A DEPARTMENT OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA

AIR

Air Toxics Monitoring

Air Toxics Monitoring Program

 

Definition:

  • Air toxics are those pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects.

Health Impact Factors:

  • Amount of pollutant exposure.
  • Duration and frequency of exposure.
  • Chemical toxicity.
  • Individual health status and susceptibility.

Pollution Sources:

  • Manmade:
    • Mobile sources: cars, buses, trucks.
    • Stationary sources: factories, refineries, power plants.
  • Natural:
    • Forest/wild fires.
    • Soil emissions.

LDEQ Monitoring Efforts:

  • Collects samples at 19 sites throughout the state via scheduled and triggered events.
  • Conducts limited-duration studies using specialized monitoring equipment.
  • Focuses on identifying and analyzing specific air toxic compounds.

Outcome of Studies:

  • DEQ prepares reports assessing the collected data following each monitoring effort.
  • Definition and Scope of TAPs:
    • Toxic Air Pollutants (TAPs) in Louisiana include 99 state-regulated chemicals and 98 additional federally listed HAPs, totaling 197 pollutants.
  • LDEQ Regulatory Authority:
    The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) set its own ambient air standards and minimum emission rates (MERs) for 99 TAPs, surpassing federal requirements.
  • Classification System:
    TAPs are classified into:
    • Class I: Known/probable human carcinogens
    • Class II: Suspected carcinogens or reproductive toxins
    • Class III: Acute or non-carcinogenic toxins

Monitoring Justification:

  •  Ambient monitoring is necessary to collect data, assess trends, and ensure compliance with federal and state standards. The state's monitoring program is essential for meeting requirements under the Clean Air Act. 

Sampling Infrastructure:

  • Louisiana was among the first states to begin air toxics monitoring (1980s).
  • Current network includes 19 fixed monitoring sites, with special-purpose efforts as needed.
  • Samples are collected every 6th day using canisters and analyzed by LDEQ’s contract lab via 

    Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and Gas Chromatography/Flame Ionization Detection (GC/FID). These are analytical techniques that use a gas chromatograph (GC) to separate chemical mixtures before sending the components to a detector. The core difference between the two lies in the type of detector used. 

Data Collection Evolution:

  • Use of automated and event-triggered canister samplers since 1999.
  • Event sampling is triggered by spikes in total non-methane organic compounds (TNMOC).

Selected TAPs for Long-Term Monitoring: (Historically high)

  • Compounds like benzene, 1, 3-butadiene, vinyl chloride, chloroform, and 1, 2-dichloroethane are prioritized for routine surveillance.

Challenges:

  • Some TAPs lack standard sampling or calibration methods.
  • Financial and technical constraints limit full monitoring coverage of all 197 TAPs.

Quality Control:

  • Canisters are strictly cleaned, certified, and pressure-tested.
  • Monitoring effectiveness is ensured via continuous criteria pollutant monitors and rigorous analytical standards.

 

 

Louisiana Toxic Air Pollutant Ambient Air Standards

Compounds

CAS Number

Class

  (μg/m3)

 8-Hr Avg.

(ppb) 

8-Hr Avg.

(μg/m3)

Annual Avg.

(μg/m3)

Annual Avg.

Acetaldehyde

75-07-0

II

    

45.50

25.25

Acetonitrile

75-05-8

II

810.00

482.45

 

 

Acrolein

107-02-8

II

5.40

2.36

 

 

Acrylamide

79-06-1

II

 

 

0.08

0.03

Acrylic  Acid

79-10-7

III

140.00

47.50

 

 

Acrylonitrile

107-13-1

I

 

 

1.47

0.68

Allyl Chloride

107-05-1

II

71.40

22.82

 

 

Ammonia *

7664-41-7

III

640.00

918.85

 

 

Aniline

62-53-3

II

181.00

47.52

 

 

Antimony (and compounds)

7440-36-0

II

11.90

N/A

 

 

Arsenic (and compounds)

7440-38-2

I

 

 

0.02

N/A

Asbestos (friable)

1332-21-4

I

 

 

 

 

Barium (and compounds) *

7440-39-3

II

11.90

N/A

 

 

Benzene

71-43-2

I

 

 

12.00

3.76

Beryllium (and compounds)

7440-41-7

I

 

 

0.04

N/A

Biphenyl

92-52-4

II

23.80

3.77

 

 

Bis (2-chloroethyl) Ether

111-44-4

I

 

 

0.30

0.05

1,3-Butadiene

106-99-0

II

 

 

0.92

0.42

n-Butyl Alcohol *

71-36-3

III

3,620.00

1194.13

 

 

Cadmium (and compounds)

7440-43-9

I

 

 

0.06

N/A

Carbon Disulfide

75-15-0

II

71.40

22.93

 

 

Carbon Tetrachloride

56-23-5

II

 

 

6.67

1.06

Carbonyl Sulfide

463-58-1

III

582.00

236.89

 

 

 Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxines

 

3268-87-9

II

 

 

.003

N/A

Chlorinated Dibenzo Furans

51207-31-9

II

 

 

.003

N/A

Chlorine

7782-50-5

III

35.7

12.31

 

 

Chlorine Dioxide*

10049-04-4

II

6.67

2.42

 

 

Chlorobenzene

108-90-7

II

1,100.00

238.94

 

 

Chloroethane

75-00-3

II

6,290.00

2383.60

 

 

Chloroform

67-66-3

II

 

 

4.30

0.88

Chloromethane

74-87-3

II

 

 

55.56

26.91

Chloroprene

126-99-8

II

857.00

236.66

 

 

Chromium VI (and compounds)

7440-47-3

I

 

 

0.01

N/A

Copper (and compounds) *

7440-50-8

II

23.80

N/A

 

 

Cresol

1319-77-3

III

238.00

53.58

 

 

Cumene

98-82-8

III

5,860.00

1192.09

 

 

Diaminotoluene *

25376-45-8

II

181.00

 

 

 

1,2-Dibromoethane

106-93-4

I

 

 

0.45

0.06

Dibutyl Phthalate

84-74-2

II

119.00

10.45

 

 

1,4-Dichlorobenzene

106-46-7

II

1,430.00

237.83

 

 

1,2-Dichloroethane

107-06-2

II

 

 

3.85

0.95

Dichloromethane

75-09-2

II

 

 

212.77

61.25

1,2-Dichloropropane

78-87-5

II

8,260.00

1787.39

 

 

1,3-Dichloropropylene

542-75-6

II

107.00

23.58

 

 

2,4-Dinitrotoluene *

121-14-2

II

4.76**

0.64

 

 

2,6-Dinitrotoluene

606-20-2

II

4.76**

0.64

 

 

1,4-Dioxane

123-91-1

II

2,140.00

593.84

 

 

Epichlorohydrin

106-89-8

I

 

 

83.00

21.93

Ethyl Acrylate

140-88-5

II

476.00

116.25

 

 

Ethylbenzene

100-41-4

II

10,300.00

2372.22

 

 

Ethylene Glycol

107-21-1

III

2,380.00

937.51

 

 

Ethylene Oxide

75-21-8

I

 

 

1.00

0.56

Formaldehyde

50-00-0

I

 

 

7.69

6.26

Glycol Ethers

109-86-4

II

571.00

N/A

 

 

Hexachloro-1,3-Butadiene

87-68-3

II

 

 

4.55

0.43

Hexachlorobenzene

118-74-1

II

 

 

0.20

0.02

Hexachloroethane

67-72-1

II

 

 

25.00

2.58

n-Hexane

110-54-3

III

4,190.00

1188.46

 

 

Hydrazine

302-01-2

II

 

 

0.02

0.02

Hydrochloric  Acid

7647-01-0

III

180.00

N/A

 

 

Hydrofluoric  Acid

7664-39-3

III

61.90

N/A

 

 

Hydrogen Cyanide*

74-90-8

III

260.00

N/A

 

 

Hydrogen Sulfide *

7783-06-4

III

330.00

236.61

 

 

Maleic Anhydride

108-31-6

III

23.80

N/A

 

 

Manganese (and compounds)

7439-96-5

II

4.76

N/A

 

 

Mercury (and compounds)

7439-97-6

II

1.19

N/A

 

 

Methanol

67-56-1

III

6,240.00

4761.80

 

 

Methyl Ethyl Ketone *

78-93-3

III

14,000.00

4747.57

 

 

Methyl Isobutyl Ketone

108-10-1

III

4,880.00

1191.25

 

 

Methyl Methacrylate

80-62-6

III

9,760.00

2383.46

 

 

Naphthalene (and Methylnaphthalene)

91-20-3

II

1,190.00

N/A

 

 

Nickel (and compounds)

7440-02-0

I

 

N/A

0.21

N/A

Nickel (refinery dust) *

7440-02-0

I

 

 

0.42

N/A

Nitric Acid *

7697-37-2

III

120.00

N/A

 

 

Nitrobenzene

98-95-3

II

119.00

23.63

 

 

2-Nitropropane

79-46-9

II

 

 

20.00

5.49

Phenol

108-95-2

II

452.00

117.43

 

 

Phosgene

75-44-5

III

9.50

2.35

 

 

Phthalic Anhydride

85-44-9

III

145.00

N/A

 

 

Polynuclear Aromatic  Hydrocarbons

206-44-0

II

 

 

0.06

N/A

Propionaldehyde

123-38-6

III

4,290.00

1805.97

 

 

Propylene Oxide

75-56-9

I

 

 

27.00

5.84

Pyridine *

110-86-1

III

381.00

117.77

 

 

Selenium (and compounds)

7782-49-2

II

4.76

N/A

 

 

Styrene

100-42-5

II

5,070.00

1190.34

 

 

Sulfuric Acid *

7664-93-9

III

23.80

N/A

 

 

1,1,2,2 Tetrachloroethane

79-34-5

II

 

 

1.70

0.25

Tetrachloro Ethylene

127-18-4

II

 

 

105.26

15.52

Toluene

108-88-3

III

8,900.00

2361.93

 

 

Toluene-2,4-Diisocyanate

584-84-9

II

0.86**

0.12

 

 

Toluene-2,6-Diisocyanate *

91-08-7

II

0.86**

0.12

 

 

1,1,1-Trichloroethane

71-55-6

III

45,200.00

8283.17

 

 

1,1,2-Trichloroethane

79-00-5

II

 

 

6.25

1.15

Trichloroethylene

79-01-6

II

 

 

58.80

10.94

Vinyl Acetate

108-05-4

III

830.00

235.72

 

 

Vinyl Chloride

75-01-4

I

 

 

1.19

0.47

Vinylidene Chloride

75-35-4

II

 

 

2.00

0.50

Xylene (mixed isomers)

1330-20-7

II

10,300.00

2372.00

 

 

Zinc (and compounds)

7440-66-6

III

119.00

N/A