ATSDR - Releases Public Health Consultation about Hydrogen Sulfide in Air Warren Township, Ohio

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ATSDR MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT
ATSDR Releases Public Health Consultation about
Hydrogen Sulfide in Warren Township, Ohio

For Immediate Release: September 18, 2002

ATSDR is the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a federal public health agency that deals with human health issues related to hazardous chemicals in the environment. ATSDR is not a regulatory agency and does not make or enforce laws.

The agency conducts public health consultations at sites where there are concerns about health issues that may be related to hazardous chemical spills or releases. The public health consultation evaluates the conditions of exposure at the site and data about chemicals detected in the air, water, or soil at the site and surrounding area. ATSDR then evaluates the information to determine whether there is a threat to the health of people in the vicinity.

If chemicals are detected at levels of public health concern at the site, ATSDR provides people in the area with information on how they can limit their exposure to the chemicals. ATSDR also makes recommendations to health and environmental agencies. These recommendations may be for further sampling of air, water, or soil in the community or for immediate actions for reducing or preventing further exposure.

Why did ATSDR get involved in Warren Township?

The Warren Township Board of Trustees and the LaBrae School District requested that ATSDR review available environmental data for residences in Warren Township near the Warren Recycling Center, and determine whether or not the data indicate contamination at levels of health concern. ATSDR was also asked to make recommendations on what additional actions should be taken to protect residents in the area.

What is a Public Health Consultation?

A Public Health Consultation provides advice on specific public health issues related to real or potential human exposure to hazardous substances. A Public Health Consultation is a way for ATSDR to respond to a need for health information on toxic substances and to make recommendations for actions to protect the public's health.

What were the findings of the Public Health Consultation?

ATSDR has concluded levels of hydrogen sulfide in ambient air could, at times, pose a health concern to area residents, especially for persons with pre-existing respiratory conditions. In some people, levels found in the air could lead to headaches, eye irritation, nausea, and can sometimes make asthma symptoms worse or more frequent. In general, symptoms should go away when exposure stops. People can smell hydrogen sulfide at levels far below the levels that can cause the effects listed above. These symptoms are unlikely to occur if the odor is not present. ATSDR categorized this site as a "public health hazard".

What does a "Public Health Hazard" mean?

A "public health hazard" is one of 4 conclusion categories used by ATSDR. Possible conclusion categories are:

1) No apparent public health hazard (no health problem)

2) Indeterminent public health hazard (not enough information to determine the hazard)

3) Public health hazard (some sensitive members of the community may experience health symptoms if exposures occur)

4) Urgent Public Health Hazard (some community members may experience serious health symptoms if exposures occur).

Based on the data reviewed and interviews with area residents, ATSDR assigned this site a "public health hazard" category. This means that some residents could experience some health effects, such as nausea, headaches, eye irritation, and respiratory irritation as a result of exposure to hydrogen sulfide in ambient air. The levels of hydrogen sulfide measured in the community are not high enough to seriously or permanently harm a person, but may cause discomfort from the health effects mentioned above.

Is it Safe for My Child to Go to School?

Yes. Most healthy children will not experience health problems if they are exposed to the levels of hydrogen sulfide found. However, some more sensitive children may get headaches, get irritated eyes, get tired easily, and may feel sick to their stomachs. Be aware that not all of these symptoms may occur at once. Also be aware that these symptoms are non-specific, and may be caused by normal illnesses. For example, tiredness and nausea may also be due to a bad cold or having the flu.

Children who have pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma may have more frequent asthma attacks when they are exposed to the levels of hydrogen sulfide found. Parents should take extra precautions on days when odors are present to be sure that asthmatic children have access to inhalers, because it is possible that they could experience more frequent asthma attacks during bad odor days.

Where is the Area of Concern in Warren Township?

The areas of concern are where the air monitoring was conducted over the summer. These areas are mostly around the perimeter of the Warren Recycling Center on Martin Luther King Drive. We do not know if areas beyond these locations fall into this category. This is why ATSDR is recommending additional air sampling in the community.

If you don't smell hydrogen sulfide (a "rotten egg" odor), you are not being exposed to the gas. If you do smell hydrogen sulfide, it doesn't necessarily mean that you will experience any health problems. People smell hydrogen sulfide at levels that are hundreds of times lower than levels that cause health problems.

What is ATSDR Recommending?

ATSDR is recommending the following:

1) Install and maintain hydrogen sulfide alarms in each of the schools where there are frequent reports of odors.

2) Monitor residential indoor and ambient air for a more representative period of time to ensure that peak and average hydrogen sulfide levels are determined.

3) Sample private wells used by residences near the facility to ensure that hydrogen sulfide is not present at levels of health concern.

4) Determine the sources of hydrogen sulfide in the community.

What Happens Next?

Currently, ATSDR is working with a number of state and local partners to address health and ambient air concerns in Warren Township. These partners include: the Our Lives Count community group, the Warren Township Board of Trustees, the LaBrae School District, the Warren City Health Department, the Trumbull County Health Department, the Mahoning Trumbull Air Pollution Control Agency, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

In the future, ATSDR will:

Continue to work with the local, state, and other federal environmental and health agencies to develop the best approaches for environmental sampling to determine if exposures are continuing at levels of health concern.
ATSDR will work with the above agencies to ensure that area private wells are sampled and tested for hydrogen sulfide.
Community residents who are interested in being involved in additional environmental sampling are encouraged to contact ATSDR at the number provided at the bottom of this fact sheet.

How can I obtain a copy of the Public Health Consultation?

A copy of the document has been placed for public review in the information repository located at the Trumbull County Library at 444 Mahoning Avenue NW Warren, Ohio. Individuals who are interested in receiving a personal copy of the document can contact ATSDR's records room at 1-888-422-8737 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST., Monday through Friday or email at lwilder@cdc.gov. Please reference the Warren Township site.

For more information who should I contact?

You may contact either of the following ATSDR representatives:

Michelle Colledge or Lynn Wilder, Environmental Health Scientists, 1-888-422-8737.

You may also contact the following representatives from the Ohio Department of Health:

Bob Frey (614) 466-1069

Eric Yates (614) 995-4157

Back to ATSDR Home page

This page last updated on September 19, 2002
For more information, contact ATSDR at:
1-888-422-8737 or e-mail: atsdric@cdc.gov (public inquiries)
404-498-0080 or e-mail: atsdrmediainquires@cdc.gov (news media)