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Millsboro Inhalation Exposure and Biomonitoring Report:

Press ConferenceDr. Jonathan Thornburg and Dr. James Raymer

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Acknowledgements35 residents of Sussex County that participated, and the entire community for supporting the study

RTI StaffQuentin Malloy (Field Manager)

Cortina Johnson and Jocelin Deese-Spruill (Sample Collection)

Larry Michael (Statistical Analysis)

Andrea McWilliams and Meaghan McGrath (PM2.5 Filter Analysis)

Robert Yaga (Instrumentation)

Wayne Dawson, Mike Donahue (local contractors)

DNREC and DPH Staff

Betsy Frey (DNREC), Lisa Henry (DPH), and Rick Perkins (DPH) provided oversight

Susan Mitchell (DPH), Mohammed Majeed (DNREC), Tara Lydick (DPH) for their technical contributions

DNREC and DPH staff that reviewed the interim report and the final report

DNREC and Delaware Cancer Consortium in collaboration with the Delaware Health Fund funded the study

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Study Objectives1. What are the impacts of the NRG Energy power plant on

PM2.5 exposure levels of the Sussex County population?

2. What are the relative contributions of upwind sources in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia on the PM2.5 exposure of the Sussex County population?

3. What point, local, and personal sources contribute to the Sussex County population’s PM2.5 exposure?

4. Do biological samples represent exposure to coal-fired power plant emissions?

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80 Volunteers35 participants, 3 days each personal/indoor/outdoor , surveys, biospecimens4 fixed sites, daily plus 1 central site: DNREC PM2.5 FRM, 1:3Fall 2011 and Fall 2012

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Air Monitoring Findings

• Ambient PM2.5 • Did not increase with NRG Energy power plant operation• Regional and local sources could not be identified• Long range transport of PM2.5 from neighboring states was the largest contributor

• Indoor and Personal PM2.5

• Concentrations in 2012 were not altered by NRG Energy power plant emissions

• Personal and indoor sources of PM2.5 contributed the most to the participant’s exposure

• Contributions from ambient sources were lower• Tobacco smoke was a large contributor• Exposure patterns changed from 2011 to 2012

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Biospecimen Findings

• Urine, blood, and hair were collected; hair was archived.• Biomarkers for PM2.5 exposure were not consistently altered by NRG Energy power plant operation

• In general, no consistent differences were measured between 2011 and 2012

• Blood results• Lead, cadmium and mercury had a distribution of values, but no marked differences between years

• No VOCs detected.• Urine results

• Arsenic and selenium were the most frequently detected inorganics in urine and those that exceeded reference concentrations. [Known that As and Se exposures also possible from diet (fish, rice, or multi-vitamins)]

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Biospecimen Associations with PM Exposure and Other Exposure Routes

Personal PM2.5, ETS, BC, and Filter XRF elements with biospecimen elements– Blood lead associated with PM2.5 mass both years; near

significance of blood Cd with ETS in 2012 (when ETS was major contributor)

– No associations of PM2.5 elemental concentrations and elements in urine

Other exposure routes– Urinary total As was not linked with water source, hours spent

indoors, or other lifestyle factors. It was associated with seafood consumption in past 48 h (DNREC study in 2010 did not find widespread inorganic As in DE inland bays)

– Urine concentrations of other inorganics were not associated with dietary ingestions, non-dietary exposure, or lifestyle factors

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Thank You