Air tests from the Louisiana coast reveal human health threats from the oil disaster

[ensho]

http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/05/air-tests-from-the-louisiana-coast-reveal-human-health-threats-from-the-oil-disaster.html


The media coverage of the BP oil disaster to date has focused largely on the threats to wildlife, but the latest evaluation of air monitoring data shows a serious threat to human health from airborne chemicals emitted by the ongoing deepwater gusher.

Today the Louisiana Environmental Action Network released its analysis of air monitoring test results by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA's air testing data comes from Venice, a coastal community 75 miles south of New Orleans in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish.

The findings show that levels of airborne chemicals have far exceeded state standards and what's considered safe for human exposure.

For instance, hydrogen sulfide has been detected at concentrations more than 100 times greater than the level known to cause physical reactions in people. Among the health effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure are eye and respiratory irritation as well as nausea, dizziness, confusion and headache.

The concentration threshold for people to experience physical symptoms from hydrogen sulfide is about 5 to 10 parts per billion. But as recently as last Thursday, the EPA measured levels at 1,000 ppb. The highest levels of airborne hydrogen sulfide measured so far were on May 3, at 1,192 ppb.

Testing data also shows levels of volatile organic chemicals that far exceed Louisiana's own ambient air standards. VOCs cause acute physical health symptoms including eye, skin and respiratory irritation as well as headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea and confusion.

Louisiana's ambient air standard for the VOC benzene, for example, is 3.76 ppb, while its standard for methylene chloride is 61.25 ppb. Long-term exposure to airborne benzene has been linked to cancer, while the EPA considers methylene chloride a probable carcinogen.

Air testing results show VOC concentrations far above these state standards. On May 6, for example, the EPA measured VOCs at levels of 483 ppb. The highest levels detected to date were on April 30, at 3,084 ppb, following by May 2, at 3,416 ppb.

-snip of chart-
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is there any kind of mask that people could wear or filter for air conditioners, etc.

[midnight]

1. Just when you think these people can't take much more... Has there always

been a rig in the water near Louisiana?

[jdlh8894]

3. Only about 30-35,000 wells in the gulf

And appox.4,000 drilling rigs.

[Mari333]

2. I expect years and years of lawsuits....years and years

[DURHAM D]

4. I told my brother a couple of weeks ago I was going to take money out of savings

and invest in companies that make Hazmat suits and portable oxygen units. He lives in the gulf area and told me I was over-reacting.

I was joking about the investment but I was trying to make a point. I did not succeed.

[jpak]

5. H2S consumes lots of oxygen in seawater, if they detect in the air, there's a lot in the Gulf

that combined with the oxidation of methane and petroleum wil surely have a significant impact on oxygen conentrations in the water column affected by the spill - for a long time.

NOT GOOD

[Spoonman]

7. Hydrogen sulfide is only somewhat soluble in water

That is why they are detecting it.

It has a very slow reaction with the oxygen dissolved in water, and yields elemental sulfur, which precipitates out.

That sulfur will then be consumed by archae bacteria.

It will "gas out" rapidly with the currents and wave action.

Crap like this will only create more panic, and possibly discourage volunteers who might help rescue affected wildlife.

I’m demanding honesty from BP et al, and I expect no less from us!

[Spoonman]

6. Mask or filter to reduce the smell of horseshit!

For instance, hydrogen sulfide has been detected at concentrations more than 100 times greater than the level known to cause physical reactions in people. Among the health effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure are eye and respiratory irritation as well as nausea, dizziness, confusion and headache.

The concentration threshold for people to experience physical symptoms from hydrogen sulfide is about 5 to 10 parts per billion. But as recently as last Thursday, the EPA measured levels at 1,000 ppb. The highest levels of airborne hydrogen sulfide measured so far were on May 3, at 1,192 ppb.

0.0047 pp million is the recognition threshold, the concentration at which 50% of humans can detect the characteristic odor of hydrogen sulfide.

.0047 pp million = 4.7 pp billion - they can smell it!

100 times greater!?
That would mean that they “believe” at 11.92 pp billion people “experience physical symptoms”.

10pp million = 10,000 pp billion
10–20 pp million is the borderline concentration for eye irritation.

2.38 pp million = 2,380 pp billion, this is the domestic (public) 24 hour equivalent to the OSHA/EPA exposure limit for an 8 hour work day of concentrations less than 10 pp million.

100 times greater than that would be 238,000 pp billion.

Replace the "b" with an "m" in the detected concentrations and we would have a problem (other than the obvious one at hand).

But I guess that just isn't dramatic enough for them to focus on right now.