Steel Foundries

The latest buzz at Oregon news outlets is the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) report that ESCO,  owner of two steel foundries in northwest Portland, has been leaking small amount of lethal hexavalent chromium into the air.

Hexavalent chromium, or chromium 6, is a corrosion fighter so toxic that no amount is considered safe for humans and an amount the size of a grain of salt in a cubic yard greatly increases the risk of leukemia and lung, stomach, brain, renal, bladder and bone cancers.

The EPA says that the respiratory tract is the major target organ for chromium 6. Shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing were reported from a case of acute exposure to chromium 6 and perforations or ulcerations of the septum, bronchitis, decreased pulmonary function, pneumonia and other respiratory effects have been noted from chronic exposure.

Human tests have clearly established inhaled chromium 6 raises the risk of lung cancer and animal studies have shown chromium 6 to cause lung tumors.

It appears that DEQ had documentation regarding the leak since 2004 but only released it following an inquiry in September 2009.

There is no clear evidence that chromium 6 is present in large enough concentrations to cause cancers or other health problems.

ESCO emits 64 toxic substances from their two foundries. According to information on these substances gathered by Environmental Defense and published at its web site www.scorecard.org from government environmental authorities, 39 are of the air toxics emitted by ESCO are classified as respiratory toxicants, 37 are classified as neurotoxins, 37 are skin or sense organ toxicants, 28 are gastrointestinal or liver toxicants, 26 are cardiovascular or blood toxicants, 24 are kidney toxicants, 22 are developmental toxicants, 19 are reproductive toxicants, 16 are Immunotoxicants, 8 are endocrine toxicants, and 1 is a musculoskeletal toxicant.