Daily Environmental Monitoring Summary

Tuesday, October 9, 2001

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal, state and local agencies have collected extensive environmental monitoring data from the World Trade Center site and nearby areas in Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey. Since September 11, EPA has taken samples of the air, dust, water, river sediments and drinking water and analyzed them for the presence of pollutants that might pose a health risk to response workers at the World Trade Center site and the public. The samples are evaluated against a variety of benchmarks, standards and guidelines established to protect public health under various conditions. EPA is collecting data from 17 fixed monitors in and around ground zero and is using portable sampling equipment to collect data from a range of locations.

Results as of 6:00 p.m. on 10/9

Air: Fixed Monitors in New York and New Jersey:

Asbestos - EPA analyzed 50 samples taken in and around ground zero from October 7 to October 8. All samples showed results less than 70 structures per millimeter squared, which is the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) standard for allowing children to re-enter school buildings after asbestos removal activities (Link to map). This brings the total number of air samples collected and analyzed for lower Manhattan to 642, with 27 samples above the standard.

Four air samples taken in New Jersey on October 7 showed results less than the school re-entry standard. This brings the total number of samples collected and analyzed in New Jersey to 86, with zero above the standard.

Staten Island Landfill

Air (Asbestos) - Twelve air samples were taken on Oct. 5 and an additional twelve samples were taken from Oct. 7 to Oct. 8. All test results were below the AHERA standard used for allowing re-entry into schools.

Dust - Nine samples taken on Oct. 7 were analyzed for asbestos. All results either showed no detection of asbestos or asbestos present at concentrations of less than 1%.

Ambient Air Sampling:

Metals - Ten samples were taken on October 4 within the vicinity of the emergency response operations. All results were below levels of concern.

PM 2.5 - Monitoring for fine particulate matter (particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter) was conducted from October 6 to October 7 at Pace University, the Borough of Manhattan Community College and the U.S. Coast Guard building, located in Battery Park. All 24-hour average values were below the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (65 ug/m3) for all stations.