The media coverage of the BP oil disaster to date has focused largely on the threats to wildlife, but the
latest evaluation of air monitoring data shows a serious threat to
human health from airborne chemicals emitted by the ongoing deepwater
gusher.




Today the Louisiana Environmental
Action Network released its analysis of air monitoring test results
by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA's air testing data comes
from Venice, a coastal community 75 miles south of New Orleans in
Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish.

The findings show that levels of airborne chemicals have far exceeded state standards and what's
considered safe for human exposure.

For instance, hydrogen sulfide has been detected at concentrations more than 100 times greater
than the level known to cause physical reactions in people. Among the health
effects of hydrogen sulfide exposure are eye and respiratory
irritation as well as nausea, dizziness, confusion and headache.

The concentration threshold for people to experience physical symptoms from
hydrogen sulfide is about 5 to 10 parts per billion. But as recently as
last Thursday, the EPA measured levels at 1,000 ppb. The highest levels
of airborne hydrogen sulfide measured so far were on May 3, at 1,192
ppb.

Testing data also shows levels of volatile organic chemicals that far exceed Louisiana's own ambient air standards. VOCs cause acute
physical health symptoms including eye, skin and respiratory irritation
as well as headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea and confusion.

Louisiana's ambient air standard for the VOC benzene, for example, is 3.76 ppb,
while its standard for methylene chloride is 61.25 ppb. Long-term
exposure to airborne benzene has been linked
to cancer, while the EPA considers
methylene chloride a probable carcinogen.

Air testing results show VOC concentrations far above these state standards. On May 6, for
example, the EPA measured VOCs at levels of 483 ppb. The highest levels
detected to date were on April 30, at 3,084 ppb, following by May 2, at
3,416 ppb.

Here's a chart based on the data from LEAN's analysis, which was done by award-winning
analytical chemist Wilma Subra:

mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"">(Satellite image of the Gulf oil spill taken May 9 from
SkyTruth. Click on image for a larger version.)