State scientists found higher-than-average levels of harmful chemicals in Hopewell’s air, although they say residents should not be concerned about cancer risks from the city’s many industrial plants.
The internal report was released in late March by the Virginia Department of Health. The agency has been testing Hopewell’s air there since 2014.
The most recent data was sampled at Woodson Middle School between 2017 and 2019. The air was tested for what are called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
VOCs include compounds like benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical tracked by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The report found that Hopewell’s air was within an “acceptable risk range” for cancer, according to standards put forth by the EPA.
However, data from the report also indicates that cancer-causing chemicals in Hopewell were found in higher levels than in normal air; in some cases, the chemical levels were trending upward.
One example is benzene. Several years before the current report, VDH samples measured 0.16 micrograms of benzene in the air around Woodson Middle School. In the 2019 testing period, that quantity had more than doubled.
Levels of chloroform, another VOC, also jumped, increasing fivefold in the same period. Likewise, carbon tetrachloride, another hazardous air pollutant, increased by a factor of six.
Chloroform is a chemical well known in popular culture as a narcotic with anesthetic properties. It is also a carcinogen, which means exposure to it can increase the risk of developing cancer. Carbon tetrachloride can cause liver damage and is increasingly believed to be a carcinogen, according to a December EPA report on the chemical.
The VDH report identifies the source for all three of the chemicals as industrial facilities and landfills in the Hopewell region.
The VDH also recommended further monitoring at the middle school for a chemical called acrolein. The EPA says acrolein is a harmful chemical that forms when pollutants, including tobacco smoke, break down in outdoor air. It is not a known carcinogen, however.
The report was authored by Amy Hayes and Dwight Flammia, toxicologists at the Virginia Department of Health.
The report’s authors said above-benchmark levels do not necessarily indicate a health risk. Toxicologists use those benchmarks, known as CVs, to identify outliers worth a closer analysis.
“Concentrations above CVs do not mean that adverse health effects occurred or will occur, but that further investigation is needed. Therefore, the CVs should not be used to predict the occurrence of adverse health effects,” Hayes and Flammia wrote.
The potential for these chemicals to harm Hopewell residents depends on how long residents are exposed to them and at what density. Pre-existing conditions might also affect how sensitive one is to higher volumes of these chemicals in the ambient air.
Hopewell’s health as a locality is significantly poorer than the rest of the state. Life expectancy in the small city is five years shorter than the Virginia average, and residents there have far higher rates of asthma-related hospitalizations and cancer as well.
The report was authored by Amy Hayes and Dwight Flammia, toxicologists at the Virginia Department of Health.
The report’s authors said above-benchmark levels do not necessarily indicate a health risk. Toxicologists use those benchmarks, known as CVs, to identify outliers worth a closer analysis.
“Concentrations above CVs do not mean that adverse health effects occurred or will occur, but that further investigation is needed. Therefore, the CVs should not be used to predict the occurrence of adverse health effects,” Hayes and Flammia wrote.
The potential for these chemicals to harm Hopewell residents depends on how long residents are exposed to them and at what density. Pre-existing conditions might also affect how sensitive one is to higher volumes of these chemicals in the ambient air.
Hopewell’s health as a locality is significantly poorer than the rest of the state. Life expectancy in the small city is five years shorter than the Virginia average, and residents there have far higher rates of asthma-related hospitalizations and cancer as well.
The company has previously said it knew of no health impact caused by its operations, and that it is committed to being a responsible neighbor to the city of Hopewell, which has a population of a little more than 23,000.
Several legislators – including Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan and local officials – have asked the company to outline how it will mitigate future emissions.
“Our citizens deserve and demand a city that is safe and free from pollution. Towards that end, we will be reaching out to the commonwealth to develop a plan of remediation that addresses AdvanSix air quality and water quality violations that they have received over the past three years,” said interim city manager Concetta Manker.
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch
