Soil arsenic surveys of New Orleans: localized hazards in children’s play areas

Abstract

Arsenic (As) ranks first on the 2005 and 2007 hazardous substances priority lists compiled for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). This study describes two New Orleans soil As surveys: (1) a survey of composite soil samples from 286 census tracts and (2) a field survey of soil As at 38 play areas associated with the presence of chromated-copper-arsenate (CCA)-treated wood on residential and public properties. The survey of metropolitan New Orleans soils revealed a median As content of 1.5 mg/kg (range <0.2-16.4) and no distinctive differences between the soils of the city core and outlying areas. Play area accessible soils associated with CCA-treated wood (N = 32) had a median As of 57 mg/kg and 78% of the samples were ≥12 mg/kg, the Louisiana soil As standard. The field survey of play areas for CCA-treated wood (N = 132 samples at 38 sites) was conducted with a portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer. Seventy-five of 132 wood samples (56.8%) were deemed CCA-treated wood. Of the 38 play areas surveyed, 14 (36.8%) had CCA-treated wood. A significant association (Fisher's exact p-value = 0.348 × 10(-6)) was found between CCA-treated wood and soil As (N = 75). At one elementary school CCA-treated woodchips (As range 813-1,654 mg As/kg) covered the playgrounds. The situation in New Orleans probably exists in play areas across the nation. These findings support a precautionary program for testing soils and wood for hazardous substances at all play areas intended for children.

Children, Soils, and Health: How Do Polluted Soils Influence Children's Health?

“…While the As concentrations in all of the 24 control samples were below 20 mg/kg, 37% of the samples collected close to CCA-treated wood showed As levels above the quality criteria of 20 mg/kg for soils in child-care centres. The results of play areas in New Orleans are similar to the As results from Norway's play areas (Mielke et al, 2010).…”

“…General anthropogenic sources of As in the environment are dust particles and waste materials from mining and smelting activities, and energy production using coal (Ottesen and Langedal, 2001). In urban environments the distribution of As is not general; instead, it is specific to places where the most important anthropogenic As source is chromium-copper-arsenate (Cr-Cu-As, or CCA) pressureimpregnated wood (Langedal and Hellesnes, 1997;Mielke et al, 2010). Owing to its excellent fungicidal (Cu) and insecticidal (As) properties, CCA was widely used as wood preservative.…”

“…) In Europe and the USA, CCA-treated wood has been specifically used in outdoor play equipment at child-care centres, school yards and public playgrounds, each (in Norway) having on average 1.5-2 m 3 CCA-treated wood. Studies in Norway and New Orleans have shown that low-to medium-grade As pollution (8-250 mg/kg) is common in the soils of children's playgrounds (Jartun et al, 2003;Mielke et al, 2010;Ottesen et al, 2008), and a maximum concentration in child-care centre soil of 1800 mg/kg has been recorded (Jartun et al, 2003). (Mielke, 1993;Ottesen et al, 1995;Haugland et al, 2008) Results of the content of Cr, Cu and As in 70 samples of CCA-treated wood from child-care centres in Trondheim, Norway, clearly demonstrate the importance of CCA-treated wood as a possible source for these elements (Table 10.4).…”

Dust–Metal Sources in an Urbanized Arid Zone: Implications for Health-Risk Assessments

“…2. The average As concentration from this study was slightly higher than values reported in other cities (De Miguel et al 2012;Elom et al 2013;Iribarren et al 2009;Guney et al 2010) except for New Orleans (Mielke et al 2010; Fig. 2).…”

Potential sources and racial disparities in the residential distribution of soil arsenic and lead among pregnant women

“…While As occurs naturally in the environment, elevated soil concentrations are often due to inputs from anthropogenic sources, such as mining, smelting, and other industrial activities (Hinwood et al, 2004; Luo et al, 2008). Arsenic can also leach into soils from chromated copper arsenate (CCA) treated wood (Mielke et al, 2010; Shalat et al, 2006), which was routinely used in residential areas until the early 2000s. Elevated concentrations of Pb in soils are most often the result of anthropogenic inputs, especially in residential locations.…”