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HISTORY OF THE ATSDR/USPHS PROFILE:
“Toxicological Profile for Fluorides, Hydrogen Fluoride and Fluorine (F)”
(ATSDR 1993; Update 2003)
Background:
After "fluorides, hydrogen fluoride and fluorine" had been found in many industrial and military hazardous waste sites - and identified as a threat to humans, animals, and the environment - a compilation of information about fluorides, hydrogen fluoride and fluorine and their effects on health was required under the provisions of the Superfund Act (CERCLA, 1986).
This publication appeared in 1993 (ATDSR, 1993).
Who wrote the 1993 document?
It was written by the Clement International Corporation.
At the time of the 1993 ATSDR Profile, Clement International Corporation (CIC) was part of ICF Kaiser International, Inc..
Under names such as Clements Associates, ICF Clement, Clement International Corporation, etc. ICF wrote countless ATSDR Profiles under contracts from the ATSDR, including the ones concerned with pollutants from the aluminum industry.
In 1990 alone ICF wrote the reports on Benzo(a)pyrene (1990) [ICF-Clement - ATSDR/TP-88/05], Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons(PAH) (1990) [Clement International
Corporation - ATSDR/TP-90-20], and Xylenes (1990) [Clement Associates - ATSDR/TP90-30].
Note: Why there were such different names used for apparenty the same company - and in the same year - remains a mystery.
The parent company, ICF Kaiser, is a major global provider of services to the alumina/aluminum industry in locations as far-reaching as India and the Middle East.
Ongoing ICF projects include design engineering for the expansion of major alumina refineries in Western Australia; and engineering, design, and procurement for a 50,000 ton-per-year aluminum smelter expansion in Brazil.
In 1997 ICF was working on a $100 million aluminum industry contract in Australia, as well as a $160 million contract with Nova Hux, an integrated steel company in the Ostrava region in the Czech Republic (Business News, July 11, 1997).
The aluminum industry is one of the largest fluoride polluters in the world.
On average worldwide, the aluminum industry consumes about 21 kilograms (kg) of fluorides for each metric ton of aluminum produced; this ranges from 10 to 12 kilograms per metric ton (kg/t) in a modern prebaked aluminum smelter to 40 kg/t in an older Soderberg smelter without scrubbers (USGS, 1999).
History of the ICF
ICF Consulting was founded in 1969. The first president was C. L. Lester, a former Tuskegee Airman, who was joined in the enterprise by three U.S. Department of Defense analysts. Throughout the 1970s, focus was on energy issues for U.S. federal agencies and for industry. In the 1980s the firm expanded its environmental business rapidly and began to build its engineering capabilities.
In 1988, ICF acquired Kaiser Engineers, which had originated as the engineering unit of Henry J. Kaiser's industrial empire and grew to rank among the largest engineering and construction companies in the world. The combined company operated as "ICF Kaiser".
ICF Kaiser became the United States' largest hazardous waste design firm and the 6th largest hazardous waste contracting firm.
It further executed refining and petrochemical projects internationally - with special emphasis on all major refinery and petrochemical processes.
As is rather well-known by now the emissions of hydrogen fluoride during the “refinery process” have become a major concern.
In 1997, ICF Kaiser ranked as the 20th largest industrial process/petrodesign company.
When not writing toxicological profiles, ICF Kaiser provides environmental services to chemical plants; aerospace manufacturers; iron, steel, and aluminum producers; oil and gas refineries; pharmaceutical companies; the communications industry; and a variety of heavy industrial manufacturers.
In short - all fluoride-polluting industries.
ICF Kaiser's Federal Programs Group oversees major program management and technical support contracts for U.S. government agencies, particularly the U.S. Departments of Energy (DOE) and Defense (DOD). The group has more than 2,230 employees. Examples of current projects include providing technical support for environmental restoration projects at half of DOE's former weapons production facilities; conducting hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste cleanup for the U.S. Army under Total Environmental Restoration Contracts (TERC) valued at $590 million; and providing technical and analytical support to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund, RCRA, and other environmental programs.
ICF Kaiser's largest project is managed within the "Federal Group".
"The project involves serving as the integrating management contractor at DOE's Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site near Denver, Colorado, with CH2M Hill Companies Ltd. Under a multibillion-dollar contract, Kaiser-Hill is working to stabilize and safely store more than 14 tons of plutonium at the site, to clean up areas contaminated with hazardous and radioactive waste, and to restore much of the 6,000-acre site to the public.
"In addition, ICF Kaiser is providing environmental services to the Savannah District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under a $50 million contract. Tasks performed under this contract include site assessments, risk assessments, remedial investigations, feasibility studies, remedial design, and construction support at sites throughout the Savannah District, especially the Milan Army Ammunition Plant in Tennessee. Under a similar $35 million contract with the U.S. Army Environmental Center, ICF Kaiser is providing a full range of technical support for site investigation and remediation projects at Aberdeen Proving Ground and other Army facilities. ICF Kaiser also is providing administrative, engineering, and technical support services for major projects at DOE's Hanford Site in Richland, Washington; and investigation and technical support for cleanup activities at DOE's Los Alamos National Laboratory Restoration Program in New Mexico."
Source: NBC Group : Background Information on ICF Kaiser International
http://users.erols.com/nbcgroup/icfki.htm
Consultants to ICF Kaiser also consult on massive
aluminum fluoride projects in Australia.
David Moore - RobSearch Engineering http://www.robsearch.com.au/moore.htm
"ICF Consulting has been establishing permanent operations in countries where its long-term prospects are greatest. Its environmental consulting subsidiary in Moscow, ICF/EKO, was established in 1993.The firm has a flourishing Canadian subsidiary based in Toronto, and last year it established an Australian company based in Melbourne specializing in services to privatizing energy markets in the Asia/Pacific region."
"ICF Consulting has been carrying out assignments in international markets since its early years. Taking advantage of its headquarters location in the Washington, D.C. area, the firm has been especially successful in securing consulting work
in developing countries funded by multilateral development banks -- such as the World Bank -- or by agencies of the U.S. federal government."
==
ICF has developed a site-specific Reference Dose
(RfD) for methylmercury for a fish eating
population for the Aluminum Company of America
(ALCOA) and which will be used by the US EPA in
its risk managements decisions for a Texas ALCOA
site.
ICF Consulting - Insights
http://www.icfconsulting.com/Insights/Consult/doc_files /SummerConsult1998.pdf
ICF also runs a lobbying group called the ICF Kaiser International Inc. Political Action Committee (PAC). PACs are groups which donate funds in an election cycle in the hopes of weakening or eliminating existing environmental laws and passing legislation to further their goals of profit.
http://gsi.ewg.org/fp.acgi$commTB?TEMPID=C00080069
ICF was also involved in hexafluoride conversion processes. Robert Craig, Ph.D., was a Principal and Vice-President for DOE Technology with ICF Consulting, operating from his office in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
http://www.informaticscorp.com/people.htm
CM Equity is affiliated with Carl Marks Co. who
started foreign currency trading in 1925.
A) The report is "intended to help public health
professionals address the needs of persons living
or working near hazardous waste sites." (p.27)
However the public is not informed as to how many
of these waste sites exist across the U.S., nor
where they are located. (Please note that the
very existence of so many fluoride-polluted waste
sites was the reason why this documented was
ordered in the first place.)
The Public is not told about:
Troutdale, Oregon (Reynolds Aluminum smelter)
"Fluoride is the only site contaminant which may
cause adverse health effects to workers. Fluoride
levels can result in an increase in the incidence
of dental caries and skeletal fluorosis."
PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT
REYNOLDS METALS COMPANY
TROUTDALE, MULTNOMAH COUNTY, OREGON
CERCLIS NO. ORD009412677
January 14, 1997
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/reynolds/rmc_toc.ht ml
PRELIMINARY PUBLIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT
NATIONAL SOUTHWIRE ALUMINUM COMPANY
HAWESVILLE, HANCOCK COUNTY, KENTUCKY
CERCLIS NO. KYD049062373 May 10, 1994
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/nsa/nsa_toc.html
Cornwall Island /Syracuse (Aluminum smelter)
Fort Hall (phosphate-processing plant)
Oak Ridge (UF6/Hydrogen fluoride - nuclear weapons)
At the Martin Marietta aluminum reduction
facility in The Dalles, Oregon the groundwater
was contaminated with 3000 ppm fluoride, soil had
2800 ppm.
Environmental Cleanup Site Information Database
Site Summary Report ID 72 (2001)
http://www.google.ca/search?q=cache:yGpVwc0HHYAC: www.deq.state.or.us/wmc/ECSI/ecsidetail.asp%3Fseqnb r%3D72+fluoride+priority+hazardous+waste+&hl=en
Or the clusters of wells in Talbot County,
Maryland where the fluoride levels is "80% of the
MCL", and "where new treatment or sources would
be needed if this MCL would be lowered". Some
sources contain both arsenic and fluoride. [No
mention is made in this profile of the
synergistic effects of arsenic and fluoride which
have been reported from other countries: LINK.]
The public is never told about the sources of
high fluoride pollution, nor where people might
find out if they are living near a fluoride
polluting plant/source or not. A very odd
"Toxicological Profile" - indeed!
Priority #1: Protecting Public Health
The public is not told about the health effects
which have been reported from the "Donora Fog",
America's worst "Air Pollution Disaster".
Not one word is uttered about the children and
adults, animals and all environment, which have
been fluoride-poisoned from emissions from
Reynolds Aluminum at the Mohawk Reserve,
It turns out that this profile, like so many
other recent toxicological profiles published by
the ATSDR, was written by the Syracuse Research
Corporation.
Who is the Syracuse Research Corporation?
The Syracuse Research Corporation was formed in
1957 as a separate entity from the University of
Syracuse, located on the South campus of Syracuse
University. Headquartered in "the heart of New
York State, where we have served the interests of
government, industry, and academia".
"Many on our staff are retired military
professionals." (ref:job offers, John P. Waller,
Director of Security and Administrative Services,
SRC, (315) 426-3289 (Voice), (315) 426-3469 (Fax)
waller@syrres.com (E-mail).
further research:
"Implementing Information Warfare: A Course for the Warrior"
http://www.infowar.com/conf/confq.html-ssi
"SRC has a 30+ year track record of performace
and operation of massive software systems
operating in a secure military environment. SRC's
work includes developing massive databases
including the "black internet" created for
military and secure governmental real time
communication."
While looking for who the Syracuse Research
Corporation is, we get immmediately to a site
which lists Proctor & Gamble, as well as duPont
as sponsors. http://esc.syrres.com/
The SRC proudly lists its affiliations with over
200 academic institutions, professors and
companies world-wide which "help SRC to bridge
academia and industry."
Among them are Proctor & Gamble, Bayer (fluoride
polluters since the 1890s), Martin Marietta
(aluminum reduction - fluoride polluters in
Oregon since the 1950s), Eastman Kodak (workers
exposed to fluoride compounds since the 1920s),
Dow Chemical (fluoride polluters since the
1930s), ICI Chemicals & Polymers, Ltd (->UK -
fluoride manufacturers/polluters since the
1930s), Shell (fluoride emitters since the
1930s), etc.
Syracuse Research Corporation
http://www.syrres.com/academia.htm
Further research leads to the board of trustees.
"The Board of Trustees that oversees the
activities of SRC is composed of senior
executives and industry leaders. The individuals
on the Board of Trustees have varied backgrounds
including government, law, banking, manufacturing
(medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemicals
and ceramics), and advanced telecommunications
systems and services."
Hm, interesting. The SRC is a major recipient of DoD funding.
"Currently, more than one hundred commercial
and government sponsored research and development
investigations are underway across the
Corporation."
The primary objective of the SRC is "to serve
as a unique technology development and transfer
bridge between government, industry and academia.
We remain committed to this objective, and look
forward to the challenges and opportunities that
the future will bring."
'Government ' here meaning military and public health.
The corporation is "staffed by professionals
who are experts in protecting collateral,
intelligence, and special access programs. . .
the Corporation has securely handled classified
and sensitive business information for over 40
years."
(http://www.syrres.com )
Cement Consulting Corportation doing consulting
for multilateral companies, deeply involved in
the energy sector.
The Corporation's activities focus on
initiatives associated with economic development,
technology innovation, environmental quality,
and ***academic-to-industry coupling***.
( http://www.syrres.com )
The SRC has many inhalation studies on fluoride
compounds listed in its own data base, including
2-FLUOROPROPANE,
Military
Recently Congressman James T. Walsh announced
that $3 million in projects for
Syracuse Research Corporation was made available
for the fiscal year 2002 Defense Appropriations
Conference Report which passed the U.S House of
Representatives on Dec.20, 2001.
"Recent events demonstrate the need for a
strong and well-equipped military" said Walsh.
"This funding represents an investment in our
troops, an investment in our military's
technology, and an investment in our national
security." (
http://www.house.gov/walsh/pr_1220012.html )
Nuff said.
In the past research fellows have included
members trained at the Carnegie-Mellon Institute
(Samuel Craig, 1957),
Samuel Craig Specialty: Adaptive Signal Processing
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/academics/depts/elec/facst aff/scraig.shtml
In the past consultants for Syracuse have
included Tapan K. Sarkar who also served as
consultant for duPont.
http://web.syr.edu/~tksarkar/vita.html
Senior Scientists for the Syracuse Research
Corporation included members of the University of
Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry (Mark
Osier).
The SRC is involved in the loan transaction industry, see :Board of Trustees
Job Offer posted by SRC
http://www.infowar.com/iwftp/c4i/101596.txt
Many on our staff are retired military professionals. SRC has an
exceptional benefits package which includes tuition assistance and a
retirement plan unmatched elsewhere. In addition to our home facility in
Syracuse, we also have satellite facilities in Baltimore, MD; Washington,
DC; San Antonio, TX; Eglin, FL; Dayton, OH; and Rome, New York
F) 19 percent or 8 ±4 mg Al/L was complexed with F- (Al-F). AlF(x) are found in the public
water supply when both aluminum and fluoridation
agents are being used in treatment of water.
[Driscoll CT, Raymond D. Letterman RD, Fitch DE
- "Residual Aluminum in Filtered Water" Syracuse
University/ Metropolitan Water Board of Onondaga
County, NY AWWA Research Foundation Order Number:
90530 (1988)]
http://www.awwarf.org/research/topicsandprojects/exe cSum/111.aspx
G) All hazardous waste sites across the U.S. should be listed in the Profile.
H) If the profile is to be used as reference
material in other countries, all areas which are
fluoride-polluted in respective countries shall
be listed and identified.
H)"Finally, the ill effects of excess fluoride in water is gradually in
increasing order. The use of mass media like
television, newspapers, radio, advertisement
through ration card, etc. would be very helpful
to conquer the
fluoride devil at domestic level."
Alum treatment process for fluoride reduction in potable water
http://www.iisc.ernet.in/~currsci/august/articles3.htm
Appendix B
References:
Agrawal M, Agrawal SB - "Research on Air
Pollution Impacts on Indian Forests" ; Chapter 9
in:"Air Pollution and the Forests of Developing
and Rapidly Industrializing Countries" , edited
by JL Innes and Habon Abu Hassan IUFRO Series
No.4 (2000)
http://www.cabi-publishing.org/Bookshop/Readingroom/0 851994814/4814ch9.pdf
Amlan Stanley V, Pillai KS -"Dental fluorosis in
an industrial area contaminated
with fluoride in drinking water" Polln Res. 18(3):305-308(1999)
Ando M, Tadano M, Yamamoto S, Tamura K, Asanuma
S, Watanabe T, Kondo T, Sakurai S, Ji R, Liang C,
Chen X, Hong Z, Cao S - "Health effects of
fluoride pollution caused by coal burning" Sci
Total Environ 271(1-3):107-16 (2001) [Regional
Environment Division, National Institute for
Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan]
Ando M, Tadano M, Asanuma S, Tamura K, Matsushima
S, Watanabe T, Kondo T, Sakurai S, Ji R, Liang C,
Cao S - "Health effects of indoor fluoride
pollution from coal burning in China" Environ
Health Perspect 106(5):239-44 (1998)
ATSDR/USPHS - “Toxicological Profile for Fluorides, Hydrogen Fluoride and Fluorine (F)” CAS# 16984-48-8, 7664-39-3, 7782-41-4 (1993),
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts11.html
ATSDR/CDC Public Health Assessment, Reynold's
Metals Company, Troutdale, Multinomah County,
Oregon, CERCLIS NO. ORD009412677 (1999)
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/reynolds/rmc_p3.ht ml
Business News from Washington, July 11, 1997
Print Edition, International Business
http://www.washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories /1997/07/14/newscolumn3.html
Buzalaf MA, Granjeiro JM, Damante CA, de Ornelas
F - "Fluoride content of infant formulas prepared
with deionized, bottled mineral and fluoridated
drinking water" ASDC J Dent Child 68(1):37-41, 10
(2001)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?ui d=11324405&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Chen MJ - "An investigation of endemic fluorine
poisoning caused by food contaminated by smoke
containing fluorine" Chung Hua Yu Fang I Hsueh
Tsa Chih 25(3):171-173 (1991)
China Daily, 1999
http://64.177.90.157/science/html/china_daily.html
Diaz-Barriga F, Navarro-Quezada A, Grijalva MI,
Grimaldo M, Loyola-Rodriguez JP, Ortiz MD
-"Endemic fluorosis in Mexico" Fluoride
30(4):233-239 (1997)
D'Monte D -"Another Look At 'Backwardness'"
Sawaal India News (2000) http://news.sawaal.com/expertsays/envior/index7.htm
Du L - "The effect of fluorine on the developing
human brain" Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi
21(4):218-20 (1992)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?ui d=1473206&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r
Federal Register Dec. 24, 1997
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-TOX/1997/December/ Day-24/hapindex.htm
India Infoline Sector Reports: Aluminium Dec.22, 2001
http://www.indiainfoline.com/sect/alum/ch07.html
India Abroad News Service January 11, 2001 -
"Excess fluoride in water wreaks havoc in
Jharkhand village"
http://news.indiainfo.com/2001/01/11/11fluoride.html
Geeson NA, Abrahams PW, Murphy MP, et al -
"Fluorine and metal enrichment of soils and
pasture herbage in the old mining areas of
Derbyshire, UK." Agriculture Ecosystems &
Environment 68 (3):217-231 (1998)
Guna Sherlin DM, Verma RJ - "Vitamin D
ameliorates fluoride-induced embryotoxicity in
pregnant Rats" Neurotoxicol Teratol 23(2):197-201
(2001)
Jai Research Foundation, Vapi, Valvada 396 108, India
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?ui d=11348838&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r
Lindsay RH, Hill JB, Gaitan E, Cooksey RC, Jolley
RL - "Antithyroid effects of coal-derived
pollutants" J Toxicol Environ Health 37(4):467-81
(1992)
Narayan D -"Impact of aluminium factory emissions
on vegetation and soil" PhD thesis, Banaras
University, India (1992)
Narayan D, Agrawal M, Pandey J, Singh J -
"Changes in vegetation characteristics downwind
of an aluminium factory in India" Annals of
Botany 73:557-565 (1994)
Nigam Neelam - "Hydrogeochemistry of fluoride in
ground water of Agra district (U.P)" Pro Int
Semin Appl Hydrogeochem, Annamalai Univ, 12-19
(1999)
Sharma SK - "Toxicty of fluoride in parts of Indian subsurface water"
http://www.igme.es/internet/web_aguas/igme/publica/p dflib15/009.pdf
Shortt H E, et al - "Endemic Fluorosis in the Madras Presidency" Ind Jr Med Res
25:553-568 (1937)
Survey Report - Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking
Water Mission - Prevention and Control of
Fluorosis in India (1993)
Mumford JL, He XZ, Chapman RS, Cao SR, Harris DB,
Li XM, Xian YL, Jiang WZ, Xu CW, Chuang JC, et al
- " Lung cancer and indoor air pollution in Xuan
Wei, China" Science 35(4785):217-20 (1987)
The Navabharat Times -"Thirty thousand villages
in Rajasthan contain high fluorides", March 27,
2001
The Times of India - "Fluoride in water cripples
Orissa villagers" August 16, 1999
Times News Network - " Water in every other village unsafe" , Oct.23,2001
UNICEF - "Fluoride in water: An overview" (Water,
Environment and Sanitation, 1999)
http://www.unicef.org/programme/wes/info/fluor.htm
USGS - Mineral Yearbook 1999.Fluospar. US Geological (1999) Survey
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/fluors par/280499.pdf
Wang LF, Huang JZ - "Outline of control practice
of endemic fluorosis in China" Soc Sci Med
41(8):1191-95 (1995).
Yan L - "An investigation of fluoride pollution
caused by burning coal containing fluoride in
Xiushan and Baojing" Chung Hua Liu Hsing Ping
Hsueh Tsa Chih 12(2):102-105 (1991)
Wysham D - Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) (1997)
http://www.50years.org/factsheets/orissa.html
Zhan Y, Du L, Zhan C - "A study on human dental
embryology in an endemic high fluorosis region"
Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi 24(1):36-8 (1995)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?ui d=7781114&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r
Zhao XL, Gao WH, Zhao ZL - "Effects of sodium
fluoride on the activity of Ca2+Mg(2+)-ATPase in
synaptic membrane in rat brain" Zhonghua Yu Fang
Yi Xue Za Zhi 28(5):264-6 (1994)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?ui d=7842887&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r
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