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Final Air Toxics Monitoring Report Posted for Story City, Iowa, School

Release Date: 12/16/2010
Contact Information: David Bryan, 913-551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov


Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Dec. 16, 2010) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 announced today that the final report based on the air toxics monitoring data from Roland-Story High School in Story City, Iowa, has been posted on the agency's website, as part of the agency's Schools Air Toxics Monitoring Initiative.

The initiative, which monitored air at 63 schools in 22 states, was designed to help EPA and state environmental agencies understand potential risks from toxics in outdoor air, and determine whether any exposures might pose health concerns for children and staff at the schools, or to residents in surrounding communities.

The data is posted at www.epa.gov/schoolair/schools.html.

Based on the best available information about emissions and sources of pollution in the area around Roland-Story High School, the pollutant most likely to be of concern there is diisocyanates, which are used in the production of polyurethanes. The report shows that data from sampling at the school showed no diisocyanates were detected by the monitoring equipment on the site. No further air sampling is planned at the school.

Outdoor air at Roland-Story High School and at each of the other schools being studied in EPA's initiative was sampled until at least 10 usable samples were obtained by air quality monitoring equipment. During the monitoring period, EPA evaluated the concentrations to see if there was an issue with short-term exposures to diisocyanates. Once the monitoring was complete, EPA analyzed the results to see if there was a concern from long-term exposures. In order to keep the community informed, EPA posted individual air sample results on the website throughout the monitoring period.

EPA also monitored air at Colvin Elementary School in Wichita, Kan., as part of the initiative.