Arsenic contamination near a copper smelter.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Milham S Jr.
• Description:
  Community health problems associated with arsenic (7440382) contamination in the vicinity of the American Smelting and Refining Company in Ruston, Washington were described. Smelter arsenic emissions were estimated at approximately 1,000 pounds per day. Homes were as close as 50 yards to the stack, and the Ruston Elementary School was located 300 yards from the stack. Urinary arsenic levels averaged 81.8 parts per million (ppm) in Ruston School children and 270ppm in preschool children, relative to 20ppm in elementary school children not exposed to arsenic emissions. The urinary arsenic levels in ten children averaged 0.08 parts per million during a plant shut down due to a strike at the smelter. Arsenic levels in the same children were about 0.16ppm the week after the strike was resolved. A traverse study of urinary arsenic levels indicated a range of 48ppm to 300ppm in individuals living from 4 to 0.5 miles from the stack respectively. The results were discussed in relation to ambient air levels of arsenic in the community and the respiratory carcinogenic potential of inhaled arsenic-trioxide (1327533).
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Animals Hydrocarbons Laboratories Mass Spectrometry Occupational Health Pyrenes Safety Urine
• Keywords:
  Air-contamination Environmental-exposure Environmental-pollution Epidemiology Health-hazards Industrial-emissions Smelters Toxic-materials
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Conference/Symposia Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Missouri ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 7 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  262-270
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00184910
• Citation:
  Occupational safety and health symposia 1977. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHEW (NIOSH) Publication No. 78-169, 1978 Jun; :262-270
• CAS Registry Number:
  Arsenic (CAS RN 7440-38-2) ; Arsenic trioxide (CAS RN 1327-53-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1978
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational safety and health symposia 1977
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7431a8cac40cc38eff50cba0ea8aae51116006ab48e114d542e69d9b3a87eb4cd6ae5fcc94df4b36ec504f70f76732c25c0771a0d494f7e4c8fb1f904a10003b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180192/cdc_180192_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 920.66 KB ]