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Daily Environmental Monitoring Summary

Wednesday, January 16, 2002

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal, state and local agencies have collected extensive environmental monitoring data from the World Trade Center site and nearby areas in Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. Since September 11, EPA has taken samples of the air, dust, water, river sediments and drinking water and analyzed them for the presence of pollutants that might pose a health risk to response workers at the World Trade Center site and the public. The samples are evaluated against a variety of benchmarks, standards and guidelines established to protect public health under various conditions. EPA is collecting data from more than 20 fixed air monitors in and around ground zero and additional monitors in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. The Agency is also using portable sampling equipment to collect data from a range of locations.

Results as of 5:30 p.m. on 1/16

Air: Fixed Monitors in New York:
Asbestos - EPA analyzed 42 samples taken in and around ground zero on January 12 and January 13. All samples showed results less than 70 structures per square millimeter, which is the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) standard for allowing children to re-enter school buildings after asbestos removal activities. This brings the total number of air samples collected and analyzed for lower Manhattan to 4,769, with 30 samples above the standard (27 of these were collected prior to September 30, the other three were collected on October 9, November 27 and December 27).

Staten Island Landfill:
Air (Asbestos) - Thirty-seven air samples collected on January 10 and January 11 were analyzed for asbestos. The sample collected from the Indoor Wash Station (Location W-12A) on January 11 exceeded the TEM AHERA standard. EPA will work with other responsible agencies to examine the wash process for possible operational sources of the exceedance, and take any necessary corrective action. All other samples were below the school re-entry standard.

Air (Particulates) - EPA used portable monitors to collect samples of particulates on January 14 at the Staten Island Landfill. There were no significant readings.

Air (Metals) - Five samples were collected on December 27 and analyzed for metals. All metals were either not detected or were below applicable EPA Removal Action level guidelines, OSHA PELs, and the NAAQS for lead.

Ambient Air Samples:
Particulate Monitoring - EPA used portable monitors to collect samples on January 15 at Location L (northeast side of Stuyvesant High School), Location N (south side of Pier 25) and Location R (northwest side of Stuyvesant High School). All readings were below the OSHA time-weighted permissible exposure limit for particulates.

PCBs - A total of 19 samples were collected on December 27 and January 3 at various locations in lower Manhattan. PCBs were either not detected, or samples contained trace amounts that were well below levels of concern.

Silactes - A total of 20 samples were collected on December 27 and January 3 at various locations in lower Manhattan. Silicates were not detected.

Dioxin - A total of 30 samples were collected on November 15, December 19 and December 27 at various locations in lower Manhattan. All samples collected were below the EPA Removal Action guidelines (based on a 30-year exposure).

Metals - A total of 20 samples were collected on December 27 and January 3 at various locations in lower Manhattan. All metals were either not detected or were below applicable EPA Removal Action level guidelines, OSHA PELs, and the NAAQS for lead.

VOCs - Sampling for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was conducted on January 12 in the direct area of the debris pile at ground zero. To protect workers at the work site, EPA takes grab samples of VOCs where smoke plumes have been sighted. The results are snapshots of the levels at a moment in time. OSHA's protective standards set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) averaged over an 8-hour day.

All samples taken at EPA's Wash Tent (West & Murray Streets), Austin Tobin Plaza, the South Tower debris pile, and the North Tower debris pile showed no detectable levels of benzene on January 12.

Direct Air Readings - EPA did air monitoring in and around ground zero for a number of compounds on January 15. Other than low levels of carbon monoxide, nothing of significance was noted.

Latest Available Daily Environmental Monitoring Summary

EPA information about the events of September 11

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