Pilot Study of Childrens Exposure to CCATreated Wood

Pilot Study of Children’s Exposure to CCA-Treated Wood from Playground Equipment Brian Buckley, Lora E. Fleming, Rogelio Vega, Michael Laas Lloyd, Stuart Shalat, Helena Solo-Gabriele, Wendy B Stephan, Tomoyuki Shibata

Funding NIEHS Environmental Health Center (Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson NJ Medical College) NIEHS Marine & Freshwater Biomedical Sciences Center (University of Miami)

Background Treated Wood: Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) • Most common wood preservative in USA (>75%) • Total Arsenic: 1900 mg/kg-19, 000 • Cumulative Arsenic in service: 330, 000 tonnes • As(V) New Wood; As(V) & As(III) Aged Wood • Studies Have Shown that CCA is “Dislodged” by Touching the Wood ( i. e. “Dislodgeable Arsenic) • Arsenic can also be absorbed through skin

Background Human Health Effects • Arsenobetaine [(CH 3)3 As. CH 2 COOH] Seafood • As (III) > As (V) • Acute: GI, Cardiac, Renal, Nervous System • Chronic: Nervous (CNS & PNS), Dermatologic, Peripheral Vascular, Hepatic – Cancer: Dermatologic, Pulmonary, Hepatic, Bladder, Hematopoietic

Background Childhood Exposure • Age dependent • Behavior (Pesticide research) – Food Handling & Non Dietary Ingestion • Soil Ingestion by children: 40 to 100 mg/day – Hand-Mouth & Object-Mouth Activity • Mean hourly frequencies (age 2 -4 yrs): 9. 520. 9 x/hour Childhood Vulnerability – Neurologic System

Background CCA-treated wood subject of EPA evaluation under FIFRA, including Scientific Review Panel and Risk Assessment for residential settings and potential exposure to children. On 2/12/02, EPA Administrator Whitman announced voluntary decision by industry to move consumer use of treated lumber products away from a variety of pressure-treated wood that contains arsenic by 12/31/03, in favor of new alternative wood preservatives. PROBLEM: CCA-TREATED WOOD IN USE EVERYWHERE!

Miami Dade County CCA Playgrounds

Devonnaire Park

Specific Aims • Determine levels of Arsenic present in playgrounds made from CCA-treated wood; • Determine if dislodgeable Arsenic from CCAtreated playground structures is present on children’s hands by administering hand rinses; • Determine if levels of Arsenic on children’s hands are associated with levels of Arsenic measurable in children’s urine.

Methods • Human Subjects Approval – Multi-Institutional Protocols – Consent Forms – Educational Materials • English & Spanish

Methods • Environmental Assessment – Confirm CCA Treatment of Playgrounds (Completed) – Soil (Completed) – Wood Wipe

Confirmation of CCA Treatment As Test Kit As Specific Stain Plus Regular Acid Digestion With ICP-MS

Wipe Test

Methods • Hands – Tracing (surface area) – Rinse (pre/post exposure) • Urine – Diaper Insert or Cup 12 hours later • (Speciated) Arsenic & Metabolites

Methods • Questionnaire – Household arsenic exposures • CCA wood, occupations, seafood – Child Behavior • Hand to mouth – Demographics • English & Spanish

Methods • Pilot Study: 10 Subjects (15 -36 months) • Subject Payment – $25 gift certificate • Outreach & Education – Educational Materials – Follow up with Subjects & Families

Future Studies • Increase Study Population Sample Size • Increase Individual Exposure Assessment – Playground assessment – Other sources of CCA and arsenic • Increase Individual Behavioral Evaluation – Videotape and analysis • Longitudinal Evaluation – Including intervention results • Outreach & Education