Soil Lead Levels
There are known lead levels in the soil for OE-22 and other UXO sites located on Fort Ord.
In order to clean the soil a remedial action will be required to bring the soil within the
CalEPA and US EPA specifications. Table 1 below provides the level of clean up that the
BCT has done. It can be seen that the 1860 mk/kg (1860ppm) limit is far above the
thresholds that are considered safe for human health and the environmnent
In order to clean the soil a remedial action will be required to bring the soil within the
CalEPA and US EPA specifications. Table 1 below provides the level of clean up that the
BCT has done. It can be seen that the 1860 mk/kg (1860ppm) limit is far above the
thresholds that are considered safe for human health and the environmnent
Lead Level Concentrations Remaining on Fort Ord land.
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THESE ARE UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS FOR CLEAN UP IN ACCORDANCE WITH The National
Contingency Plan. They do not meet the following criteria;
1. Overall protection of human health and the environment
2. Compliance With ARARS
3. Long Term and Short Term Hazards
4. Community Acceptance
Lead & Water
The lead levels in the soil are leeching into the aquifers along with other UXO chemical agents.
This causes concern for the quality of water that is presently in the aquifers and what the water
quality will be in the future.
Contingency Plan. They do not meet the following criteria;
1. Overall protection of human health and the environment
2. Compliance With ARARS
3. Long Term and Short Term Hazards
4. Community Acceptance
Lead & Water
The lead levels in the soil are leeching into the aquifers along with other UXO chemical agents.
This causes concern for the quality of water that is presently in the aquifers and what the water
quality will be in the future.
Lead and Human Health
Lead is a naturally-occurring element that can be harmful to humans when ingested or
inhaled, particularly to children under the age of six. As a result of past and current industrial
usage, lead has become a common environmental contaminant at Superfund sites across the
country, and is often a problem in economically disadvantaged and minority-populated areas.
Lead poisoning can cause a number of adverse human health effects, but is particularly
detrimental to the neurological development of children. This page provides additional
information about lead and human health.
How might I be exposed to lead?
What health concerns are associated with lead contamination?
Is there a medical test to determine if I have been exposed to elevated lead levels?
What recommendations has the Federal government made to protect human health?
Summary
References
How might I be exposed to lead?
Lead is naturally-occurring, but is often released into the environment from artificial sources.
Lead has been mined, smelted, refined, and used for hundreds of years. Lead has been used
as an additive in paint and gasoline, and in leaded pipes, solder, crystal, and ceramics.
Natural levels of lead in soil are usually below 50 parts per million (ppm), but mining, smelting,
and refining activities have resulted in substantial increases in lead levels in the environment,
especially near mining and smelting sites, near some types of industrial and municipal
facilities, and adjacent to highways. Soil lead concentrations of more than 11,000 ppm have
been reported (National Research Council, 1980).
Lead particles in the environment can attach to dust and be carried long distances in the air.
Such lead-containing dust can be removed from the air by rain and deposited on surface soil,
where it may remain for many years. In addition, heavy rains may cause lead in surface soil to
migrate into groundwater and eventually into water systems.
Everyone is exposed to "background" levels of lead, given its widespread distribution. There
are many possible ways to be exposed to lead, including ingestion of lead-contaminated
water, soil, paint chips, and dust; inhalation of lead-containing particles of soil or dust in air;
and ingestion of foods that contain lead from soil or water.
Lead and lead compounds have been found at more than half of the sites on the National
Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites in the United States, although this number may
change as more sites are evaluated by the EPA. There are also approximately 400 Superfund
sites contaminated with elevated (above background) levels of lead.
What health concerns are associated with lead contamination?
Lead poisoning is a particularly insidious public health threat because there may be no unique
signs or symptoms. Early symptoms of lead exposure may include persistent fatigue,
irritability, loss of appetite, stomach discomfort, reduced attention span, insomnia, and
constipation. Failure to treat lead poisoning in the early stages can cause long-term or
permanent health damage, but because of the general nature of symptoms at early stages,
lead poisoning is often not suspected.
In adults, lead poisoning can cause irritability, poor muscle coordination, and nerve damage to
the sense organs and nerves controlling the body. It may cause increased blood pressure,
hearing and vision impairment, and reproductive problems (e.g., decreased sperm count). It
also can retard fetal development even at relatively low levels.
In children, lead poisoning can cause brain damage, mental retardation, behavioral problems,
anemia, liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, hyperactivity, developmental delays, other
physical and mental problems, and in extreme cases, death. Although the effects of lead
exposure are a potential concern for all humans, young children (0 to 7 years old) are the most
at risk. This increased vulnerability results from a combination of the following factors:
Children typically have higher intake rates per unit body weight for environmental media (such
as soil, dust, food, water, air, and paint) than adults, since they are more likely to play in dirt and
put their hands and other objects in their mouths;
Children tend to absorb a higher fraction of ingested lead from the gastrointestinal tract than
adults;
Children tend to be more susceptible than adults to the adverse neurological and
developmental effects of lead; and
Nutritional deficiencies of iron or calcium, which are prevalent in children, may facilitate lead
absorption and exacerbate the toxic effects of lead.
The current blood lead level of concern in children is 10 micrograms (µg) of lead per deciliter
(dL) of blood (10 µg/dL). However, since adverse effects may occur at lower levels than
previously thought, various Federal agencies are considering whether this level should be
lowered further.
[Back To Top]
Is there a medical test to determine if I have been exposed to elevated lead levels?
Yes, your doctor or health center can conduct blood tests to determine lead concentrations in
your blood. Blood tests are inexpensive and sometimes free. Lead in bone and teeth can be
measured using x-ray techniques, but this test is not used very often.
In communities where houses are old and deteriorating, residents are encouraged to take
advantage of available screening programs offered by local health departments and to have
children checked regularly for lead poisoning. Because the early symptoms of lead poisoning
are similar to those of other illnesses, it is difficult to diagnose lead poisoning without medical
testing.
What recommendations has the Federal government made to protect human health?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that screening for lead
poisoning be included in health care programs for children under 72 months of age. This
screening is especially critical for children under 36 months of age. Screening should start at 6
months if the child is at risk for lead exposure (e.g., if the child lives in a home built before
1960, with peeling or chipping paint). Decisions about further lead testing should be based on
previous blood-lead test results, and the child's risk of lead exposure. In some States, more
frequent lead screening is required by law.
To help protect small children who might swallow paint chips, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) does not allow the amount of lead in most paints to exceed 0.06%. The
CDC suggests testing paint on the inside and outside of residential buildings for lead.
The CPSC, EPA, and States are required by the 1988 Lead Contamination Control Act to test
drinking water in schools for lead, and to remove the lead if levels are too high. Drinking water
coolers must be free of lead contamination and any water coolers that are tainted with lead
have to be removed. EPA regulations limit lead in drinking water to 15 micrograms per liter (15
µg/L).
The EPA has established standards designed to limit the amount of lead that the public is
exposed to in air. Over a 3-month period, the amount of air that the public inhales cannot
contain more than 1.5 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air (1.5 µg/m3). The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers not be exposed
to lead levels of greater than 100 µg/m3 for up to 10 hours. Because lead can be released into
the air with automobile exhaust, the EPA limits the amount of lead in unleaded gasoline to 0.05
grams of lead per gallon of gasoline (0.05 g Pb/gal). Lead emissions from automobile exhaust
now contribute only marginally to lead levels in the environment, but before leaded gasoline
was banned in the United States, exhaust emissions were a significant problem. Lead emitted
from past burning of leaded fuel can still be found in the environment today.
Summary
Although we may not often think about lead in the environment, it is a contaminant that we
should be aware of and become familiar with, particularly with regard to children. As previously
described, there are many ways that we can be exposed to lead, and the health effects are
serious. To avoid lead poisoning, parents should ensure that their children are tested at an
early age and that homes are checked for lead.
References
Chaney, R.L. et al. 1984. The potential for heavy metal exposure from urban gardens and soils,
pp. 37-84. In: J.R. Preer ed. Proceedings of the symposium on heavy metals in urban gardens.
Agricultural Experiment Station, University of the District of Columbia, Washington.
Reagan, P.L. & E.K. Silbergeld. 1989. Establishing a health based standard for lead in
residential soils. In: Hemphill and Cothern, eds. Trace substances in environmental health,
supplement to Volume 12, (1990) of Environmental Geochemistry and Health.
For links to more information on precautionary measures to prevent lead poisoning, please
refer to Related Sites.
OSWER Home | Superfund Home | Innovative Technologies Home
EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us
Last updated on Friday, April 16th, 2004
URL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/lead/health.htm
Lead is a naturally-occurring element that can be harmful to humans when ingested or
inhaled, particularly to children under the age of six. As a result of past and current industrial
usage, lead has become a common environmental contaminant at Superfund sites across the
country, and is often a problem in economically disadvantaged and minority-populated areas.
Lead poisoning can cause a number of adverse human health effects, but is particularly
detrimental to the neurological development of children. This page provides additional
information about lead and human health.
How might I be exposed to lead?
What health concerns are associated with lead contamination?
Is there a medical test to determine if I have been exposed to elevated lead levels?
What recommendations has the Federal government made to protect human health?
Summary
References
How might I be exposed to lead?
Lead is naturally-occurring, but is often released into the environment from artificial sources.
Lead has been mined, smelted, refined, and used for hundreds of years. Lead has been used
as an additive in paint and gasoline, and in leaded pipes, solder, crystal, and ceramics.
Natural levels of lead in soil are usually below 50 parts per million (ppm), but mining, smelting,
and refining activities have resulted in substantial increases in lead levels in the environment,
especially near mining and smelting sites, near some types of industrial and municipal
facilities, and adjacent to highways. Soil lead concentrations of more than 11,000 ppm have
been reported (National Research Council, 1980).
Lead particles in the environment can attach to dust and be carried long distances in the air.
Such lead-containing dust can be removed from the air by rain and deposited on surface soil,
where it may remain for many years. In addition, heavy rains may cause lead in surface soil to
migrate into groundwater and eventually into water systems.
Everyone is exposed to "background" levels of lead, given its widespread distribution. There
are many possible ways to be exposed to lead, including ingestion of lead-contaminated
water, soil, paint chips, and dust; inhalation of lead-containing particles of soil or dust in air;
and ingestion of foods that contain lead from soil or water.
Lead and lead compounds have been found at more than half of the sites on the National
Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites in the United States, although this number may
change as more sites are evaluated by the EPA. There are also approximately 400 Superfund
sites contaminated with elevated (above background) levels of lead.
What health concerns are associated with lead contamination?
Lead poisoning is a particularly insidious public health threat because there may be no unique
signs or symptoms. Early symptoms of lead exposure may include persistent fatigue,
irritability, loss of appetite, stomach discomfort, reduced attention span, insomnia, and
constipation. Failure to treat lead poisoning in the early stages can cause long-term or
permanent health damage, but because of the general nature of symptoms at early stages,
lead poisoning is often not suspected.
In adults, lead poisoning can cause irritability, poor muscle coordination, and nerve damage to
the sense organs and nerves controlling the body. It may cause increased blood pressure,
hearing and vision impairment, and reproductive problems (e.g., decreased sperm count). It
also can retard fetal development even at relatively low levels.
In children, lead poisoning can cause brain damage, mental retardation, behavioral problems,
anemia, liver and kidney damage, hearing loss, hyperactivity, developmental delays, other
physical and mental problems, and in extreme cases, death. Although the effects of lead
exposure are a potential concern for all humans, young children (0 to 7 years old) are the most
at risk. This increased vulnerability results from a combination of the following factors:
Children typically have higher intake rates per unit body weight for environmental media (such
as soil, dust, food, water, air, and paint) than adults, since they are more likely to play in dirt and
put their hands and other objects in their mouths;
Children tend to absorb a higher fraction of ingested lead from the gastrointestinal tract than
adults;
Children tend to be more susceptible than adults to the adverse neurological and
developmental effects of lead; and
Nutritional deficiencies of iron or calcium, which are prevalent in children, may facilitate lead
absorption and exacerbate the toxic effects of lead.
The current blood lead level of concern in children is 10 micrograms (µg) of lead per deciliter
(dL) of blood (10 µg/dL). However, since adverse effects may occur at lower levels than
previously thought, various Federal agencies are considering whether this level should be
lowered further.
[Back To Top]
Is there a medical test to determine if I have been exposed to elevated lead levels?
Yes, your doctor or health center can conduct blood tests to determine lead concentrations in
your blood. Blood tests are inexpensive and sometimes free. Lead in bone and teeth can be
measured using x-ray techniques, but this test is not used very often.
In communities where houses are old and deteriorating, residents are encouraged to take
advantage of available screening programs offered by local health departments and to have
children checked regularly for lead poisoning. Because the early symptoms of lead poisoning
are similar to those of other illnesses, it is difficult to diagnose lead poisoning without medical
testing.
What recommendations has the Federal government made to protect human health?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that screening for lead
poisoning be included in health care programs for children under 72 months of age. This
screening is especially critical for children under 36 months of age. Screening should start at 6
months if the child is at risk for lead exposure (e.g., if the child lives in a home built before
1960, with peeling or chipping paint). Decisions about further lead testing should be based on
previous blood-lead test results, and the child's risk of lead exposure. In some States, more
frequent lead screening is required by law.
To help protect small children who might swallow paint chips, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) does not allow the amount of lead in most paints to exceed 0.06%. The
CDC suggests testing paint on the inside and outside of residential buildings for lead.
The CPSC, EPA, and States are required by the 1988 Lead Contamination Control Act to test
drinking water in schools for lead, and to remove the lead if levels are too high. Drinking water
coolers must be free of lead contamination and any water coolers that are tainted with lead
have to be removed. EPA regulations limit lead in drinking water to 15 micrograms per liter (15
µg/L).
The EPA has established standards designed to limit the amount of lead that the public is
exposed to in air. Over a 3-month period, the amount of air that the public inhales cannot
contain more than 1.5 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air (1.5 µg/m3). The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that workers not be exposed
to lead levels of greater than 100 µg/m3 for up to 10 hours. Because lead can be released into
the air with automobile exhaust, the EPA limits the amount of lead in unleaded gasoline to 0.05
grams of lead per gallon of gasoline (0.05 g Pb/gal). Lead emissions from automobile exhaust
now contribute only marginally to lead levels in the environment, but before leaded gasoline
was banned in the United States, exhaust emissions were a significant problem. Lead emitted
from past burning of leaded fuel can still be found in the environment today.
Summary
Although we may not often think about lead in the environment, it is a contaminant that we
should be aware of and become familiar with, particularly with regard to children. As previously
described, there are many ways that we can be exposed to lead, and the health effects are
serious. To avoid lead poisoning, parents should ensure that their children are tested at an
early age and that homes are checked for lead.
References
Chaney, R.L. et al. 1984. The potential for heavy metal exposure from urban gardens and soils,
pp. 37-84. In: J.R. Preer ed. Proceedings of the symposium on heavy metals in urban gardens.
Agricultural Experiment Station, University of the District of Columbia, Washington.
Reagan, P.L. & E.K. Silbergeld. 1989. Establishing a health based standard for lead in
residential soils. In: Hemphill and Cothern, eds. Trace substances in environmental health,
supplement to Volume 12, (1990) of Environmental Geochemistry and Health.
For links to more information on precautionary measures to prevent lead poisoning, please
refer to Related Sites.
OSWER Home | Superfund Home | Innovative Technologies Home
EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us
Last updated on Friday, April 16th, 2004
URL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/lead/health.htm
Table 1.
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| Fort Ord CAG |
Fort Ord Community Advisory Group (CAG)
PO Box 1139, Marina, CA 93933 Email:
focagemail@yahoo.com