Though the former Mercer Rubber Plant allegedly dumped cancer-causing agents into nearby waterways for more than 100 years, testing thus far shows the drinking water in the area is not contaminated.

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The check of the drinking water is part of the environmental testing near the defunct Mercer Street plant, where controversy erupted several weeks ago over whether neighborhood residents have developed cancer as a result of pollution from the company.

While the drinking water is considered safe, DEP officials said the shallow groundwater that rests closer to the soil may hold volatile chemicals that could pose a danger to residents.

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Public well records between 1987 and 2006 provided by Aqua New Jersey, formerly Garden State Water, show sporadic detection of TCE in four public wells near the site, including one that exceeded the state's volatile toxin standards, said Edward Rapciewicz, vice president of operations until his retirement last week.

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Though contamination in the drinking water has been ruled out, the potential pathway of vapor intrusion that could expose residents to the cancer-causing agents has not yet been addressed.

If volatile chemicals are spilled onto the ground or dumped into water sources, the toxins are capable of "evaporating" into the soil's air pockets and sinking into the groundwater, said Michael Aucott, research scientist with the DEP Division of Science and Research.

"The soil has pores, or spaces between particles, that are normally filled with air and water. If a volatile substance is in the area, some of that will get into the pores just like air would," Aucott said. "If there are cracks in the foundation it's possible for the vapor of contaminants to seep into homes through basements and the flooring."

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While testing the groundwater is helpful, geological factors need to be examined to rule out as a health threat, Aucott said.

For example, the type of soil in an area can show whether vapor intrusion is more likely and the typical travel direction that contaminants would follow, he said.

Whereas a clay sediment makes it harder for toxins to re main underground, sand particles are larger and allow volatile organic chemicals to travel through more easily. Because toxins can stay in soil for an extended period of time -- depending on the soil and depth -- testing the groundwater alone may not be enough, Aucott said.

"Different soils have different abilities to transmit vapors or liquids," Aucott said. "Shallow groundwater might tell you a lot, but unless all of the other situational variables are known, it's hard to definitely say there is no contamination."

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