Although the available data do not indicate that people are being or have been exposed to
levels of contamination that would be expected to cause adverse health effects, data are not
available for all environmental media to which people may be exposed. Due to data
inadequacies and the potential for bioaccumulation of site-related contaminants into fish
tissue, we have categorized this site as an indeterminate public health hazard.
Soil and other contaminant sources on the site contain contaminants at concentrations above
health-based screening values. Although there is no evidence that people are currently
coming into contact with contaminants in these sources in amounts sufficient to pose a public
health hazard, if in the future the site is used for residential purposes, the public health
significance of the contaminants in these media should be reevaluated.
Although the presence of contaminants in water beneath the site has been documented, there is no evidence of current or past exposure to contaminated groundwater.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PLAN
Actions Planned
EPA plans to begin a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) on the site during the early winter of 1999.
Actions Recommended
Fish tissue of edible species should be analyzed for selenium to determine if eating these fish could pose a threat to public health.
REFERENCES
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. Screening Site Inspection Report.
Rockwool Industries, Inc. Bell County, Texas. TXD066379645. Prepared in cooperation
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. July 1996.
Environmental Protection Agency. Rockwool Industries, Inc. Superfund NPL Assessment
Program (SNAP) Database. Site Update. March 6, 1998.
Fluor Daniel, Inc. Preliminary Assessment for Rockwool Industries, Inc. Belton, Bell County, Texas. EPA ID No. TXD066379645. August 1995.
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. Hazard Ranking System (HRS)
Documentation Record. Volume I of II for Rockwool Industries, Inc. Belton, Bell County,
Texas. TXD066379645. Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency. October 1997.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1991. Census of Population and Housing, Summary Tape File 1 [machine-readable data files]. The Bureau, Washington, D.C.
Texas Department of Health Record of Communication. Site Visit Rockwool Industries,
Inc. October 21, 1998.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Public Health Assessment Guidance
Manual. Lewis Publishers; Boca Raton, 1992.
ATSDR, 1996. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Toxicological Profile for Selenium. Atlanta: ATSDR, Aug. 1996.
Lemly, 1985. Toxicology of selenium in a freshwater reservoir: Implications for environmental hazard evaluation and safety. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety 10:314-338.
Welsh, et al., 1981. Selenium in self-selected diets of Maryland residents. J. Am. Diet Assoc. 79-277-85.
FNB, NRC, 1980. Food and Nutrition Board, National Research Council: Recommended dietary allowances, 9th ed. Washington, D.C: National Academy of Sciences.
Longnecker, et.al., 1991. Selenium in diet, blood, and toenails in relation to human health in a seleniferous area. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 53:1288-94.
Yang, et.al., 1983. Endemic selenium intoxication of humans in China. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 37:872-81.
PREPARERS OF THE REPORT
Susan L. Prosperie, M.S., R.S.
Environmental Specialist
Health Risk Assessment and Toxicology Program
John F. Villanacci, Ph.D.
Director
Health Risk Assessment and Toxicology Program
Keller Thormahlen
Senior Toxicologist
Health Risk Assessment and Toxicology Program
Nancy B. Ingram
Staff Services Officer
Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology Division
Dixie Davis
Administrative Technician I
Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology Division
ATSDR Regional Representatives
Jennifer Lyke
Regional Representative
ATSDR - Region 6
George Pettigrew
Senior Regional Representative
ATSDR - Region 6
CERTIFICATION
The Rockwool Industries, Inc. Public Health Assessment was prepared by the Texas Department of
Health under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). It is in accordance with approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the
Public Health Assessment was initiated.
William Grenin
Technical Project Officer, SPS, SSAB, DHAC
The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, has reviewed this Public Health Assessment and concurs with its findings.
