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Metal sources and exposures in the homes of young children living near a mining-impacted Superfund site

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 21, pages 495–505 (2011)Cite this article

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Abstract

Children living near hazardous waste sites may be exposed to environmental contaminants, yet few studies have conducted multi-media exposure assessments, including residential environments where children spend most of their time. We sampled yard soil, house dust, and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 in 59 homes of young children near an abandoned mining area and analyzed samples for lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and manganese (Mn). In over half of the homes, dust concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, and As were higher than those in soil. Proximity to mine waste (chat) piles and the presence of chat in the driveway significantly predicted dust metals levels. Homes with both chat sources had Pb, Zn, Cd, and As dust levels two to three times higher than homes with no known chat sources after controlling for other sources. In contrast, Mn concentrations in dust were consistently lower than in soil and were not associated with chat sources. Mn dust concentrations were predicted by soil concentrations and occupant density. These findings suggest that nearby outdoor sources of metal contaminants from mine waste may migrate indoors. Populations farther away from the mining site may also be exposed if secondary uses of chat are in close proximity to the home.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Basic Research Program Grant P42-ES016454; NIEHS Center Grant 2 P30-ES 00002; NIEHS K23 ES000381; NIEHS Children's Center Grant 1 P01-ES012874; and US EPA STAR Research Assistance Agreement No. RD-83172501. We acknowledge the active involvement and continued cooperation of our community partners: Local Environmental Action Demanded (L.E.A.D.) Agency and Integris Baptist Regional Health Center, Miami, OK, USA. We are grateful to the families who participated in this study. We thank Mary Happy, Karen Fields, Debbie Glassman, Vickie Kelly, Rebecca Lincoln, Kathleen McCarthy, and Adam Schmidt for assistance in field sampling; and Kimberly Newton, Dan Brabander, MeiAi Khoo, Emily Knurek, Robert Willis, and Nick Lupoli for assistance with sample analysis. We also thank Drs Joel Schwartz and Howard Hu for their input on the development of this study and analysis of the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Ami R Zota, Laurel A Schaider, Adrienne S Ettinger, Robert O Wright, James P Shine & John D Spengler

  2. Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA

    Ami R Zota

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Adrienne S Ettinger

  4. Department of Medicine, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Robert O Wright

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Robert O Wright

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  1. Ami R Zota
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Correspondence to Ami R Zota.

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Zota, A., Schaider, L., Ettinger, A. et al. Metal sources and exposures in the homes of young children living near a mining-impacted Superfund site. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 21, 495–505 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2011.21

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