New Orleans Environmental Quality Test Results

Toxic Metals in New Orleans Air

An analysis of air samples collected in October 2005 confirms that the sediment that covered New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina was laden with toxic chemicals.

NRDC collected three air samples of particulate matter in Orleans and St. Bernard parishes between October 21 and 23, 2005.¹ The three samples were taken while driving through the following neighborhoods: Lakeview (Orleans Parish); Uptown and Mid-City (Orleans Parish); and Chalmette and Meraux (St. Bernard Parish). Various testing done on sediment left behind from flooding revealed that much of the sediment throughout New Orleans was contaminated. These limited air samples confirm that the sediment was laden with high levels of toxics such as lead, arsenic and chromium.

These samples represent a snapshot of the concentrations and types of metals contained in flood sediment that had become airborne particulate as a result of traffic or other disturbances. At the time these samples were collected, it was visually observed that flood sediment coated many roadways, sidewalks, lawns and homes throughout the area. On busy roadways and construction areas, vehicles were kicking up the sediment in thick clouds of dust. Some major thoroughfares had already been cleared of sediment, and further cleanup was observed in several areas at the time of sampling. Therefore, it is unknown exactly where and for how long these dusty conditions persisted, and to what extent workers and residents were exposed to the dust.

A number of toxic metals, including arsenic, lead, chromium, manganese, cadmium and mercury, all of which carry significant health concerns, have been identified in samples of New Orleans sediment taken by the EPA and other groups. ^{2, 3} Figures 1 to 3 summarize the results of ambient air testing for three of those metals.⁴ Results are compared to EPA national standards (lead) and health-based screening levels (arsenic and chromium). Lead concentrations in the Lakeview sample and the Uptown and Mid-City sample were above the EPA Region 6 screening level. Arsenic and chromium concentrations were significantly above the screening levels in all three samples.

Compared to available monitoring data of New Orleans from previous years, lead levels in the sampled flood sediment from both parishes were 28 to 200 times higher (Figure 4). Furthermore, post-Katrina levels of all three metals in the New Orleans air samples were considerably higher than other cities in most cases (Figure 5). For example, arsenic levels in St. Bernard Parish were twice those measured in Atlanta, which were 77 to 125 times higher than measurements taken in Los Angeles and New York. Lead levels in Orleans Parish were 27 to 5,200 times higher than those measured in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York.

Toxic Metals, Figure 1

Toxic Metals, Figure 2

Toxic Metals, Figure 3

Toxic Metals, Figure 4

Toxic Metals, Figure 5

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References

EPA, 2006. Annual Summary Table Query. Monitor Data Queries. Air Data. Updated 14 August 2006. Accessed 14 August 2006. http://www.epa.gov/aqspubl1/annual_summary.html.

EPA, 2005. Environmental Assessment Summary for Areas of Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, and Plaquemines Parishes Flooded as a Result of Hurricane Katrina. Response to 2005 Hurricanes. Updated 16 June 2006. Accessed 15 August 2006. http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/katrina_env_assessment_summary.htm#sediments.

EPA, 2006. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Air and Radiation. Updated 19 July 2006. Accessed 15 August 2006. http://epa.gov/air/criteria.html.

EPA, 2006. Region 6 Human Health Medium-Specific Screening Levels 2006. Region 6- South Central. Updated 22 December 2005. Accessed 10 August 2006. http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6pd/rcra_c/pd-n/screenvalues.xls.

NRDC, 2005. Sediment Contamination Results By Neighborhood. New Orleans Area Environmental Quality Test Results. Updated 23 February 2006. Accessed 15 August 2006. http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/katrinadata/sediment2.asp.

NRDC, 2006. Sampling Results: New Orleans East. New Orleans Environmental Quality Test Results. Updated 23 February 2006. Accessed 15 August 2006. http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/katrinadata/noeast.asp.

Solomon, Gina and Rotkin-Ellman, Miriam, 2006. Contaminants in New Orleans Sediment. An Analysis of EPA Data. National Resources Defense Council. February 2006. http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/katrinadata/sedimentepa.pdf.

The Delta Group. Technology. The Delta Group for the Detection and Evaluation of the Long-Range Transport of Aerosols. Department of Applied Science. University of California, Davis campus. Accessed 25 July 2006. http://delta.ucdavis.edu/technology.htm.

1. Samples were collected on 37mm Teflon filters using a personal DataRAM model pDR-1200. An elemental analysis of the samples, including 26 heavy metals, was conducted using Synchrotron-induced X-ray Fluorescence (S-XRF) by the DELTA Group Laboratory at the University of California, Davis. This method is based on the DELTA-DRUM sampling approach. Samples were run six times on the DRUM; numbers reported here represent an average of the six runs. For more information see: http://delta.ucdavis.edu/technology.htm.

2. EPA, 2005. http://www.epa.gov/katrina/testresults/katrina_env_assessment_summary.htm#sediments.

3. NRDC, 2006. http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/katrinadata/noeast.asp.

4. Manganese was not detected in any of the samples; cadmium and mercury were not measured.