2009 Bunker Hill Superfund Site 2009 Bunker Hill Superfund Site Coeur d’Alene BasinCoeur d’Alene BasinBlood Lead LevelsBlood Lead Levels

Idaho Department of Health and WelfareIdaho Department of Environmental Quality

Panhandle Health DistrictUnited States Environmental Protection Agency

February 17, 2010

• Public health service offered by the State

• Not a study or experiment

• Box since 1974/1985

• Basin since 1996

Lead Health Intervention Program (LHIP) Lead Health Intervention Program (LHIP) Annual Blood Lead SurveysAnnual Blood Lead Surveys

No cash incentive for participants that live: within the Box and are between 6 months and 9

years of age, or

$40.00 cash incentive for participants that live: within the Coeur d’Alene River Basin and are between

6 months and 6 years of age•2.5 times more participants in 2009 than in previous years ($20 cash incentive)

• Prior to blood draws, the parent/legal guardian or adult participant must sign a Consent Form and complete the appropriate Questionnaire

Panhandle Health DistrictPanhandle Health DistrictLHIP ProceduresLHIP Procedures

• Screening blood test is done by skin puncture (capillary or fingerstick - FS)

• Results of capillary test are provided to the participant or

parent immediately after analysis

Panhandle Health DistrictPanhandle Health District

LHIP ProceduresLHIP Procedures

Health Effects

Decreasing “elevated”Decreasing “elevated”blood lead levelsblood lead levels

60

40

3025

10 ??

N Engl J Med 2003;348: p1517-26.

Neurotoxic EffectsNeurotoxic Effects

• Neurobehavioral effects in early development persist into adolescence and young adulthood

• Neurocognative effects associated blood lead levels of 5-10 μg/dl

• A decline of 6.2 IQ points results from a blood lead change from 1 to 10 μg/dl (pooled results from 7 studies)

Cardiovascular EffectsCardiovascular Effects

• Increase in blood pressure (hypertension)

Other Organ System EffectsOther Organ System Effects• Renal effects• Immune system effects• Bone and teeth effects• Heme-synthesis effects• Reproductive and developmental effects• Adrenal effects• Liver Effects• Gastrointestinal Effects• Metabolism Effects• Genotoxic Effects• Carcinogenic Effects

At Risk PopulationsAt Risk Populations

• Children

• Pregnant women

• Adults with cumulative exposure

• Genetically pre-disposed Individuals

“There is no level of Pb exposure that has yet been identified, with confidence, as clearly not being associated with possible risk of deleterious health effects.”

Box History

Bunker Hill Box Bunker Hill Box Average Blood Lead: 1974-2002Average Blood Lead: 1974-2002

**

** **

U.S. Average

**

“Elevated” blood lead level

Bunker Hill Box Bunker Hill Box Superfund Site Remedial Superfund Site Remedial

Action ObjectiveAction Objective

95% of all children in each community with blood lead levels <10 µg/dl

No children (i.e. <1%) with blood lead levels > 15 µg/dl

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

% o

f C

hild

ren

wit

h B

loo

d L

ead

Ab

ove

10

g/d

l

Kellogg Pinehurst Smelterville RAO

RAO < 5%

Percent of Box Children with Blood Lead Levels > 10 μg/dl,

by City, 1988-2002

Box Lead Health InterventionBox Lead Health InterventionSummary Statistics 1988-1994Summary Statistics 1988-1994

Number of Mean Number of children Percent children blood Pb with blood Pb (g/dl) of children

Year in survey (g/dl) >25 >15 >10 > 10 g/dl

1988* 230 9.9 7 35 105 46%

1989* 275 11.4 8 71 154 56%

1990 362 8.9 2 41 134 37%

1991 365 6.3 2 17 56 15%

1992 415 7.4 3 31 110 27%

1993 445 5.6 1 10 66 15%

1994 416 6.2 1 15 71 17%

*does not include Pinehurst

Box Lead Health InterventionBox Lead Health InterventionSummary Statistics 1995-2002Summary Statistics 1995-2002

Number of Mean Number of children Percent children blood Pb with blood Pb (µg/dl) of children

Year in survey (µg/dl) >25 >15 >10 > 10 µg/dl

1995 405 6.0 2 20 62 15%1996 397 5.8 2 13 49 12%1997 337 5.4 0 6 36 11%1998 375 4.8 0 5 31 8%1999 370 4.7 0 3 23 6%2000 320 4.3 0 5 17 5%2001 322 3.2 0 4 10 3%

2002 368 3.1 0 3 7 2%

2009 Blood Lead Summary 2009 Blood Lead Summary Statistics – Box (age 0-9)Statistics – Box (age 0-9)

Total Number of Children (N) 18Minimum (μg/dl) 1.3Maximum (μg/dl) 10.0Average (μg/dl) 3.2Standard Deviation 2.1Geometric Mean (μg/dl) 2.8Geometric Standard Deviation 1.6

PercentageTotal Number of Children (N) 18Number of Children > 10 μg/dl 1 6%Number of Children > 15 μg/dl 0 0%Number of Children > 20 μg/dl 0 0%

Basin History

Blood Lead Levels by Area, 1974

0

20

40

60

80

100

I. Sm

elter

ville

II. K

ellog

g

III. P

inehu

rst

IV. O

sbur

n

V. Mull

an

VI. Spir

it Lak

e

VII. P

ine C

reek

% o

f ch

ildre

n >

40

μg

/dl

Percent of Children with Blood Lead Levels > 10 μg/dl, Kellogg and Basin, 1988-2009

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Year

% o

f C

hil

dre

n w

ith

Blo

od

Lea

d A

bo

ve 1

0 μ

g/d

l

Kellogg Basin

2009 Blood Lead Summary 2009 Blood Lead Summary Statistics – Basin (age 0-6)Statistics – Basin (age 0-6)

Total Number of Children (N) 175Minimum (μg/dl) 1.4Maximum (μg/dl) 10.0Average (μg/dl) 3.1Standard Deviation 1.8Geometric Mean (μg/dl) 2.7Geometric Standard Deviation 1.6

PercentageTotal Number of Children (N) 175Number of Children > 10 μg/dl 3 1.7%Number of Children > 15 μg/dl 0 0%Number of Children > 20 μg/dl 0 0%

Year 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

N 58 13 70 162 101* 117

N ≥ 10 μg/dl 8 2 9 26 14 7

% ≥ 10 μg/dl 14% 15% 13% 16% 14% 6%

N ≥ 15 μg/dl 3 1 4 12 4 2

% ≥ 15 μg/dl 5% 8% 6% 7% 4% 2%

N ≥ 20 μg/dl 0 0 2 4 1 0

% ≥ 20 μg/dl 0% 0% 3% 2% 1% 0%

Basin Blood Lead Summary Basin Blood Lead Summary by Year, 1996 - 2001 by Year, 1996 - 2001 (age 0-6 only)(age 0-6 only)

*1 child from 2000 was removed from the summary because the associated address was outside the Basin boundaries.

Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

N 103 75 80* 81 69 71 73 175

N ≥ 10 μg/dl 4 3 2 1 1 0 1 3

% ≥ 10 μg/dl 4% 4% 2.5% 1% 1% 0% 1.4% 1.7%

N ≥ 15 μg/dl 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0

% ≥ 15 μg/dl 0% 3% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

N ≥ 20 μg/dl 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

% ≥ 20 μg/dl 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Basin Blood Lead Summary Basin Blood Lead Summary by Year, 2002 - 2009 by Year, 2002 - 2009 (age 0-6 only)(age 0-6 only)

*2 children from 2004 were removed from the summary the associated addresses were outside the Basin boundaries.

Year 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

N 58 13 70 162 101* 117

Min (μg/dl) 1.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.4

Max (μg/dl) 18.0 19.0 21.0 29.0 27.0 16.0

Ave (μg/dl) 5.2 6.0 6.3 6.4 5.8 4.5

GeoMean (μg/dl)

4.2 4.9 5.4 5.2 4.8 3.7

Basin Blood Lead Summary Basin Blood Lead Summary by Year, 1996 - 2001 by Year, 1996 - 2001 (age 0-6 only)(age 0-6 only)

*1 child from 2000 was removed from the summary because the associated address was outside the Basin boundaries.

Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

N 103 75 80* 81 69 71 73 175

Min (μg/dl) 1.4 1.0 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4

Max (μg/dl) 13.0 17.1 16.7 12.0 10.0 9.0 14.0 10.0

Ave (μg/dl) 3.7 4.1 3.9 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.4 3.1

GeoMean (μg/dl)

3.2 3.4 3.4 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.1 2.7

Basin Blood Lead Summary Basin Blood Lead Summary by Year, 2002 - 2009 by Year, 2002 - 2009 (age 0-6 only)(age 0-6 only)

*2 children from 2004 were removed from the summary the associated addresses were outside the Basin boundaries.

Area Burke (Ninemile)

Kingston Lower Basin

Mullan Osburn

N 22 34 20 8 49

Min (μg/dl)

1.4 1.4 1.4 1.6 1.4

Max (μg/dl)

8.0 10.0 10.0 4.0 8.0

Ave (μg/dl)

3.6 3.1 2.6 2.8 3.2

GeoMean (μg/dl)

3.1 2.6 2.3 2.7 2.8

2009 Basin Blood Lead Summary 2009 Basin Blood Lead Summary Statistics by AreaStatistics by Area

Area Side

Gulches

Silverton Wallace

N 25 9 8

Min (μg/dl) 1.4 1.4 1.4

Max (μg/dl) 5.3 5.1 5.6

Ave (μg/dl) 3.0 2.7 3.0

GeoMean (μg/dl)

2.8 2.6 2.7

2009 Basin Blood Lead Summary 2009 Basin Blood Lead Summary Statistics by AreaStatistics by Area

Age 1 2 3 4 5 6

N 34 25 24 37 27 28

Min (μg/dl) 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4

Max (μg/dl) 10.0 7.0 7.6 8.0 7.2 10.0

Ave (μg/dl) 3.4 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.9

GeoMean (μg/dl)

2.9 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.8 2.6

2009 Basin Blood Lead Summary 2009 Basin Blood Lead Summary Statistics by Age (years)Statistics by Age (years)

  Consented Refused

Mullan 98% 2%

Wallace & Burke/Ninemile

98% 2%

Silverton 96% 4%

Osburn 98% 2%

Side Gulches 96% 4%

Pine Creek 96% 4%

Kingston 94% 6%

Lower Basin 78% 22%

Total 95% 5%

Consents and refusals received from 2004 through August 2009.

Percentage of Parcels that have Percentage of Parcels that have Consented and Refused SamplingConsented and Refused Sampling

Lead ExposurePathways

Soil and Dust Lead to Blood Pathways

REMEDIATION

Neighborhood Soil

House Dust

Blood

Community Soil

Yard Soil

30%

30%

40%20%

60%

20%

Sources of Lead in Dusts

Dust lead concentrations and consequent lead loadings are strongly related to outdoor soil concentrations with some contribution from both exterior and interior paint to mat dust lead loading.

This leads to an overall conclusion that soil probably contributes from 60% - 80% of the lead to house dust.

Box Soil andHouse Dust

History

Yard Soil Community Means and House Dust Lead Exposures 1988-2002, Kellogg

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Geo

met

ric

Mea

n L

ead

Con

cent

ratio

n (μ

g/kg

)

Community Wide Soil Yard Soil Exposure House Dust Exposure

Note: No dust samples were colleced in 1989; values estimated from the same homes in 1988.

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

1988 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Year

Geo

met

ric

Mea

n H

ouse

Du

st L

ead

Con

cen

trat

ion

(m

g/k

g)

Kellogg Page Pinehurst Smelterville Wardner RAO

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Concentration by City, 1988-2008

Community RAO <500 mg/kg

Note: Samples not available for Page in 1997, 1999 & 2001 (indicated with dashed lines).

Basin House DustExposure Monitoring

Mullan Soil Community Means - By Sample Location

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

Geo

met

ric

Mea

n L

ead

co

nce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/k

g)

driveways & parking areas rights of way other areas yards flower gardens & vegetable gardens Box RAO

Notes:Vacuum samples were not collected in 1997, 2000, or 2001. 2002 had too little data to display. In 2005, only one vacuum sample was collected from the Lower Basin. When the number of samples is 2 or less, the results are not shown in order to maintain confidentiality.

Community Mean Vacuum Bag Dust Lead Concentration By Year and Geographic Area, 1996-2008

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1996 1998 1999 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Geo

met

ric

Mea

n L

ead

Con

cent

rati

on (m

g/kg

)

Burke/Ninemile Kingston Lower Basin Mullan Osburn Side Gulches Silverton Wallace

NAS InvestigationNAS InvestigationHealth RelatedHealth RelatedConclusionsConclusions

NAS Conclusions

“The committee found that scientific and technical practices used by EPA for decision making regarding human health risks in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin Superfund site are generally sound. The exceptions are minor.

However, for EPA’s decision making regarding environmental protection, the committee has substantial concerns, particularly regarding the effectiveness and long-term protection of the selected remedy.”

NAS Conclusions

Furthermore, the potential long-term effectiveness of the proposed remedial actions is severely limited by frequent flooding events and their potential to recontaminate remediated areas with contaminated sediments.”

NAS Conclusions

“Barring recontamination of remediated properties, it seems probable that the proposed remedies will reduce targeted human health risks.

However, long-term support of institutional control programs should be provided to maintain the integrity of remedies intended to protect human health and guard against health risks from contamination.”

•Supporting ICP in the Box and Basin•Developing Repositories•Infrastructure Revitalization•Remedy Protection and Flooding•Flooding Assessments

Institutional Controls and Institutional Controls and Infrastructure Revitalization Infrastructure Revitalization

Programs (ICP)Programs (ICP) (IRP)(IRP)

Specific NAS Health Conclusions

There are elevated exposures in the Basin that are a threat to Human Health

Arsenic risks would be better characterized with biological indicators, EPA should continue to support national research on biomarkers of arsenic exposure

Specific NAS Health Conclusions

The analysis of exposures due to waste and lead paint was more than normally accomplished at a site. Mining waste is the most significant source, lead paint is indicated for some children

Long-term support of ICP should be provided, and evaluation of the efficacy of yard remediation should be supported by ongoing environmental and blood lead monitoring efforts

Specific NAS Health Conclusions

Universal blood lead screening is indicated due to the high environmental lead levels in the Basin

Subsistence exposures are ill-advised in the contaminated areas of the Basin

Specific NAS Health Conclusions

Health intervention efforts to address chronic stress associated with living in or near a Superfund Site should be addressed

Risk Assessments and effectiveness evaluations should address the 1-4 year-old age group. Combining these results with 5-9 year olds is misleading and understates risk among the target group

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Geo

met

ric

Mea

n H

ouse

Du

st L

ead

Con

cen

trat

ion

(m

g/k

g)

Kellogg Page Pinehurst Smelterville Wardner RAO

House Dust Mat Lead Concentration by City, 1996-2008

Community RAO <500 mg/kg

Notes:Mat samples were not collected in 1997 and 1999 through 2003.When the number of samples is 2 or less, the results are not shown in order to maintain confidentiality.

Community Mean Dust Mat Lead Concentration By Year and Geographic Area, 1996-2008

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

1996 1998 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Geo

met

ric

Mea

n L

ead

Con

cent

rati

on (m

g/kg

)

Burke/Ninemile Kingston Lower Basin Mullan Osburn Side Gulches Silverton Wallace

Box Vacuum Bag Lead Concentrations- 1990, 1994

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Concentration

Histogram - 1990

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-200 200-400 400-600 600-800 800-1000 >1000

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/ kg)

Per

cen

tag

e o

f P

op

ula

tio

n

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Concentration

Histogram - 1994

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-200 200-400 400-600 600-800 800-1000 >1000

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/ kg)

Per

cen

tag

e o

f P

op

ula

tio

n

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Concentration

Histogram - 1998

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-200 200-400 400-600 600-800 800-1000 >1000

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/ kg)

Per

cen

tag

e o

f P

op

ula

tio

n

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Concentration

Histogram - 2002

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-200 200-400 400-600 600-800 800-1000 >1000

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/ kg)

Per

cen

tag

e o

f P

op

ula

tio

n

Box Vacuum Bag Lead Concentrations- 1998, 2002

House Dust Mat Lead Concentration 1996

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-199 200-399 400-599 600-799 800-999 >999

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/kg)

Perc

enta

ge o

f Sa

mpl

es

House Dust Mat Lead Concentration 2004

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-199 200-399 400-599 600-799 800-999 >999

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/kg)

Perc

enta

ge o

f Sa

mpl

es

House Dust Mat Lead Concentration 2009

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-199 200-399 400-599 600-799 800-999 >999

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/kg)

Per

cen

tag

e o

f S

amp

les

Basin Dust Mat Lead Concentrations- 1996,

2004, 2009

House Dust Vacuum Bag Concentration 1996

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-199 200-399 400-599 600-799 800-999 >999

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/kg)

Perc

enta

ge o

f Sa

mpl

es

House Dust Vacuum Bag Concentration 2004

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-199 200-399 400-599 600-799 800-999 >999

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/kg)

Perc

enta

ge o

f Sa

mpl

es

House Dust Vacuum Bag Concentration 2009

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

0-199 200-399 400-599 600-799 800-999 >999

House Dust Vacuum Bag Lead Level (mg/kg)

Perc

enta

ge o

f Sa

mpl

es

Basin Vacuum Bag Lead Concentrations-

1996, 2004, 2009

OU1 Total Lead Intake Rates for an Average Four-Year Old by Community

0

15

30

45

60

75

90

105

120

135

150

165

180

195

210

225

240

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Le

ad

in

take

(u

g/d

ay)

Kellogg Smelterville Pinehurst Site-Wide

OU3 Total Lead Intake Rates for an Average Four-Year Old by Community

0

15

30

45

60

75

90

105

120

135

1996 1998 1999 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Year

Le

ad

in

tak

e (

ug

/da

y)

Burke/Ninemile Kingston Lower Basin Mullan Osburn Side Gulches Silverton Wallace