The smelter site is contaminated with lead, arsenic and cadmium. Asarco is the potentially liable party responsible for site cleanup. Dust samples were taken from ten homes at the former smelter site this summer. The concentrations of arsenic in the other eight homes are much lower. We ve been advised by the state and federal health agencies involved that the house dust results combined with those of previous soil sampling and biological testing show a significant human health threat to people living in the two homes that tested highest, said Mary Burg, manager of Ecology s Toxics Cleanup Program.
Arsenic exposure can pose both long term and short term health effects.
We know that arsenic can cause cancer, said Jim W. White, toxicologist with Department of Health. Long term exposure to small amounts of arsenic has been linked to health problems in people involving the skin, nervous system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, and other systems of the body. An exposure to large amounts of arsenic can cause immediate health effects including stomach and intestinal problems, skin, throat and lung irritation, and nervous system problems. The smelter site is in a residential area in Northeast Everett that has been undergoing site investigation and cleanup activities since 1990. The site is the historic location of a smelter that was dismantled in 1914.