Study by Unity College students concludes harmful mineral not a threat
 
BY SCOTT MONROE
Staff Writer
 
12/16/2009
 
WINSLOW -- There's no big danger to public health.
Unity College professor Lois Ongley and her seven students delivered that message to the Town Council and a large audience late Monday night, while presenting a study they conducted examining the concentration of a metallic mineral along the Sebasticook River.

Chromium is actually essential to the human diet in small amounts, Ongley explained, but in one form the mineral can cause cancer. No detectable levels of that potentially harmful mineral, called chromium 6, were found in samples the students collected, she said.

"The concentrations we found did not bother anyone at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection," Ongley said.

The study was conducted over the last several months by Ongley's environment analysis class. Her students gathered soil samples at different locations along the river and at different depths, and then sent the samples to two research labs for professional analysis.

Prior studies by the DEP have not detected hazardous chromium levels, but that hasn't lessened concerns of some residents. The summer 2008 removal of the Fort Halifax Dam amplified concerns, the study notes, over "possible elevated levels of chromium remaining in the sediments of the newly de-watered areas."

One of those concerned has been Jane Edwards, a retired deputy state law librarian who lives in Vassalboro but also co-owns property near the river, on Garland Road. Edwards, who listened to the presentation, said she was "very relieved" to see the data, but remains concerned about harmful chromium 6 being churned up from the ground by all-terrain vehicles and in other ways.

"I just didn't hear enough about wind-blown, airborne chromium 6," Edwards said. "It's not the fault of the class; I have been told what we need (to detect that) is a toxicologist. Someday, maybe we can do another in-depth study."

Chromium appears to transform into the carcinogenic type when exposed to oxygen, Ongley said. An earlier study of chromium in the impoundment area behind the dam found no measurable levels of chromium 6, so the new findings appeared to buttress those results.

The students who conducted the study are Josh Ascani, Kelly Barber, Adam Douin, Jill Easterday, Erik Larson, Barbara Peabody and Josh Ross. They collected 26 sediment samples in September and October, then shipped the samples to two scientific labs, which conducted separate tests to measure chromium levels.

"We conclude, based upon this study, that there does not seem to be any reason for concern with the (chromium 6) concentrations in the river sediments," the study says. "This is important because (chromium 6) is the species that poses the greatest health threat. We also conclude that most other concentrations are within accepted background concentrations in Maine."

Students also gathered samples upstream of Winslow and found the highest chromium concentrations and some detectable levels of chromium 6 in the Pittsfield area -- nearby Prime Tanning in Hartland was cited as a possible factor -- but the results were still not concerning to state environmental officials, Ongley said.