High levels of chemicals detected in groundwater at Thebarton, in Adelaide's western suburbs
HOME and business owners in Thebarton have been told not to use water from their bores after testing uncovered high concentrations of the chemical trichloroethene in the area.
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HOME and business owners in Thebarton have been told not to use water from their bores after testing uncovered high concentrations of the chemical trichloroethene in the area.
The Environment Protection Agency conducted groundwater and soil vapour tests between May and last month and has since contacted 17 property owners.
It has promised further testing and is asking property owners for permission to undertake indoor air samples and check under the flooring in buildings to determine any health risk.
The chemical is believed to have been deposited through past industrial practices in the area, including metalwork.
Trichloroethene, or TCE, is commonly used as a degreasing agent.
EPA regulation director Peter Dolan said affected residents would not experience “immediate symptoms” but prolonged exposure to TCE, over decades, had been linked to cancer of the liver and kidneys and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Mr Dolan said the EPA would finalise contacting all affected residents in coming days and urged them to consent to further testing of their properties to determine the extent of the contamination.
He also urged them not to use their bores until further testing is done.
That will take a few weeks and a final report is expected to be released in November.
Levels of TCE at 2 micrograms per cubic metre are considered safe.
Levels between 2 and 20mcg/m3 require further investigation and above 20mcg/m3 intervention is necessary.
That can include better ventilation of homes, including fans under the house.
The EPA has previously conducted similar tests in other suburbs with histories of industrial or metal work, including Clovelly Park, Edwardstown, Beverley and Hendon.
These are known as “orphan” sites, where the company or person responsible for the prior contamination has moved on or cannot be identified.
In these cases, Mr Dolan said the EPA took responsibility for managing and clearing the contamination.
Anyone with concerns can phone the EPA on 1800729175 or SA Health on 82267100.
