United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Off ice of Publication #9355.4-1 OFSa
Solid Waste and October 1992
Emergency Response
&EFA
Three City Urban Soil Lead
Abatement Demonstration
Project
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Hazardous Site Evaluation Division 5204G
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Superfiind program conducted a pilot removal of lead-
contaminated soil in urban residential areas. The $15 million project, mandated by the Superfiind
Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) and initiated in 1987, was designed to evaluate what
effect lead-contaminated soil removal in urban areas had on the level of lead in children's blood. Scientists
determined this effect by measuring children's blood-lead levels before and after the removal of lead-
contaminated soil. This study was coordinated with the Agency-wide Lead Cluster and is part of EPA's
strategy for reducing lead exposures.
The project, also known as the "Three City Lead Study," was conducted in the cities of Boston, Baltimore,
and Cincinnati. Three organizations, the City of Boston, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and
the University of Cincinnati, were responsible for the day-to-day activities. EPA provided management and
technical oversight.
The basic project in each city consisted of three phases: pre-abatement sampling, soil abatement, and
post-abatement sampling. The pre-abatement phase established the baseline conditions for lead levels in
water, soil, blood, etc. The abatement phase was the actual removal of soil and dust under carefully controlled
conditions. The post-abatement phase was a period of monitoring designed to determine the impact of
abatement on exposure reduction. All three cities successfully completed these phases. Complete project
descriptions, including project designs, sampling and analysis protocols, abatement methods, baseline data,
and logistical hurdles can be found in the study's "Midterm Project Update" (May, 1991), available through
the Superfund Document Center.
SYMPOSIUM
The Symposium on Urban Soil Lead
Abatement was held August5-6,1992, inResearch
Triangle Park, North Carolina. The preliminary
findings (listed below) from the individual city
projects were presented at this meeting.
Boston
Preliminary analysis found evidence of a small,
measurable, statistically significant reduction in
children's blood lead levels observed
approximately one year following soil and
interior house dust abatement. Surface soil lead
levels were reduced anaverage of 1856 parts per
million (ppm) and replaced with non-
contaminated soil. As a result, the study
participants' mean blood lead levels declined
0.8-1.6micrograms per deciliter
Oig/dL).
Baltimore
Preliminary evaluation found no
evidence to prove that soil
abatement reduced blood lead
levels in children. (No dust
(continued)
NOTE: These findings are based on draft reports. Data are currently being reanalyzed by EPA and are subject to change.
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Baltimore (continued)
abatement was conducted and all of the study
homes contained both interior and exterior lead-
based paint.)
Cincinnati
Preliminary analysis revealed no evidence that
soil and exterior dust abatement reduced blood
or hand lead levels. Recontamination of exterior
paved areas occurred within weeks of abatement
Recontamination of interior areas with dust lead
occurred more slowly with around 50%
recontamination after one year.
REPORTS
Specific study findings will be contained in
individual city reports. Individual city reports are
not expected to be available for public release
before September 30, 1992. To obtain a copy of
each report, please write to the address listed under
Additional Information. In addition, EPA will
prepare an integrated technical report that will
include information from the analyses of the
combined three city data set The integrated report
is scheduled to be available in January 1993.
EPA HEADQUARTERS CONTACT
Lisa Matthews
U.S. EPA
Analytical Operations Branch (5204G)
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: (703) 603-8846 Fax: (703) 603-9112
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Copies of the Midterm Project Update are
available from the Superfund Document Center
at (202) 260-9760.
Updated copies of study protocols (prepared in
October 1991) are available from:
Dr. Robert Elias
U.S. EPA
Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office
MD-52
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Phone: (919)541-4167
Copies of the Boston final report (available after
September 30,1992) may be obtained from:
U.S. EPA - Region I
Environmental Services Division
60 Westview Street
Lexington, MA 02173
Copies of the Baltimore final report (available
after September 30, 1992) may be obtained
from:
U.S. EPA - Region HI
Community Relations Coordinator
841 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Copies of the Cincinnati final report (available
after October 1992) may be obtained from:
U.S. EPA - Region V
Office of Public Affairs
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
STAY TUNED FOR...
The President's Commission on Environmental
Quality (PCEQ) campaign will begin this Fall.
The public outreach efforts, done in cooperation
with Time Warner, Inc., will include radio, print
and television announcements soon after the
presidential election. The campaign is targeted
primarily towards parents of young children and
is intended to heighten public awareness
regarding lead poisoning. These efforts will
identify sources of lead poisoning, harmful
effects, and effective ways to reduce exposure.
The Lead Public Education brochure, published
by EPA will be available by the end of October,
1992. The brochure, describing general
information on lead and how to reduce lead
exposures, will be available through the National
Lead Information Center.
The National Lead Information Center will be in
operation this Fall. Initially callers to the National
Lead Information Center can leave their name
and address to receive a copy of the brochure and
a contact for lead information in their state.
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