Dioxin contamination in the tittabawassee river floodplain: A primer for the general public

1. Dioxin contamination in the tittabawassee river floodplain: A primer for the general public By Cindy L. Zastrow, M.S. Walden University PUBH-8165-10 Environmental Health

2. Objectives • Explain what dioxins are • Identify routes of exposure to dioxins • Understand health effects associated with dioxin exposure • Identify the source of contamination in Midland and Saginaw Counties • Examine findings of University of Michigan studies • Review current remediation activities and goals • Summary • Establish a listing of additional resources

3. What are dioxins?

4. What are dioxins? • Byproduct of certain industrial processes and combustion • Chemical manufacturing • Pesticide manufacturing • Paper bleaching processes • Burning of household garbage • Forest Fires • Commercial waste incinerators • Have no use – are strictly waste (Michigan Department of Community Health, 2001)

5. What are dioxins? (continued) • Actually a group of 210 chemicals that are similar in structure • When found in the environment, they are usually a mixture of several types of dioxins • Can be found in low levels in soil, lakes, rivers, air, and sediment throughout the world • Some dioxins are significantly more dangerous than others (Michigan Department of Community Health, 2001)

6. The Most Dangerous Dioxins • The most toxic of the dioxin family is 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) • All other dioxins are compared to 2,3,7,8-TCDD as the standard • Measurements of other dioxins are converted to reflect the equivalent comparison concentration to 2,3,7,8-TCDD 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (Michigan Department of Community Health, 2001)

7. The Most Dangerous Dioxins (Continued) • Dioxin measurements that have been converted to a 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentration are added together and are expressed as the Total Equivalent Concentration (TEQ) (Michigan Department of Community Health, 2001)

8. How may I be exposed to dioxins?

9. Routes of Exposure • Diet: • Meats (animal fats) • Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, tuna, trout) • Dairy products (primarily full-fat) • Air: • Breathing in polluted air from chemical plants, commercial waste incinerators, paper mills, and metal smelters (Department of Health and Human Services, 2006)

10. Routes of Exposure (Continued) • Occupational: • Working in the chemical or pesticide manufacturing industry • Pesticide application • Pressure treatment of wood products • Working in a paper mill that uses a chlorinated process • Working at a commercial waste incinerator • Cleaning up hazardous waste (Department of Health and Human Services, 2006)

11. What are the health effects of dioxins? Image of VicktorYuschenko, victim of dioxin poisoning. (Freethought Forum, 2010)

12. Known Health Effects Short Term Exposures: • Skin lesions, sores, acne • Darkening of the skin • Liver damage Long Term Exposures: • Immune system damage • Nervous system damage • Endocrine system damage • Reproductive issues (World Health Organization, 2010)

13. Suspected Health Effects • Type 2 (Late Onset) diabetes • Multiple myeloma cancer • Lung cancer • Prostate cancer • Tracheal cancer • Neurological developmental effects in infants • Less likely to father males (World Health Organization, 2010)

14. Dioxin in saginaw and midland counties - michigan (Perceptions, n.d.)

15. Source of Dioxin Contamination – Saginaw and Midland Counties • Dow Chemical Corporation, founded in 1897 • Encompasses 1,900 acres in Midland • Has two rotary-kiln waste incinerators • Currently operates the Salzburg Road landfill • Operated a landfill on Rockwell Road in the past • Used to have an extensive chlorophenol production line (Department of Health and Human Services, 2001)

16. Dow Chemical - Production • Various chemicals and pesticides have been produced by Dow Chemical, including: • Mustard gas • Napalm • Agent Orange • Dursban • Styrene • Butadiene • Picric acid • Styrofoam • and others • (Department of Health and Human Services, 2001)

17. Dow – Chlorophenol Production • Chlorophenol production at Dow began in 1915 • Dioxin-containing wastes from this production line were initially dumped into retaining ponds • After sitting in ponds, wastes were intentionally dumped into the Tittabawassee River • Dow now operates it’s own wastewater treatment plant (Department of Health and Human Services, 2001)

18. Tittabawassee River Flood Plain (Wikipedia, 2009)

19. University of michigan – dioxin studies

20. University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study (UMDES) • Objective: Examine human reactions to dioxin exposure in the Midland and Saginaw areas where the Dow Chemical Corporation has operated for more than 100 years • Methods: All examinations of individuals from these areas are compared with results from a population that has no increased exposures to dioxins

21. Population Survey Results – Serum Concentrations Study • Objective: Compare and contrast descriptive statistical data on serum concentrations, household dusts, and residential soil with other published values • Methods: 946 people were interviewed • Serum samples taken • Samples of household dust and residential soil collected • Results: Serum levels and soil concentrations were found to be significantly higher in the Tittabawassee River floodplain than in referent areas (Hedgeman, E., Chen, Q., Hong, B., Chang, C., Olson, K., LaDronka, K., …Garabrant, D, 2009)

22. Predictors of Dioxin Levels Study • Objective: To identify why dioxin levels in populations in the Midland and Saginaw County area vary • Methods: 946 people were interviewed • Serum samples taken • Samples of household dust and residential soil collected • Results: Hunting and fishing, working at Dow Chemical, and historic exposures pre-1980 contributed to higher dioxin levels (Hedgeman, E., Chen, Q., Hong, B., Chang, C., Olson, K., LaDronka, K., …Garabrant, D, 2009)

23. CURRENT REMEDIATION AND GOALS

24. Current Remediation Activities • Assessment of high-use properties for dioxin levels • Continued time-critical clean up actions in these high-use areas • Assess contaminated sediment and banks for potential movement • Continued time-critical clean up actions in unstable, highly-contaminated banks and sediment areas (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2009)

25. Remediation Goals for the Future • Separate approximately 30 miles of river into 5-7 segments • Comprehensive cleanup upstream-to-downstream segment-by-segment, first segment starting in 2011 • Goal of completion for cleanup: 2018 (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2009)

26. Summary • Dioxins are a group of byproduct-type chemicals that are not used for anything • Dioxins are dangerous to humans, causing a variety of physical ailments • The contamination in Midland and Saginaw counties is a result of hazardous waste dumping into the Tittabawassee River from Dow Chemical Corporation in Midland • Remediation is currently underway, with a goal of completion for the cleanup being 2018

27. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Contacts Floodplain soil and sediment contamination:  Al Taylor, 517-335-4799 Toxicity of Dioxin:  Deborah Mackenzie-Taylor, Toxicologist, WHMD, 517-335-4715 Chris Flaga, Toxicologist, RRD, 517-373-0160

28. References Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). ToxFAQs ™ : Chemical agent briefing sheets (CABS): Dioxin. Retrieved on January 21, 2010 from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/cabs/dioxins/ Department of Health and Human Services. (2001). Petitioned health consultation: Dioxin contamination in soil in Midland, Michigan. Retrieved on January 22, 2010 from http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/midland/midland.html Freethought Forum. (2010). Ukraine. Retrieved on January 22, 2010 from http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200412/r37289_93247.jpg Hedgeman, E., Chen, Q., Hong, B., Chang, C., Olson, K., LaDronka, K., …Garabrant, D. (2009). The University of Michigan dioxin exposure study: Population survey results and serum concentrations for polychlorinated dioxins, furans, and biphenyls. Environmental Health Perspectives 117(5), 811-817.

29. References (Continued) Michigan Department of Community Health. (2001). MDCH fact sheet: Dioxins. Retrieved on January 21, 2010 from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Dioxin_Factsheet_82359_7.pdf Perceptions. (n.d.). 10 county area. Retrieved on February 2, 2010 from http://www.perceptionssv.org/images/10county.jpg United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2009). Timeline for achieving comprehensive cleanup: Tittabawassee River, Saginaw River & Bay contamination site. Retrieved on January 23, 2010 from http://www.epa.gov/region5/sites/dowchemical/pdfs/dow-timeline-fs-200906.pdf

30. References (Continued) Wikipedia. (2009). Tittabawassee River. Retrieved on January 22, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tittabawassee_River World Health Organization. (2010). Dioxins and their effects on human health. Retrieved on January 22, 2010 from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/

31. Thank you for attending this presentation