H. Dayal et al., SYMPTOM CLUSTERS IN A COMMUNITY WITH CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS IN2 SUPERFUND SITES, Archives of environmental health, 50(2), 1995, pp. 108-111
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.