|
ENVIRONMENTAL AND
HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS
OF THE 2005 KATRINA AND RITA HURRICANE SEASON
Presented by Wilma Subra
CHURCH WORLD
SERVICE FORUM ON DOMESTIC
DISASTERS MINISTRY PRINCETON, NEW
MARCH 26, 2006
Wilma Subra Subra Company 337 367 2216 Hurricane Katrina came
ashore on the Observations from the field
following each hurricane The damage is
severe and widespread. The silence
is deafening. The smell of death
frequently slams into your face.
When people are allowed to return, they will be met with massive
destruction or total absence of their homes, businesses and places of
work. The storm surge
transported sediments are prevalent throughout the area. Sediment layers up to 6 inches thick
coat the surfaces of everything. In
some areas the sediment layer has dried and is a powder blowing in the wind when
disturbed by recovery vehicles. In
other areas the sediment is still a wet muddy cake. Where the flood waters are still inches
to feet deep, the sediment is covered with a water layer coated with an oil
rainbow colored sheen. Personal
belongings carried by the storm surge are snared in barbed wire fences. Houses ripped from their foundations by
the force of the moving water are spread all over the landscape. Other home and business structures are
shredded or completely absent. Automobiles have
come to rest on top of houses, leaning up against buildings and turned upside
down. The marshes and wetlands have
been ripped apart and are littered with boats of all shapes and sizes including
ships and oil and gas drilling rigs. Industrial
facilities release oily chemicals which spread in the flood waters and coat
homes and property with thick layers of gooey mess. CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT
The tidal surges
and flood waters associated with both hurricanes scooped up and transported
contaminated sediments onto the land and spread the contaminated sediments
across a large portion of the coastal lands, towns, streets, yards, parks, and
inside homes, schools, churches and businesses. The contaminated
sediment originated in the bottoms of water bodies, lakes, rivers and estuaries
in the paths of the hurricanes. The
sediments were contaminated by many decades of discharges from industry,
municipalities, businesses, and agricultural runoff. ENVIRONMENTAL
SAMPLING Following the
hurricanes, more than 80 impacted locations have been sampled along the Gulf
Coast from Mobile Bay, AL to the Louisiana/Texas state border. Sediment sludge layers were targeted for
sampling in order to determine the
contamination levels in the storm surge deposited
materials. ANALYTICAL
PARAMETERS Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds
- Benzo(a)pyrene and associated
PAHs
RCRA Metals - Arsenic
Lead
Barium
Mercury
Cadmium Selenium
Chromium
Silver Microbiologic Analysis
- Coliform Bacteria -
raw sewage E. coli - untreated
sewage Staphylococcus
aureus
Salmonella
Yeast
Mold RESULTS OF ANALYTICAL
TESTING Arsenic in
Sediment/Sludge The most
widespread chemical detected in excess of the Environmental Protection
Agency and/or state standards was
ARSENIC Alabama 100% of samples
exceeded ADEM (0.39 ppm)
and EPA (0.39 ppm) Arsenic
standards Mississippi 90% of samples
exceeded MS DEQ (0.426 ppm)
and EPA (0.39 ppm) Arsenic
standards Louisiana 73% exceeded EPA
(0.39 ppm) and 15% exceeded LA
DEQ (12 ppm) Arsenic
standards Highest Concentrations of Arsenic By
State Alabama 35 ppm = 90 times EPA and ADEM standards
- Bay Bridge Road north of Mobile Mississippi 11 ppm = 27 times DEQ and EPA standards
- Moss Point, Gulfport, and Pearlington Louisiana 29.3 ppm = 74 times EPA
standard and 2.3 Times DEQ Standard - Bywater Upper 9th Ward New
Orleans Elevated Arsenic Levels in
New Orleans: Lower 9th Ward, Treme
Ag. Street, Xavier
Univ.
Thompson Hay., Chalmette
CUMULATIVE IMPACTS Heavy Metals Detected at All Locations
that contribute to Cumulative Impacts
Barium
Chromium
Lead Mercury present in 40% of samples
-
mostly in the New Orleans area
EPA Classifies 7 PAHs as Probable
Human Carcinogens Benzo(a)anthracene Benzo(b)fluoranthene Benzo(a)pyrene Chrysene Indeno(1,2,3-cd)anthracene These PAHs contaminated the
sediment/sludge in Bywater Upper 9th Ward, Agriculture Street Landfill, London
Ave. Breech, Chalmette and Mobile
Bay 8 Additional PAHs also contaminated the
sediment/sludge in the same areas MICROBIOLOGICAL
RESULTS Wet and dry sediment/sludge is still
contaminated with large populations of viable pathogenic
organisms. All sediment/sludge across the entire
hurricane impacted areas of Al, Miss. and LA are contaminated
with: Coliform and Fecal Coliform
Bacteria Staphylococcus aureus - soft tissue
infections and food poisoning Yeast - skin
infections Mold - allergic reactions, asthma,
respiratory distress Salmonella - food
poisoning
CHEMICALS THAT EXCEEDED
EPA AND DEQ STANDARDS
HEAVY METALS Arsenic - known human cancer
agent
oral acute and chronic exposure Cadmium - oral chronic
exposure Chromium
SEMI-VOLATILE ORGANICS Benzo(a)anthracene - probable
human
cancer agent Benzo(b)fluoranthene - possible
human
cancer agent Indeno(1,2,3-c,d)pyrene - possible
human
cancer agent Benzo(a)pyrene - probable human
cancer
agent Dibenzo(a,h)anthracene - possible
human
cancer agent Gasoline and Diesel Range
Organics Other detected chemicals
are Inhalation toxin -
acute 1-14 days
intermediate 14-365 days
chronic 365 days or more Oral toxin - acute
1-14 days
intermediate
14-365 days
chronic 365 days or more Neuro
toxin Reproductive
toxin Developmental
toxin Dermal
toxin SEDIMENT/SLUDGE
LAYERS -Readily
available -Deposited on the
surfaces of
everything -Become easily air
borne -Routes of
Exposure
Inhalation
Ingestion
Dermal SHORT TERM HEALTH IMPACTS
FROM EXPOSURE TO BACTERIA,
VIRUSES, TOXIC CHEMICALS
AND MOLDS Respiratory
Illness Asthma Allergic
Reactions Eye Irritation Skin Rashes Skin Infections/Sores that do
not respond to normal antibiotic
treatment Nausea,
Vomiting Gastrointestinal
Irritation LONG TERM HEALTH IMPACTS
FROM EXPOSURE TO BACTERIA,
VIRUSES, TOXIC CHEMICALS AND
MOLDS Increased rate of
spontaneous abortions
(miscarriages) Increased rate of
infertility Increased rate of lung
disease Increased rate of fetal
malformation and other birth
defects Increased rate of
cancer Increased rate of
respiratory
illnesses |