The Vieques Problem

1. The Vieques Problem By Monique Latalladi

2. Table of Contents • Background / History • Definition of Problem • ATSDR findings • Documentation • Analysis • Conclusion

3. Background / History • Puerto Rico located southeast of Miami, Florida • Vieques Island located 7 miles east of PR

4. Background / History • Vieques is 20 mi long, 4.5 mi wide • 33,000 acres of land • In path of the easterly trade winds • Temperature ranges from 76 to 83 F • Land use is residential and agricultural

5. Background / History • Navy property 11,000 acres of land in eastern half of Vieques, therefore rest of island affected by easterly trade winds.

6. Background / History • U.S. Navy use of land: combat training with use of live ordinances, arms training • Navy owns property since 1941. In 1960 Navy began bombing practices • Exercises conducted between 159 to 228 days per year. Highest between February and August • Between 1983 and 1998 1,862 tons of ordinances with an avg of 353 tons of high explosives

7. Background / History • Ordinances contain varying degrees of metallic compounds: As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Hg, Pb, V, Al, Co, Ni • Contain pyrotechnic devices: illuminating flares, white phosphorus mortar rounds which becomes phosphoric acid when wet. • Contain organic nitrated compounds: Ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, methane, methyl alcohol, formaldehyde, etc. • Weaponry includes: napalm, agent orange, depleted uranium, etc

8. Definition of Problem • Cancer rate is 27% higher than in rest of PR • Study hair study showed 44% had toxic levels of mercury, 83% civilians working for Navy had toxic levels • Half of children have significant health problems: asthma, cancer, etc. • No natural source of pollution other than the U.S. Navy

9. ATSDR Findings ATSDR: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry • PHA: Evaluate problems in Vieques associated with potential releases of hazardous substances from military training activities • Finding: Eight metals were detected above health-based comparison values. • Finding: “Exposure to from air contaminants potentially releases from Navy property on Vieques poses no apparent health hazard.” • Exposure doses for children were above health guidelines for all metals. “Calculated doses do not mean harmful effects will occur.”

10. ATSDR Analysis • Health based standards compared to EED • Estimated exposure dose, EED • EED = Conc x IR x EF x ED BW x AT • IR: Ingestion Rate • EF: Exposure Frequency • ED: Exposure Duration • BW: Body Weight • AT: Average Time Note: Exposure factors set to EPA recommended mean values.

11. ATSDR Analysis • Causes for overestimation • ASTDR did not adjust exposure doses to account for bioavailability • Averages calculated using detected concentrations only

12. ATSDR Analysis • Causes of underestimation • Chemicals with no health-based standards. Assumed “if no standard exists it could suggest no one has determined these chemicals are harmful.” • Exposure to multiple chemicals were not expected to be of health concern.

13. Conclusions • Site-specific conditions, individual lifestyle, and genetic factors affect route, magnitude and duration of actual exposure. • ATSDR only evaluated incidental exposure from ingestion or dermal contact with soil only. Needs to evaluate cummulative effects of ingestion from bioaccumulated chemicals in fauna/flora, that from rainwater/private wells. • ATSDR needs to evaluate effect of radioactive materials found in topsoil.