Post on 04-Jan-2016
description
Environmental HealthEnvironmental Health Issues and Priorities in the Issues and Priorities in the
Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwest
Robert DuffRobert Duff
DirectorDirector
Office of Environmental Health AssessmentsOffice of Environmental Health Assessments
Washington State Department of HealthWashington State Department of Health
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WAHighline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 20 , 2005May 20 , 2005
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Comparative Risk ProjectsComparative Risk Projects• EPA and states
– US EPA in 1987 issued Unfinished Business: A Comparative Assessment of Environmental Problems
– Regions and states followed
• Highest ranking issues– Indoor air– Outdoor air– Others
• Lead, pesticides, food
Risk Assessment MethodsRisk Assessment Methods
Non-cancer RiskNon-cancer Risk Cancer RiskCancer Risk
ResponseResponse ThresholdThreshold No ThresholdNo Threshold
Type of ResultType of Result Yes/NoYes/No Probability Probability
Non-Cancer AssessmentNon-Cancer Assessment
DOSEDOSE
RE
SP
ON
SE
RE
SP
ON
SE
Threshold
Health benchmark
“SafetyFactors”
Assessment MethodsAssessment Methods
Non-cancer RiskNon-cancer Risk Cancer RiskCancer Risk
ResponseResponse ThresholdThreshold No ThresholdNo Threshold
Type of ResultType of Result Yes/No Yes/No ProbabilityProbability
New guidance moving toward a more qualitative approach that
acknowledges thresholds
1,000 in 10,0001,000 in 10,000
DOSEDOSE
# of
Can
cers
# of
Can
cers
500 in 10,000500 in 10,000
100 in 10,000100 in 10,000
50 in 10,00050 in 10,000
Measurable Range
(Epidemiology or Animal Study)
Predicted Range
(Risk Assessment)
Threshold?
Cancer AssessmentCancer Assessment
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Challenges - UncertaintyChallenges - Uncertainty• Exposure
– Models versus measurement– “Background”
• Toxicity– Cancer – low dose extrapolation– Mixtures– Endocrine disruption
• Environmental justice
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Challenges - Background ExposureChallenges - Background Exposure
• EPA is not calculating an RfD (Reference Dose) for dioxin…..– “Any RfD that the Agency would recommend under the
traditional approach for setting an RfD is likely to be 2-3 orders of magnitude (100-1,000) below current background intakes and body burdens. Because exceeding the RfD is not a statement of risk, discussion of an RfD for an incremental exposure when the RfD has already been exceeded by average background exposures is meaningless.”
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Major Issues in the Pacific NorthwestMajor Issues in the Pacific Northwest
• Persistent, bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs)– Fish consumption advisories
• Area-wide soil contamination– Arsenic and lead
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
What are Persistent, What are Persistent, bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs)?bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs)?
• Polychlorinated biphenlys (PCBs), methyl mercury, organochlorine pesticides (DDT, chlordane), dioxin, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants)
• Build-up in our environment and our bodies– Slow to breakdown in the environment– Uptake exceeds elimination rate– Often store in fat (not methylmercury)
• Also known as POP’s
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Why are we concerned?Why are we concerned?
• Recent fish consumption studies show in utero exposure results in developmental problems– PCBs and methylmercury– Learning and behavior deficits
• PBDEs – flame retardants– Similar effects in animal studies
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
What is a fish advisory?What is a fish advisory?• General advice
– Choosing fish with lower contaminant levels– Cooking and preparation– Variety
• Meal limits– Generally bounded by upper and lower limits for
effectiveness• 4, 2, 1, 0 meals/month• EPA guidance
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
What is a fish advisory?What is a fish advisory?• Species specific
– Most advice is broken down by species• Surrogates can be used for trophic levels
• Water body specific– Hazardous waste release or just a lake that
was sampled?– DOH currently has 14 water body specific
advisories
• Statewide advice– Mercury
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Who are we trying to protect?Who are we trying to protect?• High-end consumers
– Native American tribes– Asian and Pacific Islander communities
• Women of child-bearing age and children– Clearly a concern for the developing fetus– PCBs and mercury– Flame retardants, dioxin?
• General population– For PCBs not mercury– No consensus on mercury effects in adults
• Blood pressure
Duwamish River - Seattle, WA
0 100 200 300 400
choho
chinook
English sole
Rockfish
Fis
h s
pe
cie
s
Polychlorinated biphenyls (parts per bilion)
PCBs
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4
SardineE. sole (nonurban)
CohoCatfishFlatfishPollock
WhitefishE. sole (urban)
ChinookCod
Tuna (Can, light)Carp
SnapperSablefish
Copper rockfishHalibut
BluefishBrown rockfish
Quillback rockfishTuna (albacore)
MarlinOrange roughy
SwordfishShark
Yelloweye rockfish
Puget Sound
FDA study
Mercury (ppm)
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Key MessagesKey Messages• Eat fish, Be smart
– Fish are good for you• Omega-3 fatty acids
– Moving away from “limit, limit, limit”– Provide info so consumers can eat heart
health 2 meals/week - American Heart Association
• Most people do not eat 2 meals per week– Many choices are safe to eat at this rate
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Key MessagesKey Messages• Work with high consumers
– Tribes, Asian Pacific islanders communities– Benefits of more than 2 meals per week likely
still outweigh risks• Cutoff????
• What are we doing to get/keep PBTs out of our food web???
From Oregon – Portland Harbor/Willamette River Presentation – D. Stone
Communication is KeyCommunication is Key
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Global Efforts to reduce PBTsGlobal Efforts to reduce PBTs
• International– Persistent Organic Pollutants – Stockholm Convention
• Europe– REACH
• Registration, evaluation and authorization of chemical products
• Precautionary principle
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Global Efforts to reduce PBTsGlobal Efforts to reduce PBTs
• US EPA– Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA)
• PBDE Significant New Use Rule
– Clean Air Act• Mercury
• Washington– PBT Initiative– Mercury, flame retardants - PBTs
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Area-wide Soil ContaminationArea-wide Soil Contamination• Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) in Washington
State– Old orchard lands– Tacoma smelter plume– Everett smelter– Northport smelter
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Area-wide Soil ContaminationArea-wide Soil Contamination• Orchard lands not well characterized
– Spraying was sporadic– GIS with aerial photography
• Identifying old sites• Targeting both sampling and education
Libby, MontanaLibby, Montana
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Vermiculite - asbestosVermiculite - asbestos
• Libby, MT– background
• Vermiculite– Contained high-levels 30-50% asbestos (tremolite)
• Direct link to health effects• Nationwide problem
– Exfoliation facilities– Attic insulation
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Vermiculite - asbestosVermiculite - asbestos• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry– Medical screening– Nationwide follow-up on over 200 sites
• 28 priority sites including one in Spokane and Portland
– National Asbestos Exposure Review
• EPA cleanup of site and homes in Libby ongoing
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Vermiculite - asbestosVermiculite - asbestos
Pleural Findings –
All Views Interstitial -
PA View
Exposure Class n Normal Abnormal Normal Abnormal
No Apparent Exposure 122 116 (95%) 6 (5%) 121 (99%) 1 (1%)
1-3 Exposure Pathways 1569 1394 (89%) 175 (11%) 1559 (99%) 10 (1%)
4-5 Exposure Pathways 1488 1262 (85%) 226 (15%) 1471 (99%) 17 (1%)
6+ Exposure Pathways 2411 1824 (76%) 587 (24%) 2390 (99%) 21 (1%)
Total 5590 994 (17.8%) 49 (0.9%)
Background 0.2 to 2.3 %
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005
Vermiculite - asbestosVermiculite - asbestos
• Legislation– Liability and compensation– Ban – Sen. Murray
• Asbestos is not banned in the US– US District court overturned EPA ban of most uses in
1990
• Future activities - EPA and ATSDR– Assess 28 exfoliation facilities across US– Address vermiculite in attic insulation
Highline Community College – Tacoma, WA
May 21, 2005