The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the California Department of Toxic Substance Control worked together to assess background levels of naturally occurring metals in groundwater wells at Topock and Golden Shores, Arizona. The communities expressed concerns regarding the findings, thus the ADEQ requested the Arizona Department of Health Services to evaluate whether these naturally occurring metals in groundwater wells are present at levels that may cause adverse health effects.

This report presents an assessment of human health risks from exposure to surface soil metals in the Old Tungsten Mill, Tucson, AZ. City of Tucson officials had planned to build a park, on a parcel of land they owned west of Silverbell Road and north of Speedway Boulevard in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona. They had raised $200,000 in bond money to study what was the Old Tungsten Mill site when they found high levels of contaminants in the soil. The Arizona Department of Health Services, Risk Assessment & Health Consultation Program offered assistance to the city. On October 13th, 2006 City Officials asked ADHS to perform a health consultation to evaluate whether exposure to contaminants in soil pose a public health hazard, either currently or during possible future reuse of the land.

The Santa Cruz County Health Department and the sheriff's office, along with the U.S. Border Patrol have expressed concerns regarding incidental contact with the water in Nogales Wash, Arizona. The public has expressed significant concern about direct public exposure to waters flowing in the wash. The Arizona Department of Health Services completed this health consultation to evaluate the levels of organic and inorganic chemicals at the request of the Santa Cruz County Health Department.

In August 2001, a resident of New River contacted the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Environmental Health to request information on the health risks of arsenic in drinking water. The resident collected two well water samples and submitted them to a private laboratory for arsenic analysis. The analyses detected arsenic at 560 and 600 μg/L. To confirm these very high arsenic results, ADHS staff sampled the well for arsenic and submitted the samples for analysis by the ADHS State Laboratory. Arsenic was detected at 340 μg/L. After that, a large number of people requested health advice on arsenic in their well water. This public health consultation primarily evaluates arsenic levels found in private wells and documents health advice provided to well owners. When other metals were found at levels of concern, health advice was provided to well owners regarding exposure to those metals too.

In August 2001 a resident of New River contacted the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Environmental Health to request information on the health risks of arsenic in drinking water. The resident collected two well water samples and submitted them to a private laboratory for arsenic analysis. The analyses detected arsenic at 560 and 600 μg/L. To confirm these very high arsenic results, ADHS staff sampled the well for arsenic and submitted the samples for analysis by the ADHS State Laboratory. Arsenic was detected at 340 μg/L. ADHS determined that the health risk posed by arsenic levels in this range and the exclusive reliance of area residents on private wells warranted further investigation. Consequently ADHS initiated a private well sampling program to determine if arsenic contamination of private wells was a widespread problem in the New River area. The objective of this public health consultation is to evaluate the potential health effects from exposure to arsenic in private drinking water wells in the New River, Arizona area.

A refuse dump near Naco, Sonora, Mexico, caught fire and burned from December 1 to December 5, 2001. The fire, which consumed large quantities of household refuse, also generated a large quantity of smoke. During this period, considerable smoke was intermittently present in Naco, Arizona. This report summarizes the events that occurred during the fire and analyzes the data collected by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to determine the extent of the public health threat from the fire.

In May 2003, a Scottsdale, Arizona, resident asked the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in Atlanta to investigate possible sewer gas exposures in a Scottsdale residential neighborhood. In June 2003, the Agency asked the Arizona Department of Health Services, to conduct an investigation to determine if sewer gas exposures were occurring. Because ambient and indoor air hydrogen sulfide data for the neighborhood were not available, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the resident collaborated in conducting an air monitoring investigation in the neighborhood from June 26, 2003, through July 15, 2003.

The purpose of this health consultation is to determine whether contaminants in groundwater from the Motorola 56th Street facility represent a threat to public health. The facility was first occupied in the spring of 1950 as the Western Military Electronics Center. From 1950 to 1958, it was primarily used for bench type electronics, electronic assembly, and semiconductor production. The chemicals used in these processes included solvent degreasers such as trichloroethylene, acetone, and freon, and metals such as cadmium, chromium, and arsenic. From 1959 through 1961, the facility was used primarily for document storage. Beginning in 1962, manufacturing of electronics resumed to include assembly of circuit boards, plating, and degreasing. Chemicals used between 1962 and 1974 included trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and a number of acids and metals including arsenic. In 1975, the facility began manufacturing liquid crystal products. These activities continued until 1982, when it was converted to office use. The investigations that have been conducted to date have shown that there are residual levels of arsenic and fluoride in down-gradient private wells west of the facility. Solvent contaminants that were found in the 1980s are no longer present at detectable levels in down-gradient private wells.

The purpose of the consultation is to identify any current groundwater use in the Motorola 52nd Street Superfund Site area that might result in human exposure to site contaminants. The Arizona Department of Health Services previously evaluated well use in Operable Units 1 and 2 in 1992. This report updates the well use inventory for Operable Units 1 and 2 and provides an evaluation of potential groundwater exposure pathways in Operable Unit 3.

In September 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contacted the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Environmental Health, concerning potential contamination of private drinking water wells along Lynx Creek in the Walker, Arizona, mining district. Historical mining activities in the area might have resulted in contamination of groundwater by acid mine runoff as well as metals from extraction processes. EPA and ADHS determined the historical mining activity had caused environmental damage and the potential for adverse human health impacts. ADHS initiated a private well sampling program to determine if the mining activity has had an adverse impact on the quality of water from these wells. Several area residents have expressed concerns about their water quality. The objective of this public health consultation is to evaluate the potential for health effects from exposure to contaminants in private drinking water wells in the Walker, Arizona area.