Evaluation of priority health conditions in communities surrounding the Rocky Mountain Arsenal: Reproductive, Neurobehavioral and Other Disorders

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA) is located in Adams County, Colorado and encompasses approximately 27 square miles. The RMA is bordered by residential, commercial, and agricultural properties of Commerce City on the west, by agricultural and rural residences on the north and east, and on the south by Stapleton Airport and Denver city and county residential and commercial properties.

Due to the history of the RMA, dating back to 1942 as a chemical munitions manufacturing and disposal site, concerns as to potential exposures of off-site populations from contaminants have arisen. Offsite contamination was first detected in 1954, and contaminated groundwater has been detected crossing the west, northwest and north boundaries of the RMA since 1974.

The Department of Environmental Health at Colorado State University has been involved with several projects investigating environmental health issues pertaining to the RMA. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) funded a study on "Reproductive, Neurobehavioral and other Disorders in Communities Surrounding the Rocky Mountain Arsenal". A case control study investigated the relationship of bladder cancer and residence near the RMA (May 1994).

evaluation of priority health conditions c. RMA The EHASL has used GIS and the integration of GIS with groundwater and water distribution system modeling to more fully assess the spatial aspects of exposures to the communities surrounding the RMA. The USGS Method of Characteristics (MOC) is used to model contaminant flow from the Chemical Sales Company source located south of Sand Creek (Study Area Location, and see MOC MODELING GRAPHICS, below). EPANET modeling was used in the South Adams County Water District (SACWD) to model contaminant movement through the drinking water distribution system (Example from August 1985). EPANET is a model developed by the USEPA Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory as a research tool for understanding the movement and fate of constituents in water distribution systems. The GIS can be used as an integrative tool to combine inputs/outputs of different modeling approaches with base maps and subject locations.

References:
May, Denise. 1994. A Case Control Study of Bladder Cancer and Residence Near the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Thesis, Colorado State University.
Reproductive, Neurobehavioral and Other Disorders in Communities Surrounding the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. Final Report for Grant #H75/ATH897173 from the ATSDR, Atlanta, GA 30333.
Stone, A.E. 1996. Predicting Trihalomethane Distribution in Drinking Water of Northglenn, Colorado. Thesis, Colorado State University.