Ypsilanti's Estabrook Elementary School

[Guest guest]

http://aa.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20010809a830a1estabrook09.f

rm

No breast cancer link seen at Estabrook

Thursday, August 9, 2001

By PATTY MAHER

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Ypsilanti's Estabrook Elementary School had radon in the basement, lead in

the water and mold spores on the ceiling, but nothing found in an

environmental study can be linked to a high rate of breast cancer, health

officials said.

As a result, the school will get bottled drinking water, and further tests

will be done to find the source of lead and ways to reduce radon.

" It is my conclusion that Estabrook School provides a safe environment for

children and staff, " said Dr. Stan y, medical director for the Washtenaw

County Health Department.

Officials believe the radon is coming from soil beneath the school, a common

problem in southeast Michigan. Moldy ceiling tiles already have been

replaced.

Concern swelled at the school year's end after two more teachers were

diagnosed with breast cancer within a few months. In 10 years, 15 cancer

cases have been diagnosed among staff and students, mostly breast cancer,

but also other types including brain, cervical and Hodgkin's disease. Three

children were diagnosed with cancer.

Estabrook has about 70 employees and 400 students.

Over the past decade, women at Estabrook contracted breast cancer at a rate

three times higher than their age peers in Washtenaw County and 10 times

higher than the county's general population. Washtenaw County's breast

cancer rate is about 25 percent higher than Michigan, and Michigan is above

the national rate.

Radon has been linked to lung cancer, which has not been a problem at the

school, y said. Lead poisoning can lead to nerve system damage,

especially in children under 2, but it has never been linked to breast

cancer, y said.

The mold apparently formed after a roof leaked a few years ago and did not

appear severe enough to cause health problems, he said.

Yet scientists know little about what environmental factors cause breast

cancer, y said.

Some parents and teachers are concerned about the tests, but Superintendent

Zuhlke does not expect findings to affect enrollment. " There are

always people who will try to blow things out of proportion, but what we

have to keep in mind is that this is not anything exceptional, " Zuhlke said.

Carol Taite of Ann Arbor, who enrolled her daughter Alysha, 9, at Estabrook

through the School of Choice program, is concerned, but won't pull Alysha

from the school. " She definitely won't be drinking the water, " Taite said.

Art teacher Barbara Bassett said she was concerned about air quality, but

was glad to read in a report that the air is OK. " I was satisfied with what

they said, so we'll see what more they find, " she said.

The Traverse Group of Ann Arbor, which did the study, said it would give an

" A " to Estabrook's air quality. Radon detection containers were placed

through the building, but only those in the basement showed levels above

Environmental Protection Agency standards.

Basement radon registered at 8.6 and 9.4 picocuries per liter, " not too far

above " the EPA action level of 4.0, said Traverse Group consultant Mark

Stabile.

The EPA expects action to be taken when lead in water is above 15 parts per

billion. Lead levels taken from water at two of the school's sinks measured

60 parts per billion, 50 parts per billion at another, and 16 parts per

billion at a drinking fountain. Four spots showed no contamination.

y said he would not recommend that students and staff be tested for lead

contamination now.

The first round of tests cost $2,500, but Zuhlke does not know the cost of

additional testing or if the situation will be cleared up before school

begins Aug. 29. If it's not, he said, the school district will distribute

bottled water.