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1. ATSDR > Public Health Assessments & Consultations

PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT

PEASE AIR FORCE BASE
PORTSMOUTH, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE

V. CONCLUSIONS

1. Currently, there is no exposure to site-related contaminants in base drinking water above levels of concern. Base drinking water meets all state and federal requirements. Active remediation is ongoing to prevent contaminant migration and future contamination of the Haven well, and water is monitored regularly to ensure compliance with drinking water standards. Therefore, future exposure is unlikely. Past exposure to TCE and nitrates were unlikely to have resulted in adverse health effects. Based upon an evaluation of contamination and exposure levels to groundwater used as a base drinking water supply, this exposure pathway is categorized as no apparent public health hazard.



2. Past fishing, swimming, and wading in Peverly and Bass ponds posed no public health hazard from detected contamination. Currently the ponds are in a wildlife refuge, and recreational use is restricted. Should land use change, it would be wise to periodically evaluate exposure to fish contaminant levels detected under the long-term monitoring plan.



3. Currently the IRP sites do not pose public health hazards. All contaminated areas have been assessed, and necessary interim and long-term remedial actions have been completed, are ongoing, or are planned. Future exposures to contaminants at IRP sites are unlikely to occur because of institutional controls that restrict access to, and use of, contaminated soils and groundwater.



4. While there are no data on indoor air quality at Pease AFB, limited data on soil gas do not suggest that current indoor air quality problems would be expected. Based upon a review of existing data on contamination levels and potential exposures, this pathway is currently determined to pose no apparent public health hazard.



5. No exposures of concern are occurring presently, and ongoing remedial activities, environmental monitoring, and developmental oversight are in place to prevent future exposures.

VI. RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The former base housing area shows evidence of past vandalism. Access to the area is unrestricted and ongoing asbestos removal operations are taking place. There may be a physical hazard to trespassers in the former base housing area. NHDHHS and ATSDR suggest that access restrictions be improved and the area be more clearly posted as soon as possible to discourage unauthorized visitors.



2. NHDHHS and ATSDR recommend that groundwater monitoring programs and efforts to prevent additional contamination of the aquifer be continued, including maintaining compliance with the City of Portsmouth's Wellhead Protection Program.



3. Institutional controls established for the site should be maintained and enforced, including restrictions on the use of the Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge.



4. If restrictions on recreational use in the wildlife refuge change to allow fishing in the area, children and adults should follow NHDHHS's state-wide freshwater fish consumption advisory, which recommends that adults should limit consumption of freshwater fish to four 8-ounce meals per month, pregnant women and children should limit consumption to one 8-ounce meal per month. Information about the advisory should be provided to anglers using the area for recreational fishing.

VII. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTION PLAN

The purpose of the Public Health Action Plan is to ensure that this Public Health Assessment not only identifies any current and potential exposure pathways and related health hazards, but also provides a plan of action to mitigate and prevent adverse human health effects resulting from exposures to hazardous substances in the environment. The first section of the Public Health Action Plan for Pease AFB contains a description of completed and ongoing actions taken at the base to mitigate environmental contamination. In the second section there is a list of additional public health actions that NHDHHS recommends be implemented in the future.

A. Completed, Ongoing, and Planned Actions
Significant progress has been made by the Air Force, NHDES, USEPA, and the surrounding communities in restoring the environment at Pease AFB. Following is a summary of major accomplishments, work in progress and planned actions:

1. The Air Force has completed investigations and signed eleven Records of Decision (RODs) covering all zones that required remedy selections for the various IRP sites within them.



2. Construction and implementation of all required remedial actions for IRP sites are complete or in progress. Long-term operation of remedial equipment is ongoing.



3. Investigations continue for the flight line and parking apron areas, with development of a final remedial action plan in progress.



4. Long-term monitoring of air, groundwater, surface water, sediments, soils, and fish tissue is ongoing.



5. Base property is in the process of transfer for use as a civilian commercial center under the Pease Development Authority.



6. This Public Health Assessment is based on currently available information and the likely future land use for the former Pease AFB. If land use or environmental conditions at the base change, NHDHHS and ATSDR will reevaluate the likelihood of exposures to site contaminants as warranted.



7. The limited available data on soil gas do not suggest that current indoor air quality problems would be expected on the base. Nevertheless, the potential for indoor air quality issues should be kept in mind during redevelopment of the base to guard against potential future hazards. If new data for soil gas or indoor air quality are generated, NHDHHS will provide technical assistance as needed.



8. NHDHHS will conduct a community needs assessment to determine whether additional health education activities in the surrounding community are warranted.

PREPARERS OF REPORT

Report Authors

Scott Sudweeks
Phil Trowbridge
Dennis Pinski
Bureau of Health Risk Assessment
Office of Community and Public Health
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Concord, New Hampshire

Health Outcome Data Review

Rosemary Caron
Stephanie Miller
Bureau of Health Risk Assessment
Office of Community and Public Health
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
Concord, New Hampshire

Technical Project Officer

Greg Ulirsch
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Atlanta, Georgia

VIII. REFERENCES

American Cancer Society (1996). Cancer Facts and Figures - 1996. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Atlanta. GA. 1996.

American Cancer Society (1998). Cancer Facts and Figures - 1998. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Atlanta, GA. 1998.

ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry) (1991). Case Studies in Environmental Medicine, Nitrate/Nitrite Toxicity. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Atlanta, GA. October 1991.

ATSDR (1995). Toxicological Profile for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Atlanta, GA. August 1995.

ATSDR (1997). Toxicological Profile for Trichloroethylene. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Atlanta, GA. September 1997.

ATSDR (1998a). Guidance on Including Child Health Issues in Division of Health Assessment and Consultation Documents. July 1998.

ATSDR (1998b). Toxicological Profile for Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Draft for Public Comment. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Atlanta, GA. December 1998.

ATSDR (1999). Toxicological Profile for Mercury. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Atlanta, GA. March 1999.

Bechtel Environmental, Inc. (1997a). Pease AFB Base-Wide Surface Water, Sediment and Fish Tissue Long-term Monitoring Plan. August 1997.

Bechtel Environmental, Inc. (1997b). Site 49, Communications Building 22 Contamination Assessment Report. December 1997.

Benner, B. et al. (1990). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emissions from the combustion of crude oil on water. Env Sci Tech 1990; 24 (9): 1418-27.

Bove, F. et al. (1995). Public drinking water contamination and birth outcomes. Am J Epidemiol 1995; 141:850-62.

Bradley, E. (1982). Trichloroethylene in the Groundwater Supply of Pease Air Force Base. Open-File Report 80-557. U.S. Geological Survey. Boston, MA. 1982.

CDM (Camp, Dresser and McKee) (1994). Evaluation of Pease Tradeport Water Supply and Distribution System. 1994.

CDM (1996). Summary Report of Technical Review of Pease Water Supply Wells. 1996.

Craven, T. (1998). City of Portsmouth. Personal communication. 1998.

Dawson et. al. (1993). Cardiac teratogenesis of Halogenated hydrocarbon-contaminated drinking water. J Am Coll. Cardiol 21:1466-1472, 1993.

Earth Tech, Inc. (1995). Environmental Baseline Survey, Pease Air Force Base, NH. January 1995.

Fitzpatrick, N.A. and Fitzgerald, J.J (1996). An evaluation of vapor intrusion into buildings through a study of field data. Presented at 11th Annual Conference on Contaminated Soils, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Boston, MA. October 1996.

Goldberg, S. et al. (1990). An association of human congenital cardiac malformations and drinking water contaminants. J Am Coll Cardiol 1990; 16:155-64.

Guzelian P., Henry C., Olin S., eds. (1992). Similarities and Differences Between Children and Adults: Implications for Risk Assessment. ILSI Press.

Hilton, S. (1999). NHDES, Waste Management Division. Concord, NH. Personal communication.

Kross, B. et al. (1992). Methemoglobinemia: nitrate toxicity in rural America. Am Fam Phys 1992; 46:183-8.

Lagakos, S. et al. (1986). An analysis of contaminated well water and health effects in Woburn, Massachusetts. J Am Stat Assoc 1986; 81:583-96.

Laham, S. (1970). Studies on placental transfer of trichloroethylene. Ind Med 1970; 39:46-49.

Little, J. (1991). Health consultation for Pease Air Force Base, Building 227. ATSDR. Atlanta, GA. August 1991.

Maltoni, et. al. (1986). Experimental Research on trichloroethylene carcinogenesis. In: Maltoni C, Mehlman MA, eds. Archives of research on industrial carcinogenesis series. Vol. V. Princeton Scientific Publishing Co, Inc. Princeton NJ. 1986.

MDPH (1997). Woburn Childhood Leukemia Follow-Up Study, Final Report. Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Environmental Health Assessment. Boston, MA. July 1997.

Grant, W. et al. (1996). Spontaneous abortions possibly related to ingesting nitrate-contaminated well water - LaGrange County, Indiana, 1991-1994. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. July 5, 1996: 45(26); 569-672.

National Climactic Data Center (NCDC) (1978). Wind Energy Resource Information System Report for Pease AFB. U.S. Bureau of Standards, 1978.

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) (1998a). Risk Characterization and Management Policy. Concord, NH. January 1998.

NHDES (1998b). Residential Indoor Air Assessmnet Guidance Document, Draft. NHDES, Waste Management Division. Concord, NH. October 1998.

Pease, R. (1999) NHDES, Waste Management Division. Concord, NH. Personal communication.

Schendel et al. (1996). Final report of the Woburn Environmental and Birth Study. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Boston, MA. 1996.

Sonnenfeld, N. (1997). Volatile organic compounds in drinking water and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Interim Report. US Marine Corps Base Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. ATSDR. Atlanta, GA. 1997.

Sund, J. et al. (1957). Weeds containing nitrate cause abortion in cattle. Agronomy Journal 1957; 49:278-9.

Thurlow, R.M. (1990). Radiological Survey of the Weapons Storage Area, Pease AFB, NH. USAF Occupational and Environmental Health Laboratory, Human Systems Division. Report 90-207RC00157LXA. Brooks Air Force Base, Texas. November, 1990.

TN and Associates, Inc. (TN&A) (1998). Letter to Arthur Ditto, P.E., USAF Base Conversion Agency, re: soil gas sampling results from site 49. December 10, 1998.

U.S. Air Force (USAF) (1990). Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Closure of Pease Air Force Base. May 1990.

USAF (1994). Revised Community Relations Plan. Pease AFB. June 1994.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (1993). Toxic Emissions from Aircraft Firefighting Training: A Search of Available Literature. EPA 453/R-93-027. July 1993.

USEPA (1997).Exposure Factors Handbook. EPA/600/C-99/001. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development. Washington, DC. August 1997.

USEPA (1998). Risk Based Concentration Table. Superfund Technical Support Section, USEPA Region III. Philadelphia, PA. October 1998.

Weston, R.F., Inc. (1990). Installation Restoration Program Stage 2. Draft Final Report ,Volume 1. West Chester, PA. July 1990.

Weston, R.F., Inc. (1990). Off-Base Well Inventory Report. Pease AFB, NH. West Chester, PA. 1992

Weston, R.F., Inc. (1993). Pease AFB, Zone 3 Remedial Investigation Report, Draft Final.West Chester, PA. September 1993.

Weston, R.F., Inc. (1995). Record of Decision for Zone 3. Pease AFB. West Chester, PA. 1995.

CERTIFICATION

The public Health Assessment for the Pease Air Force Base, Portsmouth, New Hampshire was prepared by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services under a cooperative agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). It is in accordance with the approved methodology and procedures existing at the time the Public Health Assessment was begun.

Gregory V. Ulirsch
Technical Project Officer
Superfund Site Assessment Branch (SSAB)
Division of Health Asessment and Consultation (DHAC)
ATSDR

The Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, ATSDR, has reviewed this Public Health Assessment and Concurs with its findings.

Richard Gillig
Acting Chief, SSAB, DHAC, ATSDR

Scott D. Sudweeks for Gary Campbell
Section Chief
Federal Facilities Assessment Branch, DHAC, ATSDR

APPENDIX A:Tables

Table 1a: Completed Exposure Pathways at the Pease Air Force Base

Table 1b: Potential Exposure Pathways at the Pease Air Force Base

Table 2: TCE concentrations in the Haven Well, 1977-1993

APPENDIX B

List of Figures

Figure 1. Location of Pease Air Force Base

Figure 2. Pease AFB Installation Restoration Program (IRP) sites

Figure 3. Areas under institutional Control

Figure 4. Demographic Statistics within one mile of Pease AFB

Figure 5. ATSDR Exposure Evaluation Process

Figure 6. Base water supply wells with historic TCE contamination

Figure 7. Conceptual model for contamination in the Haven Well

Figure 8. TCE concentrations in the Haven Well, 1977-1993

Figure 9. Base-wide groundwater contaminant plumes exceeding regulatory standards for drinking water

APPENDICES F

Appendices C, D, E, and F were not available in electronic format for conversion to HTML at the time of preparation of this document. To obtain a hard copy of the document, please contact:

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Attn: Chief, Program Evaluation, Records, and Information Services Branch E-56
1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30333

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