Method 3 Risk ManagementEnvironmentalSafetyHealthGeotechnical
[ A S S O C I A T E S ]
69 Milk Street
Suite 210
Westborough, MA 01581
Tel 508 366 6409
Fax 508 366 9826
www.oto-env.com
October 19, 2015
File No: 5193-01-01
Prepared for:
Alliance Environmental Group, Inc.
100 Jefferson Boulevard, Suite 200
Warwick, RI 02888
METHOD 3 RISK CHARACTERIZATION
Former Universal Steel & Trading Company
297 – 305 Bridge Street
Salem, Massachusetts 01970
MassDEP RTN 3-11726
Prepared by:
O'Reilly, Talbot & Okun Associates, Inc.
69 Milk Street, Suite 210
Westborough, Massachusetts 01581
[ A S S O C I A T E S ]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Site History and Investigations 1
1.2 Data Used in the Method 3 Risk Characterization 3
2.0 HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT 4
2.1 Current and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Site Use 4
2.1.1 Soil and Groundwater Categories 5
2.2 Hazard Identification 7
2.2.1 Identification of Constituents of Concern 7
2.2.2 Toxicity Profiles 8
2.2.3 Identification of Applicable or Suitably Analogous
Standards 9
2.3 Dose-Response Assessment 9
2.3.1 Threshold (Non-carcinogenic) Effects 9
2.3.2 Non-threshold (Carcinogenic) Effects 10
2.3.3 Relative Absorption Factors 11
2.4 Exposure Assessment 11
2.4.1 Development of Exposure Profiles 11
2.4.1.1 Identification of Potential Human Receptors
and Exposure Points 12
2.4.1.2 Identification of Exposure Routes 13
2.4.1.3 Exposure Profile Summary 14
2.4.2 Development of Exposure Factors 14
2.4.3 Exposure Point Concentrations (EPCs) 15
2.4.4 Calculation of Average Daily Doses 16
2.5 Human Health Risk Characterization 17
2.5.1 Non-Cancer Risk 17
2.5.2 Cancer Risk 18
2.5.3 Summary of Findings 19
2.6 Uncertainty Analysis 19
3.0 CHARACTERIZATION OF RISK OF HARM TO PUBLIC WELFARE 21
4.0 CHARACTERIZATION OF RISK OF HARM TO SAFETY 22
5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL RISK CHARACTERIZATION 22
5.1 Site Environmental Setting 23
5.2 Aquatic Habitat Screening 23
5.3 Terrestrial Habitat Screening 24
6.0 CONCLUSIONS 25
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont’d.)
REFERENCES 26
TABLES
Table 1 Toxicity Values for Site Constituents of Concern (COCs)
Table 2 Relative Absorption Factors (RAFs) for Site Constituents of Concern
(COCs)
Table 3 Exposure Assumptions and Equations for Construction Worker -
Incidental Ingestion of and Dermal Contact with Soil, and Inhalation of
Particulates
Table 4 Calculation of Risk Estimates for Construction Worker - Incidental
Ingestion of and Dermal Contact with Soil, and Inhalation of Particulates
APPENDICES
Appendix A Toxicity Profiles
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Method 3 Risk Characterization
267-305 Bridge Street
Salem, MA
October 19, 2015
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
This Method 3 Risk Characterization (RC) has been prepared by O’Reilly, Talbot &
Okun Associates, Inc. (OTO) to assess whether a release of oil and/or hazardous
material (OHM) at the former Universal Steel & Trading Company property located at
297 - 305 Bridge Street in Salem, Massachusetts (the “Site”) represents a Condition of
No Significant Risk within the meaning of the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP:
310 CMR 40.0990).
This Method 3 Risk Characterization was based on Site information and analytical data
collected at the Site and provided to OTO by Alliance Environmental Group, Inc. (AEG).
These Site information and analytical data were summarized in the Weston & Sampson
report Phase III Remedial Action Plan (RAP) and Permanent Solution Statement with
Conditions Statement (PSS) dated January 2015; and the AEG Release Abatement
Measure (RAM) Plan dated October 2015. The PSS included an Activity and Use
Limitation (AUL) which was applied to the Site in December 2014. AEG prepared the
RAM Plan on behalf of F.W. Webb Company to facilitate proposed construction
activities at the Site.
OTO has not conducted independent testing or Site characterization activities and relies
on the Weston & Sampson and AEG Reports to provide an adequate characterization of
the nature and extent of Site contamination, as defined in the MCP.
1.1 Site History and Investigations
In October 1994, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
(MassDEP) assigned Release Tracking Number (RTN) 3-11726 to the Site following
notification of a release to soil and groundwater of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
metals, and petroleum. The release was identified during soil and groundwater
assessment activities completed at the Site from November 1993 to July 1994. The
source of contamination was attributed to the former metals recycling and reclamation
activities conducted by Universal Steel & Trading Company at the Site.
Since the release was discovered, several subsurface investigations and preliminary
response actions have been conducted at the Site. In 2011, Weston & Sampson
completed a Phase II Comprehensive Site Assessment (CSA) to evaluate the current
nature and extent of contamination at the Site, and a site-specific Method 3 RC to
evaluated risk to human health, safety, public welfare, and the environment. PCB soil
impacts at depths of up to 12 feet below ground surface (bgs) were identified across the
Site. In general, the majority of PCB contamination was located in the top 3 feet of soil,
while deeper impacts (i.e., greater than 4 feet bgs) were relatively limited. The 2011
Method 3 RC indicated that a Condition of No Significant Risk (NSR) did not exist due to
the potential exposure to PCBs in soil.
Based on the findings of the Phase II CSA and Method 3 RC, Weston & Sampson
discussed and evaluated several remedial options for the Site under the direction of the
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MassDEP and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from June to
October 2011. Subsequently, a multi-agency team consisting of MassDEP, EPA, the
City of Salem and MassDevelopment agreed to fund and implement a risk-based
cleanup of the Site. The risk-based cleanup approved by MassDEP and EPA included
the excavation and removal of the top 1 foot of soil and concrete across the Site and off-
site (92 and 102 Federal Street) and the select removal of deeper PCB-impacted soils
with concentrations greater than 50 parts per million (ppm). At the conclusion of
removal actions, the construction of a pavement cap and implementation of an Activity
and Use Limitation (AUL) was proposed to mitigate future direct contact exposure to
residual PCB impacts at the Site.
The excavation and removal of PCB-impacted materials was completed as a Removal
Action under EPA’s Emergency Response and Removal Program (ERRP). The
Removal Action was initiated in December 2012 and was completed in September 2013.
In total, approximately 6,380 cubic yards of PCB-impacted soil and concrete were
excavated and disposed off-site as part of the Removal Action, and 81 post-excavation
confirmatory soil samples were collected to verify the limits of remediation. EPA
subsequently backfilled and compacted the Site with gravel, and Manter Construction
installed a paved parking lot and storm water control features (i.e., sediment forebays).
The parking lot cap construction was completed in October 2013.
Weston & Sampson utilized the 2013 EPA post-excavation soil analytical results and
historical data sets for contaminants of concern (COCs) remaining below the final EPA
excavation depths to perform an updated Method 3 RC for the Site. The updated
Method 3 RC indicated that the MassDEP and EPA risk-based cleanup achieved a
Condition of NSR for current and future Site use with the construction of a pavement
cap and implementation of an AUL to mitigate and control the future direct exposure to
residual PCB impacts at the Site. Therefore, the requirements for a Permanent Solution
with Conditions Statement had been met.
In general, the AUL was placed on the entire parcel to restrict future residential use and
other Site activities that would result in greater exposure to residual contaminated soil at
the Site. The AUL allows for industrial and commercial uses; and landscaping above
the geotextile liner at 1.5 feet bgs; and underground utility and/or construction activities
below the geotextile liner at depths greater than 1.5 feet bgs or more provided that a
Soil Management Plan (SMP) and Health and Safety Plan (HASP) is implemented. The
AUL also specifies maintenance of the existing asphalt, and no disturbance and direct
contact with soil under the geotextile liner, except for underground utility and/or
construction activities as described previously.
The purpose of the subject Method 3 RC is to evaluate that the proposed developed use
of the Site as a retail plumbing and heating supply company are consistent with a
Condition of NSR with the AUL. The subject Method 3 RC is based on the 2013 post-
excavation soil analytical results and the proposed condition of the Site primarily capped
by commercial buildings and pavement, with small landscaped islands, vegetative
buffers, and sediment forebays along the eastern and southern perimeters of the Site.
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Three (3) Risk Characterization methods, which vary in detail and circumstances of use,
have been developed under the MCP to evaluate MCP sites, as described in 310 CMR
40.0941(3) and 40.0942. These three (3) methods provide equivalent levels of
protection to human health, public welfare, and the environment. A Method 3 approach
was considered applicable for the Site because Site-specific methodologies (e.g.,
exposure assumptions concerning Site use) have been used. As defined in 310 CMR
40.0990, the Method 3 Risk Characterization evaluated the risks to human health, public
welfare, safety, and the environment for all current and reasonably foreseeable future
site activities and uses.
This Method 3 Risk Characterization has been completed in accordance with the MCP,
310 CMR 40.0900, and applicable MassDEP guidance (MassDEP, 1995 through 2015).
Human health risks for the Site are assessed in Section 2.0 of this report. Risk of harm
to public welfare, including comparisons to Upper Concentration Limits (UCLs), is
presented in Section 3.0. Characterization of risk of harm to safety is described in
Section 4.0. The environmental risk characterization is in Section 5.0. Section 6.0
presents conclusions regarding the overall significance of Site risk.
1.2 Data Used in the Method 3 Risk Characterization
The objective of the Method 3 Risk Characterization is to determine if concentrations of
OHM at the Site represent a Condition of No Significant Risk under current and
foreseeable future Site Conditions based on a commercial use of the Site and
implementation of the existing AUL.
The analytical data representative of current post-excavation conditions for the subject
Site were evaluated for use in the Method 3 Risk Characterization. These data were
presented in the Weston & Sampson PSS. Following the excavation and removal of
the PCB-impacted materials, confirmatory soil samples were collected to verify the limits
of the excavation. The confirmatory samples were collected across the entire Site using
an approximately 25-foot square grid, with one confirmatory soil sample collected from
the approximate center of each grid cell. A total of 81 samples were collected, including
79 samples on-Site and one each from of the two off-Site remediated properties (92 and
102 Federal Street). Sample collection ranged from 1.5 to 4 feet bgs on-Site and 1 foot
bgs off-Site; at the bottom of the excavation.
Each of the confirmatory soil sample concentrations for PCBs were less than 50 mg/kg,
with the exception of the samples collected from the confirmatory grids B-150, B-175, B-
200, C-125, and E-150. These five samples were each collected at depths of 3.5 feet
bgs. The concentrations of PCBs in confirmatory samples from 92 and 102 Federal
Street were below the MCP’s IH criteria of 10 mg/kg.
In general, groundwater was not significantly impacted by soil contamination at the Site.
Groundwater was not impacted with PCBs, and during groundwater sampling conducted
in conjunction with the Phase II CSA in 2011, exceedances of applicable MCP Method 1
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standards were limited to cadmium and chlorobenzene in one groundwater monitoring
well exceeding the Method 1 GW -3 and GW -2 standards, respectively.
2.0 HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
2.1 Current and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Site Use
Site Location/Description: The Site is approximately 1.2 acres in size and was
historically used for metal recycling and reclamation activities including processing and
sorting of scrap metals and demolition debris, dismantling and processing of
transformers, and stockpiling of automotive batteries.
Historically, the Site was developed and contained several structures, including a two-
story warehouse building, two large concrete pads, and several ancillary features (i.e.,
truck scale, and paved loading areas). The historical warehouse building was
demolished in 2012. The remaining Site features were demolished and removed as part
of the Site remediation completed in 2013.
Currently, the Site is used as a temporary parking lot for a nearby Massachusetts Bay
Transportation Authority (MBTA) train station. The parking lot was opened by the City of
Salem in October 2013 following Site remediation. The parking lot consists of a large
central paved area with small landscaped islands, and vegetative buffers along the
perimeter of the Site. In addition, two sediment forebays are also located at each corner
of the Site along Bridge Street.
The proposed use of the Site includes the construction of a 15,875 square foot (ft2)
warehouse and 10,225 ft2 self-service retail store, for a total building footprint of
approximately 26,100 ft2. Parking spaces will occupy the majority of the remainder of
the Site. The existing areas of small landscaped islands, vegetative buffers, and
sediment forebays would remain.
Utilities: The Site is served by municipal water and sewer. Water, sewer, and natural
gas lines enter the Site from Bridge Street. Drainage lines will be located around the
eastern and southern perimeters of the proposed building and installed at depths
between 3 and 4 feet bgs and primarily located within a clean fill corridor.
Electrical utilities are located overhead.
Surrounding Areas: The Site is located in an area of mixed commercial and residential
use. The Site is abutted by Bridge Street to the north, across which is an unpaved
parking area with railroad tracks beyond. A F.W. Webb plumbing and heating supply
store is located directly adjacent to the Site the east. Residential properties border the
Site to the south. Beckford Street is located to the west of the Site. A used automobile
sales lot is located further to the west beyond Beckford Street.
No sensitive institutions such as schools, hospitals, daycare centers and long-term
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healthcare facilities are located within a 500-foot radius of the Site.
According to the Site Scoring Map, no Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
(ACECs), certified vernal pools, wetlands, or sensitive habitat areas as mapped by the
Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) are located within a one-
half mile radius of the Site. Several areas of Protected Open Space are located within
500 feet of the Site to the north, south, east, and west.
Foreseeable Future Use: The Site is expected to remain as commercial, and the
surrounding areas a mix of residential and commercial in the foreseeable future.
2.1.1 Soil and Groundwater Categories
Categories for soil and groundwater have been developed by the MassDEP to facilitate
the characterization of risk at MCP sites. The identification of applicable groundwater
and soil categories at the Site has been performed in accordance with 310 CMR
40.0993(2).
Soil Category
Identification of the applicable soil category requires an assessment of three (3) factors
identified in Section 40.0930 of the MCP. These are (i) accessibility, (ii) frequency of
use, and (iii) intensity of use. Each of these factors must be assessed for the current
use scenario and for a reasonably foreseeable future use scenario.
Post-excavation soil analytical data indicates that residual contaminated soils are
located at depths of approximately 1.5 to 15 feet bgs. The majority of impacted soil is
currently located under pavement and under the proposed use will be located under Site
buildings and pavement. Commercial and office workers may be present at a high
frequency, while landscapers would be present at a low frequency.
The soil located under pavement are categorized in the MCP as “potentially accessible”
to exposure. The soil located under the Site building are categorized in the MCP as
“isolated” from exposure. Small landscaped areas and vegetative buffers are located
along the eastern and southern perimeters of the Site. The soil in these areas would be
generally categorized in the MCP as “accessible”. However, impacted soil are located
at 1.5 feet bgs and greater and under the geotextile liner and are not readily
“accessible”. The AUL restricts landscaping activities to the upper 1.5 feet of soil
located above the geotextile liner. Therefore, there is no potential exposure to impacted
soil for commercial and office workers, and landscapers.
Potential receptors of the public (as patrons and trespassers), may be present at the
Site at a high frequency. Members of the public include children and adults. The
intensity of use for soil by these receptors will be low under most current and future Site
conditions as no soil with impacts will be “accessible” as soil are located under liner and
greater than 1.5 feet bgs.
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Construction and utility work may occur at the Site. The frequency of this activity was
considered low, and the intensity of use was considered high (i.e., short-term excavation
activities occurring at infrequent and irregular intervals). As specified in the AUL, these
activities are only allowed below the geotextile liner at depths greater than 1.5 feet or
more if these activities are conducted in accordance with a SMP and HASP.
The AUL restricts uses of the Site for residences, schools, and day care centers.
Therefore, these receptors will not be present at the Site.
Under current and proposed future commercial use, the applicable soil categories are S-
2 and S-3. The AUL restricts future use of the Site for S-1 type uses.
Groundwater Category
MassDEP has identified three groundwater exposure categories (GW -1, GW -2, and
GW -3) under the MCP, each reflective of a type of risk that may be posed by OHM in
groundwater. Different combinations of these criteria are applicable at MCP sites
depending upon the relevant site groundwater resource characteristics.
GW -1
The GW -1 category is applicable to locations where groundwater is, or may in the future
be, a drinking water source.
No private drinking water supply wells used for drinking water purposes are known to be
located within 500 feet of the Site and properties in the vicinity of the Site are serviced
by the municipal water supply. There are no Current or Potential Drinking Water Source
Areas within a one-half mile radius of the Site.
According to the MassDEP Site Scoring Map dated September 11, 2015, the Site is not
located within the boundaries of Current or Potential Drinking Water Source Area,
including:
1. A MassDEP Approved Zone II of a Public Water Supply Well,
2. Potentially Productive Aquifer (PPA),
3. Interim Wellhead Protection Area (IWPA), and
4. Zone A of a Class A Surface Water Body.
In addition, the Site is not located within the boundaries of:
5. An area designated by a municipality specifically for the protection of
groundwater quality to ensure its availability for use as a source of potable water
supply, and
6. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Sole Source Aquifer.
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The Site is underlain by medium and high yield aquifers designated as Non-Potential
Drinking Water Source Areas (NPDWSA).
Therefore, GW -1 category is not applicable to the Site.
GW -2
The GW -2 category applies to locations where OHM may volatilize from the
groundwater and migrate into an occupied structure.
Wells with an average annual depth to groundwater of fifteen (15) feet or less and
located within 30 feet of a currently occupied or future planned building meet the criteria
of GW -2.
Currently there is no building on the Site. However, proposed future use of the Site
includes buildings. The groundwater sampling results in 2011 indicate depth to
groundwater as approximately 4 to 6 feet bgs. Therefore, the GW -2 category is
applicable to the future conditions of the Site.
GW -3
The GW -3 category is intended to protect environmental receptors in surface water that
may be exposed to OHM when groundwater from an MCP site discharges to surface
water. For all MCP sites, the GW -3 groundwater category is applicable.
There are no surface water bodies located on the Site. The nearest surface water body
to the Site is the North River Canal located approximately 530 feet north of the Site.
The North River Canal connects to the North River on the eastern side of the North
Street Bridge. The North River discharges into the Danvers River approximately 1 mile
east of the Site. Both the North River and the Danvers River are tidal rivers, which are
connected to Beverly Harbor, which is located northeast of the Site. It is noted that the
Site is located within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 100-year
Floodplain.
Applicable Groundwater Categories
Given this set of circumstances, the applicable groundwater categories for the Site are
GW -2 and GW -3.
2.2 Hazard Identification
2.2.1 Identification of Constituents of Concern
In accordance with MCP guidance (MassDEP, 1995), each detected compound should
be considered a COC, unless one (1) of the following conditions is true:
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• The chemicals are present at a low frequency of detection and in low
concentration; or
• The chemicals are present at levels that are consistent with “background”
concentrations for the area and there is no evidence that their presence is
related to activities at the site; or
• The chemicals are field or laboratory contaminants.
Background Concentrations
The compounds detected in pre- and post-excavation soil samples collected at the Site
were PCBs, extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (EPH) and volatile petroleum
hydrocarbons (VPH) fractions and target analytes, metals, and volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). The MassDEP has not formally established background
concentrations for these constituents in soil, except for EPH target polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals.
Seventeen PAHs were detected in at least one soil sample. The maximum detected
concentrations of each PAHs was greater than the MassDEP background concentration
in “natural” soil (MassDEP, 2002a). Therefore, each of the detected PAHs was selected
as a soil COC and carried through the Method 3 Risk Characterization.
Seven metals (arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and silver) were
detected in at least one pre-excavation soil sample. The maximum detected
concentrations of each metals were greater than the MassDEP background
concentration in “natural” soil (MassDEP, 2002a). Therefore, these seven metals were
selected as COCs for soil and carried through the Method 3 Risk Characterization.
Soil
The soil data representative of current post-excavation Site conditions were used to
select soil COCs. The data represent samples that were from a depth ranges of 1.5 feet
bgs or greater.
The compounds selected as COCs were the detected PCBs, EPH and VPH fractions
and target analytes including seventeen PAHs, seven metals and chlorinated VOCs.
Groundwater
No COCs were selected for groundwater.
2.2.2 Toxicity Profiles
Toxicity profiles describe the potential human health effects posed by the constituents of
concern, when doses are high enough to elicit an effect. Toxicity profiles for the
constituents of concern at the Site are included in Appendix A.
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2.2.3 Identification of Applicable or Suitably Analogous Standards
Applicable or suitably analogous standards are formally promulgated standards intended
to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects of hazardous agents.
Such standards are medium-specific.
There are no applicable or suitably analogous soil standards available for Site COCs. In
accordance with MassDEP policy, MCP Method 1 Risk Characterization standards are
not considered applicable or suitably analogous standards for Method 3 risk
assessments. However, they are included on data tables in this Risk Characterization
for reference.
Federal and state drinking water standards (such as Massachusetts Maximum
Contaminant Levels [MMCLs]) are applicable or suitably analogous enforceable
standards for sites classified as GW -1. Drinking water guidelines (e.g., MassDEP Office
of Research and Standards Drinking Water Guidelines [ORSGL]) are not enforceable
standards. The drinking water standards are applicable to a site, if the site groundwater
is categorized as GW -1. The GW -1 category is not applicable to Site groundwater.
Therefore, drinking water standards are not applicable to the subject Site.
Massachusetts Surface Water Quality Standards are applicable or suitably analogous
standards to a site, if surface water is present and potentially impacted by a site. The
potential for impact to surface water related to the Site has not been identified.
Therefore, surface water quality standards are not applicable to the Site.
2.3 Dose-Response Assessment
Dose-response information describes the health effects observed in humans or animals
associated with particular doses of a constituent. Based on the observed effect and
target organ identified, a numerical value is developed to estimate the magnitude of the
health effect associated with a dose. Dose-response values are derived differently for
non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic effects, as discussed below.
Toxicity values were compiled for COCs in the media that serve as potential exposure
points for human receptors. For this Site, soil serves as a potential exposure point.
The dose-response information for COCs are encoded in the MassDEP Method 3
Shortforms and are presented in the Shortforms Vlookup Version v0315 (MassDEP,
2015). The primary source of the toxicity values used by MassDEP was United States
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
as of May 2012. IRIS was checked to identify any toxicity values for COCs that have
been updated (USEPA, 2015). The toxicity values for COCs are presented in Table 1.
2.3.1 Threshold (Non-carcinogenic) Effects
For non-carcinogenic effects, there is believed to be a threshold level below which no
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adverse health effects will occur.
Dose-response values for non-carcinogenic oral effects are referred to as Reference
Doses (RfDs). For inhalation effects, these values are referred to as Reference
Concentrations (RfCs). RfDs and RfCs represent provisional estimates of the threshold
dose that will not pose risk of an adverse health effect to sensitive humans.
RfDs and RfCs are developed by applying uncertainty factors and modifying factors to
the critical dose or concentration. This dose or concentration is usually either the
Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (LOAEL) or the No-Observed-Adverse-Effect
Level (NOAEL) from toxicological studies, which are typically performed with test
animals.
Uncertainty factors are used to account for interspecies variability, variation in sensitivity
within the human population, differences in the route of administration among tests, and
other variables that may lend uncertainty to the extrapolation of test data to
environmental settings.
Units for RfDs are mg/kg/day, representing a dose of chemical (in milligrams) per
receptor body weight (in kilograms) per day. For inhalation exposures, the RfC value is
expressed as a concentration in air in mg/m3 for continuous, 24 hour/day exposure.
Oral RfDs and inhalation RfCs for the COCs were summarized in Table 1.
2.3.2 Non-threshold (Carcinogenic) Effects
In accordance with MCP guidance, we have assumed that for carcinogenic effects there
is no threshold level; that is, every non-zero exposure to a carcinogen is believed to be
associated with some increased incremental risk. Dose-response values derived for
carcinogenic compounds are Cancer Slope Factors (CSFs).
CSFs are calculated as the largest linear slope of the dose-response curve, which is
generally extrapolated from the low-dose end of the curve. Oral CSFs are expressed in
(mg/kg/day)-1, and inhalation unit risks are expressed in (ug/m3)-1. Both values assume
that the received dose is averaged over a lifetime.
USEPA's weight-of-evidence cancer classifications for each of the COCs at the Site
were compiled. These classifications indicate whether existing human and animal data
are sufficient to confirm whether there is an association between exposure to the
compound and the occurrence of cancer.
Arsenic has a weight-of-evidence classification of Group A (i.e., Human Carcinogen -
sufficient evidence in epidemiological studies to support causal association between
exposure and cancer in humans). Cadmium, carcinogenic PAHs, lead, and PCBs have
a Group B1/B2 weight-of-evidence classification (i.e., Probable Human Carcinogen).
Trichloroethylene (TCE) has a Group C-B2 weight-of-evidence classification (i.e.,
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Possible-Probable Human Carcinogen). The remaining COCs have been given a
classification of D (i.e., Not Classifiable - inadequate or no human and animal evidence
of carcinogenicity) or a classification is not available.
Carcinogenic values for inhalation exposures based on oral CSFs, called unit risks, are
calculated by dividing the slope factor by the body weight (70 kg) and multiplying by the
air inhalation rate (20 cubic meter [m3]/day) for risk associated with unit concentration in
air. Multiplication by 10-3 is necessary to convert mg (milligrams) to µg (micrograms).
Dose-response information for carcinogenic effects associated with Site COCs were
summarized in Table 1.
2.3.3 Relative Absorption Factors
Relative absorption factors (RAFs) are used to account for the differences in absorption
likely to occur between exposures under Site conditions and those that occurred under
the experimental conditions that form the basis of the toxicity values. Absorption
differences may result from matrix effects (e.g., doses absorbed from soil versus water)
as well as from routes of administration (e.g., oral versus dermal exposure). RAFs
adjust the calculated Site dose to make it comparable to the available toxicity
information.
RAFs used in this risk assessment for exposure are encoded in the Method 3
Shortforms (MassDEP, 2015). In the absence of compound-specific data for inhalation
exposures, a default RAF of one (1) was used, which conservatively assumes 100%
uptake. The RAFs for Site COCs are presented in Table 2.
2.4 Exposure Assessment
The objectives of the Exposure Assessment are to:
1. Qualitatively and quantitatively describe the settings and conditions under
which human exposures to Site OHM may reasonably be expected to occur,
and
2. Calculate doses of Site OHM that human receptors may receive.
Achieving these goals entails the identification of receptors that may be on-Site,
evaluation of exposure pathways, and the calculation of Exposure Point Concentrations
(EPCs) to which receptors may be exposed.
2.4.1 Development of Exposure Profiles
Exposure profiles provide a narrative description of how exposures may take place at
the Site. The profiles identify factors related to potential exposures and estimate their
magnitude.
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These factors include variables such as the receptors’ body weights, intake rates,
frequency of exposure, and duration of exposure. Exposure profiles are provided for
each receptor identified under current and reasonably foreseeable future uses of the
Site, including unrestricted residential use of the Site, in order to evaluate the need for
an AUL in accordance with the MCP.
2.4.1.1 Identification of Potential Human Receptors and Exposure Points
Exposure points represent the locations where human or ecological receptors may come
into contact with OHM at a site. These locations may be either single discrete points or
areas/zones of affected media.
Potential human receptors were identified based on the current and reasonably
foreseeable future use of the Site.
Under current Site conditions, there are “potentially accessible” impacted soil located
under the parking lot and geotextile liner at depths of greater than 1.5 feet bgs. Under
foreseeable future conditions, there will also be “isolated” impacted soil located under
the Site building.
Under the AUL implemented at the Site, these impacted soils would not serve as an
exposure point for residents, school employees and students, patrons, trespassers,
commercial and office workers, and landscapers. MassDEP does not consider utility
worker soil exposure to be a potentially significant risk unless the COCs have significant
acute health effects (i.e., cyanide). In addition, the one utility drainage line that will
traverse impacted soil will primarily be located in a corridor of clean fill.
Direct contact exposures to soils may potentially occur to impacted soil below the liner to
construction workers during Site redevelopment. Soil may be directly contacted by
construction workers during the installation of the building foundation and drainage line.
As specified in the AEG RAM Plan, the building may be installed using a stone pier
system to support the building slab. The system minimizes both the potential for direct
contact to soil, as well as soil that would need to be excavated.
The AUL specifies that any excavation, movement and handling of soil below the
geotextile liner at depths greater than 1.5 feet of more be conducted in accordance with
a SMP and a HASP. The requirements for a SMP and a HASP are also presented in
the AEG RAM Plan.
It is noted that potential exposures by construction workers to Site soils were considered
to be protective of potential soil exposure to lesser-exposed utility workers, landscapers,
and commercial workers who would not be conducting intrusive activities on a frequent
and regular basis.
Potable water is supplied to the Site by a municipal source. Therefore, there is no
current direct exposure pathway to groundwater as a drinking water supply.
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Vapor intrusion from groundwater categorized as GW -2 (located at a depth of 15 feet or
less and within 30 feet of an existing or planned future building) and soil (located within
6 feet horizontally and 10 feet vertically from the building) may be an indirect exposure
pathway for building occupants.
The depth to groundwater at the Site is less than 15 feet bgs. Soil with low levels of
volatile compounds do exist in close proximity to the proposed Site building foundation
footings as impacted soil are located at depths of 10 feet bgs or less.
The proposed plan for the building is to place a vapor barrier under the foundation to
mitigate the potential intrusion of vapors from underlying soil.
2.4.1.2 Identification of Exposure Routes
The exposure route describes how a receptor may contact contaminants at a site. The
exposure routes identified for quantitative analysis in this Method 3 Risk
Characterization are the inadvertent ingestion of constituents in soil and the dermal
absorption of constituents from soils in contact with the skin and the inhalation of
airborne particulates by construction workers.
Other exposure routes that were considered for quantitative analysis in the evaluation of
current and unlimited future use, but were determined not to be complete or not to
contribute significantly to overall risk, were:
•Incidental ingestion of and dermal contact with soil by Site commercial
workers, utility workers, landscapers, trespassers, and visitors;
•Inhalation of fugitive dust by residents, workers and lesser-exposed
receptors; and
•Dermal contact with groundwater and inhalation of volatiles released from
groundwater in a trench by construction/utility workers.
Soil exposure is possible for utility workers and landscapers. Soil exposures were not
quantitatively evaluated for these receptors as the evaluation of construction worker and
resident exposure to Site soils, respectively, were considered protective of these lesser-
exposed receptors.
Commercial workers, trespassers, and visitors are not expected to be engaged in
regular activities that would result in direct contact exposure to soil.
The inhalation of fugitive dusts by Site workers, residents, and lesser-exposed receptors
was not quantitatively evaluated. The inhalation of fugitive dusts was evaluated for
construction workers. Under the condition that the impacted soils were excavated in the
future, it is likely that the construction workers would be the maximum exposed
individuals, and potential exposures to commercial and utility workers, residents, and
other receptors would be lower.
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Pathways for the construction/utility workers that involve groundwater exposures,
including dermal contact with groundwater and inhalation of volatiles in ambient air
released from groundwater in a trench, were not evaluated quantitatively. Subsurface
excavation for utility work is typically to a depth of 6 feet, while construction work may
occur to a depth of 15 feet. No significant groundwater impacts were encountered
during site assessment and remediation activities.
In addition, direct contact with groundwater would generally be experienced only
occasionally by laborers during dewatering, an activity that would result in short-term
exposure (MassDEP, 1996b). It is not considered standard procedure for workers to
enter an excavation containing water. We also assumed that Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and standard health and safety procedures
regarding sloping of trench excavations, water in trenches, and atmospheres in trenches
would be followed, which would further limit potential exposure.
For construction and utility excavation in the water table, dermal absorption of volatiles
in groundwater and in contact with the skin and inhalation of volatiles by construction
and utility workers were not considered significant exposure pathways.
2.4.1.3 Exposure Profile Summary
Exposure profile summaries bring together the different elements of the exposure profile
to develop the relevant complete exposure pathways for each receptor.
Receptor
(time frame)
Age
Group
Time
Frame
Medium Exposure Route
Construction
Worker
(current/future)
Adult Subchronic Soil Incidental Ingestion
Dermal Contact
Inhalation - Gastrointestinal
Inhalation - Pulmonary
2.4.2 Development of Exposure Factors
Exposure factors, also referred to as exposure assumptions, are numerical estimates of
the magnitude and duration of exposures that receptors may have to Site OHM. For the
potential exposure to soil by construction workers, the MassDEP Shortforms for Human
Health Risk Assessment under the MCP sf12cw with the Vlookup Version v0315
(MassDEP, 2015) was used for exposure assumptions and equations.
The exposure assumptions and equations for estimating exposures are presented in the
following tables:
Table 3 - Construction Worker - Incidental Ingestion of and Dermal
Contact with Soil, and Inhalation of Airborne Particulates
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2.4.3 Exposure Point Concentrations (EPCs)
EPCs are the concentrations of OHM in Site media that are representative of the
concentrations a receptor may be exposed to over the course of an exposure. EPCs
are calculated separately for each OHM in each medium. The soil, groundwater, and
indoor air analytical data discussed in Section 2.2.1 of this report were evaluated for the
development of EPCs.
Groundwater EPCs are generally represented by detected concentrations in each
individual well, while soil EPCs may represent an arithmetic average concentration
within an affected area or over the entire site. The Site data were first evaluated to
determine if a "hot spot" area(s) is (are) present.
Hot Spots
A hot spot is defined as a discrete area where concentrations of OHM or the thickness
of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) are substantially higher than those present in the
surrounding area. A hot spot can be identified based on consideration of both the
concentrations or thickness of an OHM within a contaminated area and the spatial
pattern of that contamination.
A discrete area where the average concentration within the area is greater than ten (10)
but less than 100 times the average concentration in the immediate surrounding area is
a hot spot, unless there is no evidence that the discrete area would be associated with
greater exposure potential than the surrounding area. In all cases, a discrete area
where the concentration of OHM is greater than 100 times the concentration in the
surrounding area is considered a hot spot. In addition, a hot spot cannot be created as
a result of a remedial action (MassDEP, 2009), such as soil excavation.
Data from the affected areas of the Site were evaluated to identify potential "hot spots;"
none were identified.
Soil
The MCP (310 CMR 40.924(2)(b)(4)) specifies that for current and potential soil
exposures, the following depths should be considered, with any applicable Site-specific
information, when determining EPCs:
1.0 to three (3) feet for exposures associated with surficial activity;
2.0 to six (6) feet for exposures associated with utility installation and repair;
3.0 to fifteen (15) feet for exposures associated with excavation scenarios and
building construction.
One set of soil EPCs was used to characterize potential risks to construction workers.
The EPCs were developed in the Weston & Sampson Method 3 RC as presented in the
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PSS, Appendix F. As presented in Section 5.4.3 of the Weston & Sampson Method 3
RC, soil EPCs were based on the 95th percentile upper confidence limit on the mean
(“UCL95”). This UCL95 represents a concentration in which there is 95% confidence or
certainty that the true mean of the sample population will be at or less than this value.
The UCL95 was computed assuming that the data was normally distributed. One-half
the reporting limit (“RL”) was used for concentrations reported as non-detect.
The UCL95 for PCBs were calculated based on all data collected from the Site. The soil
statistical summaries for other COCs included in Appendix F of the Weston & Sampson
PSS were calculated for various depth intervals in the range of soil sample collection
(i.e., 2 to 15 feet bgs).
W eston & Sampson used the EPCs calculated for the depth interval to approximately 6
feet below grade for soil exposure to construction workers. In general, the EPCs for this
depth interval were the highest in comparison to EPCs for other depth intervals (e.g., 0
to 3 feet and 0 to 15 feet bgs).
The Weston & Sampson soil EPCs derived to approximately 6 feet below grade were
used to calculated construction worker risks in this Method 3 RC.
2.4.4 Calculation of Average Daily Doses
The average daily dose (ADD) is a quantitative estimate of how much of each
compound is taken into the receptor's body during exposure. The ADD is expressed as
milligrams of OHM per kilograms of body weight per day. The general form of the dose
equation is:
ADD = (Total Amount of OHM Contacted) * (RAF)
(Body Weight) * (Averaging Period)
ADDs are calculated differently for assessment of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic
effects. For non-carcinogenic effects, the ADD is averaged over the exposure period.
The resulting ADD is an estimate of dose experienced during the actual period of
exposure.
Averaging Periodnon-carcinogenic = Exposure Period
For carcinogenic effects there is assumed to be no threshold level, and exposures are
cumulative over a lifetime. The dose received is therefore averaged over a lifetime (70
years) instead of over just the exposure period. The resulting dose estimate is referred
to as a lifetime average daily dose, or LADD.
Averaging Periodcarcinogenic = Lifetime (70 years)
For air exposures, instead of an ADD, the average daily exposure (ADE) is estimated.
The ADE is a quantitative estimate of the applied concentration of each compound for
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the receptor during exposure.
The ADE is expressed as ug of OHM per m3 of air and is based on the EPC and an
adjustment for the amount of time the receptor spends in the area with contaminated air.
The general form of the exposure equation is:
ADE = EPC * Exposure Duration * Exposure Frequency * Exposure Period * Conversion Factors
Averaging Period
As with ADDs, ADEs are calculated differently for assessment of carcinogenic and non-
carcinogenic effects. For assessment of non-carcinogenic effects, the ADE is averaged
over the exposure period. The resulting ADE is an estimate of dose experienced during
the actual period of exposure.
Averaging Periodnon-carcinogenic = Exposure Period
For carcinogenic effects there is assumed to be no threshold level, and exposures are
cumulative over a lifetime. The exposure received is therefore averaged over a lifetime
(70 years) instead of over just the exposure period. The resulting exposure estimate is
referred to as a lifetime average daily exposure, or LADE.
The ADDs and ADEs for construction worker and resident soil exposure are encoded in
the Shortforms sf12cw (Table 4).
2.5 Human Health Risk Characterization
Risk characterization is the final step in the risk assessment process. In this step, the
results of the Hazard Assessment, Dose-Response Assessment, and Exposure
Assessment are combined to yield quantitative estimates of incremental risk posed by
potential exposures to environmental media at the Site. Separate estimates of potential
cancer and non-cancer risk are made for each receptor and are discussed below.
These estimates are compared to applicable MCP risk management criteria to establish
whether a Condition of No Significant Risk is present.
2.5.1 Non-Cancer Risk
The indicator used to describe the potential for non-carcinogenic health effects is the
Hazard Quotient (HQ). For a given constituent, an HQ is the ratio of a receptor's
exposure level (or dose) to the level of exposure considered safe.
In this Risk Characterization, a safe level of exposure is represented by the RfD or RfC
for each compound. An HQ that does not exceed 1 indicates the receptor's exposure to
that compound is without risk of adverse health effect.
Hazard Quotient = ADD/RfD or
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Hazard Quotient = ADE/RfC
W hen the Hazard Quotients for each of the compounds of concern and exposure
pathway at the Site are summed for each receptor, the result is a total Site Hazard Index
(HI). The total Site HI is referred to as a screening HI because it does not segregate
different compounds of concern based on their mode of toxicological activity. Thus,
when used as an indicator of total Site non-carcinogenic risk, the screening HI is likely to
overstate the actual level of non-carcinogenic risk. If the screening level HI is not
greater than the noncancer risk limit of an HI of 1, this indicates there is no significant
non-carcinogenic health risk associated with Site exposures. If the screening level HI is
greater than 1, this HI is segregated by toxicity endpoint.
The hazard index for construction worker soil exposure is presented in Table 4. The
cumulative screening hazard index value for construction workers does exceed 1. The
exceedance is attributed to PCBs and lead. This finding indicates that a Condition of No
Significant Risk for non-cancer effects does not exist for these receptors and medium.
2.5.2 Cancer Risk
The potential for carcinogenic health effects is estimated as the Incremental Excess
Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR). The ELCR represents the incremental probability of an
exposed individual developing cancer over a lifetime as a result of exposure. For each
chemical, the ELCR is the product of the Lifetime Average Daily Dose (LADD) or
Lifetime Average Daily Exposure (LADE) and that compound's carcinogenic potency.
The indicator of carcinogenic potency used in this risk characterization is the USEPA
Cancer Slope Factor (CSF) or Unit Risk.
ELCR = LADD x CSF or
ELCR = LADE x Unit Risk
As in the case of non-cancer risk, the ELCRs for each of the different compounds and
pathways are summed to produce a receptor-specific cumulative ELCR. This
cumulative ELCR is compared to the cancer risk limit of 1 x 10-5 (one in one hundred
thousand). A cumulative ELCR that does not exceed 1 x 10-5 indicates that no
significant carcinogenic risk is present due to OHM at the Site. A cumulative ELCR
greater than 1 x 10-5 indicates a potential for significant cancer risk is present as defined
by the MCP.
The ELCRs for construction worker soil exposure is presented in Table 4. The
calculated ELCRs for construction workers does not exceed 1 x 10-5. This finding
indicates a Condition of No Significant Risk for cancer effects exists for these receptors
and medium.
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2.5.3 Summary of Findings
1. The cumulative HI for construction workers from soil exposure is greater than
MassDEP’s risk management criteria of 1, indicating a Condition of No
Significant Risk for non-cancer risks does not exist for this receptor and
medium. Therefore, the HASP specified in the AUL and AEG RAM plan is
required to achieve and maintain a Condition of No Significant Risk.
2. The cumulative ELCR for construction workers from soil exposure is not
greater than MassDEP’s risk management criteria of 1x10-5, indicating a
Condition of No Significant Risk for cancer risks does exist for this receptor
and medium.
3. The implemented AUL and current Site conditions of a geotextile liner at 1.5
feet bgs and pavement, and future Site conditions of an additional Site
building serve as controls for the elimination of potential soil exposure for
other receptors. These receptors include commercial workers, utility
workers, landscapers, residents, school employees and students, patrons,
and trespassers.
4. There were no current or foreseeable future complete exposure pathways
identified related to Site groundwater.
5. There are no exceedances of applicable or suitably analogous standards.
Based on these findings, a Condition of No Significant Risk exists for current and future
Site uses with the implementation of the AUL, including cap of liner, pavement, and
building.
2.6 Uncertainty Analysis
The risk assessment process uses information from a variety of sources, such as
analytical data from the Site investigation and toxicity data from published research.
This information is combined with assumptions regarding potential receptors and Site
use. Uncertainties may be present in each of these assumptions, and may affect the
outcome of the risk assessment.
The risk assessment was developed to be a conservative estimate of potential adverse
health effects. Its results should not be interpreted as definitive quantitative values.
Uncertainties in the various portions of this risk assessment are discussed below.
A. Hazard Identification
The identification of constituents present in soil and groundwater and their distribution
across the Site are dependent upon the sampling and analytical program conducted.
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Conservative assumptions were made in developing soil and groundwater EPCs that are
likely to lead to overestimates of actual exposure point concentrations.
EPCs were based on detected concentrations in samples collected from higher
concentration areas. Sampling programs tend to focus on areas of higher
concentration, resulting in a high-end estimate of the EPC.
B. Exposure Assessment
There is uncertainty associated with exposure assessment because the range of
potential human activity is broad. Variability is associated with differences between
individual receptors such as body weight, skin surface area, and rates of soil or water
ingestion.
Conservative assumptions that are consistent with those recommended by MassDEP
risk guidance documents have been used in developing pathway exposure factors that
are anticipated to err on the side of the protection of human health.
C. Dose-Response Assessment
Toxicity information for many of the constituents detected at the Site is associated with
varying degrees of uncertainty. Sources of uncertainty for toxicity values (USEPA,
1989) may include:
•Using dose-response information from effects observed at high doses to
predict the health effects that may occur following exposure to low levels
expected from human contact with the agent in the environment;
•Using dose-response information from short-term exposure to predict the
effects of long-term exposures, and vice-versa;
•Using dose-response information from animal studies to predict effects in
humans;
•Using dose-response information from homogeneous animal populations or
healthy human populations to predict the effects likely to be observed in the
general population, which will include individuals with a wide range of
sensitivities.
Most of the toxicity values used in this Risk Characterization are USEPA-verified
RfDs/RfCs and slope factors. These values, as presented in IRIS, are derived using a
number of safety factors and are accompanied by a statement of confidence in the
value itself, the critical study, and the overall data base for RfDs/RfCs, and the weight-
of-evidence classifications for slope factors.
D. Risk Calculations
The risk calculations were performed using a deterministic methodology as required
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under MCP guidance. In a deterministic methodology, a single value (point estimate) is
used for exposure parameters and exposure point concentrations. The result is that a
single risk value is calculated for each scenario and receptor of concern.
However, the use of a mix of mid-range and conservative exposure assumptions is
intended to produce realistic upper-end exposure estimates, which will be protective of
public health and produce risk estimates that will be valid for comparison to MCP
Cumulative Risk Limits (MassDEP, 1995).
3.0 CHARACTERIZATION OF RISK OF HARM TO PUBLIC WELFARE
The MCP (310 CMR 40.0994) defines two (2) purposes for conducting a
characterization of risk to public welfare: (a) to identify and evaluate nuisance conditions
which may be localized, and (b) to identify and evaluate significant community effects.
The characterization of risk to public welfare considers effects that exist or may result
from the presence of residual contamination or the implementation of a proposed
remedial alternative.
The characterization of the risk of harm to public welfare considers Site, receptor, and
exposure information, as well as data collected pursuant to the response action(s) being
performed.
The characterization of risk of harm to public welfare also considers such factors as the
existence of nuisance conditions, loss of active or passive property use(s), and any non-
pecuniary effects not otherwise considered in the characterization of risk of harm to
health, safety, and the environment, but which may accrue due to the degradation of
public resources directly attributed to the release or threat of release of OHM or the
remedial alternative (310 CMR 40.0994(2)).
The risk of harm to public welfare is also characterized by comparing OHM
concentrations to the UCLs in soil and groundwater, as defined in 310 CMR 40.0996. In
addition, a level of No Significant Risk of harm to public welfare exists or has been
achieved if no nuisance conditions, such as noxious odors, persist in the breathing zone
of ambient and indoor air in the reasonably foreseeable future.
The EPCs for soil do not exceed the numerical UCLs.
The Site has been shown to contain soils that have been affected by constituents that
may possess an odor at close range. Intermittent odors may occur if these soils are
disturbed.
MassDEP guidance (MassDEP, 2002b) has suggested rules of thumb for determining
when an odor condition would generally not be considered a nuisance condition. The
rules of thumb that would be applicable to potential intermittent odors are:
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1. Odors observed in the subsurface during excavation or boring advancement
would generally not be considered a nuisance condition, as long as such
odors are not detectable in ambient or indoor air, and as long as there are no
plans to excavate or disturb such areas.
2. Odors observed in the breathing zone of the ambient air, or indoor air of an
impacted structure, would generally not be considered a nuisance condition,
if such odors do not persist for more than three (3) months.
3. Odors observed in the breathing zone of the ambient air would generally not
be considered a nuisance condition if they are discernable less than ten (10)
days a year.
4. Odors observed in the ambient air or indoor air of an affected structure would
generally not be considered a nuisance condition if the occupants of such a
structure do not believe such odors significantly affect or degrade their
quality of life.
Potential odors are not believed to pose a significant risk to public welfare based on
these rules of thumb being met and the infrequent occurrence and low potential for
human exposures.
In addition, a vapor barrier is proposed to be installed under the Site building.
Therefore, there is No Significant Risk to public welfare for soils and groundwater at the
Site under current and foreseeable future conditions.
4.0 CHARACTERIZATION OF RISK OF HARM TO SAFETY
The risk of harm to safety, as described in 310 CMR 40.0960, was evaluated for the
Site. The following observations concerning the Site apply to release-related conditions
at the Site and the relevant criteria set forth in Section 40.0960 of the MCP:
1. There are no rusted or corroded drums or containers, open pits, lagoons, or
other dangerous structures at the Site;
2. There is no threat of fire or explosion from the presence of explosive vapors
resulting from a release of OHM at the Site; and
3. There are no uncontained materials at the Site exhibiting the characteristics
of corrosivity, reactivity, or flammability as described at 310 CMR 40.0347.
Therefore, there is not a risk of harm to safety due to release-related conditions at the
Site.
5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL RISK CHARACTERIZATION
In accordance with Section 40.0995 of the MCP, this section of the risk assessment
evaluates possible ecological risks due to OHM in soil and groundwater at the Site. For
the Site, a Stage I Environmental Risk Screening was conducted.
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The Stage I Screening steps are:
1.Identify complete Exposure Pathways [310 CMR 40.0995 (3)(a)],
2.Determine whether Readily Apparent Harm Exists [310 CMR 40.0995 (3)(b)],
and
3.Establish if Potentially Significant Exposures Exist [310 CMR 40.0995 (3)(c)].
If there are complete exposure pathways then, for each complete exposure, Site
conditions are evaluated to determine when significant environmental harm is “readily
apparent” and if the potential exposure is significant.
If there are no complete exposure pathways, no further action to assess readily
apparent harm and potentially significant exposures is required (MassDEP, 1996a). The
Stage I screening for potential ecological receptors has been conducted separately for
aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
5.1 Site Environmental Setting
There are no surface water bodies located on the Site. The nearest surface water body
to the Site is the North River Canal located approximately 530 feet north of the Site.
The North River Canal connects to the North River on the eastern side of the North
Street Bridge. The North River discharges into the Danvers River approximately 1 mile
east of the Site. Both the North River and the Danvers River are tidal rivers, which are
connected to Beverly Harbor, which is located northeast of the Site. It is noted that the
Site is located within the FEMA 100-year Floodplain.
5.2 Aquatic Habitat Screening
Complete Exposure Pathways - Four criteria are identified in the MCP (310 CMR
40.0995(3)(a)(1)) to assess whether there is evidence of current or potential future
exposures to aquatic environmental receptors:
a.Evidence that OHM have come to be located in a surface water body or wetland,
b.Evidence that OHM have had an adverse impact on aquatic biota,
c.The presence of OHM in a surface water body or wetland as indicated by
analytical data, and
d.The potential for transport of OHM in groundwater or surface runoff to aquatic
receptors.
No significant impact to groundwater has been identified. Therefore, there is no
evidence that OHM has had an adverse effect on aquatic biota or in the future a
potential for adverse environmental impacts.
Therefore, conditions associated with the Site release do not pose a current or future
potential for significant risk to ecological aquatic receptors in surface waters. Therefore,
no current or potential future exposure is identified and a Condition of “No Significant
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Risk of Harm” to Site aquatic biota and habitats exists or has been achieved.
5.3 Terrestrial Habitat Screening
Natural vegetation on the Site is limited due to the current development of the Site.
Wildlife is limited to suburban biota, such as birds and small mammals. Their presence
at the Site is likely to be of a transient and/or seasonal nature. Impacted soils are
located a depth or under the Site building. Therefore, wildlife are not likely to access
these soils.
A further evaluation of the presence of potentially significant exposure pathways was
completed. Since no soil screening criteria are available, the terrestrial habitat has been
screened on the basis of its size. For the purposes of this screening, the size of
undeveloped/open land at the Site determines the specific evaluation of terrestrial
environments.
MassDEP (1996a) states that, for the purposes of the screening process,
undeveloped/open land is characterized by the presence of native vegetation, and does
not include landscaped residential and commercial parcels, landscaped parks, or golf
courses.
Based on this MassDEP definition, the open space at the Site is less than two (2) acres
in size. Therefore, pursuant to the MCP, no further action to characterize ecological risk
is required for such a site unless:
1.Contaminant transport from surface soil to an ACEC is possible, or
2.State-listed threatened or endangered species, or other species of special
concern are present.
According to the MassDEP Site Scoring Map, the Site is not:
1.W ithin an ACEC, nor is contaminant transport from surface soil to an ACEC
possible, or
2.The location of state-listed threatened or endangered species, or other
species of special concern.
Based on the above information, potentially significant exposures do not exist for
terrestrial ecological receptors potentially exposed to soils at the Site.
As a result, in summary, there is currently No Significant Risk to the environment from
OHM detected in soil and groundwater at the Site.
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6.0 CONCLUSIONS
In accordance with the Massachusetts Contingency Plan, 310 CMR 40.0990, we have
conducted an updated Method 3 Risk Characterization related to the releases of OHM at
297 - 305 Bridge Street in Salem, Massachusetts, and referenced under RTN 3-11726.
To assess whether reported concentrations of OHM represent a Condition of NSR, this
Method 3 Risk Characterization was completed. In accordance with the MCP, the
Method 3 Risk Characterization included the following components:
1.Assessment of risks to human health,
2.Assessment of risks to public welfare,
3.Assessment of risk of harm to safety, and
4.Assessment of environmental risks.
The updated Method 3 RC indicates that the MassDEP and EPA risk-based cleanup
achieved a Condition of NSR for current Site use with the construction of a pavement
cap and future construction of a building, as well as implementation of an AUL to
mitigate and control the future direct exposure to residual PCB soil impacts at the Site.
In general, the AUL was placed on the entire parcel to restrict future residential use and
other Site activities that would result in greater exposure to residual contaminated soil at
the Site. The AUL allows for industrial and commercial uses; and landscaping above
the geotextile liner at 1.5 feet bgs; and underground utility and/or construction activities
below the geotextile liner at depths greater than 1.5 feet bgs or more provided that a
SMP and a HASP are implemented. The AUL also specifies maintenance of the
existing asphalt, and no disturbance and direct contact with soil under the geotextile
liner, except for underground utility and/or construction activities as described
previously.
There were no complete direct exposure pathways identified for groundwater. The
potential vapor intrusion pathway into the proposed Site building will be mitigated
through the installation of a vapor barrier under the building slab.
The risk characterization also concluded that a Condition of No Significant Risk exists
for public welfare, safety, and the environment at the Site based on available Site data
and exposures evaluated for current and foreseeable future Site activities and uses.
Based on the conclusion of this Method 3 Risk Characterization, a Condition of No
Significant Risk for current and future Site use has been achieved with presence of a
cap (e.g., geotextile liner, pavement and proposed building) and implementation of the
AUL. Therefore, a Permanent Solution with Conditions is applicable to the Site.
Page 25
[ A S S O C I A T E S ]
Method 3 Risk Characterization
267-305 Bridge Street
Salem, MA
October 19, 2015
5193-01-01
REFERENCES
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 1995. Guidance
for Disposal Site Risk Characterization - In Support of the Massachusetts Contingency
Plan. July 1995.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 1996a. Guidance
for Disposal Site Risk Characterization In Support of the Massachusetts Contingency
Plan *** Chapter 9 *** Method 3 Environmental Risk Characterization. Bureau of Waste
Site Cleanup and Office of Research and Standards. Interim Final Policy. April 1996.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 1996b. Draft
Commercial/Industrial Shortform Exposure Scenario. December 1996.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 2002a.
Background Levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Metals in Soil. Technical
Update. May 2002.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 2002b.
Characterizing Risks Posed by Petroleum Contaminated Sites: Implementation of
VPH/EPH Approach and Background/Support Documentation. Final Policy. October
31, 2002. Policy #WSC-02-411.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 2009. Bureau of
Waste Site Cleanup Master MCP Q&A: 1993-2009.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 2010. Guidance
on Implementing Activity and Use Limitations Policy #WSC 11-300. December 2010.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 2014a. 310 CMR
40.0000, the Massachusetts Contingency Plan. Effective June 20, 2014.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 2014b. Public
Hearing Draft Vapor Intrusion Guidance. WSC#-14-435. October 2014.
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). 2015.
ShortForms for Human Health Risk Assessment under the MCP. Vlookup Version
v0315. March 2015.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 2015. Integrated Risk
Information System. Office of Health and Environmental Assessment. On-line
database. October 2015.
W eston & Sampson. 2015. Phase III Remedial Action Plan (RAP) and Permanent
Solution with Conditions Statement. January 2015.
Page 26
[ A S S O C I A T E S ]
Method 3 Risk Characterization
267-305 Bridge Street
Salem, MA
October 19, 2015
5193-01-01
TABLES
Table 1
Toxicity Values for Site Constituents of Concern (COCs)
Page 1 of 4
Vlookup Version v0315
OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL CAS
CHRONIC ORAL
REFERENCE
DOSE (OR
SUBSTITUTE)
mg/kg/day REF
SUBCHRONIC
ORAL
REFERENCE
DOSE (OR
SUBSTITUTE)
mg/kg/day REF
Chronic
Inhalation
Reference
Concentration
(or substitute)
mg/m3 REF
Subchronic
Inhalation
Reference
Concentration
(or substitute)
mg/m3 REF
Oral
Cancer
Slope
Factor
1/(mg/kg/day)CLASS REF
Inhalation
Unit
Risk
1/(µg/m3)REF
Subchronic
Inhalation
Reference Dose
(or Substitute)
mg/kg/day REF
Inhalation
Cancer
Slope
Factor
(mg/kg/day)-1 REF
Chronic
Inhalation
Reference
Dose (or
Substitute)
mg/kg/day REF
ACENAPHTHENE 83-32-9 6.0E-02 1 2.0E-01 6 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
ACENAPHTHYLENE 208-96-8 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d D 1 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
ACETONE 67-64-1 9.0E-01 1 2.7E+00 1i 8.0E-01 3 8.0E-01 7c D 1 2.3E-01 5f 2.3E-01 5f
ANTHRACENE 120-12-7 3.0E-01 1 1.0E+00 6 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d D 1 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
ARSENIC 7440-38-2 3.0E-04 1 3.0E-04 2 2.0E-05 3a 2.0E-05 7c 1.5E+00 A 1 3.0E-03 3a 5.7E-06 5f 1.1E+01 5g 5.7E-06 5f
BARIUM 7440-39-3 2.0E-01 1 7.00E-02 1d 5.0E-04 2e 5.0E-03 2b 1.4E-03 5f 1.4E-04 5f
BENZO(a)ANTHRACENE 56-55-3 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 7.3E-01 B2 1e 2.1E-04 7a 1.4E-01 5f 7.3E-01 5g 1.4E-02 5f
BENZO(a)PYRENE 50-32-8 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 7.3E+00 B2 1 2.1E-03 7a 1.4E-01 5f 7.3E+00 5g 1.4E-02 5f
BENZO(b)FLUORANTHENE 205-99-2 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 7.3E-01 B2 1e 2.1E-04 7a 1.4E-01 5f 7.3E-01 5g 1.4E-02 5f
BENZO(g,h,i)PERYLENE 191-24-2 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
BENZO(k)FLUORANTHENE 207-08-9 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 7.3E-02 B2 1e 2.1E-05 7a 1.4E-01 5f 7.3E-02 5g 1.4E-02 5f
CADMIUM 7440-43-9 5.0E-04 1c 5.0E-04 1d 2.0E-05 3a 2.0E-05 7c B1 1 1.8E-03 3 5.7E-06 5f 6.3E+00 5g 5.7E-06 5f
CHROMIUM (TOTAL)7440-47-3 3.0E-03 1 2.0E-02 2 1.0E-04 1 3.0E-04 1k 1.2E-02 1 8.6E-05 5f 4.2E+01 5g 2.9E-05 5f
CHRYSENE 218-01-9 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 7.3E-02 B2 1e 2.1E-05 7a 1.4E-01 5f 7.3E-02 5g 1.4E-02 5f
DIBENZO(a,h)ANTHRACENE 53-70-3 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 7.3E+00 B2 1e 2.1E-03 7a 1.4E-01 5f 7.3E+00 5g 1.4E-02 5f
DICHLOROBENZENE, 1,2- (o-DCB)95-50-1 9.0E-02 1 9.0E-01 2d 8.0E-01 1m 2.4E+00 1m D 1 6.9E-01 5f 2.3E-01 5f
DICHLOROETHYLENE, CIS-1,2-156-59-2 2.0E-03 1 2.0E-02 6 6.0E-03 7b 6.0E-02 7b D 1 1.7E-02 5f 1.7E-03 5f
FLUORANTHENE 206-44-0 4.0E-02 1 1.0E-01 6 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d D 1 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
FLUORENE 86-73-7 4.0E-02 1 4.0E-01 2 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
INDENO(1,2,3-cd)PYRENE 193-39-5 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 7.3E-01 B2 1e 2.1E-04 7a 1.4E-01 5f 7.3E-01 5g 1.4E-02 5f
LEAD 7439-92-1 7.5E-04 4 7.5E-04 4 1.0E-03 3 1.0E-03 7c B2 1 2.9E-04 5f 2.9E-04 5f
MERCURY 7439-97-6 3.0E-04 2d 3.0E-04 2d 3.0E-04 1 3.0E-04 7c D 1 8.6E-05 5f 8.6E-05 5f
METHYLNAPHTHALENE, 2-91-57-6 4.0E-03 1 4.0E-03 6 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
NAPHTHALENE 91-20-3 2.0E-02 1 2.0E-01 1i 3.0E-03 1 3.0E-03 7c 8.6E-04 5f 8.6E-04 5f
PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS NA
ALIPHATICS C5 to C8 NA 4.0E-02 5c 4.0E-01 5c 2.0E-01 5c 2.0E-01 7c 5.7E-02 5f 5.7E-02 5f
ALIPHATICS C9 to C12 NA 1.0E-01 5c 1.0E+00 5c 2.0E-01 5c 6.0E-01 5c 1.7E-01 5f 5.7E-02 5f
ALIPHATICS C9 to C18 NA 1.0E-01 5c 1.0E+00 5c 2.0E-01 5c 6.0E-01 5c 1.7E-01 5f 5.7E-02 5f
ALIPHATICS C19 to C36 NA 2.0E+00 5c 6.0E+00 5c
AROMATICS C9 to C10 NA 3.0E-02 5c 3.0E-01 5c 5.0E-02 5c 5.0E-01 5c 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
AROMATICS C11 to C22 NA 3.0E-02 5c 3.0E-01 5c 5.0E-02 5c 5.0E-01 5c 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
PHENANTHRENE 85-01-8 3.0E-02 5d 3.0E-01 5d 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d D 1 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs)1336-36-3 2.0E-05 1 5.0E-05 2 2.0E-05 3 2.0E-05 7c 2.0E+00 B2 1 1.0E-04 1 5.7E-06 5f 3.5E-01 5g 5.7E-06 5f
PYRENE 129-00-0 3.0E-02 1 3.0E-01 6 5.0E-02 5d 5.0E-01 5d D 1 1.4E-01 5f 1.4E-02 5f
SILVER 7440-22-4 5.0E-03 1 5.0E-03 2 1.4E-04 5b 1.4E-04 7c D 1 4.0E-05 5f 4.0E-05 5f
TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 127-18-4 6.0E-03 1 6.0E-03 1d 4.0E-02 1 4.0E-02 7c 2.0E-02 5h 3.0E-06 5h 1.1E-02 5f 1.1E-02 5g 1.1E-02 5f
TRICHLOROBENZENE, 1,2,4-120-82-1 1.0E-02 1 9.0E-02 6 2.0E-03 6 2.0E-02 6 D 1 5.7E-03 5f 5.7E-04 5f
TRICHLOROETHANE, 1,1,1-71-55-6 2.0E+00 1 7.0E+00 1 5.0E+00 1 5.0E+00 1 D 1 1.4E+00 5f 1.4E+00 5f
TRICHLOROETHYLENE 79-01-6 5.0E-04 1 5.0E-04 1d 2.0E-03 1 2.0E-03 1j 5.0E-02 C-B2 1 5.0E-06 1 5.7E-04 5f 1.8E-02 5g 5.7E-04 5f
XYLENES (Mixed Isomers)1330-20-7 2.0E-01 1 4.0E-01 6 1.0E-01 1 4.0E-01 6 D 1 1.1E-01 5f 2.9E-02 5f
Table 1
Toxicity Values for Site Constituents of Concern (COCs)
Page 2 of 4
References used in calculating Method 3 Risk
Reference #Description
Toxicity Values
1 USEPA, Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Current as of May 2012.
1c IRIS lists two oral RfDs for cadmium, one for food and one for water exposure. The more conservative is used.
1d The chronic oral RfD (from IRIS) has been used here as a subchronic oral RfD equivalent.
1e The IRIS Oral Cancer Slope Factor for benzo(a)pyrene is the basis for the Oral Cancer Slope Factor applied to the seven PAH compounds which are
designated as category A, B1, B2 or C carcinogens.
1i The subchronic RfD is based upon the subchronic toxicity data that is the basis of the chronic RfD presented in the IRIS file.
1j The subchronic RfC is set equal to the chronic RfC based on information in the IRIS file.
1k The subchronic RfC is based upon the subchronic toxicity data that is the basis of the chronic RfC presented in the IRIS file.
1m The chronic and subchronic RfCs for 1,4-Dichlorobenze are used for 1,2- and 1,3- Dichlorobenzene.
2 USEPA Health Effects Assessment Summary Tables (HEAST), Annual FY-1996.
2b The subchronic RfC is based upon the subchronic toxicity data that is the basis of the chronic RfC presented in HEAST.
2d This value has been withdrawn from HEAST, MassDEP continues to use it pending new information.
2e From Table 2 of HEAST. Values in Table 2 were calculated by an alternative method.
3 MassDEP Chemical Health Effects Assessment Methodology and Method to Derive Allowable Ambient Limits (CHEM/AAL)
http://www.mass.gov/dep/toxics/stypes/telaal.htm
3a MassDEP Methodology for Updating Air Guidelines: Allowable Ambient Limits (AALs) and Threshold Effects Exposure Limits (TELs) (MassDEP 2011).
More info on the MassDEP Amibient Air Toxics Guidelines webpage. (http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/toxics/sources/air-guideline-values.html)
4 Developed for the Risk Assessment ShortForm - Residential Scenario (MassDEP, 1992) by MassDEP staff. Documentation of this value may be found
in Appendix D of that document.
5c Final Updated Petroleum Hydrocarbon Fraction Toxicity Values for the VPH/EPH/APH Methodology.
See: http://www.mass.gov/dep/cleanup/laws/tphtox03.doc
5d Toxicity values for PAHs are consistent with the approach presented in "Updated Petroleum Hydrocarbon Fraction Toxicity Values for the VPH/EPH/APH Methodology" MassDEP 2003 and
Characterizing Risks Posed by Petroleum Contaminated Sites MassDEP 2002.
5f Conversion of the chronic or subchronic Reference Concentration to an inhalation Reference Dose using the equation: RfC x Ventilation Rate/ Body Weight
(RfC x V) / BW = (RfC x 20 m3/day) / 70 kg
5g Conversion of the Inhalation Unit Risk Factor to an inhalation Cancer Slope Factor using the equation: URF x Conversion Factor x Body Weight / Ventilation Rate
(URF x CF x V) / BW = (URF x 1000 x 20 m3/day) / 70 kg
5h Developed by MassDEP ORS in 2013, adopted in by MassDEP in January 2014.
6 PPRTVs
7a Conversion of the oral Cancer Slope Factor to the inhalation Unit Risk, using the equation: Slope Factor x Ventilation Rate x Constant / Body Weight
(CSF x V x C)/BW = (CSF x 20 m3/day x 0.001 mg/µg) / 70 kg
7b Conversion of the oral Reference Dose to a Reference Concentration, using the equation: RfD x BW / Ventilation Rate
RfC= (RfD x 70 kg) / 20 m3/day
7c The Subchronic Inhalation Reference Concentration for this chemical is taken to be equal to the chronic value, absent clear chemical-specific information justifying a higher value..
Table 2
Relative Absorption Factors (RAFs) for Site Constituents of Concern (COCs)
Page 3 of 4
Vlookup Version v0315
Relative Absorption Factors (RAFs)
OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL CAS
Chronic
Ingestion Ref Chronic Dermal Ref Subchronic
Ingestion Ref Subchronic
Dermal Ref Cancer
Ingestion Ref Cancer
Dermal Ref NonCancer
Inhalation Cancer
ACENAPHTHENE 83-32-9 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9d 0.1 9d NC NC 1
ACENAPHTHYLENE 208-96-8 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9e 0.1 9d NC NC 1
ACETONE 67-64-1 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e NC NC 1
ANTHRACENE 120-12-7 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9d 0.1 9d NC NC 1
ARSENIC 7440-38-2 0.5 9e 0.03 9f 0.5 9e 0.03 9f 0.5 9e 0.03 9e 1 1
BARIUM 7440-39-3 1 9e 0.1 9e 1 9e 0.1 9e NC NC 1
BENZO(a)ANTHRACENE 56-55-3 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 1 1
BENZO(a)PYRENE 50-32-8 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 1 1
BENZO(b)FLUORANTHENE 205-99-2 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 1 1
BENZO(g,h,i)PERYLENE 191-24-2 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9d 0.1 9d NC NC 1
BENZO(k)FLUORANTHENE 207-08-9 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9e 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 1 1
CADMIUM 7440-43-9 0.5 9g 0.01 9e 0.5 9g 0.01 9e NC NC 1 1
CHROMIUM (TOTAL)7440-47-3 1 9e 0.1 9e 1 9e 0.1 9e NC NC 1 1
CHRYSENE 218-01-9 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9e 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 1 1
DIBENZO(a,h)ANTHRACENE 53-70-3 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 1 1
DICHLOROBENZENE, 1,2- (o-DCB)95-50-1 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e NC NC 1
DICHLOROETHYLENE, CIS-1,2-156-59-2 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e NC NC 1
FLUORANTHENE 206-44-0 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9d 0.1 9d NC NC 1
FLUORENE 86-73-7 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9e 0.1 9d NC NC 1
INDENO(1,2,3-cd)PYRENE 193-39-5 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 0.3 9d 0.02 9d 1 1
LEAD 7439-92-1 0.5 9 0.006 9 0.5 9 0.006 9 NC NC 1
MERCURY 7439-97-6 0.5 9e 0.1 9e 0.5 9e 0.1 9e NC NC 1
METHYLNAPHTHALENE, 2-91-57-6 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9d 0.1 9d NC NC 1
NAPHTHALENE 91-20-3 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9d 0.1 9d NC NC 1
PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS NA
ALIPHATICS C5 to C8 NA 1 9e 0.2 9e 1 9e 0.2 9e NC NC 1
ALIPHATICS C9 to C12 NA 1 9e 0.2 9e 1 9e 0.2 9e NC NC 1
ALIPHATICS C9 to C18 NA 1 9e 0.2 9e 1 9e 0.2 9e NC NC 1
ALIPHATICS C19 to C36 NA 1 9e 0.2 9e 1 9e 0.2 9e NC NC
AROMATICS C11 to C22 NA 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9d 0.1 9d NC NC 1
PHENANTHRENE 85-01-8 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9e 0.1 9d NC NC 1
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs)1336-36-3 1 9e 0.1 9a 1 9e 0.1 9a 1 9e 0.1 9a 1 1
PYRENE 129-00-0 0.3 9d 0.1 9d 0.3 9d 0.1 9d NC NC 1
SILVER 7440-22-4 1 9e 0.3 9e 1 9e 0.3 9e NC NC 1
TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 127-18-4 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 1
TRICHLOROBENZENE, 1,2,4-120-82-1 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e NC NC 1
TRICHLOROETHANE, 1,1,1-71-55-6 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e NC NC 1
TRICHLOROETHYLENE 79-01-6 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 1
XYLENES (Mixed Isomers)1330-20-7 1 9e 0.03 9e 1 9e 0.03 9e NC NC 1
Air1Soil
Table 2
Relative Absorption Factors (RAFs) for Site Constituents of Concern (COCs)
Page 4 of 4
References used in calculating Method 3 Risk
Reference # Description
RAFs
1 Default values. If there is no Reference Concentration, a non-cancer inhalation RAF was not implied. If there is no Inhalation Unit Risk, a cancer inhalation RAF was not implied.
9 MassDEP 2012 RAF Review. Unless specified otherwise, due to data limitations and consistent with the approach in Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2011 - for full reference
see note 48e), a default RAF of 1 was chosen for all organic compounds for oral ingestion of contaminated soil and water.
9a MassDEP 2012 RAF Review - Dermal RAFs for dioxins, furans, and PCBs consider data presented in: Brewster DW, Banks YB, Clark AM and Birbaum LS. (1998).
Comparative Dermal Absorption of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and Three Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans. Toxicol Appl Pharacol 97(1):156-166.
Mayes BA, Brown GL, Mondello FJ, Holtzclaw KW, Hamilton SB, Ramsey AA. (2002).Dermal Absorption in Rhesus Monkeys of Polychlorinated Biphenyls from Soil Contaminated With
Aroclor 1260. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 35(3):289-295.
Roy TA, Hammerstron AK and Schaum J. (2008). Percutaneous Absorption of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) from Soil. J. Toxicol Environ Health,
Part A: Current Issues: 1509-1515.
Wester RC, Maibach HI, Sedik L, Melendres J, and Wade M. (1993). Percutaneous Absorption of PCBs from Soil: In-vivo Rhesus Monkey, In-vitro Human Skin, and Binding to
Powered Human Stratum Corneum. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health 39:375-382.
Absorption of these compounds from soil with high to low organic content has been reported to range from less than 1% to over 10%. In light of the variability in the reported
dermal absorption values and study characteristics, a default value of 0.1 was selected, which is toward the high end of the reported values.
9d MassDEP 2012 RAF Review - Based on Magee B, Andersen P and Burmaster. (1996). Absorption Adjustment Factor (AAF) Distributions for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Human and Ecological Risk Assessment 2:841-873.
9e MassDEP 2012 RAF Review - Based on Ontario Ministry of the Environment (2011). Rationale for the Development of Soil and Ground Water Standards for Use at Contaminated Sites in
Ontario (April 15, 2011, Standards Development Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment (see Section 2.6, Development of Relative Absorption Factors, pp 61-67 and Table 2.35b
Estimation of Dermal Relative Absorption Factors (RAFs) PP 120- 141) http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/environment/en/resources/STDPROD_081485.html; Accessed March 22, 2012.
9e MassDEP 2012 RAF Review - Based on USEPA (2004). Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund Volume 1: Human Health Evaluation Manual Part E,
Supplemental Guidance for Dermal Risk Assessment.
Table 3
Exposure Assumptions and Equations for Construction Worker - Incidental Ingestion of and Dermal
Contact with Soil, and Inhalation of Particulates
MassDEP ORS
Contact: Lydia Thompson
Lydia.Thompson@state.ma.us
617-556-1165 Page 1 of 3 sf12cw 0315 C Eq 10/14/2015
Construction Worker - Soil: Table CW-2 Vlookup Version v0315
Equations to Calculate Cancer Risk for Construction Worker
Cancer Risk from Ingestion Parameter Value Units
CSF OHM-specific (mg/kg-day)-1
ELCRing =LADDing * CSForal LADD age/OHM-specific mg/kg-day
EPC OHM-specific mg/kg
IR 100 mg/day
RAFc-ing OHM-specific dimensionless
RAFc-derm OHM-specific dimensionless
Cancer Risk from Dermal Absorption RAFc-inh OHM-specific dimensionless
EF 0.714 event/day
ELCRderm =LADDderm * CSForal EDing & derm 1 day/event
EDinh 0.333 day/event
EP 182 days
C1 1.0E-06 kg/mg
C2 1.0E-09 kg/µg
Cancer Risk from Particulate Inhalation - Gastrointestinal Absorption C3 1440 min/days
C4 1.0E-03 m3/L
ELCRinh-GI =LADDinh-GI * CSForal BW 58.0 kg
AP(lifetime)25,550 days
LADDinh-GI =VRwork 60 L/min
AF 0.29 mg/cm2
SA 3473 cm2/day
Cancer Risk from Particulate Inhalation - Pulmonary Absorption RCAFinh-gi 1.5 dimensionless
RCAFinh 0.5 dimensionless
ELCRinh =LADDinh* CSFinhalation PM10 60 µg/m3
LADDing =
LADDderm =
EPC * IR * RAFc-ing * EF * EDing * EP * C1
BW * APlifetime
BW * APlifetime
EPC * SA * AF * RAFc-derm * EF * EDderm * EP * C1
BW * APlifetime
LADD =
EPC * RCAFinh-gi * PM10 * VRwork * RAFc-ing * EF * EDinh * EP * C2 * C3 * C4
BW * APlifetime
EPC * RCAFinh * PM10 * VRwork * RAFc-inh * EF * EDinh * EP * C2 * C3 * C4
Table 3 (cont'd.)
Exposure Assumptions and Equations for Construction Worker - Incidental Ingestion of and Dermal Contact with Soil, and
Inhalation of Particulates
MassDEP ORS
Contact: Lydia Thompson
Lydia.Thompson@state.ma.us
617-556-1165 Page 2 of 3 sf12cw 0315 NC Eq 10/14/2015
Construction Worker - Soil: Table CW-3 Vlookup Version v0315
Equations to Calculate Noncancer Risk for Construction Worker
Noncancer Risk from Ingestion Parameter Value Units
RfD OHM-specific mg/kg-day
ADDing ADD OHM-specific mg/kg-day
RfDoral-subchronic EPC OHM-specific mg/kg
IR 100 mg/day
RAFnc-ing OHM-specific dimensionless
RAFnc-derm OHM-specific dimensionless
RAFnc-inh OHM-specific dimensionless
Noncancer Risk from Dermal Absorption EF 0.714 event/day
ADDderm EDing & derm 1 day/event
RfDoral-subchronic EDinh 0.333 day/event
EP 182 days
C1 1.0E-06 kg/mg
C2 1.0E-09 kg/µg
Noncancer Risk from Particulate Inhalation - Gastrointestinal Absorption C3 1440 min/days
C4 1.0E-03 m3/L
ADDinh-GI BW 58.0 kg
RfDoral-subchronic APnoncancer 182 days
VRwork 60 L/min
AF 0.29 mg/cm2
SA 3473 cm2/day
Noncancer Risk from Particulate Inhalation - Pulmonary Absorption RCAFinh-gi 1.5 dimensionless
RCAFinh 0.5 dimensionless
ADD PM10 60 µg/m3
RfDinhalation-subchronic
HQing =
ADDing =
EPC * SA * AF * RAFnc-derm * EF * EDdermal * EP * C1
EPC * IR * RAFnc-ing * EF * EDing * EP * C1
BW * APnoncancer
ADDdermal =BW * APnoncancer
HQinh-GI =
ADDinh-GI =
HQderm =
EPCsoil * RCAFinh * PM10 * VRwork * RAFnc-inh * EF * EDinh * EP * C2 * C3 * C4
BW * APnoncancer
BW * APnoncancer
HQinh =
ADDinh =
EPC * RCAFinh-gi * PM10 * VRwork * RAFnc-ing * EF * EDinh * EP * C2 * C3 * C4
Table 3 (cont'd.)
Exposure Assumptions and Equations for Construction Worker - Incidental Ingestion of and Dermal Contact with Soil,
and Inhalation of Particulates
MassDEP ORS
Contact: Lydia Thompson
Lydia.Thompson@state.ma.us
617-556-1165 Page 3 of 3 sf12cw 0315 Exp 10/14/2015
Construction Worker - Soil: Table CW-4 Vlookup Version v0315
Definitions and Exposure Factors
Parameter Value Units Notes
ELCR - Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk chemical specific dimensionless Pathway specific (ing =ingestion, derm=dermal, inh=inhalation)
HI - Hazard Index chemical specific dimensionless Pathway specific (ing =ingestion, derm=dermal, inh=inhalation)
CSF - Cancer Slope Factor chemical specific (mg/kg-day)-1 see Table CW-5.
RfD - Reference Dose chemical specific mg/kg-day see Table CW-5.
LADD - Lifetime Average Daily Dose chemical specific mg/kg-day Pathway specific. See Table CW-2.
ADD - Average Daily Dose chemical specific mg/kg-day Pathway specific. See Table CW-3.
EPC - Exposure Point Concentration chemical specific mg/kg see Table CW-1.
IR - Soil Ingestion Rate 100 mg/day MADEP. 2002. Technical Update: Calculation of an Enhanced Soil
Ingestion Rate. (http://www.mass.gov/dep/ors/orspubs.htm).
RAFc - Relative Absorption Factor for Cancer Effects chemical specific dimensionless Pathway specific - see Table CW-5.
RAFnc - Relative Absorption Factor for Noncancer Effects chemical specific dimensionless Pathway specific - see Table CW-5.
EF - Exposure Frequency 0.714 event/day 5 events (days) / 7 events (days) in a week; MADEP 1995 Guidance for
Disposal Site Risk Characterization pg B-38.
EDing,derm - Exposure Duration for ingestion or dermal exposure 1 day/event
EDinh - Exposure Duration for inhalation exposure 0.333 day/event Represents 8 hours / event.
EP - Exposure Period 182 days 6 months; MADEP 1995 Guidance for Disposal Site Risk Characterization.
BW - Body Weight 58.0 kg U.S. EPA. 1997. Exposure Factors Handbook. Table 7-7,
Females, ages 18 - 25.
AP(lifetime) - Averaging Period for lifetime 25,550 days Represents 70 years
AP(noncancer) - Averaging Period for noncancer 182 days 6 months; MADEP 1995 Guidance for Disposal Site Risk Characterization.
AF - Adherence Factor 0.29 mg/cm2 MA DEP. 2002 Technical Update: Weighted Skin-Soil Adherence Factors.
(http://www.mass.gov/dep/ors/orspubs.htm)
VRwork - Ventilation Rate during work (heavy exertion)60 L/min Table B-4 MADEP 1995 Guidance for Disposal Site Risk Characterization.
SA - Surface Area 3473 cm2/day MADEP. 1995. Guidance for Disposal Site Risk Characterization.
50th percentile for females. Appendix Table B-2.
IFAFinh-gi - Ingestion Fraction Adjustment Factor, gastrointestinal 1.5 dimensionless MADEP 2007. Characterization of Risks Due to Inhalation of Particulates
by Construction Workers
IFAFinh - Inhalation Fraction Adjustment Factor, inhalation 0.5 dimensionless MADEP 2002. Characterization of Risks Due to Inhalation of Particulates
by Construction Workers
PM10 - Concentration of PM10 60 µg/m3 MADEP 1995 Guidance for Disposal Site Risk Characterization pg B-11
Table 4
Calculation of Risk Estimates for Construction Worker - Incidental Ingestion of and Dermal Contact with Soil, and Inhalation of Particulates
MassDEP ORS
Contact: Lydia Thompson
Lydia.Thompson@state.ma.us
617-556-1165 1 of 1 Sheet: EPCs
Construction Worker - Soil: Table CW-1 ShortForm Version 10-12
Exposure Point Concentration (EPC) and Risk Vlookup Version v0315
Based on Construction Worker 18-25 years of age
ELCR (all chemicals) =2.3E-06
**Do not insert or delete any rows**HI (all chemicals) =2.8E+00
Click on empty cell below and select OHM using arrow.
Oil or Hazardous EPC ELCR ELCR ELCR ELCR Subchronic
Material (OHM)(mg/kg)ingestion dermal inhalation GI
inhalation
pulmonary ELCRtotal HQing HQderm HQinh-GI HQinh HQtotal
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs)2.6E+01 4.6E-07 4.6E-07 1.2E-08 6.9E-10 9.3E-07 6.4E-01 6.5E-01 1.7E-02 4.8E-02 1.4E+00
ALIPHATICS C9 to C12 1.3E+01 1.6E-05 3.2E-05 4.1E-07 8.1E-07 4.9E-05
AROMATICS C9 to C10 1.0E+01 4.1E-05 8.3E-05 1.1E-06 7.4E-07 1.3E-04
ACETONE 4.9E-02 2.2E-08 6.8E-09 5.8E-10 2.3E-09 3.2E-08
DICHLOROBENZENE, 1,2- (o-DCB)1.8E-03 2.5E-09 7.4E-10 6.4E-11 2.8E-11 3.3E-09
DICHLOROETHYLENE, CIS-1,2-6.7E-02 4.1E-06 1.2E-06 1.1E-07 4.2E-08 5.5E-06
TETRACHLOROETHYLENE 1.9E-02 3.3E-12 1.0E-12 8.6E-14 1.5E-14 4.4E-12 3.9E-06 1.2E-06 1.0E-07 1.8E-08 5.2E-06
TRICHLOROBENZENE, 1,2,4-1.8E-03 2.5E-08 7.4E-09 6.4E-10 3.4E-09 3.6E-08
TRICHLOROETHANE, 1,1,1-2.4E-03 4.2E-10 1.3E-10 1.1E-11 1.8E-11 5.8E-10
TRICHLOROETHYLENE 1.2E-01 5.3E-11 1.6E-11 1.4E-12 1.6E-13 7.0E-11 3.0E-04 8.9E-05 7.7E-06 2.2E-06 3.9E-04
XYLENES (Mixed Isomers)1.8E-03 5.5E-09 1.7E-09 1.4E-10 1.7E-10 7.5E-09
ALIPHATICS C9 to C18 1.2E+02 1.5E-04 3.0E-04 3.8E-06 7.4E-06 4.6E-04
ALIPHATICS C19 to C36 6.3E+02 1.3E-04 2.6E-04 3.4E-06 3.9E-04
AROMATICS C11 to C22 1.2E+02 1.5E-04 5.0E-04 3.8E-06 8.9E-06 6.6E-04
ACENAPHTHENE 3.1E+00 5.7E-06 1.9E-05 1.5E-07 2.3E-07 2.5E-05
ACENAPHTHYLENE 3.8E-01 4.7E-07 1.6E-06 1.2E-08 2.8E-08 2.1E-06
ANTHRACENE 7.5E+00 2.8E-06 9.3E-06 7.2E-08 5.6E-07 1.3E-05
BENZO(a)ANTHRACENE 1.1E+01 2.1E-08 1.4E-08 5.5E-10 6.1E-10 3.6E-08 1.4E-05 9.1E-06 3.5E-07 8.2E-07 2.4E-05
BENZO(a)PYRENE 9.3E+00 1.8E-07 1.2E-07 4.6E-09 5.1E-09 3.1E-07 1.1E-05 7.7E-06 3.0E-07 6.9E-07 2.0E-05
BENZO(b)FLUORANTHENE 1.1E+01 2.1E-08 1.4E-08 5.5E-10 6.1E-10 3.6E-08 1.4E-05 9.1E-06 3.5E-07 8.2E-07 2.4E-05
BENZO(g,h,i)PERYLENE 4.5E+00 5.5E-06 1.9E-05 1.4E-07 3.4E-07 2.5E-05
BENZO(k)FLUORANTHENE 4.9E+00 9.4E-10 6.3E-10 2.4E-11 2.7E-11 1.6E-09 6.0E-06 4.1E-06 1.6E-07 3.6E-07 1.1E-05
CHRYSENE 1.0E+01 1.9E-09 1.3E-09 5.0E-11 5.5E-11 3.3E-09 1.2E-05 8.3E-06 3.2E-07 7.4E-07 2.2E-05
DIBENZO(a,h)ANTHRACENE 4.1E-01 7.9E-09 5.3E-09 2.0E-10 2.3E-10 1.4E-08 5.0E-07 3.4E-07 1.3E-08 3.1E-08 8.9E-07
FLUORANTHENE 2.4E+01 8.9E-05 3.0E-04 2.3E-06 1.8E-06 3.9E-04
FLUORENE 3.3E+00 3.0E-06 1.0E-05 7.9E-08 2.5E-07 1.4E-05
INDENO(1,2,3-cd)PYRENE 5.3E+00 1.0E-08 6.8E-09 2.6E-10 2.9E-10 1.8E-08 6.5E-06 4.4E-06 1.7E-07 3.9E-07 1.1E-05
METHYLNAPHTHALENE, 2-1.1E+00 1.0E-04 3.4E-04 2.6E-06 8.2E-08 4.5E-04
NAPHTHALENE 2.9E+00 5.4E-06 1.8E-05 1.4E-07 3.6E-05 5.9E-05
PHENANTHRENE 2.4E+01 3.0E-05 9.9E-05 7.7E-07 1.8E-06 1.3E-04
PYRENE 2.1E+01 2.6E-05 8.7E-05 6.7E-07 1.6E-06 1.1E-04
ARSENIC 1.4E+01 9.2E-08 5.6E-08 2.4E-09 1.1E-08 1.6E-07 2.9E-02 1.7E-02 7.4E-04 2.6E-02 7.3E-02
BARIUM 3.0E+02 5.3E-03 5.3E-03 1.4E-04 2.2E-03 1.3E-02
CADMIUM 5.9E+00 2.8E-09 2.8E-09 7.3E-03 1.5E-03 1.9E-04 1.1E-02 2.0E-02
CHROMIUM (TOTAL)2.5E+02 8.0E-07 8.0E-07 1.5E-02 1.6E-02 4.0E-04 3.1E-02 6.2E-02 Note! Cr(VI) limit is 200 mg/kg due to contact dermititis.
LEAD 1.3E+03 1.1E+00 1.3E-01 2.8E-02 4.8E-02 1.3E+00
MERCURY 2.8E+00 5.7E-03 1.2E-02 1.5E-04 3.5E-04 1.8E-02
SILVER 7.8E-01 1.9E-04 5.8E-04 5.0E-06 2.1E-04 9.9E-04
[ A S S O C I A T E S ]
Method 3 Risk Characterization
267-305 Bridge Street
Salem, MA
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APPENDIX A
TOXICITY PROFILES
What is acetone?
(Pronounced †s„-t‰n )
Acetone is a manufactured chemical that is also found
naturally in the environment. It is a colorless liquid with a
distinct smell and taste. It evaporates easily, is flammable,
and dissolves in water. It is also called dimethyl ketone,
2-propanone, and beta-ketopropane.
Acetone is used to make plastic, fibers, drugs, and other
chemicals. It is also used to dissolve other substances.
It occurs naturally in plants, trees, volcanic gases, forest
fires, and as a product of the breakdown of body fat. It is
present in vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, and landfill sites.
Industrial processes contribute more acetone to the environ-
ment than natural processes.
What happens to acetone when it enters the
environment?
A large percentage (97%) of the acetone released during
its manufacture or use goes into the air.
In air, about one-half of the total amount breaks down
from sunlight or other chemicals every 22 days.
It moves from the atmosphere into the water and soil by
rain and snow. It also moves quickly from soil and water
back to air.
SUMMARY: Exposure to acetone results mostly from breathing air, drinking water,
or coming in contact with products or soil that contain acetone. Exposure to moderate-
to-high amounts of acetone can irritate your eyes and respiratory system, and make
you dizzy. Very high exposure may cause you to lose consciousness. This chemical
has been found in at least 572 of 1,416 National Priorities List sites identified by the
Environmental Protection Agency.
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about acetone. For more
information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series of
summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It’s important you understand this information
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the
dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ToxFAQs September 1995
Acetone doesn’t bind to soil or build up in animals.
It’s broken down by microorganisms in soil and water.
It can move into groundwater from spills or landfills.
Acetone is broken down in water and soil, but the time
required for this to happen varies.
How might I be exposed to acetone?
Breathing low background levels in the environment.
Breathing higher levels of contaminated air in the
workplace or from using products that contain acetone
(for example, household chemicals, nail polish, and
paint).
Drinking water or eating food containing acetone.
Touching products containing acetone.
For children, eating soil at landfills or hazardous waste
sites that contain acetone.
Smoking or breathing secondhand smoke.
How can acetone affect my health?
If you are exposed to acetone, it goes into your blood
which then carries it to all the organs in your body. If it is a
small amount, the liver breaks it down to chemicals that are
not harmful and uses these chemicals to make energy for
normal body functions. Breathing moderate- to-high levels
ACETONE
CAS # 67-64-1
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Page 2
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
Where can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone:1-888-422-8737,
FAX: 770-488-4178. ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html ATSDR can tell you
where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses
resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental
quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html
people have naturally in their bodies varies with each person.
The tests can't tell you if you will experience any health
effects from the exposure.
The test must be performed within 2-3 days after expo-
sure because acetone leaves your body within a few days.
These tests are not routinely performed at your doctor's
office, but your doctor can take blood or urine samples and
send them to a testing laboratory.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The EPA requires that spills of 5,000 pounds or more of
acetone be reported.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set a maximum concentration limit in workplace
air of 1,000 parts of acetone per million parts of air
(1,000 ppm) for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour week to
protect workers. The National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends an exposure limit of
250 ppm in workplace air for up to a 10-hour workday over a
40-hour workweek.
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
Evaporate: To change into a vapor or a gas.
Ingesting: Taking food or drink into your body.
Long-term: Lasting one year or longer.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
1994. Toxicological profile for acetone. Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
of acetone for short periods of time, however, can cause nose,
throat, lung, and eye irritation; headaches; light-headedness;
confusion; increased pulse rate; effects on blood; nausea;
vomiting; unconsciousness and possibly coma; and shorten-
ing of the menstrual cycle in women.
Swallowing very high levels of acetone can result in
unconsciousness and damage to the skin in your mouth. Skin
contact can result in irritation and damage to your skin.
The smell and respiratory irritation or burning eyes that
occur from moderate levels are excellent warning signs that
can help you avoid breathing damaging levels of acetone.
Health effects from long-term exposures are known
mostly from animal studies. Kidney, liver, and nerve damage,
increased birth defects, and lowered ability to reproduce
(males only) occurred in animals exposed long-term. It is not
known if people would have these same effects.
How likely is acetone to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services, the
International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the Environ-
mental Protection Agency (EPA) have not classified acetone for
carcinogenicity.
Acetone does not cause skin cancer in animals when
applied to the skin. We don't know if breathing or swal-
lowing acetone for long periods will cause cancer. Studies
of workers exposed to it found no significant risk of death
from cancer.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve
been exposed to acetone?
Methods are available to measure the amount of acetone
in your breath, blood, and urine. The test can tell you how
much acetone you were exposed to, although the amount that
ACETONE
CAS # 67-64-1
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine ToxFAQsTM August 2007
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about arsenic. For more
information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series
of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It is important you understand this
information because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance
depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other
chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to higher than average levels of arsenic occur mostly in
the workplace, near hazardous waste sites, or in areas with high natural levels. At
high levels, inorganic arsenic can cause death. Exposure to lower levels for a long
time can cause a discoloration of the skin and the appearance of small corns or
warts. Arsenic has been found in at least 1,149 of the 1,684 National Priority List
sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is arsenic?
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element widely distributed in
the earth’s crust. In the environment, arsenic is combined
with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic
compounds. Arsenic in animals and plants combines with
carbon and hydrogen to form organic arsenic compounds.
Inorganic arsenic compounds are mainly used to preserve
wood. Copper chromated arsenate (CCA) is used to make
“pressure-treated” lumber. CCA is no longer used in the
U.S. for residential uses; it is still used in industrial
applications. Organic arsenic compounds are used as
pesticides, primarily on cotton fields and orchards.
What happens to arsenic when it enters the
environment?
‘ Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and minerals and may
enter the air, water, and land from wind-blown dust and may
get into water from runoff and leaching.
‘ Arsenic cannot be destroyed in the environment. It can
only change its form.
‘ Rain and snow remove arsenic dust particles from the air.
‘ Many common arsenic compounds can dissolve in water.
Most of the arsenic in water will ultimately end up in soil or
sediment.
‘ Fish and shellfish can accumulate arsenic; most of this
arsenic is in an organic form called arsenobetaine that is
much less harmful.
How might I be exposed to arsenic?
‘ Ingesting small amounts present in your food and water
or breathing air containing arsenic.
‘ Breathing sawdust or burning smoke from wood treated
with arsenic.
‘ Living in areas with unusually high natural levels of
arsenic in rock.
‘ Working in a job that involves arsenic production or use,
such as copper or lead smelting, wood treating, or pesticide
application.
How can arsenic affect my health?
Breathing high levels of inorganic arsenic can give you a
sore throat or irritated lungs.
Ingesting very high levels of arsenic can result in death.
Exposure to lower levels can cause nausea and vomiting,
decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal
heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, and a sensation of
“pins and needles” in hands and feet.
Ingesting or breathing low levels of inorganic arsenic for a
long time can cause a darkening of the skin and the
appearance of small “corns” or “warts” on the palms, soles,
and torso.
Skin contact with inorganic arsenic may cause redness and
swelling.
ARSENIC
CAS # 7440-38-2
Page 2
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
ToxFAQsTM Internet address is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html
Where can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone:
1-800-232-4636, FAX: 770-488-4178. ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html. ATSDR
can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat
illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental
quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
Almost nothing is known regarding health effects of organic
arsenic compounds in humans. Studies in animals show that
some simple organic arsenic compounds are less toxic than
inorganic forms. Ingestion of methyl and dimethyl
compounds can cause diarrhea and damage to the kidneys
How likely is arsenic to cause cancer?
Several studies have shown that ingestion of inorganic
arsenic can increase the risk of skin cancer and cancer in the
liver, bladder, and lungs. Inhalation of inorganic arsenic can
cause increased risk of lung cancer. The Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the EPA have
determined that inorganic arsenic is a known human
carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) has determined that inorganic arsenic is
carcinogenic to humans.
How can arsenic affect children?
There is some evidence that long-term exposure to arsenic in
children may result in lower IQ scores. There is also some
evidence that exposure to arsenic in the womb and early
childhood may increase mortality in young adults.
There is some evidence that inhaled or ingested arsenic can
injure pregnant women or their unborn babies, although the
studies are not definitive. Studies in animals show that large
doses of arsenic that cause illness in pregnant females, can
also cause low birth weight, fetal malformations, and even
fetal death. Arsenic can cross the placenta and has been
found in fetal tissues. Arsenic is found at low levels in
breast milk.
How can families reduce the risks of exposure to
arsenic?
‘ If you use arsenic-treated wood in home projects, you
should wear dust masks, gloves, and protective clothing to
decrease exposure to sawdust.
‘ If you live in an area with high levels of arsenic in water
or soil, you should use cleaner sources of water and limit
contact with soil.
‘ If you work in a job that may expose you to arsenic, be aware
that you may carry arsenic home on your clothing, skin, hair, or
tools. Be sure to shower and change clothes before going home.
Is there a medical test to determine whether I’ve
been exposed to arsenic?
There are tests available to measure arsenic in your blood, urine,
hair, and fingernails. The urine test is the most reliable test for
arsenic exposure within the last few days. Tests on hair and
fingernails can measure exposure to high levels of arsenic over
the past 6-12 months. These tests can determine if you have
been exposed to above-average levels of arsenic. They cannot
predict whether the arsenic levels in your body will affect your
health.
Has the federal government made recommendations
to protect human health?
The EPA has set limits on the amount of arsenic that
industrial sources can release to the environment and has
restricted or cancelled many of the uses of arsenic in
pesticides. EPA has set a limit of 0.01 parts per million (ppm)
for arsenic in drinking water.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
has set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 10 micrograms
of arsenic per cubic meter of workplace air (10 μg/m³) for 8
hour shifts and 40 hour work weeks.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
2007. Toxicological Profile for Arsenic (Update). Atlanta, GA:
U.S. Department of Public Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service.
ARSENIC
CAS # 7440-38-2
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine ToxFAQsTM August 2007
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about barium and barium
compounds. For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact
sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It is
important you understand this information because these substances may harm you. The effects of
exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal
traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to barium occurs mostly in the workplace or from drinking
contaminated water. Ingesting drinking water containing levels of barium above
the EPA drinking water guidelines for relatively short periods of time can cause
gastrointestinal disturbances and muscle weakness. Ingesting high levels for a long
time can damage the kidneys. Barium and barium compounds have been found in
at least 798 of the 1,684 National Priority List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
What is barium?
Barium is a silvery-white metal which exists in nature only in
ores containing mixtures of elements. It combines with other
chemicals such as sulfur or carbon and oxygen to form barium
compounds.
Barium compounds are used by the oil and gas industries to
make drilling muds. Drilling muds make it easier to drill through
rock by keeping the drill bit lubricated. They are also used to
make paint, bricks, ceramics, glass, and rubber.
Barium sulfate is sometimes used by doctors to perform medical
tests and to take x-rays of the gastrointestinal tract.
What happens to barium when it enters the
environment?
‘ Barium gets into the air during the mining, refining, and
production of barium compounds, and from the burning of coal
and oil.
‘ The length of time that barium will last in air, land, water, or
sediments depends on the form of barium released.
‘ Barium compounds, such as barium sulfate and barium
carbonate, which do not dissolve well in water, can last a long
time in the environment.
‘ Barium compounds, such as barium chloride, barium nitrate,
or barium hydroxide, that dissolve easily in water usually do not
last in these forms for a long time in the environment. The barium
in these compounds that is dissolved in water quickly combines
with sulfate or carbonate that are naturally found in water and
become the longer lasting forms (barium sulfate and barium
carbonate).
‘ Fish and aquatic organisms can accumulate barium.
How might I be exposed to barium?
‘ Ingesting small amounts present in your food and water or
breathing air containing very low levels of barium.
‘ Living in areas with unusually high natural levels of barium
in the drinking water.
‘ Working in a job that involves barium production or use.
‘ Living or working near waste sites where barium has been
disposed of.
How can barium affect my health?
The health effects of the different barium compounds depend
on how well the compound dissolves in water or in the stomach
contents. Barium compounds that do not dissolve well, such
as barium sulfate, are not generally harmful.
BARIUM AND COMPOUNDS
CAS # 7440-39-3
Page 2
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1-800-232-4636, FAX: 770-488-4178. ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html. ATSDR
can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat
illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental
quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
Barium has been found to potentially cause gastrointestinal
disturbances and muscular weakness when people are exposed
to it at levels above the EPA drinking water standards for relatively
short periods of time. Some people who eat or drink amounts of
barium above background levels found in food and water for a
short period may experience vomiting, abdominal cramps,
diarrhea, difficulties in breathing, increased or decreased blood
pressure, numbness around the face, and muscle weakness.
Eating or drinking very large amounts of barium compounds that
easily dissolve can cause changes in heart rhythm or paralysis
and possibly death. Animals that drank barium over long periods
had damage to the kidneys, decreases in body weight, and some
died.
How likely is barium to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have not
classified barium as to its carcinogenicity. The EPA has determined
that barium is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans following
ingestion and that there is insufficient information to determine
whether it will be carcinogenic to humans following inhalation
exposure.
How can barium affect children?
We do not know whether children will be more or less sensitive
than adults to barium toxicity. A study in rats that swallowed
barium found a decrease in newborn body weight; we do not
know if a similar effect would be seen in humans.
How can families reduce the risks of exposure to
barium?
The greatest potential source of barium exposure is through food
and drinking water. However, the amount of barium in foods and
drinking water are typically too low to be of concern.
Is there a medical test to determine whether I’ve
been exposed to barium?
There is no routine medical test to determine whether you have
been exposed to barium. Doctors can measure barium in body
tissues and fluids, such as bones, blood, urine, and feces, using
very complex instruments. These tests cannot be used to predict
the extent of the exposure or potential health effects.
The geometric mean barium level measured in the U.S. general
population aged 6 and older is reported by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) as 1.44 μg/g creatinine (measured
in urine).
Has the federal government made recommendations
to protect human health?
The EPA has set a limit of 2.0 milligrams of barium per liter of
drinking water (2.0 mg/L), which is the same as 2 ppm.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has
set Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) of 0.5 milligrams of soluble
barium compounds per cubic meter of workplace air (0.5 mg/m³)
for 8 hour shifts and 40 hour work weeks. The OSHA limits for
barium sulfate dust are 15 mg/m³ of total dust and 5 mg/m³ for
respirable fraction.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) has set Recommended Exposure Limits (RELs) of 0.5
mg/m3 for soluble barium compounds. The NIOSH has set RELs
of 10 mg/m3 (total dust) for barium sulfate and 5 mg/m3 (respirable
fraction).
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
2007. Toxicological Profile for Barium and Compounds (Update).
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Public Health and Human
Services, Public Health Service.
BARIUM AND COMPOUNDS
CAS # 7440-39-3
CS249955-I
Cadmium- ToxFAQs™ CAS # 7440-43-9
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about cadmium. For more information, call the
CDC Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and
their health effects. It is important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of
exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits,
and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to cadmium happens mostly in the workplace where
cadmium products are made. The general population is exposed from breathing
cigarette smoke or eating cadmium contaminated foods. Cadmium damages the
kidneys, lungs, and bones. Cadmium has been found in at least 1,014 of the 1,669
National Priorities List (NPL) sites identified by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA).
What is cadmium?
Cadmium is a natural element in the earth’s crust. It is
usually found as a mineral combined with other elements
such as oxygen (cadmium oxide), chlorine (cadmium
chloride), or sulfur (cadmium sulfate, cadmium sulfide).
All soils and rocks, including coal and mineral fertilizers,
contain some cadmium. Most cadmium used in the United
States is extracted during the production of other metals
like zinc, lead, and copper. Cadmium does not corrode
easily and has many uses, including batteries, pigments,
metal coatings, and plastics.
What happens to cadmium when it enters
the environment?
•Cadmium enters soil, water, and air from mining,
industry, and burning coal and household wastes.
•Cadmium does not break down in the environment,
but can change forms.
•Cadmium particles in air can travel long distances
before falling to the ground or water.
•Some forms of cadmium dissolve in water.
•Cadmium binds strongly to soil particles.
•Fish, plants, and animals take up cadmium from
the environment.
How might I be exposed to cadmium?
•Eating foods containing cadmium; low levels are
found in all foods (highest levels are found in leafy
vegetables, grains, legumes, and kidney meat).
•Smoking cigarettes or breathing cigarette smoke.
•Breathing contaminated workplace air.
•Drinking contaminated water.
•Living near industrial facilities which release
cadmium into the air.
How can cadmium affect my health?
Breathing high levels of cadmium can severely damage
the lungs. Eating food or drinking water with very high
levels severely irritates the stomach, leading to vomiting
and diarrhea.
Long-term exposure to lower levels of cadmium in air,
food, or water leads to a buildup of cadmium in the
kidneys and possible kidney disease. Other long-term
effects are lung damage and fragile bones.
How likely is cadmium to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
and the International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC) have determined that cadmium and cadmium
compounds are human carcinogens. The EPA determined
that cadmium is a probable human carcinogen (group B1).
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
Page 2 of 2October 2012
Cadmium
CAS # 7440-43-9
How can cadmium affect children?
The health effects in children are expected to be similar
to the effects seen in adults (kidney and lung damage
depending on the route of exposure).
A few studies in animals indicate that younger animals
absorb more cadmium than adults. Animal studies also
indicate that the young are more susceptible than adults
to a loss of bone and decreased bone strength from
exposure to cadmium.
We don’t know if cadmium causes birth defects in people.
Studies in animals exposed to high levels of cadmium
during pregnancy have resulted in harmful effects to the
young. Young animals exposed to cadmium before birth
have shown effects on behavior and learning. There is also
some information from animal studies that high enough
exposures to cadmium before birth can reduce body
weights and affect the skeleton in the developing young.
How can families reduce the risk of
exposure to cadmium?
•Do not allow children to play with batteries. Dispose
of nickel-cadmium batteries properly.
•Cadmium is a component of tobacco smoke. Avoid
smoking and smoking in enclosed spaces like inside
the home or car in order to limit exposure to children
and other family members.
•If you work with cadmium, use all safety precautions
to avoid carrying cadmium-containing dust home
from work on your clothing, skin, hair, or tools.
•A balanced diet can reduce the amount of cadmium
taken into the body from food and drink.
Is there a medical test to determine
whether I’ve been exposed to cadmium?
Cadmium can be measured in blood, urine, hair, or nails.
Urinary cadmium has been shown to accurately reflect the
amount of cadmium in the body.
The amount of cadmium in your blood shows your recent
exposure to cadmium. The amount of cadmium in your
urine shows both your recent and your past exposure.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect
human health?
The EPA has determined that exposure to cadmium in
drinking water at concentrations of 0.04 milligrams per
liter (0.04 mg/L) for up to 10 days is not expected to cause
any adverse effects in a child.
The EPA has determined that lifetime exposure to
0.005 mg/L cadmium is not expected to cause any
adverse effects.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined
that the cadmium concentration in bottled drinking water
should not exceed 0.005 mg/L.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA) has limited workers’ exposure to an average of
5 μg/m 3 for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
2012. Toxicological Profile for Cadmium. Atlanta, GA:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and
Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636
ToxFAQsTM Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state
health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
CS249955-M
Chromium - ToxFAQs™ CAS # 7440-47-3
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about chromium. For more information, call the
CDC Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and
their health effects. It is important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of
exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits,
and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to chromium occurs from ingesting contaminated food or
drinking water or breathing contaminated workplace air. Chromium(VI) at high levels
can damage the nose and cause cancer. Ingesting high levels of chromium(VI) may
result in anemia or damage to the stomach or intestines. Chromium(III) is an essential
nutrient. Chromium has been found in at least 1,127 of the 1,669 National Priorities
List (NPL) sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is chromium?
Chromium is a naturally occurring element found in rocks,
animals, plants, and soil. It can exist in several different
forms. Depending on the form it takes, it can be a liquid,
solid, or gas. The most common forms are chromium(0),
chromium(III), and chromium(VI). No taste or odor is
associated with chromium compounds.
The metal chromium, which is the chromium(0) form, is
used for making steel. Chromium(VI) and chromium(III)
are used for chrome plating, dyes and pigments, leather
tanning, and wood preserving.
What happens to chromium when it
enters the environment?
•Chromium can be found in air, soil, and water after
release from the manufacture, use, and disposal
of chromium-based products, and during the
manufacturing process.
•Chromium does not usually remain in the
atmosphere, but is deposited into the soil and water.
•Chromium can easily change from one form to
another in water and soil, depending on the
conditions present.
•Fish do not accumulate much chromium in their
bodies from water.
How might I be exposed to chromium?
•Eating food containing chromium(III).
•Breathing contaminated workplace air or skin contact
during use in the workplace.
•Drinking contaminated well water.
•Living near uncontrolled hazardous waste
sites containing chromium or industries that
use chromium.
How can chromium affect my health?
Chromium(III) is an essential nutrient that helps the body
use sugar, protein, and fat.
Breathing high levels of chromium(VI) can cause irritation
to the lining of the nose, nose ulcers, runny nose, and
breathing problems, such as asthma, cough, shortness
of breath, or wheezing. The concentrations of chromium
in air that can cause these effects may be different for
different types of chromium compounds, with effects
occurring at much lower concentrations for chromium(VI)
compared to chromium(III).
The main health problems seen in animals following
ingestion of chromium(VI) compounds are irritation and
ulcers in the stomach and small intestine and anemia.
Chromium(III) compounds are much less toxic and do not
appear to cause these problems.
Sperm damage and damage to the male reproductive
system have also been seen in laboratory animals exposed
to chromium(VI).
Skin contact with certain chromium(VI) compounds can
cause skin ulcers. Some people are extremely sensitive
tochromium(VI) or chromium(III). Allergic reactions
consisting of severe redness and swelling of the skin have
been noted.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
Page 2 of 2October 2012
Chromium
CAS # 7440-47-3
How likely is chromium to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS),
the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
and the EPA have determined that chromium(VI)
compounds are known human carcinogens.
In workers, inhalation of chromium(VI) has been shown to
cause lung cancer. Chromium(VI) also causes lung cancer
in animals. An increase in stomach tumors was observed
in humans and animals exposed to chromium(VI) in
drinking water.
How can chromium affect children?
It is likely that health effects seen in children exposed to
high amounts of chromium will be similar to the effects
seen in adults.
We do not know if exposure to chromium will result in
birth defects or other developmental effects in people.
Some developmental effects have been observed in
animals exposed to chromium(VI).
How can families reduce the risk of
exposure to chromium?
•Children should avoid playing in soils near
uncontrolled hazardous waste sites where chromium
may have been discarded.
•Chromium is a component of tobacco smoke. Avoid
smoking in enclosed spaces like inside the home or
car in order to limit exposure to children and other
family members.
•Although chromium(III) is an essential nutrient, you
should avoid excessive use of dietary supplements
containing chromium.
Is there a medical test to determine
whether I’ve been exposed to chromium?
Since chromium(III) is an essential element and naturally
occurs in food, there will always be some level of
chromium in your body. Chromium can be measured in
hair, urine, and blood.
Higher than normal levels of chromium in blood or
urine may indicate that a person has been exposed
to chromium. However, increases in blood and urine
chromium levels cannot be used to predict the kind of
health effects that might develop from that exposure.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect
human health?
The EPA has established a maximum contaminant level of
0.1 mg/L for total chromium in drinking water.
The FDA has determined that the chromium
concentration in bottled drinking water should not
exceed 0.1 mg/L.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA) has limited workers’ exposure to an average of
0.005 mg/m3 chromium(VI), 0.5 mg/m3 chromium(III),
and 1.0 mg/m3 chromium(0) for an 8-hour workday,
40-hour workweek.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
2012. Toxicological Profile for Chromium. Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and
Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636
ToxFAQsTM Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state
health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
DICHLOROBENZENES
1,2-Dichlorobenzene CAS# 95-50-1
1,3-Dichlorobenzene CAS# 541-73-1
1,4-Dichlorobenzene CAS# 106-46-7
Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine ToxFAQsTM August 2006
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about dichlorobenzenes.
For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in
a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It is important you
understand this information because these substances may harm you. The effects of exposure to any
hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and
habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to dichlorobenzenes mostly occurs from breathing
indoor air or workplace air. Exposure to high levels of 1,2- or 1,4-
dichlorobenzene may be very irritating to your eyes and nose and cause difficult
breathing, and an upset stomach. Extremely high exposures to 1,4-
dichlorobenzene can result in dizziness, headaches, and liver problems. 1,2-,
1,3-, and 1,4-Dichlorobenzenes have been identified in at least 281, 175, and
330, respectively, of the 1,662 National Priorities List sites identified by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What are dichlorobenzenes?
There are three dichlorobenzene isomers- 1,2-dichloro-
benzene, 1,3-dichlorobenzene, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene.
Dichlorobenzenes do not occur naturally. 1,2-Dichlorobenzene
is a colorless to pale yellow liquid used to make herbicides. 1,3-
Dichlorobenzene is a colorless liquid used to make herbicides,
insecticides, medicine, and dyes. 1,4-Dichlorobenzene, the most
important of the three chemicals, is a colorless to white solid
with a strong, pungent odor. When exposed to air, it slowly
changes from a solid to a vapor. Most people can smell 1,4-
dichlorobenzene in the air at very low levels.
What happens to dichlorobenzenes when they enter
the environment?
‘ 1,4-Dichlorobenzene enters the environment when it is used
in mothballs and in toilet-deodorizer blocks. Very little enters
the environment from hazardous waste sites.
‘ Some 1,2- and 1,3-dichlorobenzenes are released into the
environment when used to make herbicides and when people
use products that contain these chemicals.
‘ Dichlorobenzenes do not dissolve easily in water, the small
amounts that enter water quickly evaporate into the air.
‘ Sometimes, dichlorobenzenes bind to soil and sediment.
Dichlorobenzenes in soil usually are not easily broken down by
soil organisms. Evidence suggests that plants and fish absorb
dichlorobenzenes.
How might I be exposed to dichlorobenzenes?
‘ You may be exposed to 1,4-dichlorobenzene by breathing
vapors from products used in the home or in buildings, such as
air fresheners, mothballs, and toilet-deodorizer blocks. 1,2-
dichlorobenzene and 1,3-dichlorobenzene are not found
frequently in the air of homes and buildings because these
chemicals are not used in household products.
‘ You may be exposed to very low levels of dichlorobenzenes
in drinking water. You are not likely to be exposed to
dichlorobenzenes in soil.
‘ You may also be exposed to low levels of dichlorobenzenes
in beef, pork, chicken, eggs, baked goods, soft drinks, butter,
peanut butter, fruits, vegetables, and fish.
How can dichlorobenzenes affect my health?
Very little is known about the health effects of 1,3-
dichlorobenzene, especially in humans, but they are likely to be
similar to those of 1,2- and 1,4-dichlorobenzene.
Inhaling the vapor or dusts of 1,2-dichlorobenzene and 1,4-
dichlorobenzene at very high concentrations could be very
irritating to your eyes and nose and cause burning and tearing
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Page 2
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ToxFAQsTM Internet address is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html
Where can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone:
1-888-422-8737, FAX: 770-488-4178. ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html. ATSDR
can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat
illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental
quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
of the eyes, coughing, difficult breathing, and an upset stomach.
Dizziness, headaches, and liver problems have also been observed
in people exposed to very high levels of 1,4-dichlorobenzene.
There is limited evidence that inhaling 1,4-dichlorobenzene may
decrease lung function.
People who have eaten 1,4-dichlorobenzene products regularly
for long periods (months to years) developed skin blotches and
anemia. 1,4-Dichlorobenzene might cause a burning feeling in
your skin if you hold mothballs or toilet-deodorizer blocks against
your skin for a long time.
Breathing or eating any of the dichlorobenzenes caused harmful
effects in the liver of laboratory animals. Animal studies also
found that 1,2- and 1,4-dichlorobenzene caused effects in the
kidneys and blood, and that 1,3-dichlorobenzene caused thyroid
and pituitary effects.
How likely are dichlorobenzenes to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has
determined that 1,4-dichlorobenzene may reasonably be
anticipated to be a carcinogen. There is no direct evidence that
1,4-dichlorobenzene can cause cancer in humans. However,
animals given very high levels in water developed liver tumors.
1,2-Dichlorobenzene was not carcinogenic in laboratory animals
and 1,3-dichlorobenzene has not been tested for its potential to
cause cancer. Both the International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) and the EPA concluded that 1,2- and 1,3-
dichlorobenzene are not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity.
How can dichlorobenzenes affect children?
Children who are exposed to dichlorobenzenes are likely to exhibit
the same effects as adults, although this is not known for certain.
Children can also be exposed to dichlorobenzenes prenatally,
because all three isomers have been detected in placenta samples,
as well as through breast feeding. There is no reliable evidence
suggesting that dichlorobenzenes cause birth defects, although
animal data raise concern for effects of 1,4-dichlorobenzene on
postnatal development of the nervous system.
How can families reduce the risk of exposure to
dichlorobenzenes?
Exposure of children to 1,4-dichlorobenzene can be minimized
by discouraging them from playing with, swallowing, or having
skin contact with products containing 1,4-dichlorobenzene. These
items should be stored out of reach of young children and kept
in their original containers to prevent accidental poisonings. Keep
your Poison Control Center’s number by the phone.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been
exposed to dichlorobenzenes?
Several tests can be used to show if you have been exposed to
dichlorobenzenes. The most commonly used tests measure their
dichlorophenol breakdown products in urine and blood. The
presence of the dichlorophenol breakdown products in the urine
indicates a person has been exposed to dichlorobenzenes within
the previous day or two. Another test measures the levels of
dichlorobenzenes in your blood, but this is used less often. These
tests require special equipment that is not routinely available in
a doctor’s office, but they can be performed in a special laboratory.
Neither of these tests can be used to show how high the level
of dichlorobenzene exposure was or to predict whether harmful
health effects will follow.
Has the federal government made recommendations
to protect human health?
EPA regulates the levels of dichlorobenzenes that are allowable
in drinking water. The highest level of 1,4-dichlorobenzene
allowed in drinking water is 0.075 parts 1,4-dichlorobenzene per
1 million parts of water (0.075 ppm).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has
set a limit for 1,4-dichlorobenzene of 75 parts 1,4-dichlorobenzene
per 1 million parts of air (75 ppm) in the workplace.
Reference
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
2006. Toxicological Profile for Dichlorobenzenes (Update).
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
DICHLOROBENZENES
1,2-Dichlorobenzene CAS# 95-50-1
1,3-Dichlorobenzene CAS# 541-73-1
1,4-Dichlorobenzene CAS# 106-46-7
1,2-DICHLOROETHENE
CAS # 540-59-0, 156-59-2, and 156-60-5
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ToxFAQs September 1997
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about 1,2-dichloroethene. For
more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series
of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because
this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to 1,2-dichloroethene occurs mainly in workplaces where
it is made or used. Breathing high levels of 1,2-dichloroethene can make you feel
nauseous, drowsy, and tired. cis-1,2-Dichloroethene has been found in at least 146
of the 1,430 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). trans-1,2-Dichloroethene was found in at least 563 NPL sites. 1,2
Dichloroethene was found at 336 sites, but the isomer (cis- or trans-) was not specified.
�There is a slight chance that 1,2-dichloroethene will
break down into vinyl chloride, a different chemical
which is believed to be more toxic than 1,2-dichloro
ethene.
How might I be exposed to 1,2-dichloroethene?
�Breathing 1,2-dichloroethene that has leaked from haz
ardous waste sites and landfills.
�Drinking contaminated tap water or breathing vapors
from contaminated water while cooking, bathing, or
washing dishes.
�Breathing 1,2-dichloroethene, touching it, or touching
contaminated materials in the workplace.
How can 1,2-dichloroethene affect my health?
Breathing high levels of 1,2-dichloroethene can make
you feel nauseous, drowsy, and tired; breathing very high
levels can kill you.
When animals breathed high levels of trans-1,2
dichloroethene for short or longer periods of time, their livers
and lungs were damaged and the effects were more severe
with longer exposure times. Animals that breathed very high
What is 1,2-dichloroethene?
(Pronounced 1,2-di-k16rf o-ethfen)
1,2-Dichloroethene, also called 1,2-dichloroethylene, is a
highly flammable, colorless liquid with a sharp, harsh odor. It is
used to produce solvents and in chemical mixtures. You can
smell very small amounts of 1,2-dichloroethene in air (about 17
parts of 1,2-dichloroethene per million parts of air [17 ppm]).
There are two forms of 1,2-dichloroethene; one is called
cis-1,2-dichloroethene and the other is called trans-1,2-di
chloroethene. Sometimes both forms are present as a mixture.
What happens to 1,2-dichloroethene when it
enters the environment?
�1,2-Dichloroethene evaporates rapidly into air.
�In the air, it takes about 5-12 days for half of it to break
down.
�Most 1,2-dichloroethene in the soil surface or bodies of
water will evaporate into air.
�1,2-Dichloroethene can travel through soil or dissolve in
water in the soil. It is possible that it can contaminate
groundwater.
�In groundwater, it takes about 13-48 weeks to break down.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Page 2
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html
Where can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone: 1-888-422-8737,
FAX: 770-488-4178. ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html ATSDR can tell you
where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses
resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental
quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
1,2-DICHLOROETHENE
CAS # 540-59-0, 156-59-2, and 156-60-5
levels of trans-1,2-dichloroethene had damaged hearts.
Animals that ingested extremely high doses of cis- or
trans-1,2-dichloroethene died.
Lower doses of cis-1,2-dichloroethene caused effects on
the blood, such as decreased numbers of red blood cells, and
also effects on the liver.
The long-term (365 days or longer) human health effects
after exposure to low concentrations of 1,2-dichloroethene
aren’t known. One animal study suggested that an exposed
fetus may not grow as quickly as one that hasn’t been exposed.
Exposure to 1,2-dichloroethene hasn’t been shown to
affect fertility in people or animals.
How likely is 1,2-dichloroethene to cause cancer?
The EPA has determined that cis-1,2-dichloroethene is not
classifiable as to its human carcinogenicity.
No EPA cancer classification is available for trans-1,2
dichloroethene.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been
exposed to 1,2-dichloroethene?
Tests are available to measure concentrations of the break
down products of 1,2-dichloroethene in blood, urine, and tis
sues. However, these tests aren’t used routinely to determine
whether a person has been exposed to this compound. This is
because after you are exposed to 1,2-dichloroethene, the
breakdown products in your body that are detected with these
tests may be the same as those that come from exposure to
other chemicals. These tests aren't available in most doctors'
offices, but can be done at special laboratories that have the
right equipment.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The EPA has set the maximum allowable level of cis-1,2
dichloroethene in drinking water at 0.07 milligrams per liter of
water (0.07 mg/L) and trans-1,2-dichloroethene at 0.1 mg/L.
The EPA requires that any spills or accidental release of
1,000 pounds or more of 1,2-dichloroethene must be reported
to the EPA.
The Occupational Health Safety and Health Administra
tion (OSHA) has set the maximum allowable amount of
1,2-dichloroethene in workroom air during an 8-hour workday
in a 40-hour workweek at 200 parts of 1,2-dichloroethene per
million parts of air (200 ppm).
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability of a substance to cause cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Fertility: Ability to reproduce.
Ingest: To eat or drink something.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
ppm: Parts per million.
Solvent: A chemical that can dissolve other substances.
References
This ToxFAQs information is taken from the 1996 Toxico
logical Profile for 1,2-Dichloroethene produced by the Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Public Health Ser
vice, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public
Health Service in Atlanta, GA.
CS249955-W
Lead – ToxFAQs™ CAS # 7439-92-1
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about lead. For more information, call the CDC
Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their
health effects. It is important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to
any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other
chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to lead can happen from breathing workplace air or dust,
eating contaminated foods, or drinking contaminated water. Children can be
exposed from eating lead-based paint chips or playing in contaminated soil. Lead
can damage the nervous system, kidneys, and reproductive system. Lead has been
found in at least 1,272 of the 1,684 National Priority List (NPL) sites identified by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is lead?
Lead is a naturally occurring bluish-gray metal found in small
amounts in the earth’s crust. Lead can be found in all parts
of our environment. Much of it comes from human activities
including burning fossil fuels, mining, and manufacturing.
Lead has many different uses. It is used in the production of
batteries, ammunition, metal products (solder and pipes),
and devices to shield X-rays. Because of health concerns, lead
from paints and ceramic products, caulking, and pipe solder
has been dramatically reduced in recent years. The use of
lead as an additive to gasoline was banned in 1996 in the
United States.
What happens to lead when it enters the
environment?
•Lead itself does not break down, but lead compounds
are changed by sunlight, air, and water.
•When lead is released to the air, it may travel long
distances before settling to the ground.
•Once lead falls onto soil, it usually sticks to soil particles.
•Movement of lead from soil into groundwater will
depend on the type of lead compound and the
characteristics of the soil.
How might I be exposed to lead?
•Eating food or drinking water that contains lead. Water
pipes in some older homes may contain lead solder.
Lead can leach out into the water.
•Spending time in areas where lead-based paints have
been used and are deteriorating. Deteriorating lead
paint can contribute to lead dust.
•Working in a job where lead is used or engaging in
certain hobbies in which lead is used, such as making
stained glass.
•Using health-care products or folk remedies that
contain lead.
How can lead affect my health?
The effects of lead are the same whether it enters the
body through breathing or swallowing. Lead can affect
almost every organ and system in your body. The main
target for lead toxicity is the nervous system, both
in adults and children. Long-term exposure of adults
can result in decreased performance in some tests
that measure functions of the nervous system. It may
also cause weakness in fingers, wrists, or ankles. Lead
exposure also causes small increases in blood pressure,
particularly in middle-aged and older people and can
cause anemia. Exposure to high lead levels can severely
damage the brain and kidneys in adults or children and
ultimately cause death. In pregnant women, high-levels
of exposure to lead may cause miscarriage. High-level
exposure in men can damage the organs responsible for
sperm production.
How likely is lead to cause cancer?
We have no conclusive proof that lead causes cancer
in humans. Kidney tumors have developed in rats and
mice that had been given large doses of some kind
of lead compounds. The Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS) has determined that lead
and lead compounds are reasonably anticipated to be
human carcinogens and the EPA has determined that
lead is a probable human carcinogen. The International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined
that inorganic lead is probably carcinogenic to humans
and that there is insufficient information to determine
whether organic lead compounds will cause cancer
in humans.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
Page 2 of 2August 2007
Lead
CAS # 7439-92-1
How can lead affect children?
Small children can be exposed by eating lead-based paint
chips, chewing on objects painted with lead-based paint, or
swallowing house dust or soil that contains lead.
Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults.
A child who swallows large amounts of lead may develop
blood anemia, severe stomachache, muscle weakness, and
brain damage. If a child swallows smaller amounts of lead,
much less severe effects on blood and brain function may
occur. Even at much lower levels of exposure, lead can affect
a child’s mental and physical growth.
Exposure to lead is more dangerous for young and unborn
children. Unborn children can be exposed to lead through
their mothers. Harmful effects include premature births,
smaller babies, decreased mental ability in the infant, learning
difficulties, and reduced growth in young children. These
effects are more common if the mother or baby was exposed
to high levels of lead. Some of these effects may persist
beyond childhood.
How can families reduce the risks of
exposure to lead?
•Avoid exposure to sources of lead.
•Do not allow children to chew or mouth surfaces that
may have been painted with lead-based paint.
•If you have a water lead problem, run or flush water that has
been standing overnight before drinking or cooking with it.
•Some types of paints and pigments that are used as
make-up or hair coloring contain lead. Keep these kinds of
products away from children.
•If your home contains lead-based paint or you live in an
area contaminated with lead, wash children’s hands and
faces often to remove lead dusts and soil, and regularly
clean the house of dust and tracked in soil.
Is there a medical test to determine whether
I’ve been exposed to lead?
A blood test is available to measure the amount of lead in
your blood and to estimate the amount of your recent exposure
to lead. Blood tests are commonly used to screen children
for lead poisoning. Lead in teeth or bones can be measured
by X-ray techniques, but these methods are not widely
available. Exposure to lead also can be evaluated by
measuring erythrocyte protoporphyrin (EP) in blood
samples. EP is a part of red blood cells known to increase
when the amount of lead in the blood is high. However, the
EP level is not sensitive enough to identify children with
elevated blood lead levels below about 25 micrograms
per deciliter (μg/dL). These tests usually require special
analytical equipment that is not available in a doctor’s
office. However, your doctor can draw blood samples and
send them to appropriate laboratories for analysis.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect
human health?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recommends that states test children at ages 1 and 2 years.
Children should be tested at ages 3–6 years if they have
never been tested for lead, if they receive services from
public assistance programs for the poor such as Medicaid
or the Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and
Children, if they live in a building or frequently visit a house
built before 1950; if they visit a home (house or apartment)
built before 1978 that has been recently remodeled; and/
or if they have a brother, sister, or playmate who has had
lead poisoning. CDC has updated its recommendations
on children’s blood lead levels. Experts now use an upper
reference level value of 97.5% of the population distribution
for children’s blood lead. In 2012-2015, the value to identify
children with blood lead levels that are much higher than
most children have, is 5 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL).
EPA limits lead in drinking water to 15 μg per liter.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
2007. Toxicological Profile for lead (Update). Atlanta, GA:
U.S. Department of Public Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and
Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636.
ToxFAQsTM Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state
health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
CS249955-Y
Mercury - ToxFAQs™ CAS # 7439-97-6
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about mercury. For more information, call the CDC
Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their
health effects. It’s important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to mercury occurs from breathing contaminated air,
ingesting contaminated water and food, and having dental and medical
treatments. Mercury, at high levels, may damage the brain, kidneys, and
developing fetus. This chemical has been found in at least 714 of 1,467 National
Priorities List (NPL) sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is mercury?
Mercury is a naturally occurring metal which has several
forms. The metallic mercury is a shiny, silver-white,
odorless liquid. If heated, it is a colorless, odorless gas.
Mercury combines with other elements, such as
chlorine, sulfur, or oxygen, to form inorganic mercury
compounds or “salts,” which are usually white powders
or crystals. Mercury also combines with carbon to make
organic mercury compounds. The most common one,
methylmercury, is produced mainly by microscopic
organisms in the water and soil. More mercury in the
environment can increase the amounts of methylmercury
that these small organisms make.
Metallic mercury is used to produce chlorine gas and
caustic soda, and is also used in thermometers, some
dental fillings, and batteries. Mercury salts are sometimes
used in skin lightening creams and as antiseptic creams
and ointments.
What happens to mercury when it enters
the environment?
•Inorganic mercury (metallic mercury and inorganic
mercury compounds) enters the air from mining
ore deposits, burning coal and waste, and from
manufacturing plants.
•It enters the water or soil from natural deposits,
disposal of wastes, and volcanic activity.
•Methylmercury may be formed in water and soil by
small organisms called bacteria.
•Methylmercury builds up in the tissues of fish.
Larger and older fish tend to have the highest
levels of mercury.
How might I be exposed to mercury?
•Eating fish or shellfish contaminated
with methylmercury.
•Breathing vapors in air from spills, incinerators,
and industries that burn mercury-containing
fossil fuels.
•Release of mercury from dental work and
medical treatments.
•Breathing contaminated workplace air or skin
contact during use in the workplace.
•Practicing rituals that include mercury.
How can mercury affect my health?
The nervous system is very sensitive to all forms of
mercury. Methylmercury and metallic mercury vapors
are more harmful than other forms, because more
mercury in these forms reaches the brain. Exposure to
high levels of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury
can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and
developing fetus. Effects on brain functioning may
result in irritability, shyness, tremors, changes in vision
or hearing, and memory problems.
Short-term exposure to high levels of metallic mercury
vapors may cause effects including lung damage,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increases in blood pressure
or heart rate, skin rashes, and eye irritation.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
Page 2 of 2April 1999
Mercury
CAS # 7439-97-6
How likely is mercury to cause cancer?
There are inadequate human cancer data available
for all forms of mercury. Mercuric chloride has caused
increases in several types of tumors in rats and mice,
and methylmercury has caused kidney tumors in male
mice. The EPA has determined that mercuric chloride and
methylmercury are possible human carcinogens.
How can mercury affect children?
Very young children are more sensitive to mercury than
adults. Mercury in the mother’s body passes to the fetus
and may accumulate there, possibly causing damage
to the developing nervous system. It can also pass to a
nursing infant through breast milk. However, the benefits
of breast feeding may be greater than the possible
adverse effects of mercury in breast milk.
Mercury’s harmful effects that may affect the
fetus include brain damage, mental retardation,
incoordination, blindness, seizures, and inability to
speak. Children poisoned by mercury may develop
problems of their nervous and digestive systems, and
kidney damage.
How can families reduce the risk of
exposure to mercury?
Carefully handle and dispose of products that contain
mercury, such as thermometers or fluorescent light
bulbs. Do not vacuum up spilled mercury, because it
will vaporize and increase exposure. If a large amount
of mercury has been spilled, contact your health
department. Teach children not to play with shiny,
silver liquids.
Properly dispose of older medicines that contain
mercury. Keep all mercury-containing medicines away
from children.
Pregnant women and children should keep away from
rooms where liquid mercury has been used.
Learn about wildlife and fish advisories in your area from
your public health or natural resources department.
Is there a medical test to determine
whether I’ve been exposed to mercury?
Tests are available to measure mercury levels in the
body. Blood or urine samples are used to test for
exposure to metallic mercury and to inorganic forms
of mercury. Mercury in whole blood or in scalp hair is
measured to determine exposure to methylmercury.
Your doctor can take samples and send them to a
testing laboratory.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect
human health?
The EPA has set a limit of 2 parts of mercury per billion
parts of drinking water (2 ppb).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set a
maximum permissible level of 1 part of methylmercury
in a million parts of seafood (1 ppm).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set limits of 0.1 milligram of organic mercury
per cubic meter of workplace air (0.1 mg/m3) and 0.05
mg/m3 of metallic mercury vapor for 8-hour shifts and
40-hour work weeks.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1999. Toxicological profile for mercury. Atlanta,
GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and
Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636.
ToxFAQsTM Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state
health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
CS249955-AC
Polychlorinated Biphenyls - ToxFAQs™
CAS # This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about polychlorinated biphenyls. For more information, call
the CDC Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their
health effects. It’s important you understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any
hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals
are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a mixture of individual
chemicals which are no longer produced in the United States, but are still found in
the environment. Health effects that have been associated with exposure to PCBs
include acne-like skin conditions in adults and neurobehavioral and immunological
changes in children. PCBs are known to cause cancer in animals. PCBs have been
found in at least 500 of the 1,598 National Priorities List (NPL) sites identified by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What are polychlorinated biphenyls?
Polychlorinated biphenyls are mixtures of up to 209 individual
chlorinated compounds (known as congeners). There are no
known natural sources of PCBs. PCBs are either oily liquids or
solids that are colorless to light yellow. Some PCBs can exist
as a vapor in air. PCBs have no known smell or taste. Many
commercial PCB mixtures are known in the U.S. by the trade
name Aroclor.
PCBs have been used as coolants and lubricants in transformers,
capacitors, and other electrical equipment because they don’t
burn easily and are good insulators. The manufacture of PCBs
was stopped in the U.S. in 1977 because of evidence they build
up in the environment and can cause harmful health effects.
Products made before 1977 that may contain PCBs include old
fluorescent lighting fixtures and electrical devices containing
PCB capacitors, and old microscope and hydraulic oils.
What happens to PCBs when they enter
the environment?
•PCBs entered the air, water, and soil during their
manufacture, use, and disposal; from accidental spills
and leaks during their transport; and from leaks or fires in
products containing PCBs.
•PCBs can still be released to the environment from
hazardous waste sites; illegal or improper disposal of
industrial wastes and consumer products; leaks from old
electrical transformers containing PCBs; and burning of
some wastes in incinerators.
•PCBs do not readily break down in the environment and
thus may remain there for very long periods of time. PCBs
can travel long distances in the air and be deposited in
areas far away from where they were released. In water, a
small amount of PCBs may remain dissolved, but most stick
to organic particles and bottom sediments. PCBs also bind
strongly to soil.
•PCBs are taken up by small organisms and fish in water.
They are also taken up by other animals that eat these
aquatic animals as food. PCBs accumulate in fish and
marine mammals, reaching levels that may be many
thousands of times higher than in water.
How might I be exposed to PCBs?
•Using old fluorescent lighting fixtures and electrical
devices and appliances, such as television sets and
refrigerators, that were made 30 or more years ago.
These items may leak small amounts of PCBs into the
air when they get hot during operation, and could be a
source of skin exposure.
•Eating contaminated food. The main dietary sources
of PCBs are fish (especially sportfish caught in
contaminated lakes or rivers), meat, and dairy products.
•Breathing air near hazardous waste sites and drinking
contaminated well water.
•In the workplace during repair and maintenance of
PCB transformers; accidents, fires or spills involving
transformers, fluorescent lights, and other old electrical
devices; and disposal of PCB materials.
How can PCBs affect my health?
The most commonly observed health effects in people
exposed to large amounts of PCBs are skin conditions such
as acne and rashes. Studies in exposed workers have shown
changes in blood and urine that may indicate liver damage.
PCB exposures in the general population are not likely to
result in skin and liver effects. Most of the studies of health
effects of PCBs in the general population examined children
of mothers who were exposed to PCBs.
Animals that ate food containing large amounts of PCBs
for short periods of time had mild liver damage and some
died. Animals that ate smaller amounts of PCBs in food over
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
Page 2 of 2July 2014
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
CAS # several weeks or months developed various kinds of health effects,
including anemia; acne-like skin conditions; and liver, stomach,
and thyroid gland injuries. Other effects of PCBs in animals
include changes in the immune system, behavioral alterations, and
impaired reproduction. PCBs are not known to cause birth defects.
How likely are PCBs to cause cancer?
Few studies of workers indicate that PCBs were associated with
certain kinds of cancer in humans, such as cancer of the liver and
biliary tract. Rats that ate food containing high levels of PCBs for
two years developed liver cancer. The Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS) has concluded that PCBs may reasonably
be anticipated to be carcinogens. PCBs have been classified as
probably carcinogenic, and carcinogenic to humans (group 1)
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and International
Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), respectively.
How can PCBs affect children?
Women who were exposed to relatively high levels of PCBs in the
workplace or ate large amounts of fish contaminated with PCBs
had babies that weighed slightly less than babies from women
who did not have these exposures. Babies born to women who ate
PCB-contaminated fish also showed abnormal responses in tests of
infant behavior. Some of these behaviors, such as problems with
motor skills and a decrease in short-term memory, lasted for several
years. Other studies suggest that the immune system was affected
in children born to and nursed by mothers exposed to increased
levels of PCBs. There are no reports of structural birth defects
caused by exposure to PCBs or of health effects of PCBs in older
children. The most likely way infants will be exposed to PCBs is from
breast milk. Transplacental transfers of PCBs were also reported In
most cases, the benefits of breast-feeding outweigh any risks from
exposure to PCBs in mother’s milk.
How can families reduce the risks of
exposure to PCBs?
•You and your children may be exposed to PCBs by
eating fish or wildlife caught from contaminated locations.
Certain states, Native American tribes, and U.S. territories have
issued advisories to warn people about PCB-contaminated
fish and fish-eating wildlife. You can reduce your family’s
exposure to PCBs by obeying these advisories.
•Children should be told not play with old appliances, electrical
equipment, or transformers, since they may contain PCBs.
•Children should be discouraged from playing in the
dirt near hazardous waste sites and in areas where
there was a transformer fire. Children should also be
discouraged from eating dirt and putting dirty hands,
toys or other objects in their mouths, and should wash
hands frequently.
•If you are exposed to PCBs in the workplace it is
possible to carry them home on your clothes, body,
or tools. If this is the case, you should shower and
change clothing before leaving work, and your work
clothes should be kept separate from other clothes and
laundered separately.
Is there a medical test to show whether
I’ve been exposed to PCBs?
Tests exist to measure levels of PCBs in your blood, body
fat, and breast milk, but these are not routinely conducted.
Most people normally have low levels of PCBs in their body
because nearly everyone has been environmentally exposed
to PCBs. The tests can show if your PCB levels are elevated,
which would indicate past exposure to above-normal levels
of PCBs, but cannot determine when or how long you were
exposed or whether you will develop health effects.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect
human health?
The EPA has set a limit of 0.0005 milligrams of PCBs per
liter of drinking water (0.0005 mg/L). Discharges, spills or
accidental releases of 1 pound or more of PCBs into the
environment must be reported to the EPA. The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) requires that infant foods, eggs,
milk and other dairy products, fish and shellfish, poultry
and red meat contain no more than 0.2-3 parts of PCBs
per million parts (0.2-3 ppm) of food. Many states have
established fish and wildlife consumption advisories for PCBs.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
2000. Toxicological profile for polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and
Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636.
ToxFAQsTM Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state
health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
CS249955-AD
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) - ToxFAQs™
CAS #
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
For more information, call the CDC Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries
about hazardous substances and their health effects. This information is important because this substance may harm you.
The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits
and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
SUMMARY: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons usually occurs by
breathing air contaminated by wild fires or coal tar, or by eating foods that have
been grilled. PAHs have been found in at least 600 of the 1,430 National Priorities
List (NPL) sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What are polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons?
•Most PAHs do not dissolve easily in water. They
stick to solid particles and settle to the bottoms of
lakes or rivers.
•Microorganisms can break down PAHs in soil or
water after a period of weeks to months.
•In soils, PAHs are most likely to stick tightly to
particles; certain PAHs move through soil to
contaminate underground water.
•PAH contents of plants and animals may be much
higher than PAH contents of soil or water in which
they live.
How might I be exposed to PAHs?
•Breathing air containing PAHs in the workplace
of coking, coal-tar, and asphalt production
plants; smokehouses; and municipal trash
incineration facilities.
•Breathing air containing PAHs from cigarette
smoke, wood smoke, vehicle exhausts, asphalt
roads, or agricultural burn smoke.
•Coming in contact with air, water, or soil near
hazardous waste sites.
•Eating grilled or charred meats; contaminated
cereals, flour, bread, vegetables, fruits, meats; and
processed or pickled foods.
•Drinking contaminated water or cow’s milk.
•Nursing infants of mothers living near hazardous
waste sites may be exposed to PAHs through their
mother’s milk.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group
of over 100 different chemicals that are formed during
the incomplete burning of coal, oil and gas, garbage,
or other organic substances like tobacco or charbroiled
meat. PAHs are usually found as a mixture containing
two or more of these compounds, such as soot.
Some PAHs are manufactured. These pure PAHs usually
exist as colorless, white, or pale yellow-green solids.
PAHs are found in coal tar, crude oil, creosote, and
roofing tar, but a few are used in medicines or to make
dyes, plastics, and pesticides.
What happens to PAHs when they enter
the environment?
•PAHs enter the air mostly as releases from
volcanoes, forest fires, burning coal, and
automobile exhaust.
•PAHs can occur in air attached to dust particles.
•Some PAH particles can readily evaporate into the
air from soil or surface waters.
•PAHs can break down by reacting with sunlight
and other chemicals in the air, over a period of
days to weeks.
•PAHs enter water through discharges from
industrial and wastewater treatment plants.
Page 2 of 2September 1996
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
CAS # 7440-38-2
How can PAHs affect my health?
Mice that were fed high levels of one PAH during
pregnancy had difficulty reproducing and so did their
off spring. These offspring also had higher rates of birth
defects and lower body weights. It is not known whether
these effects occur in people.
Animal studies have also shown that PAHs can cause
harmful effects on the skin, body fluids, and ability to
fight disease after both short- and long-term exposure.
But these effects have not been seen in people.
How likely are PAHs to cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
has determined that some PAHs may reasonably be
expected to be carcinogens.
Some people who have breathed or touched mixtures
of PAHs and other chemicals for long periods of time
have developed cancer. Some PAHs have caused cancer
in labora tory animals when they breathed air containing
them (lung cancer), ingested them in food (stomach
cancer), or had them applied to their skin (skin cancer).
Is there a medical test to show whether
I’ve been exposed to PAHs?
In the body, PAHs are changed into chemicals that can
attach to substances within the body. There are special
tests that can detect PAHs attached to these substances
in body tissues or blood. However, these tests cannot
tell whether any health effects will occur or find out the
extent or source of your exposure to the PAHs. The tests
aren’t usually available in your doctor’s office because
special equipment is needed to conduct them.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect
human health?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set a limit of 0.2 milligrams of PAHs per cubic
meter of air (0.2 mg/m3). The OSHA Permissible Exposure
Limit (PEL) for mineral oil mist that contains PAHs is 5
mg/m3 averaged over an 8-hour exposure period.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends that the average workplace
air levels for coal tar products not exceed 0.1 mg/m3 for
a 10-hour workday, within a 40-hour workweek. There
are other limits for work place exposure for things that
contain PAHs, such as coal, coal tar, and mineral oil.
Glossary
Carcinogen: A substance that can cause cancer.
Ingest: Take food or drink into your body.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological profile for polycyclic
aromatic hydrocar bons. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and
Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636.
ToxFAQsTM Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state
health or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
HIGHLIGHTS: Silver is an element found naturally in the environment. At very
high levels, it may cause argyria, a blue-gray discoloration of the skin and other
organs. This chemical has been found in at least 27 of the 1,177 National Priorities
List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ToxFAQs July 1999
SILVER
CAS # 7440-22-4
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about silver. For more information,
call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries
about hazardous substances and their health effects. It’s important you understand this information because
this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the
duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
What is silver?
(Pronounced s„lvr )
Silver is a naturally occurring element. It is found in the
environment combined with other elements such as sulfide,
chloride, and nitrate. Pure silver is “silver” colored, but silver
nitrate and silver chloride are powdery white and silver sul-
fide and silver oxide are dark-gray to black. Silver is often
found as a by-product during the retrieval of copper, lead,
zinc, and gold ores.
Silver is used to make jewelry, silverware, electronic
equipment, and dental fillings. It is also used to make photo-
graphs, in brazing alloys and solders, to disinfect drinking
water and water in swimming pools, and as an antibacterial
agent. Silver has also been used in lozenges and chewing gum
to help people stop smoking.
What happens to silver when is enters the
environment?
Silver may be released into the air and water through
natural processes such as the weathering of rocks.
Human activities such as the processing of ores, cement
manufacture, and the burning of fossil fuel may release
silver into the air.
It may be released into water from photographic process-
ing.
Rain may wash silver out of soil into the groundwater.
Silver does not appear to concentrate to a significant
extent in aquatic animals.
How might I be exposed to silver?
Breathing low levels in air.
Swallowing it in food or drinking water.
Carrying out activities such as jewelry-making, solder-
ing, and photography.
Using anti-smoking lozenges or other medicines contain-
ing it.
How can silver affect my health?
Exposure to high levels of silver for a long period of time
may result in a condition called arygria, a blue-gray discol-
oration of the skin and other body tissues. Lower-level expo-
sures to silver may also cause silver to be deposited in the
skin and other parts of the body; however, this is not known
to be harmful. Argyria is a permanent effect, but it appears to
be a cosmetic problem that may not be otherwise harmful to
health.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Page 2
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
ToxFAQs Internet home page via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html
Where can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, Division of Toxicology, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone:1-888-422-8737,
FAX: 770-488-4178. ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html ATSDR can tell you
where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat illnesses
resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental
quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
SILVER
CAS # 7440-22-4
Exposure to high levels of silver in the air has resulted in
breathing problems, lung and throat irritation, and stomach
pains. Skin contact with silver can cause mild allergic reactions
such as rash, swelling, and inflammation in some people.
Animal studies have shown that swallowing silver results
in the deposit of silver in the skin. One study in mice found
that the animals exposed to silver in drinking water were less
active than unexposed animals.
No studies are available on whether silver affects reproduc-
tion or causes developmental problems in people.
How likely is silver to cause cancer?
No studies are available on whether silver may cause can-
cer in people. The only available animal studies showed both
positive and negative results when silver was implanted under
the skin.
The EPA has determined that silver is not classifiable as to
human carcinogenicity.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been
exposed to silver?
Silver can be measured in the blood, urine, feces, and body
tissues of exposed people. Silver builds up in the body, and the
best way to learn if past exposure has occurred is to look for
silver in samples of skin. Tests for silver are not commonly
done at a doctor’s office because they require special equip-
ment. Although doctors can find out if a person has been ex-
posed to silver by doing these tests, they cannot tell whether
any health effects will occur.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
The EPA recommends that the concentration of silver in
drinking water not exceed 0.10 milligrams per liter of water
(0.10 mg/L) because of the skin discoloration that may occur.
The EPA requires that spills or accidental releases of
1,000 pounds or more of silver be reported to the EPA.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) limits silver in workplace air to 0.01 milligrams per
cubic meter (0.01 mg/m3) for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour
workweek. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) also recommends that workplace air contain
no more that 0.01 mg/m3 silver.
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends that workplace air contain
no more than 0.1 mg/m3 silver metal and 0.01 mg/m3 soluble
silver compounds.
The federal recommendations have been updated as of
July 1999.
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: Ability to cause cancer.
CAS: Chemcial Abstracts Service.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
National Priorities List: A list of the nation's worst hazardous
waste sites.
Soluble: Capable of being dissolved in water.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR). 1990. Toxicological profile for silver. Atlanta, GA:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health
Service.
CS249955-AH
Tetrachloroethylene - ToxFAQs™ CAS # 127-18-4
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about tetrachloroethylene. For more information,
call the CDC Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. It’s important you understand this information because this substance may harm you.
The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits
and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Tetrachloroethylene is a manufactured chemical used for dry cleaning and metal
degreasing. Exposure to very high concentrations of tetrachloroethylene can cause dizziness,
headaches, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty in speaking and walking, unconsciousness,
and death. Tetrachloroethylene has been found in at least 771 of the 1,430 National Priorities
List (NPL) sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
What is tetrachloroethylene?
(Pronounced tĕt’rә -klôr’ ō-ĕth’ә -lēn’)
Tetrachloroethylene is a manufactured chemical
that is widely used for dry cleaning of fabrics and
for metal-degreasing. It is also used to make other
chemicals and is used in some consumer products.
Other names for tetrachloroethylene include
perchloroethylene(PERC), PCE, and tetrachloroethene.
It is a nonflammable liquid at room temperature.
It evaporates easily into the air and has a sharp,
sweet odor. Most people can smell
tetra chloroethylene when it is present in the air
at a level of 1 part tetrachloroethylene per million
parts of air (1 ppm) or more, although some can
smell it at even lower levels.
What happens to tetrachloroethylene
when it enters the environment?
•Much of the tetrachloroethylene that gets
into water or soil evaporates into the air.
•Microorganisms can break down some
of the tetrachloro ethylene in soil or
underground water.
•In the air, it is broken down by sunlight into
other chemicals or brought back to the soil
and water by rain.
•It does not appear to collect in fish or
other animals that live in water.
How might I be exposed
to tetrachloroethylene?
•When you bring clothes from the dry
cleaners, they will release small amounts
of tetrachloroethylene into the air.
•When you drink water containing
tetrachloroethylene, you are exposed to it.
How can tetrachloroethylene affect
my health?
High concentrations of tetrachloroethylene (particularly
in closed, poorly ventilated areas) can cause dizziness,
headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty in
speaking and walking, unconsciousness, and death.
Irritation may result from repeated or extended skin
contact with it. These symptoms occur almost entirely in
work (or hobby) environments when people have been
accidentally exposed to high concentrations or have
intentionally used tetrachloroethylene to get a “high.”
In industry, most workers are exposed to levels lower
than those causing obvious nervous system effects. The
health effects of breathing in air or drinking water with
low levels of tetrachloroethylene are not known.
Results from some studies suggest that women who
work in dry cleaning industries where exposures to
tetrachloroethylene can be quite high may have more
menstrual problems and spontaneous abortions than
women who are not exposed. However, it is not known
if tetrachloroethylene was responsible for these problems
because other possible causes were not considered.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences
Page 2 of 2September 1997
Tetrachloroethylene
CAS # 127-18-4
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. Exposure to very high levels of
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.
How likely is tetrachloroethylene to
cause cancer?
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
has determined that tetrachloroethylene may reasonably
be anticipated to be a carcinogen. Tetrachloroethylene
has been shown to cause liver tumors in mice and kidney
tumors in male rats.
Is there a medical test to show whether
I’ve been exposed to tetrachloroethylene?
One way of testing for tetrachloroethylene exposure is
to measure the amount of the chemical in the breath,
much the same way breath-alcohol measurements are
used to determine the amount of alcohol in the blood.
Because it is stored in the body’s fat and slowly
released into the bloodstream, tetrachloroethylene
can be detected in the breath for weeks following
a heavy exposure.
Tetrachloroethylene and trichloroacetic acid (TCA),
a breakdown product of tetrachloroethylene, can be
detected in the blood. These tests are relatively simple
to perform. These tests aren’t available at most doctors’
offices, but can be per formed at special laboratories
that have the right equipment.
Because exposure to other chemicals can produce
the same breakdown products in the urine and blood,
the tests for breakdown products cannot determine if
you have been exposed to tetrachloroethylene or the
other chemicals.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect
human health?
The EPA maximum contaminant level for the amount
of tetrachloroethylene that can be in drinking water
is 0.005 milligrams tetrachloroethylene per liter of
water (0.005 mg/L).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) has set a limit of 100 ppm for an 8-hour
workday over a 40-hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) recommends that tetrachloroethylene
be handled as a potential carcinogen and recommends
that levels in workplace air should be as low as possible.
Glossary
Carcinogenicity: The ability of a substance to
cause cancer.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
Nonflammable: Will not burn.
References
This ToxFAQs™ information is taken from the 1997
Toxicological Profile for Tetrachloroethylene (update)
produced by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service in Atlanta, GA.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology and
Human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636.
ToxFAQsTM Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
1,1,1-TRICHLOROETHANE
CAS # 71-55-6
Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine ToxFAQsTM July 2006
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about 1,1,1-trichloroethane.
For more information, call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737. This fact sheet is one in
a series of summaries about hazardous substances and their health effects. It is important you
understand this information because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to any
hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and
habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Exposure to 1,1,1-trichloroethane usually occurs by breathing
contaminated air. It is found in building materials, cleaning products, paints, and
metal degreasing agents. You are not likely to be exposed to large enough amounts
to cause adverse health effects. Inhaling high levels of 1,1,1-trichloroethane can
cause you to become dizzy and lightheaded. Exposure to much higher levels can
cause unconsciousness and other effects. This substance has been found in at least
823 of the 1,662 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
What is 1,1,1-trichloroethane?
1,1,1-Trichloroethane is a synthetic chemical that does not occur
naturally in the environment. It also is known as
methylchloroform, methyltrichloromethane, trichloro
methylmethane, and α−trichloromethane. Its registered trade
names are chloroethene NU® and Aerothene TT® .
No 1,1,1-trichloroethane is supposed to be manufactured for
domestic use in the United States after January 1, 2002 because
it affects the ozone layer. 1,1,1-Trichloroethane had many
industrial and household uses, including use as a solvent to
dissolve other substances, such as glues and paints; to remove
oil or grease from manufactured metal parts; and as an ingredient
of household products such as spot cleaners, glues, and aerosol
sprays.
What happens to 1,1,1-trichloroethane when it
enters the environment?
‘ Most of the 1,1,1-trichloroethane released into the
environment enters the air, where it lasts for about 6 years.
‘ Once in the air, it can travel to the ozone layer where sunlight
can break it down into chemicals that may reduce the ozone
layer.
‘ Contaminated water from landfills and hazardous waste sites
can contaminate surrounding soil and nearby surface water or
groundwater.
‘ From lakes and rivers, most of the 1,1,1-trichloroethane
evaporates quickly into the air.
‘ Water can carry 1,1,1-trichloroethane through the soil and
into the groundwater where it can evaporate and pass through
the soil as a gas, then be released to the air.
‘ Organisms living in soil or water may also break down 1,1,1
trichloroethane.
‘ It will not build up in plants or animals.
How might I be exposed to 1,1,1-trichloroethane?
‘ Breathing 1,1,1-trichloroethane in contaminated outdoor and
indoor air. Because 1,1,1-trichloroethane was used so frequently
in home and office products, you are likely to be exposed to
higher levels indoors than outdoors or near hazardous waste
sites. However, since 2002, 1,1,1-trichloroethane is not expected
to be commonly used, and therefore, the likelihood of being
exposed to it is remote.
‘ In the workplace, you could have been exposed to 1,1,1
trichloroethane while using some metal degreasing agents, paints,
glues, and cleaning products.
‘ Ingesting contaminated drinking water and food.
How can 1,1,1-trichloroethane affect my health?
If you breathe air containing high levels of 1,1,1-trichloroethane
for a short time, you may become dizzy and lightheaded and
possibly lose your coordination. These effects rapidly disappear
after you stop breathing contaminated air. If you breathe in
much higher levels, you may become unconscious, your blood
pressure may decrease, and your heart may stop beating.
Whether breathing low levels of 1,1,1-trichloroethane for a long
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Page 2
Federal Recycling Program Printed on Recycled Paper
ToxFAQsTM Internet address is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html
Where can I get more information? For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32, Atlanta, GA 30333. Phone:
1-888-422-8737, FAX: 770-488-4178. ToxFAQs Internet address via WWW is http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html. ATSDR
can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate, and treat
illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health or environmental
quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.
time causes harmful effects is not known. Studies in animals
show that breathing air that contains very high levels of 1,1,1
trichloroethane damages the breathing passages and causes mild
effects in the liver, in addition to affecting the nervous system.
There are no studies in humans that determine whether eating
food or drinking water contaminated with 1,1,1-trichloroethane
could harm health. Placing large amounts of 1,1,1-trichloroethane
in the stomachs of animals has caused effects on the nervous
system, mild liver damage, unconsciousness, and even death.
If your skin contacts 1,1,1-trichloroethane, you might feel some
irritation. Studies in animals suggest that repeated exposure of
the skin might affect the liver and that very large amounts may
cause death. These effects occurred only when evaporation
was prevented.
How likely is 1,1,1-trichloroethane to cause
cancer?
Available information does not indicate that 1,1,1-trichloroethane
causes cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer
(IARC) and the EPA have determined that 1,1,1-trichloroethane
is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity in humans.
How can 1,1,1-trichloroethane affect children?
Children exposed to large amounts of 1,1,1-trichloroethane
probably would be affected in the same manner as adults. In
animals, it has been shown that 1,1,1-trichloroethane can pass
from the mother’s blood into a fetus. When pregnant mice were
exposed to high levels of 1,1,1-trichloroethane in air, their babies
developed more slowly than normal and had some behavioral
problems. However, whether similar effects occur in humans has
not been demonstrated.
How can families reduce the risk of exposure to
1,1,1-trichloroethane?
Children can be exposed to 1,1,1-trichloroethane in household
products, such as adhesives and cleaners. Parents should store
household chemicals out of reach of young children to prevent
accidental poisonings or skin irritation. Always store household
chemicals in their original labeled containers. Never store
household chemicals in containers that children would find
attractive to eat or drink from, such as old soda bottles. Keep
your Poison Control Center’s number near the phone.
Sometimes older children sniff household chemicals in an attempt
to get high. Your children may be exposed to 1,1,1-trichloroethane
by inhaling products containing it. Talk with your children about
the dangers of sniffing chemicals.
Is there a medical test to show whether I’ve been
exposed to 1,1,1-trichloroethane?
Samples of your breath, blood, and urine can be tested to
determine if you have recently been exposed to 1,1,1
trichloroethane. In some cases, these tests can estimate how
much 1,1,1-trichloroethane has entered your body. To be of any
value, samples of your breath or blood have to be taken within
hours after exposure, and samples of urine have to be taken
within 2 days after exposure. However, these tests will not tell
you whether your health will be affected by exposure to 1,1,1
trichloroethane. The exposure tests are not routinely available
in hospitals and clinics because they require special analytical
equipment.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human health?
EPA regulates the levels of 1,1,1-trichloroethane that are allowable
in drinking water. The highest level of 1,1,1-trichloroethane
allowed in drinking water is 0.2 parts 1,1,1,-trichloroethane per
1 million parts of water (0.2 ppm).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has
set a limit of 350 parts 1,1,1-trichloroethane per 1 million parts of
air (350 ppm) in the workplace.
Reference
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
2006. Toxicological Profile for 1,1,1-Trichloroethane (Update).
Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Public Health Service.
1,1,1-TRICHLOROETHANE
CAS # 71-55-6
CS256651A
Trichloroethylene - ToxFAQs™ CAS # 79-01-6
This fact sheet answers the most frequently asked health questions (FAQs) about trichloroethylene. For more information,
call the CDC Information Center at 1-800-232-4636. This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. It’s important you understand this information because this substance may harm you.
The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits
and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.
HIGHLIGHTS: Trichloroethylene is used as a solvent for cleaning metal parts. Exposure to
very high concentrations of trichloroethylene can cause dizziness, headaches, sleepiness,
incoordination, confusion, nausea, unconsciousness, and even death. The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classify
trichloroethylene as a human carcinogen. Trichloroethylene has been found in at least 1,045
of the 1,699 National Priorities List sites identified by the EPA.
What is trichloroethylene?
Trichloroethylene is a colorless, volatile liquid. Liquid
trichloroethylene evaporates quickly into the air. It is
nonflammable and has a sweet odor.
The two major uses of trichloroethylene are as a solvent
to remove grease from metal parts and as a chemical
that is used to make other chemicals, especially the
refrigerant, HFC-134a. Trichloroethylene was once used as
an anesthetic for surgery.
What happens to trichloroethylene when
it enters the environment?
•Trichloroethylene can be released to air, water, and
soil at places where it is produced or used.
•Trichloroethylene is broken down quickly in air.
•Trichloroethylene breaks down very slowly in soil and
water and is removed mostly through evaporation
to air.
•It is expected to remain in groundwater for long time
since it is not able to evaporate.
•Trichloroethylene does not build up significantly in
plants or animals.
How might I be exposed to
trichloroethylene?
•Breathing trichloroethylene in contaminated air.
•Drinking contaminated water.
•Workers at facilities using this substance for
metal degreasing are exposed to higher levels of
trichloroethylene.
•If you live near such a facility or near a hazardous
waste site containing trichloroethylene, you may also
have higher exposure to this substance.
How can trichloroethylene affect
my health?
Exposure to moderate amounts of trichloroethylene may
cause headaches, dizziness, and sleepiness; large amounts
may cause coma and even death. Eating or breathing
high levels of trichloro¬ethylene may damage some of
the nerves in the face. Exposure to high levels can also
result in changes in the rhythm of the heartbeat, liver
damage, and evidence of kidney damage. Skin contact
with concentrated solutions of trichloroethylene can cause
skin rashes.
There is some evidence exposure to trichloroethylene
in the work place may cause scleroderma (a systemic
autoimmune disease) in some people. Some men
occupationally-exposed to trichloroethylene and other
chemicals showed decreases in sex drive, sperm quality,
and reproductive hormone levels.
How likely is trichloroethylene to
cause cancer?
There is strong evidence that trichloroethylene can
cause kidney cancer in people and some evidence for
trichloroethylene-induced liver cancer and malignant
lymphoma. Lifetime exposure to trichloroethylene
resulted in increased liver cancer in mice and increased
kidney cancer and testicular cancer in rats.
The IARC and the EPA determined that there is convincing
evidence that trichloroethylene exposure can cause
kidney cancer. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is
recommending a change in cancer classification to “known
human carcinogen” http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/
monographs/finaltce_508.pdf.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology and Health Human Sciences
Page 2 of 2May 2015
Trichloroethylene
CAS # 79-01-6
How can trichloroethylene
affect children?
It is not known whether children are more susceptible
than adults to the effects of trichloroethylene.
Some human studies indicate that trichloroethylene
may cause developmental effects such as spontaneous
abortion, congenital heart defects, central nervous system
defects, and small birth weight. However, these people
were exposed to other chemicals as well.
In some animal studies, exposure to trichloroethylene
during development caused decreases in body weight,
increases in heart defects, changes to the developing
nervous system, and effects on the immune system.
How can families reduce the risk of
exposure to trichloroethylene?
•Avoid drinking water from sources that are known
to be contaminated with trichloroethylene. Use
bottled water if you have concerns about the
presence of chemicals in your tap water. You may
also contact local drinking water authorities and
follow their advice.
•Discourage your children from putting objects in
their mouths. Make sure that they wash their hands
frequently and before eating.
•Prevent children from playing in dirt or eating dirt if
you live near a waste site that has trichloroethylene.
•Trichloroethylene is used in many industrial products.
Follow instructions on product labels to minimize
exposure to trichloroethylene.
Is there a medical test to show whether
I’ve been exposed to trichloroethylene?
Trichloroethylene and its breakdown products
(metabolites) can be measured in blood and urine.
However, the detection of trichloroethylene or its
metabolites cannot predict the kind of health effects
that might develop from that exposure. Because
trichloroethylene and its metabolites leave the body
fairly rapidly, the tests need to be conducted within days
after exposure.
Has the federal government made
recommendations to protect human
health?
The EPA set a maximum contaminant goal (MCL) of 0.005
milligrams per liter (mg/L; 5 ppb) as a national primary
drinking standard for trichloroethylene.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 100 ppm
for trichloroethylene in air averaged over an 8-hour
work day, an acceptable ceiling concentration of 200
ppm provided the 8 hour PEL is not exceeded, and an
acceptable maximum peak of 300 ppm for a maximum
duration of 5 minutes in any 2 hours.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) considers trichloroethylene to be a potential
occupational carcinogen and established a recommended
exposure limit (REL) of 2 ppm (as a 60-minute ceiling)
during its use as an anesthetic agent and 25 ppm (as a
10-hour TWA) during all other exposures.
References
This ToxFAQs™ information is taken from the 2014
Toxicological Profile for Trichloroethylene (Draft for
Public Comment) produced by the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry, Public Health Service,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, contact the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Division of Toxicology
and human Health Sciences, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-57, Atlanta, GA 30329-4027.
Phone: 1-800-232-4636.
ToxFAQsTM Ion the web: www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxFAQs.
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize, evaluate,
and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions or concerns.