Document Y28QzN8jonYpGEB8JZGRKwyV

HAZARDOUS WASTE NEWS Vol. VII, No. 3 Environmental Research Foundation, Princeton, NJ December 15, 1986 AGENCY URGES RADON TESTING OF ALL NJ HOMES NORTH OF TREN TO N The U .S. Environmental Protection A gen cy (E P A ) has set the first home safety standard for radioactive radon gas, recommending that homeowners take action to reduce the level of radon if it exceeds 4 picocuries per liter of air. One picocurie (a trillionth of a curie, a common measure of radiation) represents the decay of two radon atoms per minute in a liter of air. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas produced by the decay of naturallyo c c u rrin g uranium in soil; prolonged exposure to radon can cause lung cancer. The EPA estimated that as many as 8 million homes across the nation may exceed the standard and people in such homes should take steps to reduce the level and should not smoke tobacco. A spokesm an for the N Y State Health Department said that a recent survey indicated that 15% of the homes in that state have radon levels exceeding 4 picocuries. Five homes in Clinton, NJ have radon levels of 1,000 picocuries and 200 homes have levels above 4 picocuries. PA state officials say that more than 13,000 of 22,000 homes in 4 eastern PA counties surveyed had levels exceeding 4 pico curies . Environmental officials say homeown ers have to have their homes tested to find out if it contains the gas, which c a n 't be seen o r smelled. T e s t i n g k its may be bo ugh t by homeowners for $10 to $50 apiece or private contractors can be hired. A spokesman for the radiation division of the EPA called radon "the biggest environmental radiation problem" in the U .S . today. The agency said radon could account for 5,000 to 20,000 lung cancer deaths nationwide each year. Se ve ral NJ m unicipalities are offe rin g local homeowners inexpensive kits for testing homes for radon. Manville, Raritan and Somerville are offe rin g test kits fo r $15 each. A local health official places the collector in the home, re tu rn s 3 d a y s later to pick it up for analyzing, and reports the results directly to the homeowner. Two other Somerset towns, B ranch burg and Bridgewater, are providing low-cost testing kits, but homeowners must place the collectors themselves. Public health e xp e rts have recommended that NJ homeowners north of Trenton test their homes for radon. To reduce radon levels, homeowners may need to take steps as simple as installing fans for ventilation, (costing about $150) or as involved as sealing cracks along walls and floors ($300-$500) and installing exhaust pipes to draw the radon back outdoors (costing $2,500 to $5,000). NJ radon hotline: 800-648-0394. COMMON WEED K IL L E R NOW LIN K E D TO C A N C E R D EA TH S IN NEW ST U D Y A new study by the National Cancer Institute and the U n ive rsity of Kansas has linked exposure to herbicides with n o n -H o d gk in s lymphoma, lymphatic cancers besides Hodgkins disease. The study was based on the health histories of 948 male K a n sa s farm ers who had cancer and an equal number of n o n cancer victims for comparison. The stu d y points up 2 ,4 -D as a cause of cancer; 2 , 4 - D is found in many law n-care products commonly used around suburban homes. T h e stu d y found that if farmers were exposed to herbicides 20 days a year or more, they were 600% more 000098 likely to contract lymphatic cancer than people who did not work with herbicides. T he risk fo r farmers who came in actual contact, mixing or applying thechemicals, increased eightfold. Farmers who failed to use protective equipment such as gloves or masks while w orking with pesticides were 40% more likely to develop cancer than those who used protection. The higher cancer r is k was found to be p a rtic u la rly associated with 2,4dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, or 2,4-D , a chemical compound used in a variety of herbicides. Agent Orange, the herbicide sprayed in Vietnam that is the focus of lawsuits filed by exposed veterans, contains 2 ,4 -D and an established link between cancer and exposure to 2,4 -D could have a profound effect on those lawsuits. t, .v , i, DUPONT NOW FAVO RS CO N TRO LS ON C H EM ICA LS HARMING E A R T H 'S OZONE E.l. du Pont de Nemours & Company, which makes 20% to 25% of the w orld 's chlorofluorocarbons, now supports worldwide production limits. DuPont is N J 's largest chemical producer. Chlorofluorocarbons, used as refrigeration fluid and foam-blowing agents, destroy the ozone layer that protects the earth from cancer-causing ultraviolet light. A D u Pont spokesman said the com pany's new position is based on recent findings that chlorofluorocarbons destroy the ozone and the discove ry of a d rastic 40% drop in ozone over the South Pole each winter. NJ W ILL REQUIRE MOST G AS PUMPS TO IN ST A LL A IR POLLUTION T R A PS NJ has ordered gasoline stations in the state to install equipment to trap noxious vapors released by their pumps in an effort to meet a Dec. 1987 deadline for federal air quality stan dards. Gasoline vapors are considered one of the main sources of air pollution. M ost of the state will lose federal construction project funding if smog levels d o n 't meet federal standards b y the deadline. Those pumping less than 10,000 gallons a month (2,259 gas stations out of 6,785 in the state) are exempt. A SB E ST O S H AZARD FOUND IN T O YS Health officials recalled two b rands of children's play sand because they may contain cancer-causing asbestos fib e rs. The brands recalled were Premium Play Sand, sold through Child World toy stores and Kiddies Fun Sand, sold through Toys-R-U s. Hazardous Haste Hews is published weekly, by Environmental Research Foundation P.0. Box 3541 Prince ton, NJ 0B543. Editori Peter Hontague.* Assistant Editori Annette Eubank. The Hews, is mailed first class every Monday from Princeton, NJ. Subscription! $20 per year for individuals, $10 for students and senior citizens, and $100 for corporations. Material in the Hews is drawn from a large reservoir of information contained in Rachel, the Remote Access Chemical Hazards Electronic Library, a com puterized database of Information accessible to the public through dial-up lines. The database contains more information about stories appearing in the News. To learn about direct access to the Rachel database, wri.te'to the Foundation. You will receive four free issues of the Hews) if you do not subscribe by the fourth issue, your free subscription will expire. Environmental Research Foundation P.0. Box 3541 Princeton, NJ 08543-3541 RETURN REQUESTED TO i H ^ H ii/ 0 - FIRST CLASS HAIL