One of The Contaminated Areas

***If you read through the following information it will prove that:

A. Observed site conditions, leachate discharges to Raccoon Creek and a site history of the Clyde Dump resulted in a determination of potential ground water and drinking water contamination.


B. No liners were utilized in the fill areas of the Clyde Dump.

C. A residential subdivision (Warnke Subdivision) is (was) under construction 350 feet west of the Clyde, Dump the site.

D. Due to the levels of PAH's and the presence of a fishery in Raccoon Creek and Sandusky Bay a potential exists to contaminate the food chain in this area.

E. Some residential dwellings exist beginning at 2,000 feet north of the site that  utilize ground water as a potable water supply. 

F. That children and adults occasionally utilize the site and Raccoon Creek for recreational purposes
 
G. There were no on-site monitoring wells.

 According to an Ohio EPA document "Focused Site Inspection Prioritization for Clyde Dump" from 1995 it states some of the following:

"Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this FSIP is to update and re-evaluate previously collected data regarding potential environmental hazards associated with the Clyde Dump site. Information collected has been scored according to Hazard Ranking System 2 and is use to determine whether or not the Clyde Dump site is of National Priority (NPL) caliber."

Site Investigative History:
This section of the report goes on to tell the history of the site. The report says that the dump site was operating as early as the 1930's and the earliest written documentation found on the site is letter dated  from 1962 from the Sandusky County Health Department. Solid waste rules that came about in 1969 which  forced the Clyde Dump to stop it's daily disposal because it could not comply with the laws but it was not properly closed.


 It also says :

" Ohio EPA correspondence documented environmental problems at the site." It goes on to say that in 1977 after pressure came from various agencies, the City of Clyde hired a contractor to conduct remedial work at the Clyde Dump Site, to stop the leachate discharges from entering Raccoon Creek. It also states:

"Also during this time, the City settled a lawsuit for alleged property damage to 3.5 acres of farm ground adjacent to the north property line of the fill area. Runoff from the landfill had contaminated the soil leaving it useless for agricultural purposes. According to Ohio EPA correspondence from 1978 until present, the remedial work has been unsuccessful at controlling leachate discharges to waters of the State."

"The site was evaluated in 1987 through Ohio EPA through a Preliminary Assessment. Observed site conditions, leachate discharges to Raccoon Creek and a site history resulted in a determination of potential ground water and drinking water contamination."

"A Screening Site Inspection (SSI) was performed on September 19th 1990, by Ecology and Environment (E & E). The Clyde Dump was recommended for additional site investigation of ground water and surface water pathways due to elevated levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) in sediment samples from Raccoon Creek and soil samples from the fill area"

"The Ohio EPA conducted a complaint investigation at the Clyde Dump on June 3rd 1994. The results from an investigation confirmed numerous leachate outbreaks, discharges of leachate into the waters of the state, the presence of numerous drums both on site and in Raccoon Creek, open dumping, and inadequate cover."

Ohio EPA conducted an FSIP reconnaissance of the site February 8th 1995. The following paragraphs summarize the reconnaissance results:"

***This is only some of what the report says:

Site Description and Operational History

" The Clyde Dump is located in Sandusky County, Ohio on three adjacent parcels of land together totalling 27.72 acres. The northern part of the site contains 11 acres of landfill and the southern part contains the City of Clyde Fire Station. Centrally located on the site is the City of Clyde's Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). A sludge disposal area (acreage unknown) exists on land between the Clyde WWTP, and the Clyde Fire Station. The Clyde WWTP and Clyde Fire Station may be constructed on portions of the sludge disposal area. The site is located in the northwest portion of the City of Clyde within the corporation limits and is residentially developed in addition to industrial and commercial development."

"The dump site was owned by the City of Clyde during it's existence, however operations were contracted on at least one occasion" (To two men who owned a private trash hauling business, I have omitted their names from this report however the actual report does give their names). The report also states that one of the owners half of the trash hauling operation was purchased inn 1968 by the other owner and one of the owners denies ever managing the site, for The City of Clyde."

"According to Ohio EPA files (the sole owner of the trash hauling operation) burned Whirlpool Corporations rubbish at the Clyde Dump for a monthly fee of $300.00".

"10 foot deep trenches were excavated with a bulldozer primarily oriented north to south. Liquid paint sludges, oils, paints and enamels were deposited in both bulk and containerized form into the fill area. No liners were utilized in the fill areas of the Clyde Dump. "

It also says that the owner of the trash hauling operation reported "excavating the into quicksand and depths of 8 to 10 feet across the site", and he was also "badly burned when a drum of solvents from Clyde Paint Company exploded while being opened for disposal into the dump."

"There are no on-site monitoring wells. However, there is an artisan spring capable of being sampled at the junk yard approximately 500 feet west of the fill area. The closest residence is located approximately 400 feet west of the site."

"The fill area continues to discharge leachate directly into Raccoon Creek through the stream bank and indirectly into Raccoon Creek via the perimeter drainage ditch. Drums were still present both in Raccoon Creek and the perimeter drainage ditch"

The report goes on to talk about the current site conditions, and contains some of the following information:

Current Site Conditions

"A site reconnaissance was performed on February 8th 1995 by staff of the Ohio EPA. The surrounding area is considerably populated and is developing residentially and commercially. A residential subdivision (Warnke Subdivision) is under construction 350 feet west the site. The Clyde Dump is bordered to the west by Raccoon Creek. The land immediately west is occupied by a junk yard and Warnke Subdivision. The northern and eastern sides of the dump are bordered by a man-made perimeter drainage channel and agricultural land. The Clyde WWTP is immediately south of the site. A high pressure natural gas line transects the dump just north of the Clyde WWTP lagoons"

An inspection of the site indicated, "A large number of gravelly soil piles noted in the E & E report still exist on the southern portion of the fill area. The site is accessible on foot from any direction, however vehicle access is restricted by Raccoon Creek to the west, the perimeter ditch from the north and east, and a gate to the south."

"The fill area continues to discharge leachate directly into Raccoon Creek through the stream bank and indirectly into Raccoon Creek via the perimeter drainage ditch. Drums were still present in both Raccoon Creek and the perimeter drainage ditch."

Another part of the report is:

Potential Exposure Pathways

"Based on FIT sampling data and the FSIP reconnaissance, an observed release has occurred and continues to occur to the surface water of Raccoon Creek. The observed release is confirmed by both direct observation and chemical analysis. Both organic and inorganic compounds are migrating from the site via surface water runoff and leachate discharges. Surface run-off is not contained; therefore, it flows toward the perimeter drainage ditch and Raccoon Creek".

"There are no surface water intakes within the downstream segment of Raccoon Creek or within the target distance. However, Raccoon Creek flows into the wetlands of Sandusky Bay approximately 11 miles form the site. Both Raccoon Creek and Sandusky Bay are fisheries and are utilized for recreational purposes. Hunters and fisherman take game and aquatic species fro the site and Raccoon Creek seasonally".

"Sediment samples taken from Raccoon Creek contained significantly higher levels of contamination than sediment samples taken from the perimeter drainage ditch. Since the upstream background sediment sample (labeled S3) from Raccoon Creek was not representative, these higher analytical values were not used for scoring purposes. The upstream background sediment sample was not representative due to past contaminant discharges from Whirlpool Corporation, Clyde Paint Company and CWWTP; thereby making it difficult to attribute the high contaminant levels strictly to the Clyde Dump. Water quality samples taken by E & E were not used for scoring purposes again due to a poor background sample"

"The following contaminants were found by E &E in sediment release sample (S6) taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at concentrations above 3 times background (S8):

Compound                                        Concentration (ppb)

methylene chloride                             190
ethylbenzene                                       870
xylenes (total)                                     5000
naphthalene                                        450
2-methylnaphthalene                          81
phenanthrene                                      330
fluoranthene                                       510
pyrene                                                470
benzo[a]abthracene                           320
chrysene                                            560
benzo[b]fluoranthene                        460
benzo[a]pyrene                                  410

Analyte                                           Concentration (mg/kg)
calcium                                             20200
copper                                              543
iron                                                  17000
lead                                                  118
sodium                                             1090

"Due to the levels of PAH's and the presence of a fishery in Raccoon Creek and Sandusky Bay a potential exists to contaminate the food chain in this area. Ohio EPA's Division of Surface Water has been notified of this site's condition for evaluation under the ORC Section 6111, Water Pollution Control. Also, it is difficult to determine the actual contaminants and their concentrations that can be attributed to the site because of poor background samples".

Ground Water

" The regional aquifer is the silurian carbonate bedrock and is the aquifer of concern (AOC) for this site. A glacial sand/gravel unit is considered part of the AOC. "

"Ground water recharge areas exist several miles south-southeast of the site. Ground water discharge areas occur in a local streams, rivers, artisan springs immediately west of the site, a buried river valley 4 miles west of the site, and the Sandusky Bay within 11 miles of the site. Raccoon Creek is potentially a discharge point for ground water. The direction of groundwater flow regionally is north to northwest"

"The nearest ground water well is 2000 feet north-northwest of the site. Some residential dwellings exist beginning at 2,000 feet north of the site that utilize ground water as a potable water supply. These wells are developed into the carbonate bedrock and a glacially deposited sand/gravel unit overlying the carbonate bedrock. According to area well logs, the sand/gravel unit extends to the ground surface in some areas. Residence south of the site are connected to the public water supply of the City of Clyde. The intake for this water system is not in the Raccoon Creek."

"There is a potential for organic and inorganic compounds to migrate from the fill area to the AOC due to past operating practices and based on local and regional geology. Further investigation of site specific geology and ground water quality is warranted."

Soil:

"No incidents of direct soil contact with organic or inorganic compounds from he site have been documented. However, Mr. (I omitted the name here) indicated that children and adults occasionally utilize the site and Raccoon Creek for recreational purposes. E & E soil samples collected from the fill area contained the following contaminants at concentrations 3 times above background:

Compound                                          Concentrations (ppb)
toluene                                                  8
phenanthrene                                       130
pyrene                                                  410
benzo[a]anthracene                             320
chrysene                                              290

Analyte                                               Concentration (mg/kg)

barium                                                 957
calcium                                                31600
cobalt                                                  104
iron                                                     297000
lead                                                     201
nickel                                                  104
sodium                                                 1940

"The above analysis represents soil release sample (S7) compared to background sample (S8). A potential exposure risk exists for this pathway given the contaminants in the soil and the lack of restricted access to the site"

The report then goes on to show maps of where the samples were taken and some other information about the study.

The Toxic Chemicals

There are several chemicals listed in the post named  One of The Contaminated Areas
  and in this section here lets see what they are and how they effected human health.


Ethylbenzene  :

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that ethylbenzene is a possible human carcinogen.

This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 880 ppb.

What is ethylbenzene?

Ethylbenzene is a colorless, flammable liquid that smells like gasoline. It is naturally found in coal tar and petroleum and is also found in manufactured products such as inks, pesticides, and paints. Ethylbenzene is used primarily to make another chemical, styrene. Other uses include as a solvent, in fuels, and to make other chemicals.

Ethylbenzene moves easily into the air from water and soil, and takes about 3 days to be broken down in air to other chemicals. In surface water it breaks down by reacting with other chemicals found naturally in water, and it can move through soil into groundwater. In soil it is broken up by bacteria.

How is someone exposed to Ethylbenzene?

Ethylbenzene is not often found in drinking water; however, high levels may be found in residential drinking water wells near landfills, waste sites, or leaking underground fuel storage tanks. Releases into the air occur from burning oil, gas, and coal from places that use ethylbenzene. If you live in a city or near many factories or heavily traveled highways, you may be exposed to ethylbenzene in air, also exposure can occur if you work in an industry where ethylbenzene is used or made. Exposure can also occur if you use products containing it, such as gasoline, carpet glues, varnishes, and paints.

Health Effects of ethylbenzene:

Exposure to high levels in air for short periods can cause eye and throat irritation and exposure to higher levels can result in dizziness. Irreversible damage to the inner ear and hearing has been observed in animals exposed to relatively low concentrations of ethylbenzene for several days to weeks and exposure to relatively low concentrations of ethylbenzene in air for several months to years causes kidney damage in animals.

How does ethylbenzene affect children?

There are no studies evaluating the effects of ethylbenzene exposure on children or immature animals.  It is likely that children would have the same health effects as adults. We do not know whether children would be more sensitive than adults to the effects of ethylbenzene. It is not known if it will cause birth defects in humans. Minor birth defects and low birth weight have occurred in newborn animals whose mothers were exposed to ethylbenzene in air during pregnancy.

Naphthalene:

Based on the results from animal studies, the Department of Health and Humans Services (DHHS) concluded that naphthalene is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that naphthalene is possibly carcinogenic to humans. The EPA determined that naphthalene is a possible human carcinogen (Group C).

This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 450 ppb.

What are naphthalene?

Naphthalene is a white solid that evaporates easily. Fuels such as petroleum and coal contain naphthalene. It is also called white tar, and tar camphor, and has been used in mothballs and moth flakes. Burning tobacco or wood produces naphthalene. It has a strong, but not unpleasant smell. The major commercial use of naphthalene is in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics. Its major consumer use is in moth repellents and toilet deodorant blocks.

What happens to naphthalene when they enter the environment?
Naphthalene enters the environment from industrial and domestic sources, and from accidental spills,

it can dissolve in water to a limited degree and may be present in drinking water from wells close to hazardous waste sites and landfills. It also can become weakly attached to soil or pass through soil into underground water. In air, moisture and sunlight break it down within 1 day. In water, bacteria break it down or it evaporates into the air. Naphthalene does not accumulate in the flesh of animals or fish that you might eat.

How might I be exposed to naphthalene?

Breathing low levels in outdoor air contaminated from industrial discharges or smoke from burning wood, tobacco, or fossil fuels. Using or making moth repellents, coal tar products, dyes or inks could expose you to these chemicals in the air. Drinking water from contaminated wells. Touching fabrics that are treated with moth repellents containing naphthalene. Exposure to naphthalene, from eating foods or drinking beverages is unlikely.

Health eposure to naphthalene?

Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may damage or destroy some of your red blood cells. This could cause you to have too few red blood cells until your body replaces the destroyed cells. This condition is called hemolytic anemia. Some symptoms of hemolytic anemia are fatigue, lack of appetite, restlessness, and pale skin. Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may also cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the urine, and a yellow color to the skin. Animals sometimes develop cloudiness in their eyes after swallowing high amounts of naphthalene. It is not clear whether this also develops in people. Rats and mice that breathed naphthalene vapors daily for a lifetime developed irritation and inflammation of their nose and lungs. It is unclear if naphthalene causes reproductive effects in animals; most evidence says it does not.


How can naphthalene affect children?


Hospitals have reported many cases of hemolytic anemia in children, including newborns and infants, who either ate naphthalene mothballs or deodorants cakes or who were in close contact with clothing or blankets stored in naphthalene mothballs. Naphthalene can move from a pregnant woman's blood to the unborn baby's blood. Naphthalene has been detected in some samples of breast milk from the general U.S. population, but not at levels that are expected to be of concern.


There is no information on whether naphthalene has affected development in humans. No developmental abnormalities were observed in the offspring from rats, mice, and rabbits fed naphthalene during pregnancy.

2-methylnaphthalene:

There are no studies of humans exposed to 1-methylnaphthalene or 2-methylnaphthalene. Mice fed food containing 1-methylnaphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene for most of their lives had part of their lungs filled with an abnormal material.

This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 81 ppb.

2-methylnaphthalene is a naphthalene-related compound. 2-methylnaphthalene is a solid and can be smelled in air and in water at very low concentrations. 2-methylnaphthalene is used to make other chemicals such as dyes and resins and is also used to make vitamin K.

What happens to 2 methylnaphthalene when it enters the environment?

2-methylnaphthalene is expected to act like naphthalene in air, water, or soil because it has similar chemical and physical properties.

How might I be exposed to 2 methylnaphthalene?

Breathing low levels in outdoor air contaminated from industrial discharges or smoke from burning wood, tobacco, or fossil fuels. Using or making moth repellents, coal tar products, dyes or inks could expose you to these chemicals in the air. Drinking water from contaminated wells. Touching fabrics that are treated with moth repellents containing naphthalene. Exposure to 2 methylnaphthalene , from eating foods or drinking beverages is unlikely.

How can 2-methylnaphthalene affect children?

They do not have any information on possible health effects of 2 methylnaphthalene on children.

Methylene Chloride:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that methylene chloride may cause cancer in humans. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that methylene chloride can be reasonably anticipated to be a cancer-causing chemical. The EPA has determined that methylene chloride is a probable cancer-causing agent in humans.

This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 81 ppb.

What is methylene chloride?

Methylene chloride is a colorless liquid with a mild, sweet odor. Another name for it is dichloromethane. It does not occur naturally in the environment. Methylene chloride is used as an industrial solvent and as a paint stripper,  and some aersol and persitcide products. It is mainley released into the enviroment by in the air and some small amounts in drinking water.



How might I be exposed to methylene chloride?

The most likely way to be exposed to methylene chloride is by breathing contaminated air. Breathing the vapors given off by products containing methylene chloride. Exposure to high levels of methylene chloride is likely if methylene chloride or a product containing it is used in a room with inadequate ventilation.

Healths effects of methylene chloride

If you breathe in large amounts of methylene chloride you may feel unsteady, dizzy, and have nausea and a tingling or numbness of your finger and toes. A person breathing smaller amounts of methylene chloride may become less attentive and less accurate in tasks requiring hand-eye coordination. Skin contact with methylene chloride causes burning and redness of the skin.

How does methylene chloride affect children?

It is likely that health effects seen in children exposed to high amounts of methylene chloride will be similar to the effects seen in adults. We do not know if methylene chloride can affect the ability of people to have children or if it causes birth defects. Some birth defects have been seen in animals inhaling very high levels of methylene chloride.

Xylenes (total):

This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 5000 ppb.

Both the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the EPA have found that there is insufficient information to determine whether or not xylene is carcinogenic.

What are xylenes?


There are three forms of xylene in which the methyl groups vary on the benzene ring: meta-xylene, ortho-xylene, and para-xylene (m-, o-, and p-xylene). These different forms are referred to as isomers. Xylene is a colorless, sweet-smelling liquid that catches on fire easily. It occurs naturally in petroleum and coal tar. Chemical industries produce xylene from petroleum. It is one of the top 30 chemicals produced in the United States in terms of volume. Xylene is used as a solvent and in the printing, rubber, and leather industries. It is also used as a cleaning agent, a thinner for paint, and in paints and varnishes. It is found in small amounts in airplane fuel and gasoline.

What happens to xylenes when they enter the environment?

Xylene evaporates quickly from the soil and surface water into the air. In the air, it is broken down by sunlight into other less harmful chemicals in a couple of days. It is broken down by microorganisms in soil and water. Only a small amount of it builds up in fish, shellfish, plants, and other animals living in xylene-contaminated water.

How might I be exposed to xylenes?

Using a variety of consumer products including gasoline, paint varnish, shellac, rust preventatives, and cigarette smoke. Xylene can be absorbed through the respiratory tract and through the skin. Ingesting xylene-contaminated food or water, although these levels are likely to be very low. Working in a job that involves the use of xylene such as painters, paint industry workers, biomedical laboratory workers, automobile garage workers, metal workers, and furniture refinishers.

How can xylenes affect my health?

No health effects have been noted at the background levels that people are exposed to on a daily basis. High levels of exposure for short or long periods can cause headaches, lack of muscle coordination, dizziness, confusion, and changes in ones's sense of balance. Exposure of people to high levels of xylene for short periods can also cause irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, and throat; difficulty in breathing; problems with the lungs; delayed reaction time; memory difficulties; stomach discomfort; and possibly changes in the liver and kidneys. It can cause unconsciousness and even death at very high levels.

How can xylene affect children?

The effects of xylene have not been studied in children, but it is likely that they would be similar to those seen in exposed adults. Although there is no direct evidence, children may be more sensitive to acute inhalation exposure than adults because their narrower airways would be more sensitive to swelling effects. Studies of unborn animals indicate that high concentrations of xylene may cause increased numbers of deaths, and delayed growth and development. In many instances, these same concentrations also cause damage to the mothers. We do not know if xylene harms the unborn child if the mother is exposed to low levels of xylene during pregnancy.

Benz[a]anthracene, Fluoranthene,  Pyrene, Chrysene, Benzo[b]fluoranthene,
Benzo[e]pyrene:

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that benz[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, and pyrene are known animal carcinogens. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined the following: benz[a]anthracene and benzo[a]pyrene are probably carcinogenic to humans; benzo[b]fluoranthene is possibly carcinogenic to humans, and chrysene, fluoranthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene are not classifiable as to their carcinogenicity to humans. EPA has determined that benz[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, chrysene, are probable human carcinogens and that fluoranthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, and pyrene are not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity.   

Benzo[a]abthracene: This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 320 ppb.

Fluoranthene: This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 510 ppb.

Pyrene: This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 470 ppb.


Chrysene: This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 560 ppb.

Benzo[b]fluoranthene: This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 460 ppb.

Benzo[a]pyrene: This sediment release sample taken from the east perimeter drainage ditch at the Clyde Dump site in 1990 was 410 ppb.

These substances are called Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons or PAH.


What are PAHs?

PAHs are a group of chemicals that are formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage, or other organic substances, such as tobacco and charbroiled meat. PAHs generally occur as complex mixtures (for example, as part of combustion products such as soot), not as single compounds. PAHs usually occur naturally, but they can be manufactured as individual compounds for research purposes; however, not as the mixtures found in combustion products. As pure chemicals, PAHs generally exist as colorless, white, or pale yellow-green solids. They can have a faint, pleasant odor. A few PAHs are used in medicines and to make dyes, plastics, and pesticides. Others are contained in asphalt used in road construction. They can also be found in substances such as crude oil, coal, coal tar pitch, creosote, and roofing tar. They are found throughout the environment in the air, water, and soil. They can occur in the air, either attached to dust particles or as solids in soil or sediment.



Although the health effects of individual PAHs are not exactly alike, the following 17 PAHs are considered as a group in this profile:
acenaphthene
acenaphthylene
anthracene
benz[a]anthracene
benzo[a]pyrene
benzo[e]pyrene
benzo[b]fluoranthene
benzo[g,h,i]perylene
benzo[j]fluoranthene
benzo[k]fluoranthene
chrysene
dibenz[a,h]anthracene
fluoranthene
fluorene
indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene
phenanthrene
pyrene

These 17 PAHs were chosen to be included in this profile because (1) more information is available on these than on the others; (2) they are suspected to be more harmful than some of the others, and they exhibit harmful effects that are representative of the PAHs; (3) there is a greater chance that you will be exposed to these PAHs than to the others; and (4) of all the PAHs analyzed, these were the PAHs identified at the highest concentrations at NPL hazardous waste sites.

What happens to PAHs when they enter the environment?

PAHs enter the environment mostly as releases to air from volcanoes, forest fires, residential wood burning, and exhaust from automobiles and trucks. They can also enter surface water through discharges from industrial plants and waste water treatment plants, and they can be released to soils at hazardous waste sites if they escape from storage containers. The movement of PAHs in the environment depends on properties such as how easily they dissolve in water, and how easily they evaporate into the air. PAHs in general do not easily dissolve in water. They are present in air as vapors or stuck to the surfaces of small solid particles. They can travel long distances before they return to earth in rainfall or particle settling. Some PAHs evaporate into the atmosphere from surface waters, but most stick to solid particles and settle to the bottoms of rivers or lakes. In soils, PAHs are most likely to stick tightly to particles. Some PAHs evaporate from surface soils to air. Certain PAHs in soils also contaminate underground water. The PAH content of plants and animals living on the land or in water can be many times higher than the content of PAHs in soil or water. PAHs can break down to longer-lasting products by reacting with sunlight and other chemicals in the air, generally over a period of days to weeks. Breakdown in soil and water generally takes weeks to months and is caused primarily by the actions of microorganisms.

How might I be exposed to PAHs?

PAHs are present throughout the environment, and you may be exposed to these substances at home, outside, or at the workplace. Typically, you will not be exposed to an individual PAH, but to a mixture of PAHs.


In the environment, you are most likely to be exposed to PAH vapors or PAHs that are attached to dust and other particles in the air. Sources include cigarette smoke, vehicle exhausts, asphalt roads, coal, coal tar, wildfires, agricultural burning, residential wood burning, municipal and industrial waste incineration, and hazardous waste sites. Background levels of some representative PAHs in the air are reported to be 0.02–1.2 nanograms per cubic meter (ng/m³; a nanogram is one-millionth of a milligram) in rural areas and 0.15–19.3 ng/m³ in urban areas. You may be exposed to PAHs in soil near areas where coal, wood, gasoline, or other products have been burned. You may be exposed to PAHs in the soil at or near hazardous waste sites, such as former manufactured-gas factory sites and wood-preserving facilities. PAHs have been found in some drinking water supplies in the United States. Background levels of PAHs in drinking water range from 4 to 24 nanograms per liter (ng/L; a liter is slightly more than a quart).

In the home, PAHs are present in tobacco smoke, smoke from wood fires, creosote-treated wood products, cereals, grains, flour, bread, vegetables, fruits, meat, processed or pickled foods, and contaminated cow's milk or human breast milk. Food grown in contaminated soil or air may also contain PAHs. Cooking meat or other food at high temperatures, which happens during grilling or charring, increases the amount of PAHs in the food. The level of PAHs in the typical U.S. diet is less than 2 parts of total PAHs per billion parts of food (ppb), or less than 2 micrograms per kilogram of food (µg/kg; a microgram is one-thousandth of a milligram).

The primary sources of exposure to PAHs for most of the U.S. population are inhalation of the compounds in tobacco smoke, wood smoke, and ambient air, and consumption of PAHs in foods. For some people, the primary exposure to PAHs occurs in the workplace. PAHs have been found in coal tar production plants, coking plants, bitumen and asphalt production plants, coal-gasification sites, smoke houses, aluminum production plants, coal tarring facilities, and municipal trash incinerators. Workers may be exposed to PAHs by inhaling engine exhaust and by using products that contain PAHs in a variety of industries such as mining, oil refining, metalworking, chemical production, transportation, and the electrical industry. PAHs have also been found in other facilities where petroleum, petroleum products, or coal are used or where wood, cellulose, corn, or oil are burned. People living near waste sites containing PAHs may be exposed through contact with contaminated air, water, and soil.

How can PAHs enter and leave my body?

PAHs can enter your body through your lungs when you breathe air that contains them (usually stuck to particles or dust). Cigarette smoke, wood smoke, coal smoke, and smoke from many industrial sites may contain PAHs. People living near hazardous waste sites can also be exposed by breathing air containing PAHs. However, it is not known how rapidly or completely your lungs absorb PAHs. Drinking water and swallowing food, soil, or dust particles that contain PAHs are other routes for these chemicals to enter your body, but absorption is generally slow when PAHs are swallowed. Under normal conditions of environmental exposure, PAHs could enter your body if your skin comes into contact with soil that contains high levels of PAHs (this could occur near a hazardous waste site) or with used crankcase oil or other products (such as creosote) that contain PAHs. The rate at which PAHs enter your body by eating, drinking, or through the skin can be influenced by the presence of other compounds that you may be exposed to at the same time with PAHs. PAHs can enter all the tissues of your body that contain fat. They tend to be stored mostly in your kidneys, liver, and fat. Smaller amounts are stored in your spleen, adrenal glands, and ovaries. PAHs are changed by all tissues in the body into many different substances. Some of these substances are more harmful and some are less harmful than the original PAHs. Results from animal studies show that PAHs do not tend to be stored in your body for a long time. Most PAHs that enter the body leave within a few days, primarily in the feces and urine.


Health effects of PHA's

PAHs can be harmful to your health under some circumstances. Several of the PAHs, including benz[a]anthracene, benzo[a]pyrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, chrysene, pyrene, have caused tumors in laboratory animals when they breathed these substances in the air, when they ate them, or when they had long periods of skin contact with them. Studies of people show that individuals exposed by breathing or skin contact for long periods to mixtures that contain PAHs and other compounds can also develop cancer.

Mice fed high levels of benzo[a]pyrene during pregnancy had difficulty reproducing and so did their offspring. The offspring of pregnant mice fed benzo[a]pyrene also showed other harmful effects, such as birth defects and decreased body weight. Similar effects could occur in people, but we have no information to show that these effects do occur.
Studies in animals have also shown that PAHs can cause harmful effects on skin, body fluids, and the body's system for fighting disease after both short- and long-term exposure. These effects have not been reported in people.

***All of this information on these chemicals was taken from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).