Throughout the 53 years of operation at Air Force Plant 85, many chemicals were handled improperly, whether it was through improper storage, or chemical spills, thus introducing pollutants into the soil and water sources surrounding the area. For example, the improper storage of coal in the onsite wastewater plant allowed a contaminant known as coal pile leachate, which contained chemicals such as sulfuric acid, ammonia, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) seep into Mason’s Run, a subsidiary water source that feeds into Big Walnut Creek, another nearby water source. In addition, the storage and waste pads in the plant were used to store large amounts of paint strippers other waste, which leaked chemicals including acetone, cyanide sludge, and paint strippers into the ground (Environmental Protection Agency 2). Moreover, some spills of these paint strippers and waste have also been documented. Finally, among the numerous chemical spills and contaminants released to the environment, a massive polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) spill was also reported, ultimately affecting 164 square feet, and contaminating soil up to 7.5 feet deep.
While each chemical introduced to the environment had disastrous effects, the most harm came from the PCBs and the PAHs. In particular, PCBs are a manmade chemical consisting of the elements carbon, hydrogen and chlorine. Moreover, there are multiple makeups and shapes of PCBs, but the group of chemicals can be very harmful, and were even banned in 1979 due to environmental and human health concerns. For example, PCBs don’t readily break down in the environment, thus they continue to be recycled through nature which increases their scope and impact on the environment, and humans (Environmental Protection Agency 1). In addition, these chemicals can accumulate on plants, therefore they can infiltrate crops, thus increasing the risk of exposure and ingestion for humans. Finally, PCBs effect on humans can range based upon the specific chemical makeup, but overall PBCs can are carcinogenic, and can also have negative neurological, reproductive and immune effects. Through animal studies, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that increased exposure of PCBs increased the chances of being diagnosed with cancer, specifically non-Hodgkins Lymphoma (Environmental Protection Agency 1). In addition, further tests have proven exposure to PCBs can weaken the immune system, and can lead to birth defects in offspring. Moreover, the effects of PCBs were found to be long-term, even after direct exposure to PCBs was no longer occurring. As a result, a mother could pass traces of PCBs to her children, further proving the severity of the toxicity of PCBs.
Similarly, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), when released in large amounts, have adverse effects on the environment and on human health. Unlike PCBs, PAHs occur naturally in substances such as coal, oil, gas, and garbage when it is burned. Moreover, it is a common contaminant, with exposure ranging from car exhaust and cigarette smoke to wood smoke (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1). As a result, limited or “average” exposure to the chemicals has little, noticeable impact on the daily lives of people. With prolonged and increased exposure, however, PAHs can be an irritant and cause difficulty breathing. Furthermore, in extreme cases, people who have faced high exposure, have developed blood and liver abnormalities. Finally, PAHs can also be considered carcinogenic based upon the mixture and chemical makeup of the PAHs that people were exposed to (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1).