed into your blood. If trichloroethylene comes in contact with your skin, some of it can enter your body, although not as easily as when you breathe or swallow it.
Once in your blood, your liver changes much of the trichloroethylene into other chemicals. The majority of these breakdown products leave your body in the urine within a day. You will also quickly breathe out much of the trichloroethylene that is in your bloodstream. Some of the trichloroethylene or its breakdown products can be stored in body fat for a brief period, and thus may build up in your body if exposure continues.
It is uncertain whether people who breathe air or drink water containing trichloroethylene are at higher risk of cancer or if their children have more birth defects. At a site in Woburn, Massachusetts, people who used water for several years from two wells that had high levels of trichloroethylene may have had a higher incidence of childhood leukemia than other people. Increased numbers of children were reported to be born with cardiac abnormalities, a finding which is supported by data from some animal studies showing developmental effects of trichloroethylene on the heart. However, other chemicals were also in the water from this well. We do not have any clear evidence that trichloroethylene alone can cause leukemia or any other type of cancer in humans.
As part of the National Exposure Registry, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) compiled data on 4,280 residents of three states (Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana) who had environmental exposure to trichloroethylene. It found no definitive evidence for an excess of cancers from trichloroethylene exposure. In studies using high doses of trichloroethylene in rats and mice, tumors in the lungs, liver, and testes were found, providing some evidence that high doses of trichloroethylene can cause cancer in experimental animals. We do not know if trichloroethylene affects human reproduction.
Some tests can show if you have been recently exposed to trichloroethylene since this chemical can be measured in your breath. Also, a doctor can have a number of breakdown products of trichloroethylene measured in your urine or blood. None of these tests, however, are routinely available at your doctor's office. If the measurements are done soon after the exposure, the breath levels can indicate whether you have been exposed to a large amount of trichloroethylene or only a small amount. Urine and blood tests can also show if you have been exposed to large amounts of this chemical. Because one of the breakdown products leaves your body very slowly, it can be measured in the urine for up to one week after trichloroethylene exposure. However, exposure to other similar chemicals can produce the same breakdown products in your urine and blood. Therefore, these methods cannot determine for sure whether you have been exposed to trichloroethylene.
ATSDR maintains a registry of individuals in various locations around the country who have been exposed to TCE. [7] Approximately 4,300 people are participating in the ATSDR TCE exposure subregistry. The participants were exposed to 2 ppb to 19,380 ppb of TCE in drinking water for up to 18 years. Information from the TCE exposure subregistry indicates that participants in the subregistry reported that they had more health problems than what is normally expected, however, only the rate for strokes was reported to increase with increasing concentration of TCE in drinking water. This suggests that there may be a relationship between exposure to TCE and an increased chance of having a stroke. However, these results do not prove a cause and effect relationship. In addition, the current scientific literature does not document any known association of stroke and TCE exposure. [5,6]
The federal government develops regulations and recommendations to protect public health. EPA has set a drinking water standard of 5 parts of trichloroethylene per one billion parts of water (ppb). This standard became effective on January 9, 1989, and applies to community and other water systems that serve the same 25 or more persons for at least 6 months.
