However, exposure continues through inhalation of volatilized constituents and through dermal contact with contaminants in the water when the resident showers and performs other household chores. Exposure to airborne contaminants is considered a completed exposure pathway because of past complaints by local residents and site inspectors of physical discomfort resulting from exposure to airborne contaminants. If individuals entered the site in the past, it is possible that they would have been exposed to contaminants by inhalation, incidental ingestion of soil, or by direct dermal contact with soils, sediments, or surface water. It is possible, however, that drinking water wells could become contaminated in the future. The Record of Decision for the Phase II investigation requires periodic monitoring of off-site wells.
Data are also incomplete for Mill Creek sediments immediately downstream from the site.
Residents living near the site in 1976 and 1979 complained of exposure to strong odors from the site and unspecified health effects resulting from this exposure. In 1976, some local residents filed a law suit against MSGS and the principal generator of chemical wastes, claiming health effects from exposure to airborne contaminants. Recent health concerns that were expressed during the public comment period for this public health assessment are primarily regarding cancer rates in the area. Those concerns are addressed in Appendix B . Evaluation of health outcome data indicate that two types of birth defects, spina bifida and Down Syndrome, occurred at a higher rate among Cecil County births that for the State of Maryland as a whole.