* UMASS/AMHERST * 312066 0374 7069 1 BAIRD AND MCGUIRE HEALTH ASSESSMENT INFORMATION BOOKLET This information booklet was prepared by the Division of Environmental Health Assessment Massachusetts Department of Public Health 150 Tremont St. Boston, MA 02111 I 1 Health Assessment For Baird and McGuire Norfolk County Holbrook, Massachusetts Draft Public Comment Executive Summary BACKGROUND The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was mandated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) , as amended, to conduct health assessments for all Superfund hazardous waste sites in the country. In 1987 the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) entered into a cooperative agreement program with the federal ATSDR to conduct these health assessments in Massachusetts. The MDPH notified the public of its intent to conduct a health assessment for the Baird and McGuire site during a meeting with the Holbrook Board of Selectmen on November 2, 1989. The meeting was attended by members of the Citizens Task Force and the general public. This document is a final draft for public comment. INTRODUCTION A variety of health and environmental information has been reviewed for purposes of the health assessment. In addition, review of information at the local level and discussions with community representatives have taken place. The Baird and McGuire site is located near the Cochato River in Holbrook, Massachusetts around 400 feet east of the town of Randolph. Contamination associated with the site consists of numerous compounds including arsenic, various insecticides and herbicides, volatile organic compounds, constituents of creosote, and a dioxin, 2,3,7,8-TCDD (which is a common contaminant of the herbicide 2,4,5-T). Contamination was detected in soils, ground water, and sediments at the site. The Cochato River contained contaminated sediments and fish. At the South Street municipal wellfield, contamination was detected below the water table in both the soils and ground water. Community health concerns have been expressed with regard to the children who played at the site and the residents who may have ingested contaminated drinking water. Health impacts alleged by community members as being associated with exposure to the site's contaminants are: (1) various types of cancer and other chronic diseases in individuals who played at the site as children, and (2) perceived increases in overall cancer incidence and reproductive problems in nearby residents. A review of medical and scientific data indicate that a variety of adverse health outcomes could potentially be related to the site. A complete discussion of these outcomes is included in the draft report, however, of particular interest was the effects of a number of contaminants on the immune system, and, a suggested relationship with non-Hodgkin ' s lymphoma incidence and exposure to 2,4-D. It should be emphasized that the health assessment can only provide information on what may have happened in the past. Similarly, if an exposure to the site was deemed possible or likely, important information on the "dose" (or intensity) of the exposure cannot be learned. METHODS Previous studies by DPH and others have lacked sufficient environmental and health outcome data to determine whether or not an environmental health problem existed among residents of Holbrook and Randolph. For purposes of this assessment, a descriptive epidemiologic study was conducted by the MDPH. Available cancer incidence data were examined for the two town area (1982-86) . Standardized Incidence Ratios adjusted for age and sex were calculated for cancers of the stomach, liver, pancreas, lung, hematopoietic/ ret iculoendothel ial systems (i.e., leukemia and multiple myelomas), bladder and kidney. Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin ' s lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, adrenal cancer, malignant melanoma, and brain cancer were also considered in the analysis. The study encompassed the towns of Holbrook and Randolph, but also concentrated on the two census tracts closest to the Baird and McGuire site (census tracts 4211 in Holbrook and 4203 in Randolph) since they are more likely to have received contaminated South Street well water. RESULTS Populations with the greatest potential for past exposure to site-related contaminants are the company's workers, children who played at the site, nearby residents who received drinking water from the South Street wellfield, and recreational fishermen and their families. Although past exposures probably occurred, the chemicals and dosages are hard to determine because of the lack of monitoring data prior to the interim remedial activities. Due to a lack of information on the water distribution system, it is not completely known which residents received the contaminated municipal drinking water nor how much they received, however, residents in CT 4211 and 4203 are most apt to have received this water . Non-Hodgkin ' s lymphoma among females in census tracts 4211 in Holbrook and 4203 in Randolph was statistically significantly elevated compared to the state as a whole. Significant elevations in non-Hodgkin ' s lymphoma incidence were not observed among either sex in the remaining one Holbrook and two Randolph census tracts. Examination of residential and occupational histories of the 22 non-Hodgkin ' s lymphoma cases in the two census tracts closest to the site indicates that most cases were longterm residents (>10 years) and that 55% listed occupation as housewife. Significant elevations were also noted in lung, kidney and bladder cancer, however, examination of smoking status and/or occupational data indicated that these two risk factors v.'ere likely to have played a major role. DISCUSSIONS/CONCLUSIONS Although a causal relationship with the Baird and McGuire site cannot be determined from this study, concern arises because of several observations: (1) residents in these two census tracts, especially 4211 in Holbrook, are most likely to have received municipal water from the South Street wellfield; (2) several compounds, including the herbicide 2,4-D, which are suspected of being associated with non-Hodgkin ' s lymphoma occurrence, have been detected in the subsurface soils at the Baird and McGuire site; and (3) low levels of these compounds have been detected below the water table in the South Street wellfield crossgradient from the site (under natural ground water flow conditions) . Current contaminant exposures are limited because of the interim remedial measures, the fencing of the site, site security, and the closure of the South Street wells; therefore, the potential for health impacts from current exposures is less likely. The extent the Cochato River and the associated lakes are used as a fishery is unknown. In addition, the fish monitoring data are limited. The possible health impact from consumption of Cochato River fish cannot be determined at this tir.e. Due to the current elevations in lung cancer incidence in Hoi brook and Randolph, the emission of small sized particulates containing irser.ic during remediation would be a concern if appropriate engineering controls are not implemented. Evidence indicates that the inhalation of particulate arsenic has a multiplicative effect on the development of lung cancer in cigarette smokers, and the majority of the lung cancer inciJent cases (93%) for which smoking status was reported were current or t?r-er smokers. It should be emphasized however that the potential for developing lung cancer should be reduced due to the conservative rax.-um stack emission level and the use of engineering controls. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the available information, this site currently poses 3 public health concern largely resulting from past exposures. As a result of this, a number of recommendations have been made. Most importantly a follow-up health study will be designed by the Division of Environmental Health Assessment in collaboration with the State Laboratory Institute to determine whether or not the health of residents of census tracts 42 11 and 4203 has been adversely impacted as a result of potential environmental exposures. This site will also be considered by ATSDR for inclusion in a multi-site study utilizing biomarkers to evaluate the health impact of the site. In addition, a community health education program should be developed to discourage cigarette smoking. Guidance on how to develop a community program will be provided by the MDPH to the local boards of health. Finally, a physician education program should be developed, so that, the local medical community will know how people might have been exposed to contamination from the site and what health effects might occur. This activity will be conducted by the MDPH. ATSDR will provide resource information for both programs. FOR PUBLIC COMMENT The document can be reviewed at either the Holbrook or Randolph town libraries. To obtain the document or an information booklet, contact the MDPH Division of Environmental Health Assessment at (617) 727-7170. Comments should be submitted to the following address by December 1, 1990. Attention: Eileen Furlong Division of Environmental Health Assessment Massachusetts Department of Public Health 150 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02111 ^1 ! QUESTIONS ABOUT IHE HEAUH ASSESSMEm* 1. Q. VVhat is a health assessment? A. A health assessment is a process used to determine the possibility of adverse public health inpacts from past, current, and future exposures to contaminants from a Superfund site. Infonnation about environmental exposure (s), toxicology of the contaminants, the available health outcome data for the community (such as cancer incidence data) , and the community's health concerns are used to determine the level of concern for the site. The types of recommendations for follow-up activities are based on the level of concern . 2. Q. Why was the health assessment done for the Baird and McGuire site? A. The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was mandated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) , as amended, to conduct health assessments for all National Priority List (Superfund) hazardous waste sites in the country. In 1987 the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) , Division of Environmental Health Assessment, entered into a cooperative agreement with the ATSDR to conduct these health assessments in Massachusetts. The workplan for FY-90 included the Baird and McGuire site as one that needed to be performed. 3. Q. \