EPA-OSHA fact sheet on air and dust sampling, Sept 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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EPA Newsroom EPA-OSHA FACT SHEET: Environmental Information from Lower Manhattan for Residents, Area Employees and Local Business Owners

InforrnationSourceB^ Air and dust samples collected in lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey show that the public is not being exposed to concentrations of asbestos above EPA or OSHA levels of concern. Shortly after the World Trade Center collapse, EPA's emergency response team and OSHA staff were on the scene taking air and dust samples and analyzing them for asbestos, lead and volatile organic compounds. Four air samples, collected on September 11 in Brooklyn where the prevailing winds were blowing, were analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Also, five air samples were collected on September 11 in Brooklyn and were analyzed for lead and asbestos. None of the samples had detectable levels of lead. Asbestos was not detected in two samples, and the other two had levels of asbestos well below the For S EPA (AHERA) standard used to determine if children can re-enter a school after asbestos has been removed or abated. Two samples had no detectable levels of VOCs, and two had very low levels of a VOC compound. EPA also obtained four air samples from Liberty State Park in New Jersey, across Hl the Hudson River from the World Trade Center. Neither asbestos nor lead were detected in any of the samples. Two of the samples contained some toluene, which probably originated from automobile exhaust or gasoline generators being used near the sample collection locations. „ 3 As of September 30, EPA has collected and analyzed 442 air samples for asbestos • from its 16 fixed air monitoring stations. Only 27 were above 70 structures per millimeter squared, the AHERA standard. In addition, EPA has taken 128 samples of dust and analyzed them for asbestos. - ■»- ' ..a Thirty-four have had levels of asbestos above the 1 percent used to define '■' asbestos-containing material. Four samples of dust taken in the immediate vicinity O of the debris pile on September 11 found lead concentrations well below EPA's lead H . action level. Only one of the four samples had an asbestos level over the 1 percent. In addition, OSHA took nearly 200 bulk dust and air samples to test for asbestos in the Financial District and a 90-block area immediately surrounding the World Trade Center from September 13 to September 24. Results showed levels consistent with safe and acceptable standards, ranging from 0.0013 f/cc to 0.086 f/cc. EPA has used its 10 HEPA filter SUPERVAC vacuum trucks to clean streets, sidewalks and parks in residential and commercial areas around the World Trade Center site, where heavy dust or the presence of asbestos was found. The high-powered vacuum trucks have been used to clean streets in the Financial District, as well as sidewalks, the Battery Park City promenade, area parks, playgrounds, and even children's sand boxes. Dust and other materials vacuumed are being kept in air-tight containers and disposed of properly. Vacuum trucks will be available to address other areas, as needed.

■ In examining the data provided by EPA and OSHA, the public should be careful to distinguish between data that measures asbestos concentrations in the air and in M data from dust samples taken from the ground or other surfaces. Ambient air

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