Discussion: Asbestos in Nashua, NH

This page details information from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry(ATSDR)regarding the presence of asbestos in Nashua, New Hampshire. Exposure to asbestos is known to cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis.

Inhalation has been shown to be the most significant route of exposure for asbestos and increases the risk of developing lung cancer and mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the membrane surrounding the lungs and other internal organs. Breathing air contaminated with asbestos over a prolonged period of time can lead to scarring of the lungs, a condition known as asbestosis. There is some limited evidence that ingesting asbestos fibers may cause an increased risk of developing cancer of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas and prostate, but this evidence has not been conclusive.

The concern with asbestos contaminated soils excavated from the Sargeant Avenue Site is that Nashua, New Hampshire residents may have been exposed to asbestos fibers in this material either at the excavation site on Sargeant Avenue or at the location on Broad Street where soils were being stockpiled for use in a residential development.

At both sites, actual exposure would have been through either the inhalation of asbestos fibers in air or through the incidental ingestion of asbestos materials in soils. As had been discussed in the qualitative risk assessment that the City had prepared in early April, the potential for local residents to be exposed was limited due to the short time period that the contaminated soils had been excavated before discovery, prevailing weather conditions and the time of year that limited outside activities.

Once the contamination had been discovered, the City was proactive in taking steps to reduce the potential release of contaminants from the two sites (wetting soil piles, tarping) while it moved quickly to clean up the asbestos wastes. Relative to airborne releases of asbestos fibers, DHHS utilized ATSDR's screening level of 0.01 fibers/cc to evaluate potential exposure to the community. There were no samples that exceeded this screening level; air samples that had been collected at the two locations did not show that asbestos fibers were being released from these sites at concentrations that would constitute a health concern.

With respect to asbestos contamination in soils, soil sampling revealed that asbestos was present, although it was encountered primarily in the form of plate and bag house wastes. Soil sampling conducted at both sites, coupled with the visual inspection of the excavated area on Sargeant Avenue, indicated that suspect asbestos wastes were found in relatively low frequencies. The control measures taken, coupled with the clearance sampling data made available for review, indicates that any potential release of asbestos was not likely to be significant and that the removal actions were successful in eliminating this hazard from the community.