This fact sheet is part of a series of chemical fact sheets to address community concerns on public health and environmental issues associated with the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). Terms identified in bold are defined in the glossary.

WHAT IS EDB?

Ethylene dibromide (EDB) is predominantly a man-made chemical but it also occurs naturally in algae in small amounts in the ocean. It is a colorless liquid with a mild, sweet odor. Other names for EDB include 1,2-Dibromoethane and glycol bromide. Trade names include Bromofume and Dowfume. The major use for EDB was as a gas additive to prevent lead build-up. However, since leaded gasoline is now banned, it is no longer used for this purpose. EDB has been used as a pesticide in soil, and on citrus, vegetable and grain crops. Most of these uses have been banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since 1984. EDB enters the air and water from some industrial processes, leaking containers and waste disposal.

HOW WAS EDB USED AT THE MMR?

At the MMR, EDB was a component of leaded gasoline, including aviation gasoline (AVGAS). It entered the environment through a leaking fuel pipeline, spills, and past fuel-handling practices, such as releasing fuel from aircraft in order to test the "dump valves". EDB is no longer a component of AVGAS, and fuel-handling practices have been changed to prevent release to the environment.

WHAT HAPPENS TO EDB WHEN IT ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT?.

• It dissolves easily in water.
• Rain or snow carries some of it to soil and water where it can filter through the ground and may reach drinking water supplies.
• Small amounts remain attached to soil particles.
• It evaporates quickly from soil and water into the air.
• It breaks down slowly in air (over 4-5 months), more quickly in surface water (2 months), and very little in groundwater.
• Based on scientific literature, EDB is not expected to build up in plants and animals. However, environmental data collected to date has shown some inconsistency.

HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO EDB?

You can be exposed to EDB only when you come in contact with it by drinking, breathing, eating, or touching it. Examples include:

• Drinking contaminated water.
• Breathing contaminated air.
• Touching contaminated water such as while swimming or bathing.
• Playing in contaminated soils.

HOW MAY EDB AFFECT MY HEALTH?

If you are not exposed to EDB, it does not pose a risk to your health. If there is exposure to EDB, several factors will determine whether harmful effects may occur and what the type and severity of those health effects may be. These factors include:

• The dose (how much)
• The duration (how long)
• The route or pathway by which you are exposed (breathing, eating, drinking, or skin contact)
• Other chemicals to which you are exposed
• Various other personal factors (e.g., age, sex, family traits, lifestyle, personal health)

In scientific experiments conducted on laboratory animals, results included damage to the liver and kidneys of rats and mice. When rats breathed air or ate food containing EDB for short or long periods of time, they were less fertile or had abnormal sperm. Changes in the brain and behavior also were seen in young rats whose male parents had breathed EDB, and birth defects were observed in the young of animals that were exposed while pregnant. In rats, death occurred from breathing high levels of EDB for a short time.

While it is not known if the health effects seen in laboratory animals will be the same for people, the results of animal studies are used to predict potential health effects in people.

Limited information for people indicates that, if large amounts [75,000 parts per billion (ppb)] are swallowed, redness and inflammation, including skin blisters and mouth and stomach ulcers, can occur. A worker who breathed EDB for several years developed bronchitis, headaches and depression, but his health improved after he stopped breathing air contaminated with EDB.

It is important to note that the levels of contaminants found at MMR are significantly lower than the high doses used in laboratory studies or the examples described above.

IS EDB LIKELY TO CAUSE CANCER?

In laboratory studies, EDB has been shown to cause cancer in rats and mice by all routes of exposure—eating or ingestion, breathing, and skin contact. Although there is insufficient evidence that EDB causes cancer in humans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has listed EDB as a probable human carcinogen based on evidence that it causes cancer in laboratory animals. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that EDB may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen.

WHAT FEDERAL AND STATE STANDARDS EXIST TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT?

The EPA established a safe drinking water limit for EDB of 0.05 ppb. The State of Massachusetts has set a drinking water standard of 0.02 ppb of EDB in drinking water. The EPA and the State of Massachusetts have not established an ambient air level for EDB. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has limited workers' exposure to an average of (20,000 ppb) for an 8-hour workday over a 40-hour workweek.

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CHEMICAL?

For additional technical information and a review of current research, contact EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791, the Massachusetts Office of Research and Standards at (617) 556-1160, or see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) Toxicological Profile for 1,2-Dibromoethane. Information about obtaining this profile is available by calling ATSDR's 24-hour Toxicology Information Service at (404) 639-6300 or by leaving a message on (888) 422-8737. To order toxicological profiles, contact the National Technical Information Service at (800) 553-6847 or (703) 605-6000. There may be a fee for the profile.

GLOSSARY

parts per billion: a measure of concentration. One ppb is comparable to one kernel of corn in a filled, 45-foot silo, 16 feet in diameter.

POINTS OF CONTACT

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Additional information about the cleanup program at the MMR is available on the program's website (http://www.mmr.org). The website includes a variety of information, including technical documents, meetings agendas and summaries, maps, glossaries, weekly reports, and news releases. It also includes links to other websites, including those of EPA Region 1, DEP, DPH, and ATSDR.

In addition, five local libraries house information repositories for the cleanup program. The libraries are:

The Administrative Record, which is a public record of all documents used in decision-making, is available for review at the Falmouth Public Library or by contacting the IRP Office at (508) 968-4678.

This fact sheet was developed through a collaborative effort of the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence (AFCEE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Joint Program Office (JPO), and local officials.