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Assessing Outdoor Air Near Schools

Follansbee Middle School and Jefferson Primary School - Follansbee, WV

EPA selected this school for monitoring because it is located near several large industries that are sources of air toxics emissions. Based on emissions from nearby sources, EPA identified key pollutants to measure in the air near this school. The initial monitoring conducted in the fall of 2009 indicated a need to better characterize exposure to the community from the mixture of pollutants emitted by the sources.  EPA conducted additional monitoring at this school over a ten month period starting in October 2011 through August 2012.  We are reporting concentrations of those key pollutants in the table below.  While the key pollutants at this site are benzene, arsenic and benzo(a)pyrene, other pollutants were also measured and that data is also available (PDF) (16pp, 86k).

About the Data
The table below shows the levels of key pollutants in air samples collected at the monitoring site beginning in October 2011 and continuing through August 2012. The table also includes individual “sample screening levels” for each key pollutant monitored at the school.  EPA developed these screening levels 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:

  • a sample result at or below the sample screening level is not a concern for risk of health problems from short-term exposures.
  • a 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. 

After monitoring was completed, EPA analyzed the potential for health concerns from long-term exposure. When available, this analysis will be found under the Final Analysis tab. Monitoring results are in the table below.

Sample Results
Key Pollutants Arsenic
(Nanograms/cubic meter)		 Benzene
(Micrograms/cubic meter)		 Benzo[a]pyrene
(Micrograms/cubic meter)
Sample Screening Level 150 30 6.4
10/27/11 -- -- --
10/28/11 -- -- 0.000898
11/01/11 -- 1.09 --
11/02/11 1.12 -- 0.000390
11/08/11 1.22 1.09 --
11/09/11 -- -- 0.000339
11/14/11 0.65 0.760 0.000315
12/01/11 1.19 1.73 0.00137
12/07/11 0.71 3.15 0.00213
12/13/11 2.73 1.85 0.00136
12/19/11 0.41 0.690 0.000107
12/29/11 0.46 0.435 0.0000896
01/04/12 0.87 0.856 0.000211
01/10/12 1.90 7.06 0.00377
01/19/12 0.98 2.59 0.00488
01/25/12 1.45 1.84 0.000872
01/31/12 0.54 0.588 0.000109
02/06/12 1.12 1.54 0.00161
02/15/12 1.94 8.27 0.00170
02/21/12 0.51 0.974 0.000354
02/27/12 1.05 3.06 0.00393
03/15/12 1.01 0.578 0.0000998
03/21/12 1.81 8.34 0.00297
03/27/12 -- 1.16 0.000786
04/02/12 1.16 5.94 0.00288
04/12/12 0.99 4.19 0.00156
04/18/12 1.59 2.00 0.000514
04/24/12 1.54 10.4 0.00563
04/30/12 1.53 20.2 0.00452
05/10/12 1.44 6.36 0.00254
05/16/12 0.62 0.879 0.000732
05/22/12 2.29 3.35 0.00179
05/29/12 -- 1.50 0.000642
06/04/12 -- 0.556 0.000194
06/14/12 1.19 5.88 0.00251
06/21/12 0.57 1.29 0.000143
06/27/12 1.98 3.07 0.00118
07/02/12 1.01 4.82 0.000712
07/09/12 1.23 2.69 0.000616
07/23/12 1.05 0.649 0.0000514
08/02/12 1.19 4.82 0.00244
08/09/12 0.87 0.610 0.0000653

ND = Pollutant Not Detected
–– = Sample not taken or invalid

EPA did not analyze data for acrolein as part of the initial School Air Toxics Monitoring Project. Learn more.

Also monitored (PDF) (16pp, 83k)

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