Health risk analysis of human exposures to soil amended with sewage sludge contaminated with polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986 · Vet. Hum. Toxicol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6962507

Eschenroeder, A; Jaeger, R J; Ospital, J J; Doyle, C P

The risk of cancer to humans exposed to soil treated with wastewater/sewage treatment plant sludge, known to be contaminated with small amounts of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs and PCDFs), was evaluated. The particulate-bound PCDDs and PCDFs are found in trace amounts in the effluent from ground water pumping (dewatering) at an abandoned wood preservation facility. The water, which was sent to a water recovery plant, underwent primary and secondary treatment prior to discharge. The residual sludge was added to agricultural soil as a conditioner. The present analysis treats the extreme case of sludge applied near the home of a target individual, a lifetime resident, who is also a farm worker in the area of the application. The successive stages of infancy, childhood and adulthood are treated separately to assess the contributions of typical age-specific indoor and outdoor activities on exposure rates. Five toxicity rating schemes using so-called TCDD equivalents, and two unit risk slopes are applied to the chemical profile in sludge to determine the cancer potency of the soil contaminants. These risk estimates range from 1 X 10-8 to 3 X 10-7.

• Research Organization: Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York, NY
• OSTI ID: 6962507
• Journal Information: Vet. Hum. Toxicol.; (United States), Vol. 5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BENZOFURANS
HEALTH HAZARDS
DIOXIN
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SOILS
CONTAMINATION
GROUND DISPOSAL
HUMAN POPULATIONS
NEOPLASMS
RISK ASSESSMENT
SKIN ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION
DISEASES
FURANS
HAZARDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POPULATIONS
SEWAGE
SLUDGES
UPTAKE
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
510200 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)