Should Socioeconomic Health Effects Be Included In Risk Assessments?

By Alan Eschenroeder, Ph.D.

and

Evaluation of Human Health Risks from Exposures to Inorganic Arsenic Associated with CCA-Treated Wood

By Eric M. Dubé, MPH

Tuesday, February 11, 2003

4:05-4:30 PM Social gathering, light snacks
4:30-6:30 PM Program

Conference Room, CDM
One Cambridge Place, 50 Hampshire Street,
Cambridge, MA

Should Socioeconomic Health Effects Be Included In Risk Assessments?

By Alan Eschenroeder, Ph.D.,
Adjunct Lecturer on Environmental Science and Engineering, Department of Environmental Health,
Harvard School of Public Health

E-mail: alanesch@tiac.net, Phone 781-259-0886, Fax 781-259-4460

Summary: Most analyses of health risks incident to the adoption of a product, process or facility treat only the adverse effects of human exposure to pollutants. A growing body of research in the social sciences suggests strong linkages between health status and the economic capital of populations. We explore the possibility that the effects of development on income distribution and employment may influence health as much as the resultant chemical exposures. The evidence presented in support of the socioeconomic linkage indicates adverse effects of transient economic growth and ultimately favorable effects of permanent expansions. A simple case study uses the development of coal mining in northern Wyoming to compare the effects of economic change with those of air pollution on local age adjusted mortality rates. The study area embraces counties with intensive mining activity, and the control area includes neighboring counties having similar terrain and climate, but with negligible mineral industry. This first order analysis relies upon both modeled and observed data. It concludes that the two influences on health status induced by the industrialization may be of the similar magnitudes. We close by addressing the methodological challenge of producing a totally prospective analysis. Input-output models that can impute changes in regional income distributions to defined industrial developments will meet one of the main research needs.

Biography: Dr. Eschenroeder received both of his degrees in engineering at Cornell University. During the decade following his education and military service, he developed analytical tools in the field of hypersonic fluid dynamics to provide design inputs for space and defense applications. Using some of these same techniques he began the development of simulation models tracing the evolution of photochemical smog. This modeling work subsequently expanded into multimedia descriptions of contaminant fate and transport in air, water, soil and biota, as applied to exposure assessment. His recent interests focus on environmental health projects in China, Puerto Rico and Slovakia.

Evaluation of Human Health Risks from Exposures to Inorganic Arsenic Associated with CCA-Treated Wood

Gradient's CCA risk assessment and other information on chemically treated wood can be obtained on-line from the following Website: http://www.preservedwood.com/safety/research_list.html

Eric M. Dubé, MPH,
Senior Associate at Gradient Corp

Summary: Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood is commonly used throughout the U.S. for decking, play structures, fencing, and other outdoor uses. Regulatory interest and public concern regarding potential for exposures to inorganic arsenic in the wood has increased over the past 2 years. To assess the potential health impact of using CCA-treated wood, we performed a comprehensive human health risk assessment to quantify potential cancer and non-cancer risks from treated wood, considering both residential and playground scenarios. The risk assessment presented several methodological challenges, including: a) characterization of the amounts of dislodgeable arsenic and arsenic in soil to appropriately represent exposure over time; b) approaches to quantify transfer of arsenic dislodged from the surface of treated wood to hands and subsequently to mouth, followed by salivary removal; and c) estimation of bioavailability based on a synthesis of physical/chemical data and limited animal toxicity testing. This presentation will describe the approach, with emphasis on the challenges noted above, and the results, which indicate that potential risks do not exceed USEPA limits. In addition, the components of a sensitivity analysis that identified the contribution to uncertainty and variability of different exposure parameter choices will be described.

Biography: Mr. Dubé is a health scientist with over 4 years of consulting experience in human exposure and risk characterization that includes site-specific evaluations and product safety assessments. At Gradient, Mr. Dubé has been involved in site-specific risk assessments under both federal and state guidelines, litigation support, and exposure modeling. More recently, he's been engaged in risk assessments for treated wood products, and in the design and oversight of research studies to improve these assessments. The results of Mr. Dubé's evaluations have been presented to state regulatory agencies to establish soil remediation goals, and to federal regulatory agencies, scientific review panels and trade associations to assess the need for risk management actions, and to inform both industry and the public. Prior to environmental consulting, Mr. Dubé worked in the biotechnology industry for approximately 7 years in the areas of mammalian cell protein expression and process development. Mr. Dubé has a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Biology from Northeastern University.