Hazardous waste sites, screening

Motwani JN, Popp SA, Johnson GM, et al. 1986. Field screening techniques developed under the superfund program. The 7 national conference on management of uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. December 1-3, 1986, Washington, DC, 105-109. 

These substance-specific estimates, which are intended to serve as screening levels, are used by ATSDR health assessors to identify contaminants and potential health effects that may be of concern at hazardous waste sites. It is important to note that MRLs are not intended to define clean-up or action levels. 

ATSDR s specific responsibilities related to blood lead screening at lead-contaminated hazardous waste sites include (1) evaluation of site-specific environmental lead exposure information, (2) identification of populations potentially exposed to lead, (3) decision about whether or not to conduct blood lead screening, (4) evaluation of blood lead screening results, and (5) determination of whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency s (EPA) proposed site remediation plans are sufficient to protect public health. 

An MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse noncancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. MRLs are based on noncancer health effects only and are not based on a consideration of cancer effects. These substance-specific estimates, which are intended to serve as screening levels, are used by ATSDR health assessors to identify contaminants and potential health effects that may be of concern at hazardous waste sites. It is important to note that MRLs are not intended to define clean-up or action levels. 

Green, J.C. Bartels, C.L. Warren-Hicks Parkhurst, B.P. Linder, G.L. Peterson, S.A. Miller, W.E. Protocol of Short-Term Toxicity Screening of Hazardous Waste Sites U.S. EPA Corvallis, OR, 1988. 

MRLs are intended only to serve as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to look more closely. They may also be viewed as a mechanism to identify those hazardous waste sites that... 

Exposure to isophorone may take place where you work or in very low concentrations at home. Because it is used in some inks, paints, lacquers, and adhesives, people who work with these products may be exposed to isophorone. Isophorone has been found in the drinking water of Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and New Orleans at amounts less than 10 parts of isophorone in 1 billion parts of water (10 ppb). In one instance (a screen print shop), isophorone was found in amounts as high as 26 parts in 1 million parts of air (26 ppm), but the usual amounts in the workplace are much lower. At this time, isophorone has been found in at least 9 out of 1177 National Priorities List (NPL) hazardous waste sites in the United States. Exposure to isophorone at these sites may occur by touching contaminated soil, water, or sediment. For more information please read Chapter 5. 

Populations with potentially high exposure include those occupationally exposed to isophorone (e.g., screen print workers, some adhesives formulators and users, some coatings manufacturing and use workers). Individuals living near hazardous waste sites may be exposed to isophorone dermally, but probably not by inhalation. These individuals also may be exposed to isophorone by ingestion if they drink water from contaminated wells located down gradient from the site. 

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