Arkansas Center for Environmental Studies

In spite of the level of state awareness and concern, Arkansas has had several examples where industrial enterprise has contaminated the environment and threatened the ecosystem as well as human life.

One of the most notable cases is that of the Hercules/Vertac Superfund Site located near Jacksonville. This plant began manufacturing insecticides in 1948, and herbicides were produced on the site until it was closed in 1986. Inadequate waste disposal methods and production controls resulted in solid and surface water contamination by insecticides, herbicides, chlorinated phenols and dioxin. Most of the waste was dumped into an on-site landfill (that contains several thousand cubic yards of waste) as well as two municipal landfills. In addition, Vertac stored waste in barrels creating approximately 28,500 drums of herbicide production waste. Approximately 25,000 barrels were incinerated on site between 1991 and 1995.

Previous studies in Arkansas funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have shown that the total exposure of long term Jacksonville residents to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and a variety of other dioxin-like compounds is not statistically different than that of Vietnamese who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam Conflict.

In terms of its toxicology, TCDD exposure has been reported to produce toxic effects on a variety of organs and organ systems including the skin, liver, nervous system, endocrine function, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract and immune function. One of the research projects included on this website is designed to examine the mechanism by which TCDD acts to produce diabetes-like syndromes. Previous studies have shown a slight increase in the self-reported incidence of diabetes in persons living within one-half mile of the Hercules/Vertac site with a more dramatic risk observed when considering only those individuals who have lived near the site for 15 years or longer. In addition, studies funded by ATSDR recently demonstrated that Jacksonville residents with high TCDD levels show a significant insulin resistance.


		Environmental Hazards in the State of Arkansas


			In spite of the level of state awareness and concern, Arkansas has had several examples where industrial enterprise has contaminated the environment and threatened the ecosystem as well as human life. One of the most notable cases is that of the Hercules/Vertac Superfund Site located near Jacksonville. This plant began manufacturing insecticides in 1948, and herbicides were produced on the site until it was closed in 1986. Inadequate waste disposal methods and production controls resulted in solid and surface water contamination by insecticides, herbicides, chlorinated phenols and dioxin. Most of the waste was dumped into an on-site landfill (that contains several thousand cubic yards of waste) as well as two municipal landfills. In addition, Vertac stored waste in barrels creating approximately 28,500 drums of herbicide production waste. Approximately 25,000 barrels were incinerated on site between 1991 and 1995. Previous studies in Arkansas funded by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have shown that the total exposure of long term Jacksonville residents to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and a variety of other dioxin-like compounds is not statistically different than that of Vietnamese who were exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam Conflict. In terms of its toxicology, TCDD exposure has been reported to produce toxic effects on a variety of organs and organ systems including the skin, liver, nervous system, endocrine function, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract and immune function. One of the research projects included on this website is designed to examine the mechanism by which TCDD acts to produce diabetes-like syndromes. Previous studies have shown a slight increase in the self-reported incidence of diabetes in persons living within one-half mile of the Hercules/Vertac site with a more dramatic risk observed when considering only those individuals who have lived near the site for 15 years or longer. In addition, studies funded by ATSDR recently demonstrated that Jacksonville residents with high TCDD levels show a significant insulin resistance.