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Assessing Outdoor Air Near Schools

Abraham Lincoln Elementary School - East Chicago, IN

EPA selected this school for monitoring because it is located near a coke oven and steel manufacturing facility that are sources of air toxics emissions.   The initial monitoring identified elevated concentrations of one key pollutant – manganese – that warranted additional monitoring at this school.  We decided to conduct the additional monitoring at two different locations. One at the school; the other, at the East Chicago Water Plant, is closer to the potential manganese source.  We reported concentrations of this key pollutant for both locations in the tables below. While manganese is the key pollutant at these monitoring sites, other metals (such as arsenic) were also measured.  

About the Data
The table below shows the levels of the key pollutant in air samples collected at the monitoring site beginning in September 2010.   The table also includes individual “sample screening levels” for the key pollutant monitored at each location.  EPA developed these screening levels for this project to help the Agency and the community get an early sense of what the data were showing. The sample screening level is a level of pollution in the air that is below what we expect to cause health problems from short-term exposures – all day, every day over a period ranging up to at least a couple of weeks (longer, for some pollutants).  These screening levels are used only as guidelines for this project.

About The Table

Compare the sample results to the short-term screening level at the top of the table. Numbers at or below that level indicate the pollutant is not likely to pose immediate health concerns.

To use the screening level, compare it to each sample result:

  • Sample result at or below the sample screening level is not a concern for risk of health problems from short-term exposures.
  • Sample result above the screening level does not mean that there is a risk to children and adults at the school.  It is a signal for EPA to further evaluate those and subsequent results for that pollutant. 

EPA analyzed the potential for health concerns from long-term exposure. This analysis can be found under the Final Analysis tab. Monitoring results are in the table below.

Additional Sample Results for Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
Key Pollutants Manganese
Sample Screening Level 500 ng/m3
9/5/2010 7.49
9/11/2010 15.8
9/17/2010 37.3
9/23/2010 17.9
9/29/2010 27.9
10/5/2010 167
10/11/2010 59
10/17/2010 82.6
10/23/2010 21.3
10/29/2010 54.4
11/4/2010 104
11/10/2010 31.7
11/16/2010 57.4
11/22/2010 44.2
11/28/2010 3.53
12/4/2010 40.2
12/10/2010 39.2
12/16/2010 12.6
12/22/2010 35.7
1/3/2011 7.1
1/9/2011 9.77
1/15/2011 12.7
1/21/2011 65.3
1/27/2011 22.6
2/2/2011 22.4
2/8/2011 61.9
2/14/2011 68.6
2/20/2011 8.34
2/26/2011 3.71
3/4/2011 26.4
3/10/2011 44.6
3/16/2011 18.5
3/22/2011 14.6
3/28/2011 50.3
4/3/2011 41.2

Other monitored toxic air pollutants for Abraham Lincoln Elementary (PDF) (2pp, 64k)

Additional Sample Results for East Chicago Water Plant
Key Pollutants Manganese
Sample Screening Level 500 ng/m3
9/5/2010 18.7
9/11/2010 --
9/17/2010 --
9/23/2010 --
9/29/2010 103
10/5/2010 113
10/11/2010 130
10/17/2010 200
10/23/2010 28.9
10/29/2010 52.8
11/4/2010 307
11/10/2010 74.6
11/16/2010 55.1
11/22/2010 10.4
11/28/2010 11.7
12/4/2010 37.5
12/10/2010 17.7
12/16/2010 51.1
12/22/2010 61.8
12/28/2010 7.84
1/3/2011 17.8
1/9/2011 25
1/15/2011 28.7
1/21/2011 50.4
1/27/2011 10.3
2/2/2011 18
2/8/2011 60.8
2/14/2011 51.9
2/20/2011 10.4
2/26/2011 4.13
3/4/2011 67
3/10/2011 142
3/16/2011 36.6
3/22/2011 --
3/28/2011 30.8
4/3/2011 76

–– = Sample not taken or invalid

Other monitored toxic air pollutants for East Chicago Water Plant location (PDF) (2pp, 67k)

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