National Priorities List Sites Research Articles

Abstract 853: Assessment of racial and ethnic disparities in environmental exposure-related cancer burden

Abstract The United States Environmental Protection Agency designates superfund sites as regions contaminated with hazardous waste. These sites have previously been associated with adverse health outcomes, including an increased incidence of cancer. Historically, communities with racial and ethnic minorities and people of low socioeconomic status have served as prime locations for these sites, as these communities have lacked the ability to advocate against this land use. Here, we ask whether racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately exposed to these sites or other regions of hazardous waste in our catchment area at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, and in the state of Ohio. Further, we are examining whether areas of high exposure are associated with adverse health outcomes including higher cancer incidence and mortality. We utilized the Environmental Justice Index (EJI) database from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess, on a census tract level, the percent of racial and ethnic minorities in a region, defined as all persons except white, non-Hispanic individuals. We also queried hazardous and toxic waste sites including regions with a national priority list site, a toxic release inventory site, treatment, storage, and disposal sites, risk management plan sites, coal mines, and lead mines. We intersected these data and found that census tracts with a higher percentage of minority persons were more likely to be exposed to hazardous and toxic sites. Our current studies are assessing whether this high environmental burden is contributing to disproportionately worse cancer burden for these individuals. We will test this by comparing EJI data with data from the Ohio Cancer Incidence Surveillance System database to assess cancer incidence and mortality in Ohio. This will also provide an avenue for identifying specific exposures that may contribute to different cancer types. Further, we plan to assess if persons with low socioeconomic status or those living with disabilities are disproportionately affected by environmental burden. Overall, understanding environmental burden and health outcomes will facilitate the prioritization of communities at greatest need, contributing to greater health equity. Citation Format: Jessica R. Bobbitt, Fangzhou Liu, Jennifer Cullen, Ruth A. Keri. Assessment of racial and ethnic disparities in environmental exposure-related cancer burden [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 853.

Environmental justice burden and Black-White disparities in spontaneous preterm birth in Harris County, Texas.

Given limited evidence of previous studies, we evaluated the role of environmental justice (EJ) burden (i.e., a neighborhood characterized by both increased environmental burden and socioeconomic deprivation) in Black-White disparities in spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) in Harris County, Texas and compared results that evaluated neighborhood-level socioeconomic deprivation alone. We conducted a retrospective analysis using PeriBank, a database and biospecimen repository of gravidae giving birth at two hospitals in the Texas Medical Center. We included 3,703 non-Hispanic Black and 5,475 non-Hispanic white gravidae who were U.S.-born, delivered from August 2011-December 2020, and resided in Harris County, TX. We used data from the U.S. EPA EJScreen to characterize the EJ burden of participant's zip code of residence from fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone, and proximity to National Priorities List (NPL) sites and calculated zip-code level Area Deprivation Index (ADI). We assessed the contribution of neighborhood-level variables to the Black-White disparity in sPTB by evaluating attenuation of the odds ratio (OR) representing the effect of race in multivariable logistic regression models, controlling for individual-level characteristics. We also conducted race-stratified analyses between each neighborhood variable and sPTB. Exposure indices were treated as continuous variables; in stratified models, ORs and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) are presented per 10-unit increase in the neighborhood variable. Accounting for individual-level variables, Black gravidae had 79% higher odds of sPTB than white gravidae (OR = 1.79, 95%CI = 1.32, 2.44); the disparity was moderately attenuated when accounting for EJ burden or ADI (ORs ranged from 1.58 to 1.69). Though we observed no association between any of the EJ burden indices and sPTB among white gravidae, we found increased risks among Black gravidae, with ORs of similar magnitude for each EJ variable. For example, Black gravidae experienced 17% increased odds of sPTB associated with a 10-unit increase in the EJ burden index for PM2.5 (OR = 1.17, 95%CI = 0.97, 1.40). No racial differences were observed in the association of ADI with sPTB. Though we observed limited evidence of the contribution of living in EJ neighborhoods to the Black-White disparity in sPTB, our study suggests living in an EJ neighborhood may differentially impact Black and white gravidae.

Pediatric Cancer in the Northeast United States-Letter.

To the Editor,Rees and colleagues (1) examined whether the pediatric cancer rate in the Northeast region is higher than in other regions of the United States. In June 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report indicating that New Hampshire's (NH) pediatric cancer rate is the highest in the United States (2). The NH Department of Health and Human Services determined that the pediatric incidence rate of two rare cancers was significantly higher than expected in a five-town area of NH (3). Understanding whether cancer rates are significantly higher in any particular region and/or state is an important component of identifying and modifying causal risk factors.Rees and colleagues concluded that the pediatric cancer rate in the Northeast region is statistically significantly higher than in other regions. Furthermore, they conclude that the causal risk factor(s) for NH pediatric cancers are likely regional, not localized, deemphasizing environmental contributors while noting that NH and the northeast region have more United States Environmental Protection Agency National Priorities List sites per capita than other regions of the United States.While we are grateful for the attention to the alarming CDC report, we take strong issue with the conclusions drawn by the authors. The hypothesis did not test whether the NH pediatric cancer rate is different than other states within the Northeast region or whether the regional cancer rate is driven primarily by NH. The conclusions in this article are an overextension of the analysis and are a disservice to the important task of identifying and modifying localized causal risk factors for cancer prevention.A significantly elevated regional risk of pediatric cancer in the Northeast is a valuable finding and one piece of a larger puzzle of data analysis and interpretation. The high incidence rate in the Northeast and NH demands further investigation. There are many contextual effects of pediatric cancers to explore; there are also geographic community-level exposures that potentially contribute to an increased risk of cancer [e.g., perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)-contaminated drinking water and air]. The authors have access to individual-level data which would facilitate analysis of possible community-level contextual effects contributing to elevated cancer risk. For example, we recently found an elevated risk of several types of cancer in a community with known PFAS contamination in groundwater (4).Finally, it is worth noting that the authors used a Bonferroni correction to avoid type 1 error, in which the null hypothesis is rejected for spurious associations resulting from multiple comparisons. A conservative alpha of 0.01, rather than the standard alpha of 0.05, was used to assess statistical significance. Biostatisticians debate the necessity of conservative alphas, given large adjustments to avoid a type 1 error increase the likelihood of a type 2 error, where meaningful group differences are missed. We suggest a more prudent approach rather than one that risks an unwarranted trade-off in the likelihood of type 1 and 2 errors. In fact, the CDC used a 95% confidence interval when they determined that the pediatric cancer rate in NH is the highest in the nation.A full and transparent assessment of the environmental and public health damage is an essential step in that process since most cancer diagnoses could be prevented by minimizing environmental causes (5). The field would be well served by using resources to inspect internal surveillance, policies, and regulations to prevent environmental exposure and focus attention and resources on prevention and mitigation. We sincerely hope that Rees and colleagues, and others, direct resources to identifying and modifying localized factors contributing to cancers while focusing on prevention. We owe it to NH children who experience the highest risk of pediatric cancer in the nation.See the Response, p. 150No disclosures were reported.

Identification of Legacy and Active Sources of Metal Contamination in Soils in Brooklyn, NY.

The purpose of this study was to examine the spatial distribution and potential anthropogenic sources of lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe) in surface soils throughout Brooklyn, NY. We collected soil samples (n = 1,373) from 176 different New York City parks. Samples were analyzed ex-situ using a portable X-ray fluorescence with a subset of samples laboratory confirmed. The effect of multiple sources on concentrations were determined by multivariable linear regression with generalized estimating equations. Median concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn were 108ppm, 145ppm, 49ppm, 14,034ppm, and 279ppm, respectively. All metals were significantly correlated with one another (p < 0.001), with the strength of the correlation ranging from a low of approximately ρ = 0.3 (Pb-Mn and Zn-Mn) to a high of ρ = 0.7 (Pb-Cu). In final multivariate modeling significant association were observed between scrap yards and Mn concentration (β = 0.075, 0.019), National Priorities List (NPL) sites and Pb, Fe and Mn (β = 0.134, p = 0.004; β = 0.038, p = 0.014; β = 0.057, p = 0.037, respectively), and bridges nearby and Pb and Zn (β = 0.106, p = 0.003; β = 0.076, p = 0.026, respectively). Although manufacturing and industry have mostly left the area, smaller scrap metal recyclers are abundant and associated with increased Cu and Mn soil concentrations. In addition, NPL sites contributed to increased concentrations of all five metals within 800m. Roadways have long been established to be sources of urban pollution; however, in our study we also found the presence of bridges within 800m were also strongly predictive of increased Pb, Cu, and Zn concentrations.

Coverage of National Priority List sites by the print media during the implementation of Superfund: the role of race and income

AbstractWe review 1982–1984 articles identifying Superfund sites in three national newspapers. Articles almost never identify the race of nearby residents. Based on sites receiving disproportionate coverage, readers might conclude that Superfund generally affected white, working-class families, but results do not support this narrative. In a pooled sample, neither race nor income predicts the number of times a site gets mentioned. When the sample is partitioned by newspaper or by each newspaper's coverage of nearby sites, a positive relationship emerges between the proportion of Hispanic or nonwhite residents and the number of articles about a site. We discuss this apparent contradiction.

Biosensor applications in contaminated estuaries: Implications for disaster research response

Background: Given the time and monetary costs associated with traditional analytical chemistry, there remains a need to rapidly characterize environmental samples for priority analysis, especially within disaster research response (DR2). As PAHs are both ubiquitous and occur as complex mixtures at many National Priority List sites, these compounds are of interest for post-disaster exposures. Objective: This study tests the field application of the KinExA Inline Biosensor in Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel (GB/HSC) and in the Elizabeth River, characterizing the PAH profiles of these region's soils and sediments. To our knowledge, this is the first application of the biosensor to include soils. Methods: The biosensor enables calculation of total free PAHs in porewater (C free), which is confirmed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. To determine potential risk of the collected soils the United States Environmental Protection (USEPA) Agency's Regional Screening Level (RSL) Calculator is used along with the USEPA Region 4 Ecological Screening Values (R4-ESV) and Refined Screening Values (R4-RSV). Results: Based on GC-MS results, all samples had PAH-related hazard indices below 1, indicating low noncarcinogenic risks, but some samples exceeded screening levels for PAH-associated cancer risks. Combining biosensor-based C free with Total Organic Carbon yields predictions highly correlated (r > 0.5) both with total PAH concentrations as well as with hazard indices and cancer risks. Additionally, several individual parent PAH concentrations in both the GB/HSC and Elizabeth River sediments exceeded the R4- ESV and R4-RSV values, indicating a need for follow-up sediment studies. Conclusions: The resulting data support the utility of the biosensor for future DR2 efforts to characterize PAH contamination, enabling preliminary PAH exposure risk screening to aid in prioritization of environmental sample analysis.

COVID-19 prevalence and fatality rates in association with air pollution emission concentrations and emission sources

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is primarily respiratory in nature, and as such, there is interest in examining whether air pollution might contribute to disease susceptibility or outcome. We merged data on COVID-19 cumulative prevalence and fatality rates as of May 31, 2020 with 2014–2019 pollution data from the US Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Justice Screen (EJSCREEN), with control for state testing rates, population density, and population covariate data from the County Health Rankings. Pollution data included three types of air emission concentrations (particulate matter<2.5 μm (PM2.5), ozone and diesel particulate matter (DPM)), and four pollution source variables (proximity to traffic, National Priority List sites, Risk Management Plan (RMP) sites, and hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDFs)). Results of mixed model linear multiple regression analyses indicated that, controlling for covariates, COVID-19 prevalence and fatality rates were significantly associated with greater DPM. Proximity to TSDFs was associated to greater fatality rates, and proximity to RMPs was associated with greater prevalence rates. Results are consistent with previous research indicating that air pollution increases susceptibility to respiratory viral pathogens. Results should be interpreted cautiously given the ecological design, the time lag between exposure and outcome, and the uncertainties in measuring COVID-19 prevalence. Areas with worse prior air quality, especially higher concentrations of diesel exhaust, may be at greater COVID-19 risk, although further studies are needed to confirm these relationships.

Effects of Arsenic on Trichloroethene-Dechlorination Activities of Dehalococcoides mccartyi 195.

Arsenic and trichloroethene (TCE) are among the most prevalent groundwater contaminants in the United States. Co-contamination of these two compounds has been detected at 63% of current TCE-contaminated National Priorities List sites. When in situ TCE reductive dechlorination is stimulated by the addition of fermentable substrates to generate a reducing environment, the presence of arsenic can be problematic because of the potential for increased mobilization and toxicity caused by the reduction of arsenate [As(V)] to arsenite [As(III)]. This study assesses the effects of arsenic exposure on the TCE-dechlorinating activities of Dehalococcoides mccartyi strain 195. Our results indicate that 9.1 μM As(III) caused a 50% decrease in D. mccartyi cell growth. While As(V) concentrations up to 200 μM did not initially impact TCE dechlorination, inhibition was observed in cultures amended with 200 μM As(V) and 100 μM As(V) in 12 and 17 days, respectively, corresponding with the accumulation of As(III). Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed to evaluate cellular responses to both As(V) and As(III) stress. Amendment of amino acids enhanced arsenic tolerance of D. mccartyi. Results from this study improve our understanding of potential inhibitions of D. mccartyi metabolism caused by arsenic and can inform the design of bioremediation strategies at co-contaminated sites.

In vivo and in vitro methods for evaluating soil arsenic bioavailability: relevant to human health risk assessment

ABSTRACTArsenic (As) is the most frequently occurring contaminant on the priority list of hazardous substances, which lists substances of greatest public health concern to people living at or near U.S. National Priorities List site. Accurate assessment of human health risks from exposure to As-contaminated soils depends on estimating its bioavailability, defined as the fraction of ingested As absorbed across the gastrointestinal barrier and available for systemic distribution and metabolism. Arsenic bioavailability varies among soils and is influenced by site-specific soil physical and chemical characteristics and internal biological factors. This review describes the state-of-the science that supports our understanding of oral bioavailability of soil As, the methods that are currently being explored for estimating soil As relative bioavailability (RBA), and future research areas that could improve our prediction of the oral RBA of soil As in humans. The following topics are addressed: (1) As soil geochemistry; (2) As toxicology; (3) in vivo models for estimating As RBA; (4) in vitro bioaccessibility methods; and (5) conclusions and research needs.

Recent Trends in the Selection of Remedies for Groundwater, Soil, and Sediment at Superfund Sites

Recent Trends in the Selection of Remedies for Groundwater, Soil, and Sediment at Superfund Sites

Contaminated sites from the past: experience of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the experience of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in cleaning up radioactively contaminated sites. In the USA, EPA regulates the radiological clean-up of uranium mill tailings sites, some Department of Energy legacy sites within the US nuclear weapons complex, and Superfund National Priorities List sites. The approach to site remediation decisions, including the determination of clean-up levels, varies according to the enabling legislation granting EPA these authorities. Past practices that gave rise to many of the existing exposure situations at legacy sites were permissible before the advent of environmental clean-up legislation. The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 authorised EPA to set applicable radioactivity concentration standards for soil clean-up at inactive uranium mill sites and vicinity properties. For the other categories of sites mentioned above, remediation goals are typically based on not exceeding a target excess cancer risk range established under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (also known as 'Superfund'). EPA's regulations for cleaning up various contaminated sites in existing exposure situations often result in residual doses that are typical of optimised doses in planned exposure situations. Although the clean-up levels selected may differ from those adopted in other countries, recommendations from the International Commission on Radiological Protection are reflected in the exposure assessment methodologies used in their establishment.

Assessing the impact of the remedial actions taken at a contaminated Italian site: an ex-post valuation analysis

The remediation and reuse of industrial brownfields sites offers important opportunities for the improvement of urban quality of life. The aim of this paper is to estimate the primary costs and benefits of different cleanup projects implemented in Venice Porto Marghera, Italy. The industrial area of Porto Marghera is one of the most notorious contaminated sites of national interest in Italy; at this site, vacant and polluted areas coexist, posing several problems for the local government and community. However, this site also represents one of the primary strategic areas for the future development and the economic renaissance of the entire Veneto Region. In fact, the area is located in the heart of the northeast, close to the main transport networks, and it is provided with a full range of urban services and infrastructure. The area for the national priority list site of Porto Marghera extends over 3,500 ha, and in the last 10 years, different cleanup interventions have been implemented to rehabilitate the area under various regulatory systems. However, only a small number of these interventions can be considered to be completed or have been certified by law. This paper performs a retrospective cost–benefit analysis of these case studies to provide information for potential regulatory modifications, insights and knowledge for methodological improvements in prospective economic assessments and information for local and central governments to use in implementing the remaining remediation activities.

Environmental Justice and the Remediation of Contaminated Land

Land contamination has been a major issue in the U.S. for over three decades. The focus on environmental justice (EJ), meanwhile, is more recent. While numerous studies have analyzed EJ concerns in the context of contaminated land, they have been limited in their scope because of their focus on specific cases and regions over short time frames. In this paper, using census data for two decades (1980 and 2000), we study the potential EJ conflicts in the National Priority List (NPL)’s siting, hazardous rank scoring and remediation, and provide the most comprehensive analysis of EJ in the context of contaminated land in the United States. We conduct the analysis for three different measurements of an EJ community: communities defined by a Census Tract, and within 2-mile and 3-mile radii of NPL sites. In doing so, we also test the sensitivity of the EJ results to units of analysis. Among many of our findings, we document a strong regional dimension to EJ concerns in the NPL siting and remediation and show that the EJ conclusions are not robust to alternative conceptualizations of EJ communities.

Sediment PAH Allocation Using Parent PAH Proportions and a Least Root Mean Squares Mixing Model

This article presents the case study of a forensic approach used to apportion polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) sediment impacts among two upland legacy contamination source areas—a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) Site and a mixed-use landfill/lumber mill/wood-treating facility—at a Great Lakes National Priorities List (NPL) site. The method uses “parent” (non-alkylated) PAH proportions to empirically define the in-situ mass signature of each source and the sediment impact. Six different PAH proportions, based on more than 450 individual soil and sediment samples, were used to characterize the PAH mass within each area. A mixing model was then used to predict the mass percent contribution from each source that most closely matched the observed sediment impact, based on least root mean square error (RMSE) between the modeled and measured sediment PAH proportions. The model was able to match the observed sediment impact with a high degree of correlation (R2 of 96%).

REMEDIATION: Can Transgenic Plants Root Out Pollutants?

A team of researchers at Colorado State University in Fort Collins and Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, have created transgenic plants that turn from green to white when exposed to the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT).1 Ultimately, the researchers hope, several simple and affordable plants will be developed that can quickly sense a variety of biological and chemical agents. The research team combined genes from bacteria and plants to construct a modular “de-greening” gene circuit that breaks down chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants, while simultaneously preventing chlorophyll biosynthesis. The gene circuit contains a customized receptor for a specific hazardous agent—in this case, TNT. When the receptor binds its target, it triggers the de-greening reaction.1 “The modular circuit can be inserted into any plant,” says study leader June Medford, a biology professor at Colorado State University. In the new study, transgenic Arabidopsis and tobacco plants turned white when they contacted airborne TNT or when exposed to soilborne TNT through their roots. Second-generation plants grown from seeds of the first plants inherited the ability to sense and respond to TNT.1 The color conversion in the laboratory plants took 2 to 3 hours. Medford’s team is working to reduce the response time to minutes rather than hours. Just picomolar (ppt) or nanomolar (ppb) levels of TNT activated the de-greening process, suggesting the system is feasible for real-world applications.1 Dogs trained to sniff out explosives and drugs generally discern these agents at ppb or ppt concentrations.2,3 The plant technology could be deployed “along travel routes to detect for improvised explosive devices or on training ranges to monitor for TNT contamination in soil or runoff,” says Linda Chrisey, biotechnology program manager at the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, TNT contamination is found on at least 20 National Priorities List sites identified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.4 People can be exposed to TNT through eating, drinking, touching, or inhaling contaminated soil, water, food, or air, with potential health effects including anemia, abnormal liver function, skin irritation, and cataracts.4 Transgenic sentinel plants should not face disposal concerns, because they do not become chemically saturated, according to Medford. “This is not phytoremediation; we’re talking about exceeding low levels of contaminants,” she says. Moreover, she says, “We don’t intend to put this technology into plants that people eat.” “This is a revolutionary approach to working with plants as environmental sentinels that looks to have broad application,” says Bill Farland, senior vice president for research at Colorado State University. For instance, plants may someday sniff out air or water pollutants released from industrial sources such as chemical manufacturing plants. Other potential applications, Chrisey notes, include the detection of herbicides on crops, pathogens in municipal water supplies, or explosives in airports. “We still have to explore all the possibilities of chemicals that could be sensed by plants,” Farland says. The key lies in designing a receptor for a pollutant of choice and engineering it into the plant de-greening circuit. Medford’s team also is designing plants with multiple receptors to detect more than one pollutant. “Living organisms have advantages as sentinels of pollution,” says Paul Johnson, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. In 2009 he and colleagues in France reported they had genetically engineered tadpoles to detect zinc in water with a portable, flow-through system.5 Like Medford’s plants, the transgenic tadpoles carry a receptor for a selected pollutant that triggers fluorescence in about an hour. Also, tadpoles are being designed to detect more than one environmental pollutant—potentially to include heavy metals, organochlorine pesticides, bisphenol A, polychlorinated biphenyls, and dioxins—and to generate several fluorescent colors.6 Plants and tadpoles provide relatively cheap monitoring systems, Johnson says, and they give results rapidly onsite, compared with carrying samples back to a laboratory for expensive analysis such as mass spectrometry. Plus, he says, living systems, particularly animal-based ones, reflect physiologic effects of environmental pollutants similar to those that occur in humans. “The detection of contaminants and pollutants in air and water is a rapidly expanding area, and new developments will stay fruitful for a long time,” Johnson says.

A comprehensive approach to plume stability

AbstractThis article defines and presents a systematic approach to groundwater plume‐stability assessment. Qualitative and quantitative methods that have been used to assess plume stability at National Priority List sites undergoing optimization are reviewed. Example case studies are included to illustrate the advantages of combining multiple analysis methods. Relevant statistical methods include identifying normal data distributions, detection frequencies, coefficients of variation, individual well trends, and rates of change at individual monitoring locations. Trend estimates for total plume mass and center of mass provide a broader picture of plumewide processes. Deterministic methods, such as quantitative mass‐balance approaches, may be useful for larger plumes. Qualitative assessments include evaluations of the conceptual site model, source strength, attenuation mechanisms, and hydrogeology. Because groundwater plumes are always dynamic, the determination of plume stability has to include qualitative steps relating the rate and magnitude of change to the goals and objectives of the program and the time frame over which critical management decisions are to be made. The assessment of plume stability is, therefore, presented as a process that should involve both qualitative and quantitative steps for determining the acceptability of variability in groundwater contaminant concentrations. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

National monument locations and remediation of World War II battle sites

AbstractIn December 2008, George W. Bush established the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, including eight locations connected with World War II fighting. The executive proclamation designating the monument briefly described the individual sites, mentioning remaining battlefield debris. World War II battle locations in Hawaii and Alaska are currently designated for remediation under different programs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or Department of Defense (DOD). The Pearl Harbor Naval Complex is a “Superfund” National Priority List site. Former military locations in the Aleutian Islands, involved in Japanese occupation and the U.S. offensive to regain control, are included in DOD's Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) remediation program. These monument sites, the regulatory frameworks of the applicable programs, and the current cleanup status are described. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maternal residential proximity to waste sites and industrial facilities and conotruncal heart defects in offspring

Most studies of the relationship between maternal residential proximity to sources of environmental pollution and congenital cardiovascular malformations have combined heart defects into one group or broad subgroups. The current case-control study examined whether risk of conotruncal heart defects, including subsets of specific defects, was associated with maternal residential proximity to hazardous waste sites and industrial facilities with recorded air emissions. Texas Birth Defects Registry cases were linked to their birth or fetal death certificate. Controls without birth defects were randomly selected from birth certificates. Distances from maternal addresses at delivery to National Priority List (NPL) waste sites, state superfund waste sites, and Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) facilities were determined for 1244 cases (89.5% of those eligible) and 4368 controls (88.0%). Living within 1 mile of a hazardous waste site was not associated with risk of conotruncal heart defects [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.54, 1.27]. This was true whether looking at most types of defects or waste sites. Only truncus arteriosus showed statistically elevated ORs with any waste site (crude OR: 2.80, 95% CI 1.19, 6.54) and with NPL sites (crude OR: 4.63, 95% CI 1.18, 13.15; aOR 4.99, 95% CI 1.26, 14.51), but the latter was based on only four exposed cases. There was minimal association between conotruncal heart defects and proximity to TRI facilities (aOR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.91, 1.33). Stratification by maternal age or race/ethnic group made little difference in effect estimates for waste sites or industrial facilities. In this study population, maternal residential proximity to waste sites or industries with reported air emissions was not associated with conotruncal heart defects or its subtypes in offspring, with the exception of truncus arteriosus.

Evaluation of polychlorinated biphenyl remediation at a superfund site using tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) as indicators

We studied tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at the Sangamo National Priorities List (NPL) site and a reference area (Little Grassy) within Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois, USA, to evaluate the bioavailability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at the NPL site following remediation. Tree swallow eggs and 12- to 17-d-old chicks were collected from April to June 2004 and 2005. Total egg PCB concentrations in eggs did not differ between years at Sangamo; mean concentrations at Sangamo in 2004 to 2005 (4,452 ng/g) were higher than those from Little Grassy in 2004 (351 ng/g; p = 0.002) and 2005 (705 ng/g; p = 0.007). A positive PCB dilution in chicks is equivalent to relatively large amounts of exposure and absorption. Total PCB daily dilution in chicks in 2004 and 2005 averaged 92.4 and -203 ng/g/d at Sangamo and -21.8 and -42.7 ng/g/d at Little Grassy. Dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQs) in eggs in 2004 and 2005 were 1,844 and 676 pg/g at Sangamo and 165 and 128 pg/g at Little Grassy. Mean TEQs in chicks in 2004 and 2005 were 117 and 23.8 pg/g body weight at Sangamo and 0.8 and 0.7 pg/g body weight at Little Grassy. Total PCB concentrations in eggs and chicks at Sangamo and Little Grassy appeared to be comparable to other PCB-contaminated and reference sites. Our data demonstrate that tree swallows using the Sangamo site continue to accumulate significant quantities of PCBs seven years after remedial actions. These findings prompted a reevaluation of remediation at the site and underscore the importance of postremediation monitoring of ecological receptors, particularly in cases involving persistent environmental contaminants.

ATSDR evaluation of potential for human exposure to benzene

As part of its mandate, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) prepares toxicological profiles on hazardous chemicals found at Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) National Priorities List (NPL) sites that have the greatest public health impact. These profiles comprehensively summarize toxicological and environmental information. This article constitutes the release of portions of the toxicological profile for benzene. The primary purpose of this article is to provide interested individuals with environmental information on benzene that includes production data, environmental fate, potential for human exposure, analytical methods, and a listing of regulations and advisories.