Arsenic exposure in children living near a former copper smelter

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691798· OSTI ID:5588688

Binder, S; Forney, D; Kaye, W; Paschal, D

About 10,000 people live in communities surrounding the former copper smelter at Anaconda, Montana. Most of these people live in the town of Anaconda, which is generally upwind of the smelter. The smelter ceased operations in 1980, after almost a century of ore processing. Soil and dust on the smelter site and in the vicinity remain contaminated with arsenic, although at this time air and drinking water arsenic levels are not elevated. Results of soil and dust sampling for arsenic in the communities around the smelter are reported. In the town of Anaconda, surface soil arsenic levels from residential sites have averaged around 100 ppm or greater. Young children are generally believed to be the population with the most nonoccupational exposure to soil. Several models of exposure to environmental arsenic in the Anaconda area have predicted that children living in all communities surrounding the smelter would be having significant and measurable exposure to arsenic. Two exposures surveys, conducted while the smelter was operative, demonstrated that excess exposure to arsenic was occurring in young children. Until the present surveys, no exposure data had been collected since the smelter was closed.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA
• OSTI ID: 5588688
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 39:1; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AGE GROUPS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
CHILDREN
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
COPPER
DUSTS
ELEMENTS
INHALATION
INTAKE
METALS
RETENTION
SAMPLING
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
SMELTERS
SOILS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UPTAKE
VARIATIONS