Air Quality Report for 2012

  2012 Air Quality Report for St Bernard Parish

St. Bernard Parish air quality failed to meet pollution standards in 2012 for sulfur dioxide on 29 days, for PM2.5 on 34 days, for PM10 on six days, and for hydrogen sulfide on eight days. 

Based on air samples at three community air monitors , there were 170 days or 45% of the year when residents had to suffer acute exposure level of sulfur dioxide at 10 parts per billion (ppb) or higher. Sulfur dioxide levels failed to meet EPA's 75 ppb  one-hour health standard on 29 days. 
 
All too often the hydrogen sulfide levels failed to meet the EPA recommended daily exposure level of 1.4 ppb.  On eight days, the hydrogen sulfide levels failed to meet a health standard of 30 ppb -- this is the health standard in the State of California; the State of Louisiana has no such limit.  On 17 days, hydrogen sulfide levels reached 20 ppb or higher.

Particulate matter PM2.5 failed to meet the EPA daily standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3) on 34 days; PM10 failed to meet the EPA daily standard of 150 ug/m3 on six days.

Ozone readings were higher than EPA's standard of 75 ppb on eight days.  The only air quality alerts from DEQ in 2012 were for "Ozone Action Days" and during a persistent marsh fire in January 2012. 

Data excludes the month of January and the fireworks timeline for July Fourth and New Year's Eve.

2012 Monthly Air Quality Readings

2012-RECAP- Air-Quality-in-St-Bernard-Parish

DEQ's 'Meraux' site air monitor at Joe Davies Elementary School


Report copy Here:  Air Quality in 2012 in St Bernard Parish, LA

The air in St. Bernard Parish failed to meet PM_2.5 pollution limits on at least 34 days, with high readings of 69 ug/m³, 67 ug/m³, and 61 ug/m³ at DEQ’s ‘Ch_Vista’ site, well above the 35 ug/m³ standard.

PM10  readings failed to meet pollution limits on at least two days in Chalmette Vista with high readings of 167 ug/m3 and 150 ug/m3; and, on four days at Valero Energy’s Ventura Drive site with high readings of 238 ug/m3, 187 ug/m3, 183 ug/m3, 166 ug/m3, and 153 ug/m3,, well above the 150 ug/m3 standard .

Air quality in St. Bernard Parish failed to meet the one-hour sulfur health standard of 75 ppb on 29 days, with some of the highest readings at DEQ’s ‘Ch_Vista’site of 241 ppb, 229 ppb, 216 ppb, 211 ppb, 184 ppb, 174 ppb, 164 ppb, and 148 ppb. 

The sulfur levels at Valero Energy’s Ventura Drive site failed to meet the health standard on one day with 120 ppb, and had 34 days of acute exposure level of 10 ppb or higher, with five days of sulfur readings at 30 ppb or higher. Some of the higher sulfur readings at Valero Energy’s Ventura Drive site were 120 ppb, 48 ppb, 45 ppb and 41 ppb. The DEQ ‘Meraux’ site at Joe Davies Elementary school had 47 days of acute exposure level of 10 ppb or higher and three days of 30 ppb or higher, with some of its highest readings at 59 ppb, 43 ppb, and 33 ppb.

In 2012 the highest hydrogen sulfide reading was 78 ppb at the Valero Energy's Ventura Drive site, which also had four additional days that failed to meet the 30 ppb health limit.  Some of the higher readings at Valero Energy's Ventura Drive site were 78 ppb, 62 ppb, 44 ppb and 35 ppb. 

DEQ's 'Ch_Vista' site had twelve days of hydrogen sulfide readings above 20 ppb, with four days that failed to meet the 30 ppb health limit.  Some of the higher Chalmette Vista readings were 53 ppb, 49 ppb, 46 ppb, and 43 ppb. DEQ’s ‘Meraux’ site at Joe Davies Elementary school had high hydrogen sulfide readings of 27 ppb and 20 ppb.

Data excludes the month of January and the fireworks timelines of July Fourth and New Year's Eve.