The development of cleanup criteria for an acutely toxic pesticide at a contaminated industrial facility.

Sodium fluoroacetate, a restricted-use rodenticide, was improperly applied to kill rats in a South American steel mill. As a result of this application, several workers were seriously injured. During plant decontamination, cleanup levels were developed to ensure that any residual material remaining at the plant did not pose a health risk. Cleanup levels were developed to prevent significant exposure of workers, who could inhale contaminated dust, contact dust, or soil dust in outdoor areas or on plant floors and who could contact contaminated surfaces. On the basis of a health risk analysis, the following cleanup levels for sodium fluoroacetate were developed--air cleanup levels, 0.05 mg/m3; soil/dust cleanup levels, 100 mg/kg; and wipe sample cleanup levels, 0.2 mg/100 cm2. These risk-based cleanup levels were ultimately used to assist the regulatory agencies in reaching a decision to reopen the plant.