Health Consultation: Offsite Soil (Mitchell Heights Neighborhood). The Former Hernando County Department of Public Works. Brooksville, Hernando County, Florida

摘要

This health consultation report assesses the public health threat from exposure to contaminated soil in the Mitchell Heights neighborhood adjacent the former Hernando County Department of Public Works (DPW) hazardous waste site in Brooksville. In the fall of 2005, due to community concerns, the Florida Department of Health (DOH) began assessing the public health threat. Storm water runoff from the DEP site may have carried contaminated sediments into the Mitchell Heights neighborhood. Mitchell Heights residents may have been exposed to contaminated sediments via incidental ingestion (accidentally swallowing small amounts of soil) or by inhalation (breathing dust created from the contaminated soil). Florida DOH examined current and past exposures in the Mitchell Heights neighborhood. Hernando County contracted with CES to test soil in the Mitchell Heights neighborhood on two occasions: 35 locations in May and June, 2006, and then 22 additional locations in March 2007. The County found the highest levels of soil contamination where especially heavy rains continue to carry site storm water runoff over the ditch/berm and into a yard on A Street. Although most of the contaminant levels in this yard are below screening values, they are higher than in other yards. These analytical results confirm observations of deposition of sediments from the site in this one yard on A Street. Although most of the contaminants found in the yard at the A Street residence were below screening values, arsenic, lead, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were found above screening values and are examined as contaminants of concern. The Florida DOH calculated the corresponding doses for ingestion and inhalation for both arsenic and PCBs. Available data indicate that current levels of arsenic and PCBs in Mitchell Heights' surface soil are not likely to cause illness. Levels of arsenic and PCBs in Mitchell Heights' subsurface soil were not likely to cause illness from past exposures.