"Given the general concern about the health effects of DDE exposure, including its role as a possible human carcinogen, and the fact that we saw small effects on some people's immune systems, it would be prudent to limit exposures to the dump sites," Vine said.
"Major soil and ground water remediation efforts, which began in 1996 and are expected to be completed in 1998, should help limit future exposures to the contents of the dump sites."
The Aberdeen Pesticide Dumps Site is a National Priority List Superfund Site consisting of five former plants and dumps in and around Aberdeen, the scientist said. The study was conducted because of concern about possible threats to human health in the areas.
In 1948, Dr. Robert Mobbs, a local physician, wrote a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association about a child who lived 100 yards from the Farms Chemicals site and died following convulsions. In 1993, one of Vine's students uncovered evidence suggesting immune system suppression and chromosome damage in area dogs.
Phase I of the work consisted of extensive telephone health interviews with about 1,600 residents of Aberdeen, Pinebluff, Taylortown and Pinehurst. Phase II consisted of more detailed interviews as well as skin and sophisticated blood tests on a random sample of participants in Phase I.
Others involved in the research at UNC-CH include Dr. Kristen Weigle, associate professor of epidemiology and pediatrics; Dr. Leonard Stein, associate professor of pediatrics; project director Darrah Degnan; public health doctoral student and veterinarian Jane Schroeder; and masters student Dr. Volker Arndt. Others were Drs. Lorraine Backer of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Carol Hanchette of the N.C. Center for Health Statistics.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Environmental Protection Agency supported the study.
Note: Vine can be reach
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Contact: David L. Williamson
rdtokids@email.unc.edu
919-962-8596
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
25-Jun-1998