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Daily Environmental Monitoring Summary

This summary has been corrected to reflect the most current information.

Friday, December 21, 2001

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 5:00 p.m. on 12/21

Air: Fixed Monitors in New York:
Asbestos - EPA analyzed 85 samples taken in and around ground zero from December 17 through December 19. In addition, EPA sampled for asbestos at three lower Manhattan locations on December 16 and 17th. 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 3,753, with 29 samples above the standard (27 of these were collected prior to September 30, one was collected on October 9 and the other on November 27).

Air: Fixed Monitors outside Lower Manhattan:
Asbestos - Samples were collected from additional asbestos monitors at Public School 154 (33 East 135th St., Bronx), Intermediate School 143 (511 W. 182nd St., Manhattan), P.S. 274 (800 Bushwick Ave, Brooklyn), P.S. 44 (80 Maple Parkway, Staten Island) and P.S. 199 (3290 48th St., Queens) on December 16 and 17th. None showed exceedances of the AHERA re-entry standard.

Staten Island Landfill:
Air (Asbestos) - Thirty-seven air samples collected on December 18 and 19th were analyzed for asbestos. All were below the school re-entry standard.

Air (Metals) - A total of ten air samples were collected at the landfill on December 3 and 5th . Analysis found all metals at either non-detectable levels or well below applicable standards, guidelines or permissible limits established by EPA and OSHA. Final analysis of these samples showed that chromium was not present.

Ambient Air Samples:
Dioxin - Thirty samples were collected at various lower Manhattan locations on November 19, 21 and 27th and analyzed for dioxin/furans. Three samples, all collected at Location B, showed results above the level at which EPA would consider taking some type of action to reduce people's exposure based on a 30-year exposure. None of the samples were above the EPA action guideline adjusted to a one-year exposure. These levels do not pose a short-term health affect but should be monitored if they persist for a long period of time.

Silicates - Nineteen air samples were collected in lower Manhattan on December 6 and December 11 and analyzed for silicates. None of the samples detected the presence of silicates.

Metals - A total of ten air samples were collected in lower Manhattan on December 6. Analysis found all metals at either non-detectable levels or below applicable standards, guidelines or permissible limits established by EPA and OSHA. Final analysis of these samples showed that chromium was not present.

PCBs - Fifty air samples were collected in lower Manhattan on November 15, 19, 21, 27 and December 4 and analyzed for PCBs. Trace amounts, well below the level of concern, were found in one sample taken on December 4. PCBs were not detected in any of the other samples.

PAHs - A total of 30 samples were collected on November 27 and December 4 and 6 and analyzed for PAHs. PAHs were not detected in any of these samples.

Latest Available Daily Environmental Monitoring Summary

EPA information about the events of September 11

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