Community Based Research to Help Identify a Connection between Geology and Groundwater Contamination to Elevated Cancer Rates in Fruithurst, Alabama

The communities of Fruithurst and Muscadine are located in northeast Alabama and have a combined population of 1,600 people. Between the years 2013 and 2017, four children and four adults were diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma. The rate of these cancers in the community is 0.5%, well over the national average of 0.075%. The cancer cases correspond spatially to the Hefflin Phyllite, a metamorphic unit within the Piedmont province. Metamorphic, as well as other common bedrocks (granite, black shales), are known to host minerals enriched in uranium and thorium (a few mg/kg). These radioactive elements ultimately decay into elevated levels of radon. Recent research has suggested that radon in drinking water or the air may contribute to higher rates of childhood leukemia. Well water samples taken at households throughout the community were also sampled for geochemical analysis to determine the levels of radon, heavy metals, volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds. Preliminary results of the study area show that radon level in some cancer patients' well water exceeds the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cautionary level of 4,000 pCi/L. Many citizens in the study area still use private wells as their primary source of drinking water. Besides elevated radon levels, trace elements such as arsenic, chromium, lead, and nickel are also present in some patients' well water. Furthermore, preliminary soil and water samples show the presence of a semi-volatile organic compound Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) with concentrations higher than the EPA MCL of 0.006 mg/L.

This project employed community-based research in the form of household surveys that recorded style of living as well as family cancer history. Geospatial and statistical analyses of cancer and water chemistry data were used to identify incidences of cancer and potential cluster in relation to elevated radon levels and the presence of other water pollutants. Core samples of the Heflin Phyllite collected near the study area were analyzed for heavy mineral content using XRD, XRF, and ICP-MS. The data collected from the research project will be used to assess the potential human exposure to natural and man-made pollutants.