Volatile Organic Air Pollution in the Baton Rouge-New Orleans, Louisiana, Industrial Corridor

The region along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana is one of the most concentrated areas of chemical plants and petrochemical refineries in the United States. Exposure to air pollution from these facilities is a major health concern in Louisiana, which has elevated lung cancer incidence rates in white males and the second highest cancer mortality rate in the United States (214.9 cancer deaths per 100,000 people). Two communities were selected for study in this research, one adjacent to a large petrochemical refinery (fenceline community) and one control site. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) measured included benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and trichloroethylene. In addition to comparing VOC concentrations between sites, the utility of passive samplers for measurement of low-level ambient VOCs was evaluated by taking side-by-side pump/sorbent tube samples. The concentrations of the passive badge samples were below the limit of detection for each sample and for each analyte. The concentrations of VOCs in the fenceline community were often higher than concentrations measured at the control site with a mean concentration of benzene of 5.6 µg/m³ at the study site and 1.4 µg/m³ at the control site. Use of passive sampling badges may not be a suitable technique for measurement of low concentrations of ambient levels of VOCs. Elevated concentrations of volatile organic air pollutants observed at the study site suggested that residents near large industrial facilities may be subjected to additional health risks from these exposures.