Most Recent Evaluation of the Results of Whole Blood Volatile Solvents Testing 3

Evaluation of the Results of Whole Blood Volatile Solvents Testing 3

By Wilma Subra
Subra Company
Technical Advisor to Louisiana Environmental Action Network

Whole blood samples were collected from 12 individuals between the ages of 10 and 66 on September 13 and 27, 2010, November 1, 22 and 29, 2010 and December 6, 2010. The individuals consisted of 10 and 11 year old males, four adult males and six adult females. The individuals were male and female cleanup workers on Orange Beach, Alabama, male and female crabbers from the Biloxi, Mississippi area and individuals living on Perdido Key, Alabama. The blood samples were analyzed for Volatile Solvents by Method 0762, by Metametrix Clinical Laboratory in Duluth, Georgia.

Benzene

Four whole blood samples, from 46 year old male and female, 51 year old female and 10 year old male, contained 3.1 to 9.3 ppb Benzene. The Benzene values were 11.9 to 35.8 times higher than the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 0.26 ppb. The 46 year old male and female and 10 year old male were from one family of crabbers from the Biloxi, Mississippi area. The 51 year old female was also a crabber from the Biloxi, Mississippi area.

Ethylbenzene

Ethylbenzene was detected in all 12 blood samples in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 0.11 ppb. Six of the individuals tested had blood levels of Ethylbenzene in the range of 0.1 to 0.3 ppb. These values exceeded the NHANES 95th Percentile value by as much as 2.7 times. The other six individuals had blood levels of Ethylbenzene from 0.32 to 0.36 ppb. These values ranged from 2.9 to 3.3 times higher than the NHANES 95th Percentile value.

m,p-Xylene

Eleven individuals had blood containing 0.4 to 1.3 ppb m,p-Xylene. These values were up to 3.8 times higher than the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 0.34 ppb. The 54 year old male did not have m,p-Xylene in his blood.

Hexane

All 12 individuals had Hexane in their blood. Five of the whole blood samples had Hexane in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of >200 ppb. The individuals with blood Hexane levels over the NHANES 95th Percentile value were the 10 year old male, 32 year old female, 46 year old female, 47 year old female and 51 year old female The other seven blood samples contained from 100.9 to 188.35 ppb. These values were 50 to 94 percent of the NHANES 95th Percentile value.

2-Methylpentane

The blood of all 12 individuals contained 2-Methylpentane. Three individuals, the 51 year old female, 46 year old female and 10 year old male, had a whole blood level in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 84.0 ppb. The high 2-Methylpentane blood levels were 84.7 ppb, 88.3 ppb, and 95.9 ppb, respectively. The 51 year old female and 46 year old female were crabbers and the 10 year male was the son of the 46 year old female crabber. The other nine individuals had blood levels of 2-Methylpentane ranging from 40 to 77 percent of the NHANES 95th Percentile value.

3-Methylpentane

All 12 individuals had 3-Methylpentane in their blood. No individuals had whole blood levels of 3-Methylpentane in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 128 ppb. The blood levels of 3-Methylpentane were 23 to 67 percent of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 128 ppb. The 10 year old male (son of a crabbing family in Biloxi, Mississippi) had the highest concentration of 3-Methylpentane, 85.8 ppb.

Isooctane

Eleven of the 12 individuals had Isooctane in their blood. The 51 year old female did not have Isooctane in her blood. The blood levels of Isooctane were 10 to 26 percent of the NHANES 95th Percentile value of 30.6 ppb in the 11 individuals. The 10 year old male (son of a crabbing family) had the highest concentration of Isooctane, 7.92 ppb.

Individuals with Highest Blood Concentrations

The 10 year old male is from the Biloxi, Mississippi area and was exposed to the BP chemicals along the Mississippi coast and while playing outside. The parents of the 10 year old are crabbers. As a result of his exposure, he had severe respiratory impacts. He had the highest concentration of 2-Methylpentane, 3-Methylpentane and Isooctane. The 2-Methylpentane concentration was 1.14 times the NHANES 95th Percentile value and the 3-Methylpentane concentration was 67% of the NHANES 95th Percentile value. The 10 year old male's blood also contained Benzene, Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene and Hexane over the NHANES 95th Percentile values.

The 11 year old male is from Perdido Key, Alabama and has been exposed to the BP chemicals along the Alabama coastal area. He had the highest concentration of Ethylbenzene (3.3 times the NHANES 95th Percentile value). He also had m,p-Xylene in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile value and had concentrations of Hexane, 2- Methylpentane, 3-Methylpentane, and Isooctane in his blood.

The 46 year old female is the mother of the 10 year old male. She and her husband are crabbers from the Biloxi, Mississippi area and have been exposed to the BP chemicals along the coastal waters of Mississippi. She had the second highest concentration of 2-Methylpentane and the third highest concentration of Isooctane. She also had Benzene, Ethylbenzene, m,p-Xylene and hexane in excess of the NHANES 95th Percentile values.

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