Concerned Citizens Around Murphy

Friday, June 22, 2012

mid summer air report

Air Quality readings from three monitors  in St. Bernard Parish during the month of June 2012.

St. Bernard Parish residents are exposed to a higher than normal level of hydrogen sulfide than most urban areas.  http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/h2s.html  EPA reports ..."concentrations in urban areas are generally below 1 part per billion (ppb)..." Residents in St. Bernard Parish tend to be exposured to a range of 2ppb to 4 ppb on a daily basis.

Louisiana DEQ reports levels of Sulfur Dioxide around 12 ppb SO2 trigger headaches and other adverse quality of life issues. EPA's sulfur health standard is 75 ppb SO2 for a one-hour reading. There have been studies  "to test whether prior exposure to a low concentration of ozone would condition airways in asthmatic subjects to respond to a subthreshold concentration of sulfur dioxide."

We are the science for what happens to healthy airways and lungs exposed to higher levels of sulfur dioxide mixed with this level of hydrogen sulfide and particulate matter.

　



June 2012 Air Quality Readings
St. Bernard Parish Louisiana
Health Standards
SO2	75 ppb hourly average
H2S	1.4 ppb recommended daily exposure
PM 2.5	35


			Hydrogen Sulfide &
			Sulfur Dioxide
			PM10

6/1/2012	midnight	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	2am	Mearux	8 ppb H2S
	3am	Mearux	7 ppb H2S
	5am	Ventura	5 ppb H2S

6/2/2012	1am	Meraux	5 ppb H2S
		Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	2am	Ventura	7 ppb H2S
	3am	Ch_Vista	5 ppb H2S
		Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	4am	Meraux	6 ppb H2S
	5am	Ventura	8 ppb H2S
	6am	Ventura	8 ppb H2S
	2pm	Meraux	Ozone 72
	3pm	Ch_Vista	14.9 ppb SO2
	4pm	Ch_Vista	16.1 ppb SO2
	5pm	Ch_Vista	19.6 ppb SO2
	7pm	Ch_Vista	11.5 ppb SO2
	8pm	Ch_Vista	70.4 ppb SO2
	10pm	Ch_Vista	30.5 ppb SO2
	11pm	Ch_Vista	34.7 ppb SO2
		Ch_Vista	5 ppb H2S

6/3/2012	midnight	Ch_Vista	5 ppb H2S
		Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	1am	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	2am	Ch_Vista	9 ppb H2S
		Meraux	11 ppb H2S
		Ventura	9 ppb H2S
	3am	Ch_Vista	10 ppb H2S
		Meraux	10 ppb H2S
		Ventura	12 ppb H2S
	4am	Ch_Vista	11 ppb H2S
		Meraux	9 ppb H2S
		Ventura	12 ppb H2S
	5am	Ch_Vista	11 ppb H2S
		Meraux	6 ppb H2S
		Ventura	13 ppb H2S
	6am	Ch_Vista	7 ppb H2S
		Meraux	9 ppb H2S
		Ventura	13 ppb H2S
	7am	Ventura	11 ppb H2S
	8am	Ventura	7 ppb H2S
	9am	Ventura	4 ppb H2S
	3pm	Ventura	13 ppb H2S
	6pm	Ventura	9 ppb SO2
	7pm	Ventura	23 ppb SO2
	8pm	Ch_Vista	7 ppb SO2
		Ventura	35 ppb SO2
	9pm	Ch_Vista	12.1 ppb SO2
		Ch_Vista	18 ppb H2S
		Ventura	37 ppb SO2
	10pm	Ventura	7 ppb SO2
	11pm	Ventura	19 ppb SO2

6/4/2012	midnight	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	1am	Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	2am	Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	3am	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	4am	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	5am	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	6am	Meraux	13.9 ppb SO2
		Meraux	4 ppb H2S
		Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	7am	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	8am	Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	3pm	Meraux	Ozone 67


6/5/2012	midnight	Ventura	4 ppb H2S
	1am	Ventura	4 ppb H2S
	2am	Ventura	4 ppb H2S
	7am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 50
	2pm	Ch_Vista	21.1 ppb SO2
	3pm	Ch_Vista	38.0 ppb SO2
		Ch_Vista	PM10 - 41
		Ventura	PM10 - 42

6/6/2012	1am	Ventura	6 ppb SO2
	2am	Ch_Vista	4 ppb H2S
	5am	Ventura	8 ppb SO2
	6am	Ventura	9 ppb SO2
	7am	Meraux	10.2 ppb SO2
	9am	Ch_Vista	PM10 --- 42
	11am	Meraux	Ozone 66
		Ventura	PM10 --- 48
	4pm	Ch_Vista	36.3 ppb SO2
	7pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 --- 42

6/7/2012	4am	Ch_Vista	6 ppb H2S
		Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	5am	Ch_Vista	8 ppb H2S
		Ventura	8 ppb H2S
	6am	Ch_Vista	8 ppb H2S
		Ventura	11 ppb H2S
		Meraux	7 ppb H2S
	7am	Ch_Vista	21.6 ppb SO2
		Ventura	11 ppb H2S
	8am	Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	3pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 --- 42

6/8/2012	5am	Meraux	4 ppb H2S
	6am	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	7am	Ventura	5 ppb H2S

6/9/2012	11pm	Ch_Vista	4 ppb H2S

6/10/2012	5am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 44
	7pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 36

6/11/2012	midnight	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 43
	1am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 47
	2am	Ch_Vista	PM10 -61
	3am	Ch_Vista	PM10 -68
	4am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 68
	5am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 64
	6am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 67
	7am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 79
	8am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 78
	9am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 79
	10am	Ch_Vista	PM19 - 66
	11am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 57
	noon	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 89
		Ch_Vista	PM 2.5 - 50
	1pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 55
	2pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 62
	3pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 63
		Ch_Vista	PM 2.5 - 45
	4pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 71
	5pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 69
	6pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 60
	7pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 65
	8pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 60
	9pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 53
	10pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 53
	11pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 57


6/12/2012	4am	Ch_Vista	117.6 ppb SO2
		Ch_Vista	13 ppb H2S
	5am	Ch_Vista	36.2 ppb SO2
		Ch_Vista	7 ppb H2S
		Meraux	4 ppb H2S
		Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	6am	Ch_Vista	4 ppb H2S
		Ventura	6 ppb H2S
		Ventura	6 ppb SO2
	7am	Ventura	5 ppb H2S
		Meraux	9.2 ppb SO2
	8am	Ventura	4 ppb H2S
	4pm	Ch_Vista	41.5 ppb SO2

6/13/2012	2am	Ch_Vista	4 ppb H2S
	5am	Ventura	4 ppb H2S

6/14/2012	7am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 36
	1pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 82
		Ch_Vista	46.0 ppb SO2
	2pm	Ch_Vista	79.6 ppb SO2

6/15/2012	12am	Meraux	4 ppb H2S
	1am	Meraux	4 ppb H2S
	4am	Meraux	4 ppb H2S

6/17/2012	2am	Meraux	4 ppb H2S

6/18/2012	11am	Ch_Vista	PM2.5 - 34

6/19/2012	3pm	Ch_Vista	PM2.5 - 30

6/20/2012	4am	Meraux	4 ppb H2S
		Ventura	4 ppb H2S
	5am	Ventura	4 ppb H2S
after 7am	Meraux monitor data not available

6/21/2012	Meraux monitor data not available
6/21/2012	midnight	Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	3am	Ventura	5 ppb H2S
	4am	Ventura	6 ppb H2S
	5am	Ventura	4 ppb H2S
	6am	Ventura	4 ppb H2S
	9pm	Ventura	7 ppb H2S
	10pm	Ventura	4 ppb H2S

6/22/2012	Meraux monitor data not available
6/22/2012

Monday, June 11, 2012

particular matters

""Major concerns for human health from exposure to [particulate matter] PM-10 include: effects on breathing and respiratory systems, damage to lung tissue, cancer, and premature death.""

EPA health standard for PM 2.5 is 35. The air quality for particulate matter PM 2.5 today in Chalmette Vista neighborhood is above the EPA health standards. Monitor readings at this link , select "site data", select "CH_Vista"


6/11/2012	midnight	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 43
	1am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 47
	2am	Ch_Vista	PM10 -61
	3am	Ch_Vista	PM10 -68
	4am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 68
	5am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 64
	6am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 67
	7am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 79
	8am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 78
	9am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 79
	10am	Ch_Vista	PM19 - 66
	11am	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 57
	noon	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 89
		Ch_Vista	PM 2.5 - 50
	1pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 55
	2pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 62
	3pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 63
		Ch_Vista	PM 2.5 - 45
	4pm	Ch_Vista	PM10 - 71

                  5pm         Ch_Vista PM10   -69
                                  Ch_Vista PM 2.5   - 35
                  6pm         Ch_Vista PM10    - 60

photo source: LDEQ Air Assessment

Air Compare

Louisiana Weekly article by Susan Buchanan

EPA has a tool called AirComare. St Bernard Parish—home to [ExxonMobil's] Chalmette Refining, a Valero refinery and a Domino Sugar plant—topped the Gulf’s worst air list in 2011 with 77 unhealthy air days for those with asthma or lung disease.

In Louisiana, Bossier Parish had 17 lung-threatening air days last year. East Baton Rouge had seven, St. Tammany had five and St. John the Baptist had four. West Baton Rouge and St. James had three, while Orleans and Jefferson Parishes had two each. A choking air day on the Gulf can make you wish it were only a bad hair day.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

sulfur dioxide levels

St. Bernard Parish Louisiana experienced 22 days in May 2012 with sulfur dioxide levels above 12 parts per billion SO2. At 12 ppb SO2, sulfur dioxide is said to cause headaches and other adverse quality of life.

The EPA one-hour health standard is 75 ppb SO2. St Bernard Parish experienced three days in May 2012 with sulfur dioxide levels above that health standard. Those SO2 levels were 120 ppb, 121.3 ppb and 77.5 ppb SO2.

Louisiana DEQ has designated St Bernard Parish non-attainment for sulfur dioxide levels and EPA is expected to make a formal announcement this summer 2012.

On June 2, 2010, the U.S. EPA established a new 1-hour Sulfur Dioxide standard, effective August 23, 2010, which is based on the 3-year average of the annual 99th percentile of 1-hour daily maximum concentrations. EPA expects to designate areas of non-attainment for the new health sulfur standard by June 2012.