The Vieques Problem

By Monique Latalladi

Table of Contents

Background / History Definition of Problem ATSDR findings Documentation Analysis Conclusion

Background / History

Puerto Rico located southeast of Miami, Florida

Vieques Island located 7 miles east of PR

Background / History

Vieques is 20 mi long, 4.5 mi wide

33,000 acres of land In path of the easterly

trade winds Temperature ranges

from 76 to 83 F Land use is residential

and agricultural

Background / History

Navy property 11,000 acres of land in eastern half of Vieques, therefore rest of island affected by easterly trade winds.

Background / History

U.S. Navy use of land: combat training with use of live ordinances, arms training

Navy owns property since 1941. In 1960 Navy began bombing practices

Exercises conducted between 159 to 228 days per year. Highest between February and August

Between 1983 and 1998 1,862 tons of ordinances with an avg of 353 tons of high explosives

Background / History

Ordinances contain varying degrees of metallic compounds: As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Hg, Pb, V, Al, Co, Ni

Contain pyrotechnic devices: illuminating flares, white phosphorus mortar rounds which becomes phosphoric acid when wet.

Contain organic nitrated compounds: Ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, methane, methyl alcohol, formaldehyde, etc.

Weaponry includes: napalm, agent orange, depleted uranium, etc

Definition of Problem

Cancer rate is 27% higher than in rest of PR Study hair study showed 44% had toxic levels

of mercury, 83% civilians working for Navy had toxic levels

Half of children have significant health problems: asthma, cancer, etc.

No natural source of pollution other than the U.S. Navy

ATSDR FindingsATSDR: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease

Registry PHA: Evaluate problems in Vieques associated with

potential releases of hazardous substances from military training activities

Finding: Eight metals were detected above health-based comparison values.

Finding: “Exposure to from air contaminants potentially releases from Navy property on Vieques poses no apparent health hazard.”

Exposure doses for children were above health guidelines for all metals. “Calculated doses do not mean harmful effects will occur.”

ATSDR Analysis Health based standards compared to EED Estimated exposure dose, EED EED = Conc x IR x EF x ED

BW x AT IR: Ingestion Rate EF: Exposure Frequency ED: Exposure Duration BW: Body Weight AT: Average Time

Note: Exposure factors set to EPA recommended mean values.

ATSDR Analysis

Causes for overestimation– ASTDR did not adjust exposure doses to

account for bioavailability– Averages calculated using detected

concentrations only

ATSDR Analysis

Causes of underestimation– Chemicals with no health-based standards.

Assumed “if no standard exists it could suggest no one has determined these chemicals are harmful.”

– Exposure to multiple chemicals were not expected to be of health concern.

Conclusions Site-specific conditions, individual lifestyle,

and genetic factors affect route, magnitude and duration of actual exposure.

ATSDR only evaluated incidental exposure from ingestion or dermal contact with soil only. Needs to evaluate cummulative effects of ingestion from bioaccumulated chemicals in fauna/flora, that from rainwater/private wells.

ATSDR needs to evaluate effect of radioactive materials found in topsoil.