Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T23:19:03.240Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Disaster-Related Environmental Health Hazards: Former Lead Smelting Plants in the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 February 2014

Yao Wang  and
Robert K. Kanter
Yao Wang
Affiliation:
College of Medicine, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse
Robert K. Kanter*
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University, New York, New York.
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Robert K. Kanter, MD, Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 750 E Adams St, Syracuse, NY 13210. e-mail kanterr@upstate.edu.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective

Natural disasters exacerbate risks of hazardous environmental exposures and adverse health consequences. The present study determined the proportion of previously identified lead industrial sites in urban locations that are at high risk for dispersal of toxic chemicals by natural disasters.

Methods

Geographic analysis from publicly available data identified former lead smelting plants that coincide with populated urban areas and with high-risk locations for natural disasters.

Results

From a total of 229 urban smelting sites, 66 (29%) were in relatively high-risk areas for natural disasters: flood (39), earthquake (29), tornado (3), and hurricane (2). States with urban sites at relatively high risk for natural disaster included California (15); Pennsylvania (14); New York (7); Missouri (6); Illinois (5); New Jersey (4); Kentucky (3); Florida, Oregon, and Ohio (2 each); and Indiana, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington (1 each). Incomplete historical records showed at least 10 smelting site locations were affected by natural disaster.

Conclusions

Forgotten environmental hazards may remain hazardous in any community. Uncertainty about risks in disasters causes disruptive public anxiety that increases difficulties in community responses and recovery. Our professional and public responsibility is to seek a better understanding of the risks of latent environmental hazards. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1–7)

Keywords

exposurehazard analysisgeographic analysislatent riskstoxic chemicalsurban
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , February 2014 , pp. 44 - 50
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Brender, JD, Maantay, JA, Chakraborty, J. Residential proximity to environmental hazards and adverse health outcomes. Am J Public Health. 2011;101:S37-S52.Google Scholar
2. Wisner, B, Adams, J. Environmental Health in Emergencies and Disasters: A Practical Guide. Geneva Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2003.Google Scholar
3. Sengul, H, Santella, N, Steinberg, LJ, Cruz, AM. Analysis of hazardous material releases due to natural hazards in the United States. Disasters. 2012;36(4):723-743.Google Scholar
4. Alderman, K, Turner, LR, Tong, S. Floods and human health: A systematic review. Environ Int. 2012;47:37-47.Google Scholar
5. Ratnapradipa, D, Conder, J, Ruffing, A, White, V. The 2011 Japanese earthquake: an overview of environmental health impacts. J Environ Health. 2012;74:42-50.Google Scholar
6. US Environmental Protection Agency. Addressing lead at superfund sites. Washington, DC: US Environmental Protection Agency; 2012. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/health/contaminants/lead/index.htm. Accessed August 9, 2012.Google Scholar
7. Map shows lead contamination in Joplin, MO. Ozarksfirst.com; October 11, 2011. http://www.ozarksfirst.com/story/map-shows-lead-contamination-in-joplin-mo/d/story/3xxq_yRSnEe-EVLLaFHqqA. Accessed April 19, 2012.Google Scholar
8. Sampson, M. Joplin tornado uncovers potentially deadly hazard. The Weather Channel; November 3, 2011. http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/joplin-tornado-lead-contamination_2011-11-03. Accessed July 6, 2012.Google Scholar
9. Davidson, J. Joplin health officials finding lead contamination in tornado soil: contamination likely related to the city's history as a lead mining community. KSMU; May 23, 2012. http://ksmu.org/article/joplin-health-officials-finding-lead-contamination-tornado-zone-soil. Accessed July 6, 2012.Google Scholar
10. Sheikh, J. Two Joplin parks close due to lead contamination. KOAM TV; June 15, 2012. http://www.koamtv.com/story/18802438/two-joplin-parks-close-due-to-lead-contamination?clienttype=printable. Accessed July 6, 2012.Google Scholar
11. Jasper County, Missouri Health Department. Mine waste areas, smelter area and inventory of mining occurrence maps. Carthage, MO, September 13, 2012. Jasper County website.Google Scholar
12. Eckel, WP, Rabinowitz, MB, Foster, GD. Discovering unrecognized lead-smelting sites by historical methods. Am J Public Health. 2001;91:625-627.Google Scholar
13. Young, A. Long-gone lead factories leave poisons in nearby yards. USA Today. April 19, 2012. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-04-19/smelting-lead-contamination-government-failure/54399578/1. Accessed April 23, 2012.Google Scholar
14. Young, A, Eisler, P. Some neighborhoods dangerously contaminated by lead fallout. USA Today; April 20, 2012. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-04-20/smelting-lead-contamination-soil-testing/54420418/1. Accessed April 23, 2012.Google Scholar
15. US Census Bureau. Census 2000 urban and rural classification. US Census Bureau website; 2011. http://www.census.gov/main/www/cen2000.html. Accessed August 26, 2012.Google Scholar
16. Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mapping information platform. Federal Emergency Management Agency website; 2012. https://hazards.fema.gov/femaportal/wps/portal/. Accessed July 5, 2012.Google Scholar
17. Office of the City Administrator. San Francisco floodplain management program. San Francisco, CA: City and County of San Francisco. 2012. http://sfgsa.org/index.aspx?page=828. Accessed July 12, 2012.Google Scholar
18. King County iMAP: Hydrographic information. King County, Washington website; 2012. http://www5.kingcounty.gov/iMAP/viewer.htm?mapset=wria. Accessed July 13, 2012.Google Scholar
19. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Coastal Services Center. Historical hurricane tracks. NOAA Coastal Services Center website; 2012. http://www.csc.noaa.gov/hurricanes/#. Accessed July 7, 2012.Google Scholar
20. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). International best track archive for climate stewardship, World Data Center for Meteorology, Silver Spring, MD. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ibtracs/index.php?name=ibtracs-data. Accessed August 26, 2012.Google Scholar
21. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Tornadoes per county, 1952-2010. Norman, OK: National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center; 2012. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/wcm/ustormaps/tornadoes-by-county.png. Accessed June 25, 2012.Google Scholar
22. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Severe weather SVRGIS. Norman, OK: National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center; 2012. http://www.spc.noaa.gov/gis/svrgis/. Accessed August 26, 2012.Google Scholar
23. Petersen, MD, Frankel, AD, Harmsen, SC , etal. Seismic-hazard maps for the conterminous United States, 2008. Reston, VA: US Geological Survey; 2011. http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3195/. Accessed July 23, 2012.Google Scholar
24. National Weather Service Peachtree City, GA Weather Forecast Office. The Atlanta tornado March 14, 2008. Peachtree City, GA: National Weather Service; 2010. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/?n=atltor31408. Accessed July 19, 2012.Google Scholar
25. National Weather Service St.Louis, MO Weather Forecast Office. 50-Year anniversary of the February 10th 1959 St. Louis tornado. St.Louis, MO: National Weather Service; 2010. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=02_10_1959. Accessed July 19, 2012.Google Scholar
26. National Weather Service St.Louis, MO Weather Forecast Office. Bow Echo event over the city of St. Louis, Missouri March 31st, 2007. St.Louis, MO: National Weather Service; 2009. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lsx/?n=03_31_2007. Accessed July 19, 2012.Google Scholar
27. National Weather Service Louisville, KY Weather Forecast Office. The Flood of March 1997. Louisville, KY: National Weather Service; 2007. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=flood97. Accessed Aug 8, 2012.Google Scholar
28. Scott Jackson, K, Vivian, SA. Flood of March 1997 in Southern Ohio. Columbus, Ohio: US Geological Survey; 1998. http://oh.water.usgs.gov/reports/Flood/flood.rpt.html#HDR8. Accessed August 8, 2012.Google Scholar
29. National Weather Service Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center. Hurricane Agnes. State College, PA: National Weather Service; 2006. http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/marfc/Flood/agnes.html. Accessed August 10, 2012.Google Scholar
30. Lyudmilov, Y. Cities under water, under siege: Hurricane Agnes. University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University; 2010. http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Agnes.htm. Accessed August 10, 2012.Google Scholar
31. Gamboa-Maldonado, T, Marshak, HH, Sinclair, R, Montgomery, S, Dyjack, DT. Building capacity for community disaster preparedness: a call for collaboration between public environmental health and emergency preparedness and response programs. J Environ Health. 2012;75:24-29.Google Scholar
32. American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Environmental Health. Chemical-management policy: prioritizing children's health. Pediatrics. 2011;127:983-990.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33. Zahran, S, Mielke, HW, Gonzales, CR, Powell, ET, Weiler, S. New Orleans before and after Hurricanes Katrina/Rita: a quasi-experiment of the association between soil lead and children's blood lead. Environ Sci Technol. 2010;44:4433-4440.Google Scholar
34. Barry, R, Searcey, D, Carreyrou, J. Sandy stirs toxic-site worry. Wall Street Journal November 12, 2012.Google Scholar
35. Meredith, LS, Eisenman, DP, Tanielian, T, etal. Prioritizing “psychological” consequences for disaster preparedness and response: a framework for addressing the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive effects of patient surge in large scale disasters. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2011;5:73-80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: File

Wang and Kanter Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material

Download Wang and Kanter Supplementary Material(File)
File 31 KB