ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY HEALTH PROFILE 1

Environmental Community Health Profile

Ellary J. Hackworth, Bridgette A. Castronovo, and Jaiden M. Nunez

Harrison High School

Biomedical Innovations, 4.1.5

Nancy Curran

October 29, 2021

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Evidence Log

Evidence Reference Title of Document Relevant Findings

Number

1 Phone Call with Butler Tire and Used tires are taken to the dump
Wheel and fluids stored in containers are
taken away.

2 Phone Call With Mo’s Speed Batteries are reused in other

Shop devices and oil is taken by a
company.

3 Phone Call With Nature's This business supports the

Corner Market environment by recycling,
composting, donating materials,
and limiting the use of harmful
waste products.

4 Air Quality Index The air quality index for each part
of Georgia is displayed on the map.

5 Email to Sterigenics Comparison of health statistics

between the USA and Cobb County
are very similar.

6 Maximum contaminant levels Data given for maximum level of

for public drinking specific contaminants allowed in
drinking water.

7 Map of Water Contamination Major sites of water contamination

Locations are marked on the map.

8 Health Statics for USA vs Cobb Compilation of relevant health data

County in Cobb County compared to the
USA as a whole.

9 Chart of 10 Leading Causes of Top causes of death in Cobb

Death in Cobb County
County are Heart Disease, Cancer,
Stroke, Chronic Lower Respiratory
Disease, Accidents, Alzheimer's,
Kidney Disease, Influenza,
Diabetes, and Suicide.

10 Graph of Top 10 Causes of Top causes of death in the USA are

Death in the USA Heart Disease, Cancer, Accidents,
Chronic Lower Respiratory
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Disease, Stroke, Alzhiemers,

Diabetes, Kidney Disease,
Influenza, and Suicide.

11 Email to Cobb County Public Questions pertaining to the Cobb

Health Media Liaison County Health Report and Covid’s
impact on young children.
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Environmental Health Community Profile

Environmental health is the connection between human health and the conditions in the

environment. Pollution and contamination of the air, water, and land can have detrimental effects

on the comfort of local residents. This report is a summary analysis of environmental health at a

local level in Cobb County, Georgia.

Hazardous Waste

Superfund and Brownfield Sites

A Superfund Site is a term used to describe land within the USA that is contaminated by

various hazardous wastes. It is also called the Comprehensive Environmental Response,

Compensation and Liability Act of 1980. As part of this, Congress set up a trust fund to handle

emergency and hazardous waste sites needing long term clean up. To be considered a Superfund

Site the area must meet a certain criteria and also be on the National Priorities List (NPL).

Currently, there are over 1,300 superfund sites in the United States. Brownfield sites receive

grants and other aid to sustainably reuse contaminated products. Brownfield Sites are different

than Superfunds because they are generally abandoned industrial and commercial facilities that

the Environmental Protection Agency does not need to supervise during cleanup.

Phone Call with Butler Tire and Wheel (1)

Manny, Personal Communication, October 28, 2021

(770-941-7422)

Manny: “Butler tire and wheel, how may we help you today?”
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Jaiden: “Hello I'm a student at Harrison High School and I'm in their stem program doing

a project on hazardous waste. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions to help me out with my

project?”

Manny: “Yes sir I’ll try my hardest, but know I'm just a sales tech.”

Jaiden: “I was wondering how you dispose of your tires and used oils?”

Manny: “So our tires we take them to the county dump and they dispose of them. And

our oils we have a bunch of containers down in our basement that they are stored in and I'm not

sure how we dispose of them, sorry.”

Jaiden: “That's all good, thank you so much!”

Manny: “No problem, good luck on your project.”

Butler Tire takes their tires to the dump to be disposed of and stores their oil in containers

which are then taken to a secure disposal facility. They also help the environment by recycling

tires.

Phone Call with Mo’s Speed Shop (2)

Eric, Personal Communication, October 28, 2021

(404-482-4292)
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Eric: “Mo’s speed shop is open Monday through Friday 7 am to 6 pm how may we help

your hot rod get back on the road?”

Jaiden: “Hello, my name is Jaiden. I'm doing a project for the stem program at my school.

Do you mind answering a few questions?”

Eric: “Sounds good.”

Jaiden: “How do you dispose of hazardous waste?”

Eric: “I'm not too sure on what you would call hazardous waste but the batteries we take

over to the local part stores such as auto zone and they have a company that takes them all and

reuses the acid and battery cells, and with our oil, we have a company that comes and takes it.”

Jaiden: “Ok thank you so much for your help.”

Eric: “No problem sir.”

Summary: Mo’s speed shop is a clean shop that tries to recycle their used products and

cleanly dispose of their oils in order to minimize the effect that the business has on the

environment.

Phone Call with Nature’s Corner (3)

(678-833-5916)
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Ellary: “Hi my name is Ellary and I am working on a school project and I was wondering

if you could tell me about how your business disposes of plastic products and food waste?”

James: “What school?”

Ellary: “Harrison High School.”

James: “Yeah so we have a composting bin in the back that we use to put lots of food in

and we recycle as much of our plastic as we can. We have a recycling bin outback”

Ellary: “Awesome! Thank you so much!”

James: “Yup, your welcome”

Nature’s Corner is an environment-friendly, family-owned business that strives to give

healthy food to its customers while keeping the environment happy. They recycle plastic and

other waste. Instead of throwing out expired food, they have them in a compost pile.

Air Quality

Clean Air Act

The Clean Air Act is a federal law regulating toxic emissions put out into the

environment. It allows the EPA to create National Air Quality Standards for the health and safety

of public health. The Act established a cap and trade program for emissions that cause acid rain
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and requires permits for all major sources of air pollution. Another provision the law requires is

the prevention of major deterioration of air quality in areas with clean air.

Effects of Air Pollutants

There are many harmful pollutants in the air that can cause detrimental health issues. For

example, carbon monoxide attaches to hemoglobin in your blood and reduces the

oxygen-carrying ability of red blood cells. Symptoms of this are: fatigue, headache, dizziness,

and confusion. Hydrocarbons are another harmful chemical. If they enter the stomach, they will

pass through, only causing some diarrhea. However, if they are inhaled they can cause

irreversible lung problems or even death. Ozone is very similar as it also damages the lungs and

can cause chest pain, coughing, and shortness of breath. The burning of fossil fuels, production

of cement, smoke stacks and pesticides are all sources of the previously mentioned toxins.

Air Quality Index (4)

The above image shows the air quality of Georgia, green being safe, yellow being limited

exposure time and red being dangerous to health.

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Email to Sterigenics (5)

(Email: Hello, I am completing research about air quality in Cobb County for a school project. I found that the
Sterigenics plant is emitting high amounts of Ethylene Oxide, polluting the air to 50 times the recommended levels.
I know Sterigenics is aware of this, however I am wondering why they hid this information from the public? They
are held to the honor system to conduct their own quality test and report the results to the state. How can we trust
that they are being truthful? Research shows that even with mitigation, the projected levels will still be 18 times the
accepted amount. What is Sterigenics doing to fix this problem? Are they continuing to test the air quality levels to
make sure they do not continue to rise? It is unethical to stay in production knowing you are putting Cobb residents
at risk of headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and difficulty breathing. I hope you have a plan to improve the air
quality and you put it into action soon. Thank you.)

The above shows a screenshot of the email sent to the Sterigenics company expressing

concern for the high levels of Ethylene Oxide, a toxic pollutant, found in Cobb County.

Water Quality

Water quality is a very important factor in a community. It can be the reason an

ecosystem is killed or the reason it thrives. Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics are

all a part of water quality. Humans increasingly pollute water around them and this affects plants,

wild life, and the community. If people are drinking water that contains harmful levels of
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contaminants then it can have adverse health effects: gastrointestinal disease, headaches,

vomiting, and more.

Maximum Contaminant Levels for Public Drinking Water (6)

Microorganism 0%

Disinfection byproducts .8%

Disinfectants 4%

Inorganic chemicals 10%

Organic chemicals .7%

Main Contaminants in Public Drinking Water

Lead is leaked into the environment when plumbing pipes begin to corrode causing a

chemical reaction creating rust. This leads to the formation of lead. Nitrites are from runoff

sewage and mineral deposits. Pesticides can reach the water below ground or be washed off of

plants from rain and get into the precipitation system. Nitrates can be found in pesticides which

can contaminate the water as previously mentioned. Arsenic comes from natural deposits in the

earth or from industrial and agricultural pollution.

Cobb County Drinking Water

According to EWG.org Cobb County has 10 contaminants over the health guidelines

allowed amounts and 16 total contaminants; the legal amount is 20 but legal does not mean safe.

The main contamination sources for Cobb County's water include the large landfills for waste

management, the granite mines that get minerals to spread around into the atmosphere. Cobb

County gets its water from Lake Allatoona and the Chattahoochee River because the main source

of water is a public lake which takes a lot of filtration which some contaminants can slip through
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the cracks. Cobb county has released multiple statements saying that the drinking water is safe

yet it contains nitrite, nitrate, chloroform, chromium, and trichloroacetic acid.

Map of Water Contamination Locations (6)

The above map shows a map from USGS where the most common water contamination

is found in Georgia The Seminole river branches off into other rivers and is the most polluted

water in Georgia.

Water Testing Results

A coliform test was conducted using a water sample obtained from a source in Cobb

county. A positive result for coliforms is a blue-green color after incubation, which indicates

that there is a presence of bacteria and the possible presence of E. coli. After testing, the water

sample was positive for coliforms and had a confirmed presence of E. coli.

Urban run-off, mines, landfills/waste dumps, pesticides, industrial emissions and waste

disposal are all common causes of water contamination. There are many types of contaminants
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as well; microorganisms, disinfectants, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radionuclides. The

same local water sample was tested and results showed that there was phosphate, nitrite, and iron

present in the sample. Having extra phosphorus in your body pulls calcium out of your bones,

weakening them. Extensive amounts of nitrite in the body cause blood vessels to dilate and

reduce blood pressure. It is necessary to test for these contaminants because they can have

significant impacts on the health of local residents.

Health Status

Health Statistics for USA vs Cobb County (8)

US Rates Cobb Rates

Maternal death 21/100,000 66.3/100,000 (Georgia)

Birth defects 1/33 babies 1/31 kids have birth defects

Birth weight average of 7.5 pounds (8% 8.7% have a low birth weight

with low birth weight)

Life expectancy 78.8 80.8

Cancer rates 441.4/100,000 112.2/100,000

Infant Mortality rates 5.82/1,000 6.4/1,000

Rates of disease See graph below (figure 4) See graph below (table 4)
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Cobb county has very comparable health statistics to the rest of the US although there are

several statistics in which Cobb County performs better or worse. Cobb county has lower rates of

cancer, heart disease, stroke, and suicide as well as most diseases that are leading causes of death

in the US. However, Cobb County struggles in the area related to childbirth as the county has

higher rates of underweight children as well as maternal mortality. This statistic is likely due to

inadequate access to proper health care as 18.8% of people in Cobb lack access to health care as

opposed to the national rate of 14.6%. This statistic is exponentially worse for black and Latina

women who are more likely than white women to lack access to health care Similarly, Georgia

has the highest rate for both primary and secondary Syphilis at 14/100,000 due in part to poor

health education and lack of access to healthcare.

Chart of 10 Leading Causes of Death in Cobb County (9)

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Graph of 10 Leading Causes of Death In the United States (10)

Email to Cobb County Public Health Media Liaison (11)

(Email: Greetings, my name is Bridgette Castronovo and I am a high school senior conducting research on our
community health profile, and I have a couple of questions. Obviously, Covid-19 is disrupting all kinds of health
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY HEALTH PROFILE 15

services as the vast majority of hospital resources have to go towards treating afflicted individuals. Because the
pandemic is ongoing, I know it is difficult to analyze the impact that the virus is having on aspects of the community
health profile outside of covid data, but I wanted to ask about your thoughts on any long term effects on the
disruption of the socialization of young children. To your knowledge, does the Cobb Department of Health believe
that the shut down and prolonged virtual education of students will contribute to an increase of mental issues such as
social anxiety and depression? According to a national survey of 1500 youth ages 13-19 found that 7 in 10 students
are struggling with their mental health because of the social isolation of the virus ( As schools open, children’s
mental health remains a priority - Cobb County Courier ). This is especially concerning when you consider that prior
to the pandemic, only 7.1% of children 3-17 were diagnosed with anxiety and only 3.2% were diagnosed with
depression. It seems likely that the pandemic will drastically cause these statistics to rise which could pose a
significant problem to our community. In your opinion, is it necessary for schools to implement programs such as
mental health counseling or time spent teaching students coping strategies to try and minimize the impact of covid
on students mental health?)

Social isolation has many serious mental health impacts especially for young children,

and the shutdown resulting from Covid may have significant impacts on kids' mental

health/social development. This is an inquiry about whether it is necessary for schools to take

steps to help young children cope with that experience such as having mandatory mental health

counseling.

Industry History

Cobb County came from the Cherokee Indian country in 1832 and today is part of the

booming Atlanta metropolitan area. Located in the upper Piedmont, Cobb County never had

many large landholdings, but instead developed around small subsistence farms. The greatest

wealth was in the towns. Before 1932 the thriving industrial center of Roswell was part of the

county. In the antebellum era, Marietta became a popular resort community. Near the Western

and Atlantic Railroad, a sanitarium and several hotels were destinations for summer visitors

seeking a cooler climate than that of the South Carolina and Georgia coast. During the Civil War

, a locomotive chase known as Andrews Raid began in 1862 at Kennesaw, and in 1864 General

William T. Sherman led an invading Union army through the county as part of the Atlanta

campaign. There were also victorious battles at Kennesaw Mountain that played a role in the

war. Today the county’s contribution is commemorated in Kennesaw at the Southern Museum of
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Civil War and Locomotive History, which houses the locomotive General used during the

Andrews Raid.

For the next 75 years, Cobb County suffered from a depressed farm economy, low-wage

industries, and one-party politics built on white supremacy. The county’s economic

transformation began in 1942 when Bell Aircraft announced the opening of a Marietta branch to

produce B-29 bombers. By 1945 the large government-built assembly plant provided

employment for more than 28,000 workers. After World War II, Bell Bomber closed. In 1951,

during the Korean War, the air force awarded the facility to the Lockheed Corporation.

Lockheed-Georgia became the nation’s leading producer of transport planes.

Today Cobb County’s population is 760,078 and is constantly growing. The county is

home to prominent businesses and corporations, including The Home Depot and Lockheed

Martin. The health industry is also very prominent, including Wellstar and Cobb Center for

Disease Control. Growth in population and wealth contributed to the county’s expanding

political power too.

Action Plan

Keeping the water, air, and land clean is a major factor in a community’s health status.

Even though the human population has not always taken care of the Earth, it is never too late to

start. Finding small solutions to big problems is the best way to make an impact. We want to help

by getting the community involved in cleanup and educated about how to prevent contamination

in the future.

Lack of access to quality health information is a significant problem in our community as

people often do not take the time to educate themselves on community health issues or do not

fully understand the health impacts their actions will have. Many people only receive health
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related information by word of mouth from others who may or may not fully understand the

issue themselves. For example, the CDC identified 52 deaths and 2409 cases related to

e-cigarette use while many Cobb County students still believe vaping to be relatively harmless.

To help correct this problem, it would be beneficial to implement a program where weekly

community health broadcasts are presented to students in public K-12 schools and contain

information about pressing health issues in the community and steps that can be taken to correct

them. These broadcasts would be short 1-2 minute informational videos designed to keep the

student population up to date on important health issues and ensure they are getting quality

information in an effort to help keep our local community healthy and safe.

Community service with rewards helps the earth to help itself. The earth is full of trash

and plastic waste, but if people had the motivation to simply just pick up the trash they see when

walking around, the community would be significantly cleaner. One way to help address this

problem would be to create a community service rewards program with three tiers: bronze,

silver, and gold. The reward would get a tax deduction that would increase with each community

service level you progress through. The rewards program would be accumulated every two years

and then reset to zero. If you are unranked, that means you do not participate in community clean

up initiatives and you get no points, bronze would be you attend a monthly clean up event, silver

would be you attend weekly clean up events, and gold would be where you have a manajerial

role in organizing weekly clean up events. With these rewards programs, people would want to

participate in cleanup initiatives so that they can save money. According to citibin.com, the

average American produces trash at a rate of 4.4 pounds per person per day, with roughly 1.51

pounds recycled per person per day. At some point there will be no more space left from the

amount of trash we generate. Most people don't care or just say it will be a future problem.
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Providing incentives would help motivate community members to care more often and work

more actively to help better the community they live in.

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References

Carbon monoxide. (2020, February 12). American Lung Association.

https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/carbon-monoxide

Environmental Working Group. (2019, January 1). EWG's tap water database: What's in your

drinking water? Environmental Working Group – Know your choices | Environmental

Working Group. https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=GA0670003

Eric, Personal Communication, October 28, 2021

Gunnars, K. (2020, February 10). Are nitrates and nitrites in foods harmful? Healthline.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-nitrates-and-nitrites-harmful#:~:text=Nitrates%

20and%20nitrites%20are%20compounds%20that%20occur%20naturally,However%2C

%20they%20may%20also%20have%20health%20benefits.%20

Health effects of ozone pollution. (2021, May 5). US EPA.

https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution/health-effects-ozone-pollution

How Healthy Are We. (2020, January 1). Cobb & Douglas Public Health - Cobb & Douglas

Public Health.

https://www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/CDPH_Cobb

-Health-Report-121214.pdf

James, Personal Communication, October 28, 2021

Kennedy, J. (2010, January 1). Cobb & Douglas Public Health - Cobb & Douglas Public Health.

https://www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Health-Status

-Report-Cobb-10.7.10.pdf
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Lutz, M. (2019, July 25). Residents, officials outraged over toxic emissions from Cobb plant. ajc.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/residents-officials-outraged-over-toxic-emissions-from-c

obb-plant/GWQI41XhVvQNnC8I1BEV2N/

Overview of EPA's Brownfields program. (2021, July 26). US EPA.

https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/overview-epas-brownfields-program

Scott, T. A. (2021, March 28). Cobb County. New Georgia Encyclopedia.

https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/counties-cities-neighborhoods/cobb-county/

What is a Superfund? (2020, October 9). US EPA.

https://www.epa.gov/superfund/what-superfund

How Much Trash Does the Average American Produce? ( 2020, June 16) citibin

https://citibin.com/blogs/news/how-much-trash-does-average-american-produce