SYMPTOM CLUSTERS IN A COMMUNITY WITH CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS IN2 SUPERFUND SITES

Sikes and French, Ltd., two National Priority List sites that are prox imal to one another, are located approximately 20 mi (32 km) east of H ouston, Texas. Dumping at Sikes occurred during the early 1960s and co ntinued until 1967. Benzene, 1,2-dichloroethane, toluene, 1,1,2-trichl oroethane, naphthalene, lead, fluorene, and pyrene are chemicals that pose a particular public health concern. French, Ltd., commenced opera tions in 1966, and dumping ceased in 1973. Chemicals of potential publ ic health impact at the French, Ltd., site are benzene, benzo(a)anthra cene, benzo(a)pyrene, copper, chrysene, chromium, dichlorodiphenyltric hloroethane, heptachlor, lead, nickel, polychlorinated biphenyls, tetr achloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and zinc. During the 1980s, both s ites were placed on the National Priority List. Barrett Station is a s table black community located near the two sites. The question of whet her levels of exposure to dumpsite chemicals were related to health co mplaints in the Barrett Station population was examined. The prevalenc e of 29 symptoms reported by 321 individuals who had been highly expos ed was compared with symptoms reported by a group of 351 persons from the same community who had limited exposure. A meaningful difference b etween the two groups emerged for some of the symptoms, the most notab le of which symptoms were neurologic. Almost twice as many subjects in the high-exposure group reported five or more neurologic symptoms, co mpared with the low-exposure group. This excess of neurological sympto ms is consistent with the known toxic properties of the chemicals at t he sites.