Pilot Study of Children’s Exposure to CCA-Treated Wood from Playground Equipment

1. Pilot Study of Children’s Exposure to CCA-Treated Wood from Playground Equipment Brian Buckley, Lora E. Fleming, Rogelio Vega, Michael Laas Lloyd, Stuart Shalat, Helena Solo-Gabriele, Wendy B Stephan, Tomoyuki Shibata

2. Funding NIEHS Environmental Health Center (Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson NJ Medical College) NIEHS Marine & Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center (University of Miami)

3. Background Treated Wood: Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) • Most common wood preservative in USA (>75%) • Total Arsenic:1900 mg/kg-19,000 • Cumulative Arsenic in service: 330,000 tonnes • As(V) New Wood; As(V) & As(III) Aged Wood • Studies Have Shown that CCA is “Dislodged” by Touching the Wood ( i.e. “Dislodgeable Arsenic) • Arsenic can also be absorbed through skin

4. Background Human Health Effects • Arsenobetaine [(CH3)3AsCH2COOH] Seafood • As (III) > As (V) • Acute: GI, Cardiac, Renal, Nervous System • Chronic: Nervous (CNS & PNS), Dermatologic, Peripheral Vascular, Hepatic • Cancer: Dermatologic, Pulmonary, Hepatic, Bladder, Hematopoietic

5. Background Childhood Exposure • Age dependent • Behavior (Pesticide research) • Food Handling & Non Dietary Ingestion • Soil Ingestion by children: 40 to 100 mg/day • Hand-Mouth & Object-Mouth Activity • Mean hourly frequencies (age 2-4 yrs): 9.5-20.9x/hour Childhood Vulnerability • Neurologic System

6. Background CCA-treated wood subject of EPA evaluation under FIFRA, including Scientific Review Panel and Risk Assessment for residential settings and potential exposure to children. On 2/12/02, EPA Administrator Whitman announced voluntary decision by industry to move consumer use of treated lumber products away from a variety of pressure-treated wood that contains arsenic by 12/31/03, in favor of new alternative wood preservatives. PROBLEM: CCA-TREATED WOOD IN USE EVERYWHERE!

7. Miami Dade County CCA Playgrounds

9. Devonnaire Park

10. Specific Aims • Determine levels of Arsenic present in playgrounds made from CCA-treated wood; • Determine if dislodgeable Arsenic from CCA-treated playground structures is present on children’s hands by administering hand rinses; • Determine if levels of Arsenic on children’s hands are associated with levels of Arsenic measurable in children’s urine.

11. Methods • Human Subjects Approval • Multi-Institutional Protocols • Consent Forms • Educational Materials • English & Spanish

12. Methods • Environmental Assessment • Confirm CCA Treatment of Playgrounds (Completed) • Soil (Completed) • Wood Wipe

13. Confirmation of CCA Treatment As Test Kit As Specific Stain Plus Regular Acid Digestion With ICP-MS

14. Wipe Test

15. Methods • Hands • Tracing (surface area) • Rinse (pre/post exposure) • Urine • Diaper Insert or Cup 12 hours later • (Speciated) Arsenic & Metabolites

17. Methods • Questionnaire • Household arsenic exposures • CCA wood, occupations, seafood • Child Behavior • Hand to mouth • Demographics • English & Spanish

18. Methods • Pilot Study: 10 Subjects (15-36 months) • Subject Payment • $25 gift certificate • Outreach & Education • Educational Materials • Follow up with Subjects & Families

19. Future Studies • Increase Study Population Sample Size • Increase Individual Exposure Assessment • Playground assessment • Other sources of CCA and arsenic • Increase Individual Behavioral Evaluation • Videotape and analysis • Longitudinal Evaluation • Including intervention results • Outreach & Education