Agenda
• What is BCCC?
• Health Data
• Possible Environmental Health Hazards
• Next Steps
• Lunch
Agenda
• What is BCCC?
• Health Data
• Possible Environmental Health Hazards
• Next Steps
• Lunch
Age-adjusted Cancer Rate 1999-2008
Indiana State Dept Health (Jan 2012).Blackford County Cancer Inquiry Final Report
Age-adjusted Cancer Rate 1998-2012
Blackford Indiana US
All 514.7 484.5 460.4
Bladder 28.1 21.2 20.5
Colon 59.8 52.05 43.7
Thyroid 14.9 9.1 12.9
*Rates are per 100,000 persons per year
Indiana Cancer Registry (2014). Unpublished data
Numbers of Cancers in Blackford County 1998-2012
Actual Expected
All 1289 1214
Bladder 72 55
Colon 153 133
Thyroid 30 19
Indiana Cancer Registry (2014). Unpublished data
Cancer Risk Factors
• Bladder Cancer– Smoking– Aromatic amines (dye chemicals)– Workplace chemical exposures
• Rubber, Leather, textiles, chemical, and printing industries• Hairdressers, truck drivers, painters
– Chronic bladder infection or irritation– Chemotherapy or radiation– Pioglitazone (diabetes medicine Actos)– Dietary supplement aristolochic acid– Arsenic in drinking water– Low fluid consumption
American Cancer Society. www.cancer.org
Cancer Risk Factors
• Colon Cancer– Family history– Diabetes– Obesity– Smoking– Fatty diet– Alcohol consumption
• Thyroid Cancer– Radiation exposure– Female– Rare familial conditions
American Cancer Society. www.cancer.org
Cancer Risk Factors
• Smoking• Diet• Exercise• Genetics• Exposure to carcinogens
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2015) www.countyhealthrankings.org/
Good News
• The Blackford County smoking rate dropped
– 2002 – 2008 33.8%
– 2014 29%
Indiana State Dept Health (Jan 2012).Blackford County Cancer Inquiry Final Report Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2015) www.countyhealthrankings.org/
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Also known as ‘ALS’ or Lou Gehrig’s Disease• Rate in U.S. is 2/100,000• Blackford County may have 5/100,000– Per citizen survey
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Risk factors– Genetic mutations – Head trauma– Military service– Smoking– BMAA from blue-green algae – Heavy metals (Arsenic, Lead, Mercury)
Questions?
Agenda
• What is BCCC?
• Health Data
• Possible Environmental Health Hazards
• Next Steps
• Lunch
Groundwater
Leaking Underground Storage Tank
Leaching
Leaching
Chemicals of ConcernCarcinogensarsenicchromiumbenzenebenzo(a)pyrene Neurotoxins leadmercurymethylene chloridetetrachloroethenetoluenetrichloroethenexylenetetrachloroethylenepetroleum hydrocarbons
Endocrine Disruptors atrazinebis (2-ethylhexyl)phthalate di-n-butylphthalate polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Toxic to metabolismcyanidenitrate/nitritenaphthalene Othercoppernickelsilverzinc
Well Testing Project
• Indiana State Department of Health Laboratories
• Blackford County Health Department• 14 well owners– Near old oil/gas wells– Near dump sites– Near neither
Well Testing
Well Test Report Example
Well Test Results
• None of the tests exceeded US standards for safe drinking water
• All the wells tested meet US standards for safe water
One minor caveat
• Arsenic– US Maximum Contaminant Level 10 ug/L– 3 wells had arsenic at 7 – 8 ug/L
Soil at the Old Glass Factory Sites
Heavy metals in Glass Manufacturing
• Arsenic
• Lead
EPA Standard Exposures
Exposure path Daily intake
Ingestion of water 2 Liters
Ingestion of dust (child) 200 mg
Ingestion of dust (adult) 100 mg
Inhalation (total) 20 m3
Modified from Penningroth (2010). Toxic Chemical Risk. Pg 139
Soil Testing Project
• 15 samples per site
• 2 foot cores
Soil sampling and testing generously donated by
Soil Sample with Glass Fragments
Soil Sample with Brick Fragments
Testing Soil for Arsenic and Lead by XRF
Soil Testing: Preliminary Results
• XRF is a rapid screening method• Confirmatory tests are pending
National Window and Bent Glass in Montpelier
1900
Montpelier 2015
Soil Samples Montpelier
Montpelier Preliminary Results-1
Montpelier Preliminary Results-2
American Window Glass in Hartford City 1909
Hartford City Soil Samples
Hartford City Preliminary Results-1
Hartford City Preliminary Results-2
Agenda
• What is BCCC?
• Health Data
• Possible Environmental Health Hazards
• Next Steps
• Lunch
Next Steps
• Research– Groundwater– Heavy metals– Possibly BMAA, radon
• Seeking Solutions
• Education
Questions?
Agenda
• What is BCCC?
• Health Data
• Possible Environmental Health Hazards
• Next Steps
• Lunch