The EPA has
released test results for samples collected in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. I have began to review this data and see what the EPA has found. It's a lot of data. I have started with the sediment, as that is where most of the contaminants will end up. The cleanup will have to treat this sediment with more caution than the air or water. This diary contains my thoughts on the sampling results of 9/10/05 only.
The hard data is available for you on the jump, but I'll summarize thusly: even if the City of New Orleans isn't a Superfund site, it certainly is a hazardous work environment that demands that its workers/inhabitants know what is accumulating on their streets and take proper precautions.
Thanks for dropping by.
Going over the summary to the EPA data, it looks like they are quick to state that the compounds were found "at levels which would pose an immediate public health concern", but add the caveat: "although longer-term dermal contact may produce health effects".
When you're talking about exposure to any chemical, there are two types of exposure risks: those that are immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH), acute risks, and those that are more chronic. The amount of a substance that would be IDLH is relatively high, because it will have to affect you in a short period of time. However, when talking about workers who will be cleaning this stuff up, cops who patrol through this muck, and anyone left behind, you will have to consider the long-term exposure risks. In this case, "long term" doesn't have to mean weeks or months. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has limits defined for exposure over a 10-hour workday called Recommended Exposure Limits (REL). A lot of these samples are well above the REL, meaning that unless people are taking precautions like wearing respirators and Tyvek protective suits (at a minimum), they are at risk. Now, onto the data:
9/10/05 Sampling Result Highlights
Constituents of Concern (COCs): Fuel oils, metals, PAHs.
Diesel Range Organics (DRO): 2,360,000 ppb (Site 7941 - 237 Hollywood Dr.), 222,000 ppb (Site 7946 - SW corner of 500 Hector), 350,000 ppb
The residuals of diesel fuel spills. This stuff is coming from everywhere, and it's soaked into the sediment, and I'd imagine a lot of other things as well.
Chromium: 11,300 ppb (site 7942 - 24 Farnham Pl E), 15,900 ppb (Site 7947)
The EPA doesn't seem to differentiate between what type of chromium is present. The real nasty stuff is hexavalent chromium (the stuff talked about in the Erin Brokovich movie, so I'm told). Here's an excerpt from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) regarding exposure limits on chromium:
The NIOSH REL (10-hour TWA) is 0.001 mg Cr(VI)/m3 for all hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] compounds. NIOSH considers all Cr(VI) compounds (including chromic acid, tert-butyl chromate, zinc chromate, and chromyl chloride) to be potential occupational carcinogens.
TWA stands for Time-Weighted Average. 0.001mg/m3 equals 1 ppb, for reference.
Barium: 69,100 ppb (Site 7946), 77,600 (Site 7947)
NOISH's REL for barium is 500 ppb.
Mercury: 320 ppb (Site 7946)
I hope I don't need to tell you that mercury is Really Bad Shit (RBS - that's semi-official lingo there). RELs for mercury are 50 ppb for mercury vapor and 100 ppb for other forms.
DDT: 26.6 ppb (Site 7946)
Although under the REL (500 ppb), I figured it's worth noting anyway.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate: 3,370 ppb (Site 7947)
While not at the 5,000 ppb REL, this compound has been identified as a carcinogen. It's close to that level, and I wouldn't shrug off the effects of this compound.
That's all for the moment. When I have time to slog through more data and I find anything truly noteworthy, I'll post up another diary.