HEALTH CONSULTATION

Exposure Investigation Report

CALCASIEU ESTUARY
LAKE CHARLES, CALCASIEU PARISH, LOUISIANA

CONCLUSIONS

1. Blood dioxin levels were elevated in residents of Mossville who participated in the EI. The median and mean concentrations of dioxin TEQs in the EI participants were greater than the 95^th percentile concentration of a comparison population.


2. The blood levels of many, but not all, of the individual dioxin-like compounds were elevated in the EI participants. The levels of 1,2,3,7,8 pentachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin were particularly elevated and were the most significant contributor to the dioxin TEQ total.


3. Blood dioxin levels were primarily elevated in older residents of Mossville (> 47 years old).


4. The blood dioxin concentrations measured in the EI participants are unlikely to be associated with known clinical health effects such as chloracne or elevated liver enzyme levels.


5. Dioxin TEQ concentrations in four surface soil samples and two chicken eggs were not at levels of health concern.


6. The concentration of dioxin TEQs in a breast milk sample was not elevated.


7. The source of the increased dioxin exposure in residents of Mossville is not known.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Evaluate potential pathways for human exposure to dioxin from environmental and dietary sources.


2. Reduce human exposures to dioxin from significant exposure pathways that are identified.


3. Further characterize the extent of dioxin exposure in the community.


4. Evaluate strategies to assess past exposures to dioxin.


5. Examine health status indicators for the community including cancer incidence statistics.

COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS

ATSDR gave the participants their individual test results and provided an explanation of their significance. ATSDR also held a public availability session to allow the participants to discuss their test results with environmental and health officials.

ATSDR (Division of Health Education and Promotion) facilitated access to an Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) environmental medical expert in dioxin to review medical information for the 28 EI participants and determine the next clinical steps for these individuals. The AOEC environmental physician provided the 28 individuals with education and information regarding their exposure status.

PROPOSED FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS

ATSDR will work with Federal and State agencies and the community to implement further investigations to identify possible sources of dioxin exposure in the Mossville community.

ATSDR (Division of Health Studies) will review both the dioxin data and further environmental characterization data to determine if a more extensive exposure investigation or a health study follow-up is appropriate.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region VI, will develop activities to evaluate human exposure pathways to hazardous substances in the environment. These activities will include: (1) air toxics monitoring in the Mossville area (to be conducted in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality) and (2) sediment and water sampling of estuaries. Groundwater monitoring of public and private drinking water wells has been completed. Clean-up of the Chicot Aquifer is in progress.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals/Office of Public Health will: (1) assist ATSDR with follow-up health studies, (2) prepare a health consultation, in cooperation with ATSDR, consisting of a health statistics review of appropriate health outcomes, (3) provide, in cooperation with ATSDR, health professional education in Calcasieu Parish in the form of mailouts and presentations at grand rounds and/or local hospitals to physicians and other health professionals, and (4) provide information to the public on the Louisiana Children's Health Insurance Program.

REFERENCES

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17. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; Toxicological Profile for Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins (Update); December 1998.
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19. M.J DeVito, L.S. Birnbaum, W.H Farland, and T.A. Gasiewicz; Comparisons of estimated human body burdens of dioxin-like chemicals and TCDD body burdens in experimentally exposed animals; Environmental Health Perspectives 103(9) 822-831 (1995).
20. A. Schecter et al.; cited in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Estimating Exposure to Dioxin-Like Compounds Volume II: Properties, Sources, Occurrence and Background Exposures; page 5-29; June 1994; EPA/600/6-88/005Cb.
21. C.T. De Rosa, D. Brown, R. Dhara, et al.; Dioxin and Dioxin-Like Compounds in Soil, Part 1: ATSDR Interim Policy Guidance; Toxicology and Industrial Health 13 759-768 (1997).
22. F. Schuler, P. Schmid, and C. Schlatter; The transfer of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans from soil into eggs of foraging chicken; Chemosphere 34 711-718 (1997).

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