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Report confirms tungsten, cobalt in Fallon...
A new study has confirmed that a high level of tungsten and cobalt exsist in Fallon, where a childhood leukemia cluster has sickened 17 children. Three have died since 1997.
The report, the latest to be carried out, was done by collecting surface dust from various surfaces around the community 60 miles of Reno. However, scientists said the testing doesn’t pinpoint the origin of the metals, or whether they are linked to the cancer cluster.
The study's main author, Dr. PAUL Sheppard, a researcher at the University of Arizona said "This is yet another study giving evidence of the elevated levels of tungsten and cobalt in Fallon,” he added. “We have co-aberration from the three studies.”
The latest results of dust collected in 2005 support findings of two previous
studies,
One of the previous studies revealed high levels of tungsten and cobalt in
algae and moss at elevations above 3,900 feet. The other was an airborne
study.
Sheppard said the latest study indicates tungsten levels at 934 parts per
million, and cobalt at 93 ppm.
But since there’s no current data on safe non-occupational exposure
levels, the numbers only indicate high levels and suggest more biochemical
testing should be conducted, he said.
“The occupational exposure is not transferable to outdoor non-occupational
exposure standards,” he said.
Elevated levels of tungsten have also been found in biological samples taken
from Fallon residents and in local water supplies.
Dr. Gary Ridenour of Fallon, who assisted in the study, said much of the
particles in the samples was probably old stuff around the town before better
EPA standards were being used at Kennametal, a Fallon manufacturer of tungsten-carbide
products used in tools.
Sheppard and Dr. Mark Witten, also from the University of Arizona, were the
principal investigators on the study.
Others involved include Dr. Robert Speakman from the Museum Conservation
Institute, the Smithsonian Institution in Suitland, Md.; Dr. Michael Glascock
from the Research Reactor Center at the University of Missouri; and Calvin
Farris from the University of Missouri.
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