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Department of Ecology News Release - July 2, 2003
03-131
OLYMPIA - Soil tests just completed at 83 parks and play areas in King and Pierce counties affirm that everybody who uses the areas, especially children who are 6 and younger, should wash their hands and remove their shoes before they go indoors and take other precautions recommended by local health officials.
Both the King and Pierce county health departments stress there is not a public health emergency, but there is a public health concern related to long-term exposure to arsenic and lead in the soil.
The soil testing is part of the state Department of Ecology's assessment of contamination left behind by the former smelter in Tacoma.
In southwest King County, 28 childcare sites were tested for lead and arsenic, along with 30 parks and one pea-patch garden. In Pierce, a total of 24 child care sites were tested.
More than half of the sites tested in King County had arsenic levels around the levels that naturally occur in soil. In Pierce County, which is closer to the site of the former smelter, more than half of the soil samples from childcare sites were slightly above background levels.
Only one childcare site had arsenic levels high enough for the state to advise the property owners to take appropriate action to prevent people from getting near dirt. That was a Tacoma church that doubles as a preschool. The children who attend the preschool do not play outdoors during school time.
"We've met with the church operators to make sure they understand the importance of following recommendations to limit exposure to the soil," said Steve Marek of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department.
"We have done a lot of outreach to the owners of the childcare facilities to help them know what they need to tell parents and how to keep children from eating and inhaling dirt," said Marian Abbett, manager of the Tacoma smelter project for the state Department of Ecology (Ecology).
In explaining the health concern, Jim White, a toxicologist with the state Health Department, said, "Typically, the more arsenic someone is exposed to, the greater the chance of developing health problems."
Ecology and the county health departments recommend that operators of childcare properties and parks follow soil-safety guidelines to reduce contact with contaminated soil. Ecology's Abbett said owners should cover exposed dirt and improve or move play areas when sites are upgraded or redeveloped. Grants and loans may be available for owners of these properties.
Children are more vulnerable than adults to health problems from contaminated soil because they are most likely to get dirt in their mouths and breathe contaminated dust. Also, chemicals have a greater effect on children's smaller bodies.
Testing results for Pierce County parks will be released later this summer.
For more details about the study results and a list of the locations tested, visit Ecology's Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/tacoma_smelter/tsp_newest_activity/ tsp_newest_activity.htm.
For information about how to protect yourself from exposure to contaminated soil, see a 16-page brochure called Dirt Alert, at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0309036.html.
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Media Contacts:
Sandy Howard, Department of Ecology - Pierce County, 360-407-6239; pager,
360-786-3136
Larry Altose, Department of Ecology - King County, 425-649-7009; pager,
206-663-1785
Steve Marek, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, 253-798-2955
Hilary Karasz-Dominguez, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 206-296-4767
Soil-safety guidelines on the Web can be found at:
Public Health - Seattle & King County: http://www.metrokc.gov/health/tsp/arseniclead.htmCopyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
