By John Henderer, The Chronicle, 10-6-99
Chemicals found in dozens of barrels buried beneath a building south of Chehalis can cause a variety of health problems, including cancer, according to state and federal information.
Under a state-supervised investigation, workers last month unearthed barrels beneath the Bulldog Trailer Manufacturing building containing at least 16 chemicals, many of which are known toxins.
Of more than 60 barrels, roughly 10 were found intact and unopened, said Sandy Howard, state Department of Ecology spokeswoman.
The rest had come apart. Many were found in pieces.
Chemicals found in soupy solutions in the top of the barrels included vinyl chloride, acetone, methylene chloride, benzene, trichloroethylene, 4-methyl-2pentanone, toluene, perchloroethylene, and ethylbenzene.
Ecology officials have focused attention on perchloroethylene, a powerful solvent, in their public statements because its concentrations have been found at such high levels - the highest in state groundwater.
But some chemicals found at the site are potentially more hazardous, although the levels discovered so far have not been as dramatic.
Ecology officials continue their investigation in the area, hoping to target concentrated contaminants south of the S.C. Breen Construction Co. property soon, Howard said.
The chemicals concentrations outlined here were from soupy solutions on top of the barrels. Concentrations in sludge from the bottom of the barrels measured exponentially higher for many chemicals.
Perchloroethylene at acute exposures can potentially cause damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system. The Environmental Protection Agency lists it as a possible carcinogen.
A sample from a barrel found ''perc'' at more than 2,000 times the state's safe drinking water standard. This chemical was also found at high concentrations in a family's well water across the road.
Vinyl chloride can cause angiosarcoma, a rare cancer of the liver. It was discovered at 865 micrograms per liter in a barrel's watery solution - 37,000 times higher than the state's safe drinking water standard.
Acute vinyl chloride exposure can cause dizziness and headaches. Long-term airborne exposure can cause liver damage and increase the risk of cancer in the liver, brain, lungs and intestines - a ''major'' concern, according to the EPA.
Methylene chloride was discovered in the barrels at more than 600 times the state's safe drinking water standard of 5.8 micrograms per liter.
Acute methylene chloride exposure can hamper vision and hearing temporarily. Animal studies have shown increases in tumors after inhaling the chemical, which the EPA lists as a ''probable human carcinogen'' of ''low'' hazard.
Its use is approved as a ''degreening'' agent for oranges and other citrus fruit.
Acute benzene exposure can cause drowsiness, dizziness, headaches, and unconsciousness. Ingesting very high benzene levels can induce vomiting, convulsions and death.
Ecology found benzene at 35 times the state's safe drinking water standard in a watery solution tested from a barrel unearthed at the site.
Women exposed at work to high levels of benzene have been shown to suffer menstrual disorders and adverse effects on their unborn children. The EPA ranks benzene as a known carcinogen of medium hazard.
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John Henderer covers county government and environmental issues for The Chronicle. He can be reached by e-mail at jhenderer@chronline.com or by calling 807-8239.
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