Fort Detrick's Area B has been used for disposal of chemical, biological, and radiological material, storage of explosives, and research activities. The groundwater of Area B was contaminated by perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), which leaked from storage drums buried in Area B. Members of the public who live near Fort Detrick in Frederick County, Maryland, are concerned that the contaminated groundwater might have affected their health. This report reviews two investigations of potential health hazards: a 2009 public health assessment conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and a cancer investigation in Frederick County by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Frederick County Health Department.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology provides detailed review articles concerned with aspects of chemical contaminants, including pesticides, in the total environment with toxicological considerations and consequences.

At the request of the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Research Council has reviewed the relevant scientific literature compiled by an expert panel and established Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs) for several chemicals. AEGLs represent exposure levels below which adverse health effects are not likely to occur and are useful in responding to emergencies, such as accidental or intentional chemical releases in community, workplace, transportation, and military settings, and for the remediation of contaminated sites. Three AEGLs are approved for each chemical, representing exposure levels that result in: 1) notable but reversible discomfort; 2) long-lasting health effects; and 3) life-threatening health impacts. This volume in the series includes AEGLs for bis-chloromethyl ether, chloromethyl methyl ether, chlorosilanes, nitrogen oxides, and vinyl chloride.

Extremely hazardous substances can be released accidentally as a result of chemical spills, industrial explosions, fires, or accidents involving railroad cars and trucks transporting EHSs. Workers and residents in communities surrounding industrial facilities where these substances are manufactured, used, or stored and in communities along the nation's railways and highways are potentially at risk of being exposed to airborne EHSs during accidental releases or intentional releases by terrorists. Pursuant to the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified approximately 400 EHSs on the basis of acute lethality data in rodents. Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals, Volume 20 reviews and updates the technical support document on acute exposure guideline levels (AEGLs) for selected chloroformates. This update focuses on establishing AEGL-3 values for n-propyl chloroformate and isopropyl chloroformate, but will also consider whether any new data are available that would affect the proposed values for the other 10 chloroformates. AEGLs represent threshold exposure limits (exposure levels below which adverse health effects are not likely to occur) for the general public and are applicable to emergency exposures ranging from 10 minutes (min) to 8 h. Three levels - AEGL-1, AEGL-2, and AEGL-3 - are developed for each of five exposure periods (10 min, 30 min, 1 h, 4 h, and 8 h) and are distinguished by varying degrees of severity of toxic effects. This report will inform planning, response, and prevention in the community, the workplace, transportation, the military, and the remediation of Superfund sites.

Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals, Volume 15 identifies, reviews, and interprets relevant toxicologic and other scientific data for ethyl mercaptan, methyl mercaptan, phenyl mercaptan, tert-octyl mercaptan, lewisite, methyl isothiocyanate, and selected monoisocyanates in order to develop acute exposure guideline levels (AEGLs) for these high-priority, acutely toxic chemicals. AEGLs represent threshold exposure limits (exposure levels below which adverse health effects are not likely to occur) for the general public and are applicable to emergency exposures ranging from 10 minutes (min) to 8 h. Three level--AEGL-1, AEGL-2, and AEGL-3--are developed for each of five exposure periods (10 min, 30 min, 1 h, 4 h, and 8 h) and are distinguished by varying degrees of severity of toxic effects. This report will inform planning, response, and prevention in the community, the workplace, transportation, the military, and the remediation of Superfund sites.

Proceedings of the February 19-22, 1990, conference held at Newport Beach, California. ConferenceDirectors: PAUL T. KOSTECKI, EDWARD J. CALABRESE, and CHARLES E. BELL. Advisory Committee: RICHARD BOZEK, EEI; TERRY BRAZEL, SWRCB; MARK COUSINEAU, AG; SETH DAUGHERTY, Orange County; RALPH De La PARRA, SCE; JERRY HAGGY, Shell; JOHN HANBY, HAL; JOHN HILL, ICF; JOHN HILLS, City of Anaheim; DOROTHY KEECH, Chevron; BILL KUCHARSKI, WC; DAVID LEU, Mittel Hauser; MARY McLEARN, EPRI; PHIL OLWIN, Texaco; DENNIS PAUSTENBACH, MC; ART POPE, ARCO; LYNNE PRESLO, Weston; DON ROTHENBAUM, KA; KIM SAVAGE, EPA/OUST; CARL SHUBERT, IT; WENDELL SUYAMA, Lockheed; MICHAEL WANG, WSPA; JOHN WILLIAMS, TT; and WILLIAM WINTERS, AEM.