Environmental Advances (Oct 2023)
Weather-based evaluation of exposure to airborne toxins to nearby residents
Abstract
Industrial sources emit airborne pollutants that impact health. Concentrations of these pollutants near emitting facilities vary according to local weather conditions but can frequently be high— especially at night. This study's methodology used historical hourly weather data and Pasquill air dispersion calculations to quantitatively model the dispersion and hourly concentrations of toxins at discreet distances and directions relative to the emitting source. The example used in this study is a natural gas compressor station's VOCs. This weather-based analytical methodology is applicable to almost any type of polluting site emitting any mix of airborne toxins. The objective was to estimate hourly concentration levels of airborne toxins, frequency of health-hazardous concentrations and therefore frequency of health risk to residents of varying sensitivities at discreet distances near an emitting source. A continuous air monitor confirmed the weather model's results. Based on EPA methodology and NIOSH data, this study provides charts that tabulate risk levels and frequency for individuals with varying sensitivities. Key findings include: 1. People in close proximity to toxin-emitting facilities are frequently exposed to health-hazardous air. 2. EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) do not separately identify the high levels of toxins in close proximity to emitting facilities and therefore do not adequately protect the tens of millions of nearby residents. 3. A weather-based model can estimate exposure levels and the health-hazardous frequency for those in close proximity to most polluting facilities where emissions information is available.
