NAPLES, Italy — Navy officials hosted the first of two open houses Wednesday, providing information on findings from the Naples Public Health Evaluation to the handful of attendees who trickled in.
The 2,700-page report of the 10-month initial phase details information on chemicals and bacteria found in more than one-third of the off-base homes tested, with traces of the dry-cleaning solvent tetrachloroethene, fecal and total coliforms, and nitrates responsible for the majority of the associated risks, experts said.
The study, which started in January 2008, looks at potential health risks posed by decades of illegal trash-burning, dumping of toxic waste, garbage collection strikes and numerous reports of rising cancer rates and respiratory problems.
So far, results show that tap water in off-base homes serviced by well water pose the greatest risk, said Chris Waldron, the study’s lead risk assessor. Tap water contamination has resulted in the relocation of 17 families, several areas being placed off-limits for renting, and the Navy providing bottled water to all off-base residents.
Landlords’ use of illegal wells, along with a "lack of enforcement by Italian regulatory agencies," are some causes of tap water contamination listed in the report.
Additionally, water tests on nine wells used to irrigate fields and grassy areas on the support site all had levels of nitrates above maximum contaminant levels set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and five wells tested above maximum contaminant levels for total coliform bacteria. However, water from those wells are not used for drinking, and levels were small enough that officials said they posed no health risks to people either walking through those areas or playing in sprinklers, according to Dr. (Cmdr.) Timothy Halenkamp, occupational and environmental medicine specialist in Naples.
Base officials are putting up signs informing residents that the water there is nonpotable.
In conducting the health study, experts took a "conservative" approach to the assessment, determining potential risks based on a 30-year exposure rate, even though the average tour length in Naples varies from three to six years, said Paul Gillooly, from the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, the lead agency in the assessment.
Assessments are "based on the risk to human health of exposure to the area or home they live in. It’s not a personal risk factor, so it doesn’t take into account personal lifestyle factors [such as a health problem or personal habits such as smoking]. It’s just about the risk posed by where they live," said Waldron, president of Pioneer Technologies, an Olympia, Wash.-based environmental company hired for the risk assessment.
Risks associated with soil and soil gas were listed as "typically acceptable" with a few isolated exceptions. In surface soil samples, experts found naturally-occurring arsenic, attributed to the volcanic soil due to the proximity of Mount Vesuvius.
"It’s a fact of life here in this region," Waldron said.
Traces of nitrates also pose a concern, especially to infants and unborn children because it can cause methemoglobinemia, a disorder that can lead to anemia and tissue hypoxia. However, none of the levels was alarming, and risks are diminished when children or pregnant women drink bottled water, said Halenkamp.
In July, officials will have the results of a 12-month air monitoring program that should give a more accurate assessment of Naples’ air quality.
The Phase I report used a one-month sampling of the air, between July 7 and Aug. 8. The snapshot showed no "violations" when using U.S. standards for particulates 10 micrograms or smaller, commonly called PM10s.
A 20-month asthma and respiratory review of patient records from October proved inconclusive, and prompted officials to look more deeply into the issue. A second report on asthma is expected this summer, said Chris Rennix, the division officer for the EpiData Center at the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center.
The information from the open house was helpful to Petty Officer 1st Class David Daniels, who returned in February from a year in Iraq.
"I’m just trying to get a better idea of what’s going on," said Daniels, who lives in Casal di Principe with his wife.
He said he’s not overly concerned with the potential adverse health affects of living in Naples despite living in an area now off-limits due to water contamination.
His family drinks bottled water, and since arriving in Naples in January 2006, they’ve not experienced any illnesses they think could be linked to living here. However, since the Navy’s bottled-water advisory, they do try to brush their teeth with it, and give only bottled water to their dog.
Curiosity drew Pino Bossa to the open house. He has been working for the Navy’s telecommunications station since 1997.
"Since I cover the base, work there, I wanted to see what they found," Bossa said. "I want to know, is the water good or not? I think they are doing good."
