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Mercury cleanup A voluntary evacuation of 260 Halawa public housing units continued today as state, federal and city crews monitored and cleaned the units and the surrounding area of mercury, a toxic chemical.
may take days
Two Halawa public housing
complexes and their residents
are being examined for
toxic exposureBy Helen Altonn,
Mary Adamski and Harold Morse
Star-BulletinNo serious injuries were reported among people exposed to mercury in Puuwai Momi and Makalapa Manor homes, although 27 were taken to hospitals.
Nine residents, ages five to 18, were treated and discharged from Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi by last night.
Eighteen people, including 15 children, were reported treated and released from St. Francis Medical Center-West.
The Department of Education closed Aiea Elementary School today so hazardous materials personnel can inspect it.
Officials from Aiea Elementary reported that the student had a bottle of mercury and had to be hospitalized due to abdominal cramps, police spokeswoman Jean Motoyama said.
The boy, 13, apparently got the mercury from a friend who found the bottle and gave it to friends.
Jocelyn Collado, American Red Cross spokesperson, said about 60 residents stayed the night at a shelter set up at the Halawa District Park gymnasium. They were mostly families displaced from the Puuwai Momi complex, she said.
A few more residents were expected at the shelter today as the Honolulu Fire Department assisted residents wanting to evacuate, she said.
"It will be at least a few days before residents are allowed back in the housing," state Health Director Bruce Anderson said.
Health officials said there are no confirmed reports of mercury poisoning.
Gary Gill, deputy director of environmental health administration in the state Health Department, said exposure appeared to be from inhalation of mercury vapor.
"Touching mercury, playing with it, even swallowing is not a health concern," he said. "But long-term exposure to fume and vapors, especially in an indoor situation, is where you're likely to get more health impact over time."
Halawa children say they have been playing for as long as two months with liquid mercury.
An old pump station in the area where children found the mercury was secured, Gill said, and cleanup efforts were concentrated on known hot spots inside Puuwai Momi and common areas outside, Gill said.
At least 18 units affected
Puuwai Momi has 260 units and 1,100 residents.Gill said 18 units were suspected to be contaminated based on interviews with residents. But, he added, "for all we know, there could be 100 more."
All units hadn't been inspected yet this morning, he said. "Eventually, every apartment will be monitored and cleaned."
He said a crew worked five to seven hours on one unit with "very high levels of contamination" and was still working on it this morning.
Mercury monitors are used to measure mercury vapors in the air, then special vacuums are used to suck up the droplets, he said.
Carpets, rugs and clothing or household items exposed to mercury must be removed, he said.
He said it was difficult today how long the cleanup would take. "It's a sure bet we'll be working on it all day today. How many days beyond that, we'll have to wait and see."
Anderson said flecks of mercury were scattered on the ground and contamination was believed to be widespread.
The department advised parents to have a physician conduct a simple blood test to determine if the exposure has had a toxic effect.
Mercury was found earlier in a restroom at Makalapa Community Center, and additional mercury was found at nearby Kalaloa District Park, fire Capt. Richard Soo said.
Teams also were sent to check out a Pupupuhi Street residence in Waipahu.
Residents prevented from returning home were bused to Halawa District Park on Iwaiwa Street, where Red Cross officials set up a facility.
"We fed them snacks and dinner last night, provided them cotton bedding to sleep on, then breakfast this morning," Collado said.
She said activities were provided for children unable to go to school today.
A male minor was reported in stable condition at Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi.
Thirteen people, two of them adults, were being observed for respiratory or neurological symptoms at St. Francis Medical Center-West and were expected to be released.
Officials said 30 Aiea Elementary students had contact with the mercury. Principal Alfred Navares sent students home with a letter advising parents that if their child came in contact with mercury, they should have the child examined by a doctor.
Vapors are easily absorbed
The Department of Education said 10 students at Aiea Intermediate, Aiea High and Makalapa Elementary were exposed.Tom Kurashige, principal of Aiea Intermediate School, said three students told him they were in contact with mercury during the weekend and a letter was being sent to parents.
Ray Fujii, Makalapa Elementary School principal, said: "We have confirmed at least two of them, possibly three, that have come into contact with it yesterday. None of them brought it to school, so our campus, as far as we know, has not been exposed at all."
Bob Hall, executive assistant of the Hawaii Housing and Community development Corp. of Hawaii, which runs the housing projects, said the staff distributed fliers to every unit yesterday and coordinated efforts with city and health officials.
Dr. Paul Effler, chief of the Health Department's epidemiology branch, told Halawa parents that the air in their homes will be tested. Mercury vapors can be absorbed easily into the lungs, the worst danger of toxic exposure.
The liquid element is not well absorbed into the skin by simple handling, health officials say. And if swallowed, elemental mercury is not absorbed in the stomach but passes through the bowels.
"It is not likely that casual exposures are going to cause any harm. Contact over time can cause health problems," Anderson said.
Some effects of mercury poisoning are tremors, changes in vision or hearing, headaches and difficulty with memory.
Anderson said one child had been taken to the hospital with a stomachache not initially linked to mercury poisoning. "We have a flu epidemic now, and I expect parents might see those symptoms as alarming and be concerned."
He said he expects physicians who have treated youngsters from the area in the past month or two to assess the cases now that they realize there was possible mercury exposure.
Building is state property
Anderson identified the source of the mercury as a warehouse on Navy CINCPAC Fleet property. He said there was no immediate determination that there was anything illegal in how it was stored. "We would need to investigate further before we would consider fines or penalties."Soo said he was told the children, ages 10 to 13, found the mercury at a building near Richardson Field.
Lt. Cmdr Jane Campbell, Navy Region Hawaii public affairs officer, said the acreage and building were conveyed by the Navy to the state Aug. 21, 1962.
The structure now belongs to the state Department of Defense, Campbell said.
"It's not an issue of mercury being stored," she said. "It was actually mercury in equipment. It was our understanding that the kids either broke meters or gauges or something like that to get mercury out."
An entire meter containing mercury was taken, Campbell said.
Soo asked parents of children suspected of mercury contact to: 1) Remove children's clothing and shoes; 2) Place these items in a plastic bag; 3) Put this bag into another plastic bag; 4) Wash down each child in a shower for about 20 minutes; and 5) Take each child to a hospital emergency room or physician for checks.
Cleanup crews were at the scene today from the Health Department, Navy and Air Force, the DOH's emergency response contractor, police and fire departments, Civil Defense, Red Cross and the state housing corporation.
Star-Bulletin reporters Gordon Y.K. Pang,
Rosemarie Bernardo and Treena Shapiro
contributed to this report.