GULF GASES: Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers about Gulf Gases

by Dan Youra, editor of Alcohol Distillers Manuel for Gasohol and Spirits, PhD studies in quantitative analysis

Is there a concern for how gases in the Gulf might affect human health?

YES.

The problem in the Gulf, as a result of the PB oil well blowout, is that millions of gallons of crude and tens of millions of cubic feet of natural gas are escaping from the depths of the earth with open access to the atmosphere, to the air breathed by millions of residents along the Gulf shores. The chemicals in the crude and in the natural gas pose very real and direct threats to human health and life. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is collecting massive amounts of air sampling data along the Gulf coast, primarily on the Louisiana coast, but also on the Alabama, Mississippi and Florida Gulf coast.

Who is analyzing it? Good Question. The government’s effort is focused on recording and collecting the data, which is made available to the public on one EPA website

Hiding inside of the tens of thousands of lines of digital data are indications of just how serious the threat is. EPA tends to look at averages, medians, mediums. EPA prefers reports that are similar to weather reports, documenting the average temperature for a month. In analyzing potentially deadly concentrations of gases, the problem with averaging readings is that it is easy to overlook a spike, a high reading. 

In analyzing gases, a spike in concentration may not be an anomaly. It may be the dose that kills. A high reading may be the indication of an upward shift, a trend in higher toxicity. 

EPA’s summaries of its data attempt to reassure the public that “there is no danger,” that everything is “normal.” Such statements are reassuring and seem to be true, if [a BIG “IF”], if one analyses averages.

The situation in the Gulf is NOT NORMAL, NOT AVERAGE.

A deeper look beyond EPA averages gives a glimpse of the many faces of the monster that thrusts itself through the waters of the Gulf and into the air breathed by millions of human beings. Breathing a little bit of a toxic gas every day is the same, and in some cases worse, than breathing a big whiff all at one.

More than 200 gases are present in crude. More that 200 compounds of very complex gases, liquids and solids and interact in a dazzling and deadly display of nature’s power. 

The genie is out of the bottle. People breathing what the genie conjured up are best advised to educate themselves about the gases entering their lungs and their skin.

PARTICULATE MATTER

What are the readings for particulate matter in air?

There are 2 kinds: 

PM10 (large) 10 micron

PM2.5 (small) 2.5 micron (considered more dangerous to humans. The smaller size enables particles to enter deeper passages of the lungs.)

What is the highest level of PM10 recorded on Gulf coast since BP well’s blowout?

PM10 hit “Hazardous Level” of 542.7 ug/m3 (438 AQI on Air Quality Index) at Venice, LA (May 31). Reference. On a scale of 0 to 500 the 438 reading indicates a “health threat level, where the entire population is likely to be affected” 

What is the highest level of PM10 in a populated area since BP’s well blowout?

PM10 342 ug/m3 at Chalmette, LA, a suburb of New Orleans (May 17)

What is the highest level of PM10 outside Louisiana since BP well blowout?

PM10 106 ug/m3 Mobile, AL station (May 19)

What is the most recent high recording of PM2.5?

PM2.5 48.9 ug/m3 at Grand Isle, LA (June 7) Reference. [35+ is “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.]

EPA Statement: Particle pollution - especially fine particles - contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems. Numerous scientific studies have linked particle pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including:

• increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing, or difficulty breathing, for example;

• decreased lung function;

• aggravated asthma;

• development of chronic bronchitis;

• irregular heartbeat;

• nonfatal heart attacks; and

• premature death in people with heart or lung disease.

People with heart or lung diseases, children and older adults are the most likely to be affected by particle pollution exposure. However, even if you are healthy, you may experience temporary symptoms from exposure to elevated levels of particle pollution. For more information about asthma, visit www.epa.gov/asthma.

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

What is highest reading for VOC gases - volatile organic compounds?

VOC at 14 ppm in Venice, LA (May 23) Reference.

[NOTE: Reading above 10 is considered “significant potential risk for human health”]

What is highest reading for VOC gases in populated area?

VOC at 8.6 ppm in Chalmette, LA (May 16 )

[NOTE: Reading above 4.5 is considered “possible health risk”]

EPA Statement on VOC Gases: Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.  Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness.

What are the potentially dangerous gases?

VOCs like Nitrogen Oxides NOx and Sulphur Dioxide SOx. Some of the NOx compounds can be deadly at 10 ppm. These may be coming from the 5k -10k mcfd of natural gas entering the Gulf with the crude oil.

EPA Statement: Current scientific evidence links short-term NO₂ exposures, ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours, with adverse respiratory effects including airway inflammation in healthy people and increased respiratory symptoms in people with asthma. Also, studies show a connection between breathing elevated short-term NO₂ concentrations, and increased visits to emergency departments and hospital admissions for respiratory issues, especially asthma. NOx react with ammonia, moisture, and other compounds to form small particles. These small particles penetrate deeply into sensitive parts of the lungs and can cause or worsen respiratory disease, such as emphysema and bronchitis, and can aggravate existing heart disease, leading to increased hospital admissions and premature death.

What is highest recording for benzene?

290 ug/m3 at Venice, LA on (April 30)

TOX TOWN Statement: Short-term exposure to high levels of benzene by breathing or eating affects the central nervous system, and can cause paralysis, coma, convulsions, dizziness, sleepiness, rapid heart rate, tightness of the chest, tremors, and rapid breathing. Benzene is classified as a carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program because it has been known to cause cancer. Long-term exposure to high levels of benzene can cause leukemia. 

What is highest recording of ethyl benzene in a populated area?

11 ug/m3 at Chalmette, LA (June 8)

Agency for Toxic Substances Statement: We do not know if ethylbenzene will cause birth defects in humans. Minor birth defects and low birth weight have occurred in newborn animals whose mothers were exposed to ethylbenzene in air during pregnancy.

What are highest recording for naphthalene?

190 ng/m? air at station 0052501-06 (May 22)

103 ng/m? air at station 0051801-01 (May 16)

Wikipedia Statement: Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may damage or destroy red blood cells. Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in urine, and jaundice.

Agency For Toxic Substances Statement: Hospitals have reported many cases of hemolytic anemia in children, including newborns and infants, who either ate naphthalene mothballs or deodorants cakes or who were in close contact with clothing or blankets stored in naphthalene mothballs. Naphthalene can move from a pregnant woman's blood to the unborn baby's blood. 

NOTES:

ppm = parts per million

ug/m3 = micro grams per cubic meter

ng/m3? air = nanogram per cubic meter of air (1 nanogram (ng) = 1/1,000,000,000 gram = 0.000000001 gram)

mcfd = million cubic feet per day

AUTHOR

Dan Youra, author of BlowOut Blog is editor of a distiller’s manual published by a distillery in San Antonio, TX. The book, Alcohol Distiller’s Manuel for Gasohol and Spirits, documents the history of distilling from the French distillers of liquors and perfume to industrial refining of gasoline from crude oil. Dan Youra is a qualified researcher and statistician with three years of graduate studies at the Behavioral Sciences Laboratory at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and advanced studies at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.