Bombshell: You're bathing in, breathing formaldehyde, West Virginians told

A Marshall University environmental engineer told a legislative committee Wednesday that cancer-causing formaldehyde is in the poisonous stew that some West Virginians have been bathing in and breathing, only one possible breakdown product from the chemical that leaked around Jan. 9th.

Environmental engineer Scott Simonton told a legislative committee Wednesday that he found cancer-causing formaldehyde — that he said is one possible breakdown product from the chemical that leaked — in one local water sample and that continued lack of data on chemicals that leaked into the Elk River, where the people get their water, is very concerning.

Early Wednesday evening, the state Department of Health and Human Resources issued a statement that called Simonton’s comments regarding formaldehyde “totally unfounded” and said his testimony “does not speak to the health and safety of West Virginians.”

Dr. Letitia Tierney, the Bureau for Public Health commissioner, said Wednesday evening that chemists with whom the state consulted each said formaldehyde could not have come from the MCHM.

“Our experts are all in agreement that it’s unlikely that his findings are in any way related to the chemical spill,” she said. “It’s already in our environment.”

For how long has it been in their environment? Why did Tierney not advise the public, if she already knew formaldehyde has been in the environment?

Again, it has taken a scientist of integrity to research and warn the public about a health and security risk that emergency preparedness officials have failed to do. (See: Gov’t Emergency Preparedness Scam Outrage: Botched Responses to Predictable Emergencies Caused Suffering, Death, Wasting $Billions)

“It’s frightening, it really is frightening,” said Simonton, a member of W.V. Environmental Quality Board and consultant for at least one local law firm that’s filed suit over the leak. “What we know scares us — and we know there’s a lot more we don’t know.”

No worries, say officials, ‘Just put it in perspective’

Elizabeth Scharman, director of the West Virginia Poison Center, questioned Simonton’s methodology. He hasn’t released to them multiple samples, the lab he used, how his sample was collected or other details and made no attempts to contact them, she reported.

“People shouldn’t just take the statement of, ‘Oh we found formaldehyde in the water,’ and have that be a scary statement in itself,” Scharman said. “What we’re trying to let people know is that formaldehyde can be found in the water and it can be found in the air, and just put that in perspective.”

Andrew Whelton, an environmental engineer from University of South Alabama, drove to West Virginia soon after the leak. He and his research team have been taking water samples and helping residents complete a flushing process, but with different guidelines than those West Virginia American recommended. 

Residents should open their windows during the flushing process and use ceiling or floor fans to push chemical fumes outside, Whelton says. They should shut off hot-water tanks before flushing, due to chemicals in the water evaporating faster into homes or workplaces from hot water than from cold.

Whelton say it’s crucial that officials begin testing and sampling inside people’s homes to determine the level of contamination of plumbing systems and what to do about it. 

“I can’t believe they aren’t doing this,” Whelton says. “These issues aren’t being addressed. The long-term consequences of this spill are not being addressed.”

The state Department of Environmental Protection say 10,000 gallons of Crude MCHM leaked from a storage tank at Freedom’s Etowah Terminal, 1.5 miles upstream from West Virginia American’s regional intake, that provides drinking water to 300,000 people.

Formaldehyde  Health Effects

From http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formaldehyde.html: Formaldehyde is an important chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. It’s a by-product of combustion and certain other natural processes.

Formaldehyde, a colorless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels (above 0.1 parts per million). High concentrations may trigger attacks in asthmatics. Evidence exists that some people can develop sensitivity to formaldehyde. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans.  Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions.

From http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=219&tid=39: Nasal and eye irritation, neurological effects, and increased risk of asthma and/or allergy have been observed in humans breathing 0.1 to 0.5 ppm. Eczema and changes in lung function have been observed at 0.6 to 1.9 ppm.

From http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/formaldehyde.html: Emergency Overview [concentrated - pbb]: Milky colourless liquid. Pungent odour. COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID. May polymerize under certain conditions. VERY TOXIC. Fatal if inhaled. TOXIC following skin contact and/or if ingested. CORROSIVE. Causes severe skin burns and eye damage. Corrosive to the respiratory tract. SKIN SENSITIZER. May cause allergic skin reaction. CANCER HAZARD. May cause cancer. MUTAGEN. May cause genetic defects.

Main Routes of Exposure: Inhalation; skin contact; skin absorption; eye contact.

• Inhalation: VERY TOXIC, can cause death. Can cause severe irritation of the nose and throat. Can cause life-threatening accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema). Symptoms may include coughing, shortness of breath, difficult breathing and tightness in the chest. Symptoms may develop hours after exposure and are made worse by physical effort.
• Skin Contact: CORROSIVE. Contact can cause pain, redness, burns, and blistering. Permanent scarring can result. Can be absorbed through the skin.
• Eye Contact: CORROSIVE. May cause serious eye damage. May irritate or burn the eyes. Permanent damage including blindness may result. The gas irritates the eyes.
• Ingestion: TOXIC. Can cause death. Can burn the lips, tongue, throat and stomach. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea. Can harm the kidneys. Can harm the liver.
• Effects of Long-Term (Chronic) Exposure: Can cause dry, red, cracked skin (dermatitis) following skin contact. SKIN SENSITIZER. May cause an allergic skin reaction in some people. In sensitized people, contact with a very small amount of product can cause an allergic reaction. Symptoms include redness, rash, itching and swelling. This reaction can spread from the hands or arms to the face and body. Repeated exposure will make the reaction worse. May harm the lungs. May harm the nervous system. Conclusions cannot be drawn from the limited studies available.
• Carcinogenicity: CARCINOGEN. Has been associated with: nasal cancer, cancer of the blood or blood system.

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): Group 1 – Carcinogenic to humans.
American Conference for Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH): A2 – Suspected human carcinogen.

• Teratogenicity / Embryotoxicity: Not known to harm the unborn child.
• Reproductive Toxicity: Not known to be a reproductive hazard.
• Mutagenicity: MUTAGEN. May cause genetic damage based on animal information.

What are first aid measures for formaldehyde solutions?

Inhalation: Take precautions to ensure your own safety before attempting rescue (e.g. wear appropriate protective equipment). Move victim to fresh air. Keep at rest in a position comfortable for breathing. If breathing is difficult, trained personnel should administer emergency oxygen. DO NOT allow victim to move about unnecessarily. Symptoms of pulmonary edema may be delayed. Immediately call a Poison Centre or doctor. Treatment is urgently required. Transport to a hospital.

Skin Contact: Avoid direct contact. Wear chemical protective clothing if necessary. Quickly take off contaminated clothing, shoes and leather goods (e.g. watchbands, belts). Immediately flush with lukewarm, gently flowing water for at least 30 minutes. DO NOT INTERRUPT FLUSHING. If it can be done safely, continue flushing during transport to hospital. Immediately call a Poison Centre or doctor. Treatment is urgently required. Transport to a hospital. Double bag, seal, label and leave contaminated clothing, shoes and leather goods at the scene for safe disposal.

Eye Contact: Avoid direct contact. Wear chemical protective gloves if necessary. Immediately flush the contaminated eye(s) with lukewarm, gently flowing water for at least 30 minutes, while holding the eyelid(s) open. If a contact lens is present, DO NOT delay flushing or attempt to remove the lens. Neutral saline solution may be used as soon as it is available. DO NOT INTERRUPT FLUSHING. If necessary, continue flushing during transport to hospital. Take care not to rinse contaminated water into the unaffected eye or onto the face. Immediately call a Poison Centre or doctor. Treatment is urgently required. Transport to a hospital.

Ingestion: Have victim rinse mouth with water. Immediately call a Poison Centre or doctor. Treatment is urgently required. Transport to a hospital.

First Aid Comments: If exposed or concerned, see a doctor for medical advice. Some of the first aid procedures recommended here require advanced first aid training. All first aid procedures should be periodically reviewed by a doctor familiar with the chemical and its conditions of use in the workplace.

Source: Charleston Gazette, EPA, CDC, OHC

Photo: Occupy the Hollers