Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune Assessing Potential Health Effects (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 14-22
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From page 14... ...
Wells in both systems that were contaminated in the early 1980s were closed in the period November 1984–May 1985, and the entire Tarawa Terrace water-treatment plant was closed in 1987. There has been considerable public controversy over the potential health consequences for former residents who were exposed to the contaminated water.
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From page 15... ...
Groundwater models were used to reconstruct the migration of PCE from the dry cleaners to the water-supply wells serving Tarawa Terrace, and then mixing models were used to predict monthly concentrations of PCE and its degradation products in finished water (groundwater that was treated at a water-treatment plant for delivery to residences) from 1957 to 1985.
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From page 16... ...
ATSDR plans to perform a historical reconstruction of estimates of the concentrations of watersupply contaminants at Hadnot Point similar to the one performed for Tarawa Terrace. On the basis of its review of Hadnot Point water-system contamination, the historical groundwater modeling performed for Tarawa Terrace, and ATSDR's preliminary plans for historically reconstructing exposures that occurred at Hadnot Point, the committee recommends that simpler models be used instead of complex groundwater models.
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From page 17... ...
HEALTH-EFFECTS EVALUATION The committee considered a wide spectrum of potential health effects that are known or suspected to be associated with TCE and PCE by surveying the scientific literature on the contaminants and the health problems reported by former residents and workers of Camp Lejeune. The scientific literature reviewed included reports of toxicologic experiments with the solvents in laboratory animals; of epidemiologic studies of workers and communities exposed to TCE, PCE, and mixed solvents; and of studies of the Camp Lejeune population.
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From page 18... ...
The toxicologic data constitute strong evidence that neither solvent is associated with congenital malformations in rats. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were not seen in toxicologic studies of maternal exposure to TCE in rats.
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From page 19... ...
Separate toxicologic evidence and epidemiologic evidence of associations between exposure to solvents and reproductive outcomes were found, but there was little convergence for specific reproductive outcomes. For example, toxicologic studies of high doses have reported adverse effects on indicators of male fertility in rats exposed to TCE and mice exposed to PCE; human studies were not consistent enough to support any firm conclusions, but a few studies showed a potential association with male infertility.
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From page 20... ...
Thus, in the context of human occupational and animal studies, potential exposure of human populations at Camp Lejeune is described as being "low." Although such comparisons afford a general frame of reference, they should be considered as just one facet of the health-effects evaluation. There are limitations in extrapolating the results of toxicologic studies, in which laboratory animals are exposed to high concentrations under controlled conditions, to human exposure scenarios where exposure varies in concentration and duration.
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From page 21... ...
On the basis of information reviewed, the committee considers it unlikely that the proposed studies, even if the notable uncertainties about feasibility are all resolved favorably, will produce results of sufficient certainty to resolve the question of whether Camp Lejeune residents suffered adverse health effects from contaminated water.
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From page 22... ...
The evidence includes a substantial body of research on the toxicology of TCE and PCE that indicates that the exposures required to cause adverse effects in laboratory animals were much larger than the highest measurements available on the Camp Lejeune water supplies; evidence that humans have lower sensitivity to TCE and PCE than rodents; epidemiologic data largely from occupational settings with higher, longer-term exposures to TCE and PCE that has not generated compelling evidence of adverse health effects; and the relatively short-term, intermittent nature of the exposures incurred at Camp Lejeune. On the other hand, the possibility that health effects may have been produced by the contaminant exposures at Camp Lejeune cannot be ruled out.
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