Endicott Area Investigations - Public Health Response Plan

Appendix C: Overview of Completed Health Studies

This section describes the health studies that have been completed in the Endicott area. Copies of these studies can be obtained by calling Karolina Schabses of the NYSDOH at 1-800-402-7950. Documents are also available for public review at the George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Village of Endicott, 1001 Park Street, Endicott, NY 13760.

C.1 "Cancer Occurrence by Common Drinking Water Source, Broome County, New York, 1976 – 1980."

Performed by:
NYSDOH and BCHD
Time Period Examined:
1976 – 1980
Study Area:
Multiple areas served by specific water supplies within Broome County, New York. The area served by Endicott drinking water wells was a specific sub-area.
Released:
1986
Purpose:
To evaluate cancer incidence in areas served by water supplies within Broome County where volatile organic compounds were detected at concentrations greater than historic NYSDOH drinking water standards. The municipal wells of these public drinking water supplies were tested for VOCs in 1979 as part of a statewide effort. Water supplies containing elevated concentrations of VOCs were either treated or taken out of service.
Overall Findings:
No consistent patterns of elevated or decreased levels of cancer occurrence were found. Some types of cancer were statistically significantly elevated for only males or only females in some of the study areas.
Endicott-specific Findings:
Statistically significant excesses of all cancers combined for males, leukemia among males, and lung cancer among females were found in the Endicott study area.
Follow-up Study:
"Cancer Occurrence by Common Drinking Water Source, Broome County, New York, 1981 – 1990"

C.2 "Childhood Leukemia in the Town of Union, Broome County, New York 1993-1994."

Performed by:
NYSDOH
Time Period Examined:
1993 – 1994
Study Area:
Town of Union, Broome County, New York
Released:
1995
Purpose:
To investigate reports of an unusual number of leukemia diagnoses among children residing in the study area.
Overall Findings:
The investigation confirmed that a total of seven cases of children under the age of 15 were diagnosed with leukemia in 1993 and 1994 in the Town of Union. This was a significantly greater number than the approximately one case expected in a town of this size in two years. Interviews with parents were conducted and possible contributing factors, both environmental and individual, were examined in depth.
No information was found that suggested a common exposure to an environmental or physical agent as a cause for the childhood leukemia elevation. All of the children who developed leukemia were born after the early 1980s, after the treatment or closure of municipal wells that exceeded drinking water standards. None of the children attended the same school, pre-school, or day care. The children's residences were not clustered in any one area of the Town of Union. None of the environmental factors reviewed increased in the late 1980s or early 1990s such that a sudden increase in childhood leukemia in 1993-1994 would occur.
Follow-up Study:
On-going Cancer Surveillance program

C.3 "Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Evaluation, Endicott Village Wellfield (a.k.a. Ranney Well) site, Broome County, New York."

Performed By:
NYSDOH, with funds from and oversight by ATSDR
Time Period Examined:
1988 – 1990
Study Area:
Two and a half-mile radius around the area served by the Endicott Village Municipal Water Service Area during the years 1988 through 1993.
Released:
1996
Purpose:
This health consultation evaluates the public health significance of air emissions from TRI reporting facilities within and near the Endicott public water supply service area. The NYSDOH evaluated these air emissions data for the years 1988 – 1993, using a refined screening model.
Overall Findings:
Estimated ambient air levels for methylene chloride and tetrachloroethene from the IBM Corporation (Systems Manufacturing Division) in 1988 were the only modeled results that exceeded the screening level and the public health comparison values. These estimated air levels exceeded the cancer risk comparison values at distance of up to 2.5 and .38 miles, respectively, from the center of this facility. TRI emissions data for methylene chloride and tetrachloroethene are not available for year prior to 1988 and, therefore, any increased cancer risk from past exposure to these chemicals can not be determined. Since 1988, the IBM Corporation (Systems Manufacturing Division) reported significant decreases in air emissions of methylene chloride and tetrachloroethene. Therefore, based on an evaluation of current TRI data, the NYSDOH estimates that neither methylene chloride nor tetrachloroethene are a source of significant increase health risk.

C.4 "Cancer Occurrence by Common Drinking Water Source, Broome County, New York, 1981-1990."

Performed by:
NYSDOH, with funds from and oversight by ATDSR
Time Period Examined:
1981 – 1990
Study Area:
Multiple areas served by specific water supplies within Broome County, New York. The area served by Endicott drinking water wells was a specific sub-area.
Released:
1999
Purpose:
To evaluate cancer incidence in areas served by water supplies within Broome County for the period 1981-1990, where volatile organic compounds were detected at concentrations greater than historic NYSDOH drinking water standards. The municipal wells of these public drinking water supplies were tested for VOCs in 1979 as part of a statewide effort. Water supplies containing elevated concentrations of VOCs were either treated or taken out of service.
Overall Findings:
No consistent patterns of elevated or decreased levels of cancer occurrence were found. Some types of cancer were statistically significantly elevated for only males or only females in some of the study areas.
Endicott-specific Findings:
No significant excess or deficit of any type of cancer among males or females was found in the Endicott study area. The observed number of cases of leukemia in Endicott was somewhat higher than expected for males and females during 1981-1990, but not significantly so. The number of cases of leukemia occurring among children was examined separately in the Endicott study area and no excess was observed.
Follow-up Study:
Due to the suggestion of an elevation of leukemia in the Endicott study area, a follow-up study of leukemia among males 65 and older diagnosed with cancer from 1981 to 1990 and residing in the Town of Union at the time of diagnosis is being conducted by the NYSDOH.

C.5 Health Study: "Leukemia Incidence among Workers in the Boot and Shoe Manufacturing Industry in the Town of Union, Broome County."

Performed by:
NYSDOH
Time Period Examined:
1981- 1990
Study Area:
Town of Union, Broome County, New York
Released:
August 2004
Purpose:
This health study is a follow-up study of leukemia among males 65 and older diagnosed with cancer from 1981 to 1990 and residing in the Town of Union at the time of diagnosis. The focus of this study was to investigate whether men diagnosed with leukemia were more likely to have worked at the Endicott Johnson boot and shoe manufacturer.
Overall Findings:
The results suggest an association between leukemia and working at Endicott Johnson. Overall, the men whose death certificates indicated that they had worked at Endicott Johnson had a higher risk of developing leukemia than those who did not. In addition, the risk of acute myeloid leukemia was slightly higher among former Endicott Johnson workers. These suggested associations are consistent with other studies that investigated leukemia and employment in the boot and shoe manufacturing industry. However, this study does not provide enough evidence to rule out the possibility that the results were due to chance. One way to determine whether these higher risks are significant is to conduct statistical tests. When researchers performed these tests, the elevated risks were not statistically significant. However, this does not mean that there is not an association between leukemia and employment at Endicott Johnson; it means that the tests were unable to show a statistical association.
A fact sheet detailing the summary of findings is available on the NYSDOH website at: http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/investigations/broome/ej_workers.htm. The full report is published online at the journal Environmental Health: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/3/1/7