By Arelis R. Hernandez and Brady Dennis
Dorado, Puerto Rico — Every 10 minutes or so, (click here) a truck or a van pulled up to the exposed spigot of an overgrown well, known as Maguayo #4, that sits not far from a bustling expressway and around the corner from a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop.
Fencing around the area had been torn open, and a red and white “Peligro” sign, warning of danger, lay hidden beneath debris and dense vegetation. One after another, people attached a hose to draw water for bathing, washing dishes and, in some cases, drinking. They filled buckets, jugs, soda bottles.
What many didn’t realize is that the well is one of nearly a dozen that are part of the Dorado Groundwater Contamination Superfund site — designated last year by the Environmental Protection Agency as among the nation’s most toxic sites....
...Wells in the Maguayo and Dorado Urbano systems (click here) have shown detections of volatile organic compounds (VOC), primarily tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), since the 1980s. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported PCE and TCE detections for samples collected from Maguayo and Dorado Urbano system wells during the period November 1984 to May 1985. PRASA and Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) documentation indicates detections for the Maguayo and Dorado Urbano system wells for the time period 1996 to 2000. PRASA data sheets for well samples collected from 2002 to 2015 show the ongoing presence of PCE and TCE in Dorado-area ground water. Some reported concentrations have exceeded maximum contaminant levels (MCL), and since the 1990s some wells have been closed either temporarily or permanently.
Tetrachloroethylene (PERC) (click here)
CAS ID #: 127-18-4
Affected Organ Systems: Developmental (effects during periods when organs are developing) , Neurological (Nervous System), Respiratory (From the Nose to the Lungs)
Cancer Classification: NTP: Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. EPA: Likely to be carcinogenic to humans. IARC: Probably carcinogenic to humans
Trichloroethylene (TCE) (click here)
CAS ID #: 79-01-6
Affected Organ Systems: Developmental (effects during periods when organs are developing) , Neurological (Nervous System)
Cancer Classification: EPA: Carcinogenic to humans, IARC: Carcinogenic to humans (evidence for cancer is based on kidney cancer, limited evidence for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and liver cancer, as well as, various tumors in animals). NTP: Known to be a Human Carcinogen.
