August 19, 2015 Health Effects

The Navajo Nation is impacted by the Gold King Mine Blowout from Wednesday, August 5, 2015. The Navajo Nation is very concerned with the elements from
the plume which entered and passed through the Navajo Nation in Upper Fruitland, New Mexico on Saturday, August 8, 2015 at around 8:00 a.m. and the
elements left as sediments. The following are elements identified in the river water and levels of the elements are not available at the time of this release. The
following information is compiled from the Agency for Toxic Substance & Disease Registry. Retrieved on 08/18/2015 at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/.

Elements

Atomic
Weights

Where does element come

from?

How can this element affect my health?

Carcinogen?

Arsenic

74.92

Arsenic is a naturally occurring

element widely distributed in
the earth's crust.

Yes

Cadmium

112.40

A natural element in the

earths crust.

Breathing high levels of inorganic arsenic can give you a sore throat or irritated
lungs.
Ingesting very high levels of arsenic can result in death. Exposure to lower levels
can cause nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood
cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels, and a sensation of "pins
and needles" in hands and feet.
Ingesting or breathing low levels of inorganic arsenic for a long time can cause a
darkening of the skin and the appearance of small "corns" or "warts" on the
palms, soles, and torso.
Skin contact with inorganic arsenic may cause redness and swelling.
Almost nothing is known regarding health effects of organic arsenic compounds
in humans. Studies in animals show that some simple organic arsenic
compounds are less toxic than inorganic forms. Ingestion of methyl and
dimethyl compounds can cause diarrhea and damage to the kidneys.
Affected Organ Systems: Dermal (Skin), Gastrointestinal (Digestive), Hepatic
(Liver), Neurological (Nervous System), Respiratory (From the Nose to the
Lungs)
Human Oral Intake
Eating food or drinking water with very high cadmium levels severely irritates
the stomach, leading to vomiting and diarrhea, and sometimes but rarely
death.
Eating lower levels of cadmium over a long period of time can lead to a buildup of cadmium in the kidneys. If the build-up of cadmium is high enough, it
will damage the kidneys.
Exposure to lower levels of cadmium for a long time can also cause bones to
become fragile/brittle bones and break easily.

Probable

Copper

63.54

A metal that occurs naturally

throughout the environment,
in rocks, soil, water, and air.
Copper is an essential element
in plants and animals (including
humans), which means it is
necessary for us to live.

Affected Organ Systems:

Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Vessels), Developmental (effects during periods
when organs are developing), Gastrointestinal (Digestive), Neurological
(Nervous System), Renal (Urinary System or Kidneys), Reproductive (Producing
Children), Respiratory (From the Nose to the Lungs).
Must absorb some copper from eating, drinking, and breathing.
Copper is essential for good health. However, exposure to higher doses can be
harmful. Long-term exposure to copper dust can irritate your nose, mouth, and
eyes, and cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea. If you drink water
that contains higher than normal levels of copper, you may experience nausea,
vomiting, stomach cramps, or diarrhea. Intentionally high intakes of copper can
cause liver and kidney damage and even death.
Affected Organ Systems:
Gastrointestinal (Digestive), Hematological (Blood Forming), Hepatic (Liver).

Lead

207.19

Lead is a naturally occurring

bluish-gray metal found in
small amounts in the earth's
crust. Lead can be found in all
parts of our environment.

The effects of lead are the same whether it enters the body through breathing
or swallowing. The main target for lead toxicity is the nervous system, both in
adults and children. Long-term exposure of adults to lead at work has resulted
in decreased performance in some tests that measure functions of the nervous
system. Lead exposure may also cause weakness in fingers, wrists, or ankles.
Lead exposure also causes small increases in blood pressure, particularly in
middle-aged and older people. Lead exposure may also cause anemia. At high
levels of exposure, lead can severely damage the brain and kidneys in adults or
children and ultimately cause death. In pregnant women, high levels of
exposure to lead may cause miscarriage. High-level exposure in men can
damage the organs responsible for sperm production.

Not
classified.
Unknown.
We do not
know if
copper can
cause cancer
in humans.
EPA does not
classify
copper as a
human
carcinogen
because
there are no
adequate
human or
animal cancer
studies.

Affected Organ Systems: Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Vessels),

Developmental (effects during periods when organs are developing) ,
Gastrointestinal (Digestive), Hematological (Blood Forming), Musculoskeletal
(Muscles and Skeleton), Neurological (Nervous System), Ocular (Eyes), Renal
(Urinary System or Kidneys), Reproductive (Producing Children).

Manganese

54.9381

Manganese is a naturally
occurring metal that is found in
many types of rocks.
Manganese is an essential
trace element and is necessary
for good health. Manganese
can be found in several food
items, including grains and
cereals, and is found in high
amounts in other foods, such
as tea.

Manganese has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and a limited
amount of manganese is also able to cross the placenta during pregnancy,
enabling it to reach a developing fetus.
Nervous system disturbances have been observed in animals after very high
oral doses of manganese, including changes in behavior.
Sperm damage and adverse changes in male reproductive performance were
observed in laboratory animals fed high levels of manganese. Impairments in
fertility were observed in female rodents provided with oral manganese before
they became pregnant.
Illnesses involving the kidneys and urinary tract have been observed in
laboratory rats fed very high levels of manganese. These illnesses included
inflammation of the kidneys and kidney stone formation.
Low levels an essential nutrient;
At extremely high levels can cause neurological problems and sperm
deformations in men.

Zinc

65.37

Zinc is one of the most

common elements in the
earth's crust. It is found in air,
soil, and water, and is present
in all foods. Pure zinc is a
bluish-white shiny metal.

Affected Organ Systems: Cardiovascular (Heart and Blood Vessels), Hepatic

(Liver), Neurological (Nervous System), Respiratory (From the Nose to the
Lungs).
Taking too much zinc into the body through food, water, or dietary supplements
can also affect health. The levels of zinc that produce adverse health effects are
much higher than the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for zinc of 11
mg/day for men and 8 mg/day for women. If large doses of zinc (10-15 times
higher than the RDA) are taken by mouth even for a short time, stomach
cramps, nausea, and vomiting may occur. Ingesting high levels of zinc for several
months may cause anemia, damage the pancreas, and decrease levels of highdensity lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.