Test The Rain Project - From The Gulf oil Spill

[sellitman]

Please read the site and join in if you can! -Kevin


The Projects mission is to test the rain for dispersant and chemical compounds derived from the BP gulf oil
disaster. Our goal is to create a collection method that will reduce the risk for sample contamination and
protocols for testing that will be accepted by the scientific community. We are seeking volunteers who are
willing to participate in taking rain samples in all of North America. This project will be an ongoing study
as climate conditions continue to change as well as the gulf oil spill. We will be utilizing Stormpulse weather maps to cordinate testing. This project is a grass roots effort with no Federal or subsidized funding

http://testtherain.com/

[leveymg]

1. This should have been put in place months ago. eom

[sellitman]

2. Keep this up on top. Kick & Rec if you agree plz N/T

[leveymg]

3. At this point, aromatic HC emissions from the spill are pretty minimal compared to what they were.

Testing now will be misleading about the aggregate impact on air quality.

Ongoing testing of ground water and soil samples might be useful, but most of what was in the air was washed out many weeks ago.

[postulater]

4. Here's some more info.

It may look like a power meter but this small grey cylinder is sniffing the air for VOC’s--or volatile organic compounds that may come from the remnants of this summer's oil spill.

“We'll see how many parts per million there is and then some of the researchers at the university can dig deeper into that and try to find out what those chemicals are and what the quantity of them is,” says Weather Station Technologist Ivory Reinert. The meter is so sensitive, even a magic marker can set it off. It will measure the ppms in the area at fixed locations over the next six months.

“Hopefully having a fixed point sensor over a long period of time will give us a better idea of the air quality across the coast,” says Reinert. There's been no new oil flow to the surface in more than a month, so you might think there's less worry about our air, but researchers say there's still a chance for leftover oil to get into our air supply.

“It's hard to tell, and that's exactly why we're doing this, to see if we should worry or not,” says Meteorology Professor. Researchers believe strong storms or other weather events can shake up submerged oil and more VOC's could slip into the air. 10 of these meters will be installed at sites throughout Mobile and Baldwin Counties.



http://www.wkrg.com/gulf_oil_spill/article/usa-researchers-to-monitor-post-spill-air-quality/932618/Sep-17-2010_4-31-pm/

[ensho]

5. excellent idea - hope it goes forward quickly

nt