Public Health Assessment (Petitioned) for Chattanooga Creek Tar Deposit (a/k/a Chattanooga Creek), Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee, Region 4. CERCLIS No. TND982119489

摘要

The Chattanooga Creek Site is a public health hazard because of past, present, and future human exposure by residents of South Chattanooga to chemical contaminants in sediments, surface water, and fish in Chattanooga Creek. The bacteria and sewage in the creek represents a biological threat to public health. The tar deposits along the creek (the Tennessee Products Site) represents an urgent public health and safety hazard. A public health hazard also exists in the communities surrounding Chattanooga Creek because of past exposure by residents to airborne contaminants. Residents of Alton Park and Piney Woods expose themselves to contamination in the creek by swallowing water and sediments when swimming or bathing in the creek, and by eating the fish. Compounds that present a health threat include, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Exposure to PCBs and PAHs in the creek could cause skin irritations, especially in children.