Addyston Air Monitoring                         

Continuous Air Monitoring 

Due to continuing concern about the air quality in Addyston, Ohio near the LANXESS Corporation plant, this Agency has purchased a monitor to continuously measure various volatile organic compounds (VOC). The monitor which augments the every six-day monitoring is located at the Meredith Hitchens Elementary School and provides real-time air monitoring data. If the concentration of VOC in the ambient (outside) air exceeds a pre-determined level, immediate notification will be made to the Miami Township Fire Department so an investigation can be done to determine what action if any needs to be taken in response to the ambient concentrations. The elementary school and LANXESS will also be notified if the concentration exceeds the pre-determined level.

Protocol for Air Sampling Data 

Purpose:  Air samples will be collected at the Hitchens School using SUMMA canister technology as part of the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services (HCDOES) Toxics Air Monitoring program.  The data will be collected for a period of about 1-year.   This protocol describes how that data will be processed and communicated. 

Sampling and Analysis Overview: SUMMA canisters are evacuated cylinders that collect ambient air samples over a variable period of time, usually specified for 24 hours for the long-term averages used for chronic risk assessment analysis.  The sample is then sent to a lab (Data Chem for this location) for analyses of organic compounds using the USEPA method TO14, a GC/MS technology.  The sampling location will also have weather instruments to capture wind speed and direction during the sampling time period. 

Data Management: Data will be submitted from the lab to HCDOES and Lanxess Corporation.  The data will be reviewed for errors, missing compounds, and QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control) results.  Any errors will be resolved before making the data available to the public.  

The data will include the concentrations for 61 compounds.  The detected values will be listed, in parts per billion, in a table.  Wind speed and direction for the 24-hr averages will be provided. 

RESULTS OF SUMMA CANISTER SAMPLING – ADDYSTON LOCATION 

Note:  The results reported below are part of a 1 year study.  Results are reported individually to provide current data to interested parties, however, these results should NOT solely be used to make final risk decisions.  Ohio EPA, after the study is completed, will review the data and provide a complete report. 

Note:  This data will be considered draft until it undergoes Ohio EPA review.

Note:  The 2004 Air Toxic Monitoring Data for Carthage, Lower Price Hill, and Winton Place is provided to give an idea what the concentrations have been at other monitoring sites.

 Air Monitoring Results

Health Based Standards

The following are several health based standards for Styrene, Acrylonitrile, and 1,3 Butadiene, which are air contaminants emitted from the Lanxess facility.

Note:  For informational purposes only, the most appropriate air standards to compare potential acute (short term) exposures are the American Industrial Hygiene Association  Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs).  This set of exposure limits is divided into three categories representing exposure to increasing concentrations of specific chemicals:

ERPG-1:  The maximum concentration in air below which it is believed nearly all individuals could be exposed for up to one hour without experiencing other than mild, short-term health effects or the detection of a clearly defined objectionable odor.

ERPG-2: The maximum concentration in air below which it is believed nearly all individuals could be exposed for up to one hour without experiencing or developing irreversible or other serious health effects or symptoms.

ERPG-3: The maximum concentration in air below which it is believed nearly all individuals could be exposed to up to one hour without experiencing or developing life-threatening health effects. 
 

The table below lists several ERPG-1:

Threshold limit values (TLVs) refer to airborne concentrations of chemical substances and represent conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed day after day, over a working lifetime, without adverse health effects.  TLVs are developed to protect workers who are normal, healthy adults.

Newly installed air contaminant (pollutant) sources must comply with Ohio EPA’s Air Toxics Policy.  The Air Toxics Policy determines the maximum acceptable ground-level concentration (MAGLC).  The MAGLC is determined for each pollutant by dividing the threshold limit value by a factor of 42.