Community Air Monitoring and Sampling Summary

Transcription

1 June 15, 2015 Community Air Monitoring and Sampling Summary Refugio Incident On May 20, 2015, Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, LLC CTEH ) initiated air monitoring and analytical air sampling in support of response operations for the Refugio Incident near Gaviota, CA. This summary presents real time air monitoring data and analytical air sampling results collected from May 20, 2015 at 02:29 PDT to June 14, 2015 at 16:00 PDT at locations along the coastline accessible by members of the community. To date, the results of real time air monitoring and analytical air sampling in the community indicate that crude oil associated compounds are not present at levels that would pose a health concern. General Summary of Community Air Monitoring Operations and Preliminary Results CTEH conducted real time air monitoring along the coastline at publically accessible locations. Real time air monitoring refers to the use of direct reading instruments that report nearly instantaneous measurements of an airborne substance in real time. These data can be used to quickly evaluate air quality and identify conditions that may have an impact on community health and safety. Real time air monitoring was performed for volatile organic compounds VOCs), benzene, hexane, toluene, atmospheric flammability as percent of the lower explosive limit LEL), and hydrogen sulfide H₂S). Notably, H 2 S was not a primary concern, as the oil released did not contain high amounts of H 2 S. Data collected using handheld instruments in the community are shown in Table 1. Maps depicting the locations of handheld real time air monitoring are included as Attachment A. Preliminary results of real time air monitoring in the community: More than 5,500 real time air monitoring readings were recorded with handheld instruments during community air monitoring operations from May 20, 2015 to June 14, Real time air monitoring in the community has not detected crude oil associated compounds. CTEH began collecting analytical air samples on May 20, Laboratory analysis of analytical air samples provides chemical specific results at lower chemical detection limits than real time instrumentation. Analytical air samples were positioned to collect air from 10 fixed locations along the coastline over 24 hour periods. A map illustrating the locations of analytical air sampling stations is provided in Attachment B. Analytical air samples were submitted to an accredited laboratory for analysis of VOCs, H 2 S, and glutaraldehyde. Human health risk based screening levels for a suite of VOCs, including benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene collectively known as BTEX) were used to evaluate the analytical air sample results. These screening levels, presented in Table 2, were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency USEPA) during previous oil spill events to be protective of human health for an individual exposed for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for up to one year. A comparison of the analytical air sampling BTEX results at each analytical station to USEPA developed screening levels is provided in Table 2. Preliminary results of analytical air sampling in the community: 225 analytical air samples were collected in the community from May 20, 2015 to June 12, Results of analytical air sampling in the community indicate no exceedances of the USEPA VOC screening levels. As such, these compounds do not pose an airborne risk to human health as a result of the Refugio Incident. H 2 S and glutaraldehyde were not detected in any analytical air samples collected in the community

2 Table 1: Community Real time Handheld Air Monitoring Summary 1 05/20/ :29 06/14/ :00 Analyte Instrument Number of Readings Number of Detections Detection Range 2 Gastec 121L 29 0 < 0.05 ppm UltraRAE < 0.05 ppm Gastec 4LL 1 0 < 0.1 ppm H 2 S MultiRAE Plus < 1 ppm MultiRAE Pro 44 0 < 0.1 ppm Hexane Gastec 102L 7 0 < 1 ppm LEL MultiRAE Plus < 1 % MultiRAE Pro 19 0 < 1 % Toluene Gastec 122L 6 0 < 0.5 ppm MultiRAE Plus < 0.1 ppm VOCs 3 MultiRAE Pro < 0.1 ppm 1 Table is based on preliminary real time data. The information provides has not yet undergone the complete QA/QC process. 2 If detections were not observed, the instrument detection limit is listen in this column; values preceded by the < symbol are considered non detects below the laboratory instrument detection limit to the right. 3 The chemical class of volatile organic compounds VOCs) includes, but is not limited to, crude oil associated compounds such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and hexane.

3 Table 2: Summary of Analytical Air Sampling Results by Analytical Station 5/20/2015 6/2/2015 Location 1 AS01 AS02 AS03 AS04 AS05 AS06 AS07 AS08 AS09 AS12 Analyte Count of 24 hr Sample Results Count of Detections Range of Detections 2 USEPA Screening Level 3 Results above USEPA Screening Level? Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No Ethylbenzene ppb 690 ppb No ppb 690 ppb No Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No M,P Xylenes 12 Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No M,P Xylenes ppb 690 ppb No Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No Ethylbenzene ppb 690 ppb No M,P Xylenes ppb 690 ppb No Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No M,P Xylenes 8 Toluene ppb 1,320 ppb No 1 A map illustrating the location of community analytical air sampling locations is provided in Attachment B. 2 If no detections were observed, the laboratory instrument detection limit is listed in this column; values preceded by the < symbol are considered non detects below the laboratory instrument detection limit to the right. 3 Screening levels established in EPA Response to BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico: Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs) on the Gulf Coastline.

4 Manually-Logged Real-Time Air Monitoring Readings Refugio Incident May 20, :29 to June 14, :00 I El Capitan Beach "S Refugio Beach Legend ,000 2,000 Feet PROJECTION SYSTEM: Lambert Conformal Conic DATUM: North American 1983 "S Incident Location Real-time Air Monitoring Location LAST UPDATED: 6/15/2015 3:18:24 PM

5 Community Analytical Air Sampling Stations Refugio Response May 20, June 12, AS I AS08 AS07 AS12 AS03 AS01 AS04 AS05 AS06 AS09 Legend PROJECTION SYSTEM: Lambert Conformal Conic DATUM: North American 1983 Analytical Air Sampling Location LAST UPDATED: 6/15/2015 4:52:04 PM