Risk assessment of seeps from the 317 Area of Argonne National Laboratory

Chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminants have recently been detected in groundwater seeps on forest preserve property south of the 317 Area at ANL. The 317 Area is near ANL`s southern boundary and is considered the source of the contamination. Five seeps are about 200 m south of the ANL property line and about same distance from the nearest developed trails in the forest preserve. Conservative assumptions were used to assess the possibility of adverse health effects associated with forest preserve seeps impacted by the 317 Area. Results indicate that neither cancer risks nor noncarcinogenic effects associated with exposures to seep contaminants are a concern; thus, the area is safe for all visitors. The ecological impact study found that the presence of the three contaminants (CCl{sub 4}, CHCl{sub 3}, tetrachloroethylene) in the seep water does not pose a risk to biota in the area