1. TRICHLOROETHYLENE (TCE) CONTAMINATION, EXPOSURE, AND CLEANUP TUCSON, AZ
EPA Funded

3. Environmental Health Issues in Tucson
Water Pollution
TCE
1-4 Dioxane
Air Pollution
Beryllium
Soil Pollution
Gasoline spill
Sulfate Contamination

4. Environmental Health
Environmental Health is the field of science that studies how the environment influences human health and disease.
Environmental health comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social, and psychosocial factors in the environment.
It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling, and preventing those factors in the environment that can potentially affect adversely the health of present and future generations.
National Institute of Environmental Health Studies
World Health Organization

5. Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center funded by the NIEHS
Investigates a variety of environmental health and toxicology problems of local concern
TCE contamination
Arsenic contamination
Air Pollution
Experts can provide cutting edge information based on their research
Outreach can assist with risk communication and discussions with the public

6. Courtesy of the Superfund Basic Research Program at the University of Arizona

7. Risk Assessment
Toxicology is the study of poisons or the adverse effects of chemical and physical agents on living organisms.
Toxicologists study the extent and type of health problems associated with a particular level of chemical exposure and use what they learn to assess the threat of that chemical to the health of people in particular situations.

8. Routes of Entry The toxicant must enter the body to cause a problem
Inhalation – breathing
Ingestion – eating and drinking
Absorption – through the skin

9. Questions to ask when an exposure problem is suspected…
Health Problem
What are the symptoms?
What do the affected individuals have in common?
Hazard
What is the source of the problem?
How much exposure are people in the area receiving?
People
Are people exposed to a hazard?
What are the routes of exposure?
Is the exposure acute or chronic?
Connections
Is a new health problem present?
Could the exposure be causing the problem?

10. Individual Sensitivity
Dose / Response
Key Words
Risk =
Hazard X Exposure
Individual Sensitivity

11. TCE General Properties
Used as a solvent
Nonflammable, colorless sweet odor and taste, lipophillic
Trade Names: Triclene, Vitran & others
EPA classifies TCE as a “likely” cause of cancer
National Academy recommends it be labeled as a cause of cancer and other health problems
Source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Public Health Statement for Trichloroethylene, CAS# , Sept

12. How does TCE get into our environment?

14. TCE Plume North of Los Reales Rd
Hughes Access Road to the East and South
Highway 89 to the West
Plume traveling North (bottom to top of image)

15. Sources of Exposure Non-occupational Exposure :
Ingestion (drinking water, food)
Inhalation (shower, household products)
Contact (shower, bath)
Increased exposure from…
Living near waste / industrial sites
Drinking from private or certain public wells
Additive exposures (multiple routes & different chemicals)
Source: Wu & Schaum, Exposure Assessment of TCE, Envr Hlth Prspctv, 108 (S2), 2000.

16. Source: Adapted from Lash, et al
Source: Adapted from Lash, et al., Metabolism of Trichloroethylene, Envr Hlth Prspctv, 108 (S2), 2000.

17. TCE In Drinking Water Regulated by Maximum Contaminant Limits (MCL)
Title 42 U. S. Code
Safe Drinking Water Act (1974,1977, 1986, & 1996)
Maximum Contaminant Limits (MCL)
MCL: 5 ppb
ATSDR: < 1 cancer death over 30 years
MCLG (Goal): 0.0 ppb
Can’t measure to 0.0 ppb to verify!
Source: 42 U.S.C. s/s 300f et.seq (1974);

18. History of TCE Use in Tucson
Industrial activities released TCE into soil and groundwater from 1950s to 1970s.
U S Air Force Plant 44
162nd AANG facility
Burr-Brown (acquired by Texas Instruments)
Many others that are out of business
Source: Tucson International Airport Area (TIAA) Superfund Information Library Site. 101 W. Irvington Road.

19. Community Exposure 47,000 Southside residents were exposed
75% Hispanic, majority low income
Risk denied, responsibility dismissed, blurred accountability
Increased incidence of cancers, birth defects, & autoimmune diseases
Residents said it was the result of technology. Life has no guarantees.
Sources: Assessment of Community Contamination: A Critical Approach. Clark et al Pub Hlth Nurs, 19 (5): , Sept/Oct Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment: Tucson International Superfund Site, ADHS, Dec 1996.

20. Evelina Street 34 cancer cases documented
Currently several families have only 1 surviving member
In 1991, Tucson’s City Attorney for environmental affairs, T.J. Harrison,recommended the city council to cease asking for federal funds related to Southside treatment
Reasons for deaths: smoking, drinking, not using seat belts, and obesity, not TCE exposure

21. Unified Community Action Board (UCAB)
Created by Raytheon Missile Systems Company (RMSC) in 1995 by combining the Action Boards of all the possible responsible parties
Largest Superfund Site in the country
Outreach program involves and empowers the local community as major stakeholders in environmental decisions
Stakeholders: General Public, community activists, University of Arizona, Tucson International Airport, the Air Force and RMSC

22. Risk Assessment - Health Effects TCE
2006 The National Academy of Sciences
Kidney Toxicity and Cancer
Liver Toxicity and Cancer
Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity
Neurotoxicity
Respiratory Toxicity and Cancer
Immunotoxicity

23. References
Public Health Statement for Trichloroethylene, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, CAS# , September 1997.
Wu, C. and Schaum, J., Exposure Assessment of Trichloroethylene, Envir Hlth Perspc, v. 108, Suppl. 2, pp , May 2000.
Lash, L., Fisher, J. W., Lipscomb, J. C., & Parker, J. C., Metabolism of Trichloroethylene, Envir Hlth Perspc, v. 108, Suppl. 2, pp , May 2000.
42 U.S.Code s/s 300f et.seq (1974)
Tucson International Airport Area (TIAA) Superfund Information Library Site. 101 W. Irvington Road.
Clark, L., Barton, J.A. & Brown, N. J., Assessment of Community Contamination: A Critical Approach, Public Health Nursing, v. 19, n. 5 pp , September/October, 2002.
Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment: Tucson International Superfund Site, Arizona Department of Health Services. December 1996.
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. 1-4 Dioxane, CAS# ; 9/2004.
Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Beryllium, CAS# ; 9/2002.

24. THANK YOU
Based on a presentations to the Tucson Unified Community Action Board by
Christine Krikliwy, 8 April 2005