Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
24 Hours/Every Day - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
Public Health Assessment
Drinking Water Supplies and Groundwater Pathway Evaluation,
Isla de Vieques Bombing Range,
Vieques, Puerto Rico
To print this report, please select the "Print Friendly View" option in left hand menu and use your browsers print function or the "Print Page" option on the right side of the page. You may also print individual sections of the report by navigating to a section using the left hand menu and following the same steps above.
October 16, 2001
Prepared by:
Federal Facilities Assessment Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Tables
| Pathway Name | Exposure Pathway Elements | Comments | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potential Source of Contamination | Environmental Media | Point of Exposure | Route of Exposure | Exposed Population | Time ofExposure | ||
| Potential Exposure Pathways | |||||||
| Drinking water from the public water supply system | None | None The pipeline water supply in Vieques storage tanks is not contaminated |
None | None | None | None | The source of the public water is the Rio Blanco, located on the main island of Puerto Rico.There is no reasonable pathway that would connect bombing activities at the LIA with the Rio Blanco. |
| Drinking water from groundwater wells in the residential area | Bombing at the LIA and open burning/open detonation activities | Groundwater | None Groundwater under the LIA cannot reach drinking water wells. |
None | None | None | There is no hydrogeological connection between groundwater at the LIA and the residential area of the island. |
| Air → Soil → Groundwater |
None Public and private drinking water wells show no contaminants at levels that would cause illness. |
None | None | None | Recent sampling did not detect explosives or explosive residues in the groundwater. | ||
| Drinking water from rainwater collection systems | Bombing at the LIA and open burning/open detonation activities | Air → deposition in rainfall collection systems | Household use of water from rainfall collection systems | Dermal Contact Ingestion Inhalation |
Residents of Vieques using rainfall collection systems | Past, current, and future | Additional information is needed on use of past and current rainfall collection systems. Potential of air transport and deposition of contaminants into collection systems is being assessed by evaluating the potential air pathway. ATSDR will address the air pathway and the potential for deposition into the rainfall collection systems in a future focused public health assessment. |
| Past drinking water sources | Explosives potentially from military activities | Groundwater or Storage tanks | Drinking water | Dermal Contact Ingestion Inhalation |
Residents of Vieques | Past | Although levels of explosives were reported in sampling from 1978, their presence was not conclusive and the data are uncertain. However, even if present at levels reported, these contaminants were well below levels considered harmful to human health. |
| Exposure Pathway of Health Concern | |||||||
| Drinking water from Well 3-7 | Agricultural contamination | Groundwater supplying drinking water well. | Household use of water from well. | Ingestion Inhalation | Users of well. | Past, current?, and future? | Nitrates plus nitrites potentially from agricultural sources have contaminated the well. The PRDOH has advised residents of health concerns related to use of the well. |
| Chemical | Chemical Concentration Range (ppb) | Frequency of Detections | Frequency above Standards | Drinking Water Standards (ppb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metals | ||||
| Aluminum a | 77 | 1/12 | 0 | 50-200* |
| Barium b | 16 | 1/12 | 0 | 2,000† |
| Boron | 13-22 | 9/11 | NA | NA |
| Copper | 13-45 | 2/11 | 0 | 1,300§ |
| Iron | 53-240 | 5/11 | 0 | 300* |
| Magnesium | 3,700 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Manganese | 2-20 | 12/12 | 0 | 50* |
| Potassium | 1,300 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Sodium | 8,800-9,900 | 12/12 | NA | NA |
| Strontium | 47 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Zinc | 9-36 | 5/12 | 0 | 5,000* |
| Volatile Organic Compounds | ||||
| Chlorodibromomethane | 1.0-2.8 | 12/12 | 0 | 80‡ |
| Chloroform | 44-74 | 12/12 | 0 | 80‡ |
| Dichlorobromomethane | 10-14 | 12/12 | 0 | 80‡ |
| 4-Methyl-2-pentanone | 2.6-3.3 | 2/11 | NA | NA |
| Toluene | 1.1 | 1/12 | 0 | 1,000† |
| Total Trihalomethanes | 56-88 | 11/11 | 0 | 100† |
| Inorganics | ||||
| Ammonia | 19 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Chloride | 20,100-25,000 | 12/12 | 0 | 250,000* |
| Fluoride | 30-70 | 2/12 | 0 | 4,000† |
| Nitrate | 250 | 1/1 | 0 | 10,000† |
| Nitrate plus Nitrite | 50-140 | 6/10 | 0 | 10,000† |
| Sulfate | 5,050-8,100 | 11/11 | 0 | 250,000* |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 87,000-110,000 | 10/10 | 0 | 500,000* |
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was reported by the lab, but quality assurance/quality control data indicted it was an artifact of the sampling process and not considered representative of the water quality.
Reference: Baker 1999; EPA 1999b; PRDOH 1999
Abbreviations:
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA)
MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for drinking water (EPA)
NA = Not Available
ppb = parts per billion
SMCL = Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA)
† MCL
‡ Propsed MCL
* SMCL
§ MCLG
a EPA and PRDOH sampled with detection limits higher than the concentration detected by the Navy's contractor.
b PRDOH sampled with a detection limit higher than the concentration detected by the Navy's contractor.
| Chemical | Sun Bay Wells | B Wells | Navy Well 14 | Drinking Water Standards (ppb) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range (ppb) |
Frequency of Detections | Frequency above Standards | Range (ppb) |
Frequency of Detections | Frequency above Standards | Range (ppb) |
Frequency of Detections | Frequency above Standards | ||
| Metals | ||||||||||
| Barium | ND | 0/6 | 0 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | 210 | 1/1 | 0 | 2,000† |
| Beryllium | ND | 0/6 | 0 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | 0.45 | 1/1 | 0 | 4† |
| Boron | 203-226 | 3/3 | NA | NS | - | - | NS | - | - | NA |
| Calcium | NS | - | - | NS | - | - | 85,000 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Copper | ND | 0/6 | 0 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | 27 | 1/1 | 0 | 1,300§ |
| Iron | 1,060-2,150 | 3/6 | 3 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | ND | 0/1 | 0 | 300* |
| Lead | ND | 0/6 | 0 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | 1.9 | 1/1 | 0 | 15† |
| Manganese | 60-528 | 5/6 | 5 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | 1 | 1/1 | 0 | 50* |
| Molybdenum | ND | 0/3 | 0 | NS | - | - | ND | 0/1 | 0 | NA |
| Sodium | 103,000- 120,000 | 6/6 | NA | 158,000- 195,000 | 4/4 | NA | 140,000 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Vanadium | NS | - | - | NS | - | - | 7.5 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Zinc | 5-24 | 3/6a | 0 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | 31 | 1/1 | 0 | 5,000* |
| Volatile Organic Compounds | ||||||||||
| Chloroform | ND | 0/9 | 0 | 1.3-1.6 | 2/8 | 0 | 1.6 | 1/1 | 0 | 80‡ |
| Total Trihalomethanes | ND | 0/6 | 0 | 2.9 | 1/4 | 0 | NS | - | - | 100† |
| Semi-volatile Organic Compounds | ||||||||||
| Di-n-butylphthalate | ND | 0/6 | 0 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | 0.37 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Inorganics | ||||||||||
| Chloride | 78,000- 102,000 | 6/6 | 0 | 64,000- 113,000 | 4/4 | 0 | 260,000 | 1/1 | 1 | 250,000* |
| Fluoride | 500 | 1/4 | 0 | 570-670 | 4/4 | 0 | 150 | 1/1 | 0 | 4,000† |
| Ortho-Phosphate | NS | - | - | NS | - | - | 720 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Sulfate | 31,000- 39,700 | 6/6 | 0 | 48,000- 77,000 | 4/4 | 0 | 47,000 | 1/1 | 0 | 250,000* |
| Nitrate | 1,600-2,100 | 3/3 | 0 | 540-1,700 | 5/5 | 0 | 11,000 | 1/1 | 1 | 10,000† |
| Nitrite | ND | 0/6 | 0 | ND | 0/4 | 0 | 50 | 1/1 | 0 | 1,000† |
| Nitrate plus Nitrite | 260-1,860 | 3/3 | 0 | NS | - | - | NS | - | - | 10,000† |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 90,500- 1,670,000 | 6/6 | 3 | 534,000- 658,000 | 4/4 | 4 | 790,000 | 1/1 | 1 | 500,000* |
References: EPA 1999b, PRDOH 1995a,b; Baker 1999
Abbreviations:
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA)
SMCL= Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA)
NA = Not Available
ND = Not Detected
NS = Not Sampled
ppb = parts per billion
† MCL
‡ Propsed MCL
* SMCL
§ MCLG
a Three of the six samples were below detection limits of 60 ppb.
| Chemical | Former Navy Wells in NASD | Drinking Water Standards (ppb) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range (ppb) | Frequency of Detectionsa | Frequency above Standards | ||
| Metals | ||||
| Barium | 130 | 1/1 | 0 | 2,000† |
| Beryllium | 0.79 | 1/1 | 0 | 4† |
| Calcium | 14,000-71,000 | 6/6 | NA | NA |
| Chromium | 1.8 | 1/1 | 0 | 100† |
| Cobalt | 2.4 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Iron | 800-5,000 | 6/6 | 6 | 300* |
| Lead | 1.1 | 1/1 | 0 | 15 † |
| Magnesium | 12,000-45,000 | 5/5 | NA | NA |
| Manganese | 32-540 | 6/6 | 5 | 50* |
| Nickel | 2 | 1/1 | 0 | 100† |
| Sodium | 160,000-168,000 | 6/6 | NA | NA |
| Vanadium | 3.3 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Zinc | 3.7-30 | 3/6 | 0 | 5,000* |
| Volatile Organic Compounds | ||||
| Benzenea | 21 | 1/1 | 1 | 5† |
| Chloroform | 0.74-6.2 | 3/4 | 0 | 80‡ |
| Tolueneb | 0.22 | 1/1 | 0 | 1,000† |
| Semi-volatile Organic Compounds | ||||
| Di-n-butylphthalate | 0.56 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Siloxane | 1.1-1.9 | 2/3 | NA | NA |
| Sanitary Analytes | ||||
| Chloride | 76,000-380,000 | 6/6 | 1 | 250,000* |
| Fluoride | 200 | 1/6 | 0 | 4,000† |
| Ortho-Phosphate | 41 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Sulfate | 15,000-38,000 | 6/6 | 0 | 250,000* |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 790,000 | 1/1 | 1 | 500,000* |
| Nitrate | 55-1,700 | 6/6 | 0 | 10,000† |
| Nitrite | 19 | 1/1 | 0 | 1,000† |
| Other | ||||
| Gross Beta | 5.97 pCi/L | 1/1 | 0 | 15 pCi/L† |
Reference: Baker 1999; USGS 1997
Abbreviations:
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA)
MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal for drinking water (EPA)
NA = Not Available
ND = Not Detected
pCi/L = picocurries per liter
ppb = parts per billion
SMCL = Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA)
† MCL
‡ Propsed MCL
* SMCL
a One of the five wells was sampled by both the Navy's contractor and USGS; the remaining four were only sampled by USGS.
b The chemical was not detected in the duplicate of this sample.
| Chemical | Well 3-7 | Well 2-3 | Drinking Water Standards (ppb) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range (ppb) | Frequency of Detections | Frequency above Standards | Range (ppb) | Frequency of Detections | Frequency above Standards | ||
| Metals | |||||||
| Barium | 267 | 1/1 | 0 | ND | 0/1 | 0 | 2,000† |
| Boron | 280 | 1/1 | NA | 264 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Manganese | 27 | 1/1 | 0 | 25 | 1/1 | 0 | 50* |
| Molybdenum | ND | 0/1 | 0 | 0.05 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Sodium | 229,000 | 1/1 | NA | 172,000 | 1/1 | NA | NA |
| Zinc | 6 | 1/1 | 0 | 14 | 1/1 | 0 | 5,000* |
| Inorganics | |||||||
| Chloride | 242,000 | 1/1 | 0 | 202,000 | 1/1 | 0 | 250,000* |
| Sulfate | 62,400 | 1/1 | 0 | 63,000 | 1/1 | 0 | 250,000* |
| Nitrate plus Nitrite | 1,700-12,600 | 2/2 | 1 | 500-1,330 | 2/2 | 0 | 10,000† |
| Total Dissolved Solids | 1,330,000 | 1/1 | 1 | 1,220,000 | 1/1 | 1 | 500,000* |
References: EPA 1999b; EPA 2000
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was reported by the lab, but quality assurance/quality control data indicted it was an artifact of the sampling process and not considered representative of the water quality.
Abbreviations:
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA)
NA = Not Available
ND = Not Detected
NS = Not Sampled
ppb = parts per billion
SMCL = Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA)
† MCL
‡ Propsed MCL
* SMCL
