Monitoring finds air toxics near Concord Elementary School below levels of concern (WA)
Final air toxics monitoring report
released today
(Seattle – July 27, 2011) U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 today released the
final report on analysis of air toxics monitoring data near Concord
Elementary School in Seattle, Washington. The report is posted
at: http://www.epa.gov/schoolair.
EPA found that concentrations of air toxics
measured near the school are below the levels of concern associated
with health problems from either short- or long-term exposures. Air
toxics measured included hexavalent chromium, benzene,
1,3-butadiene and lead.
Based on analysis of the monitoring results near
Concord Elementary School, EPA will not continue air toxics
monitoring at the school. However, EPA remains concerned
about stationary source and mobile source emissions of air toxics and continues to work to reduce those
emissions across the country, through national rules and by
providing information and assistance to local air authorities,
including the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
The School Air Toxics Monitoring Initiative
monitored outdoor air at 63 schools in 22 states to help EPA and
state environmental agencies understand whether long-term exposures
to air toxics pose health concerns for children and staff at the
schools.
EPA selected Concord Elementary School for
monitoring because it is located near several small metal plating
facilities, roadways, and an airport, which are sources of
air toxics emissions. Computer models were used to
determine which air toxics may be present at elevated levels in the
outdoor air near the school. These models showed that
hexavalent chromium, benzene, 1, 3-butadiene, and lead could be
present in the air around the school and prompted EPA to test to
see if the levels present may be of concern.
EPA partnered with the Puget Sound Clean Air
Agency to install and operate the air monitors. From Aug. 20, 2009
through Nov. 18, 2009, the monitors collected air samples near
Concord Elementary School. During the monitoring period, EPA
evaluated the air toxics concentrations to see if there were health
concerns with short-term exposures. After monitoring, EPA analyzed
the results to see if there was a health concern from long-term
exposures. In order to keep the community informed, EPA posted air
sample results on the website throughout the monitoring period and
sent regular notices to the school principal, staff and
parents.
EPA also measured acrolein as part of this
study. Results of a recent short-term laboratory study have raised
questions about the consistency and reliability of monitoring
results for acrolein. As a result, EPA will not use the acrolein
data in evaluating the potential for health concerns from exposure
to air toxics in outdoor air as part of the School Air Toxics
Monitoring study. EPA is working to improve the monitoring method
for this pollutant.
Other schools monitored in EPA Region 10 were:
St. Helens Elementary School in Longview, Washington; Harriet
Tubman School in Portland, Oregon; Toledo Elementary School in
Toledo, Oregon; and Lapwai High School on the Nez Perce Reservation
in Lapwai, Idaho. Information about monitoring at these schools can
also be found at www.epa.gov/schoolair.
Find more information about Puget Sound Clean
Air Agency’s efforts to reduce air toxics in King, Kitsap,
Pierce and Snohomish counties at http://www.pscleanair.org/airq/basics/airtoxics.aspx.