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Ethylene Oxide Measurements Near a Chemical Facility in Verona Missouri, Interim Results
Citation:
Edwards, A., A. Zachary, Andrew Hawkins, M. Davis, E. Thoma, I. George, Alireza Gitipour, AND M. MacDonald. Ethylene Oxide Measurements Near a Chemical Facility in Verona Missouri, Interim Results. Air & Waste Management Association¿s Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology Conference, Durham, NC, November 14 - 16, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
This is an abstract and associated presentation titled “Ethylene Oxide Measurements Near a Chemical Facility in Verona Missouri, Interim Results” submitted to the Air & Waste Management Association’s Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology conference to be held November 14–16, 2023 on Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The presentation reports on an EtO monitoring study that was conducted near the BCP Ingredients chemical facility in Verona, MO from October 5, 2022 to January 30, 2023. This limited scope study informed EtO air concentrations in the area but was not designed to produce comprehensive community exposure data. As described in the presentation, elevated EtO concentrations were periodically observed proximate to the BCP site. This presentation discusses interim results for the study and compares measurements from the various techniques.
Description:
BCP Ingredients is a chemical facility located in Verona, MO that works with significant quantities of ethylene oxide (EtO) as part of normal operations. EtO is a hazardous air pollutant and the citizens of Verona have expressed concerns to EPA Region 7 regarding potential EtO concentration levels in their community. In response to these concerns, EPA Region 7 and EPA ORD performed an EtO air monitoring study from October 5, 2022 to January 30, 2023. This limited scope study informed EtO air concentrations in the area but was not designed to produce comprehensive community exposure data. The field study centered on the acquisition and analysis of 24-hr evacuated canister samples at three sites near the BCP fenceline and in the Verona community. Since the sites were not located near EPA operations, canister sampling was executed with battery-operated timers with sampling occurring approximately every three days over the study period. With data completeness exceeding 80%, a total of 134 valid 24-hr field canister samples were acquired and analyzed for EtO by method EPA TO15/TO15A, with a method detection limit (MDL) < 0.05 ppbv. The changeout of the 24-hr canister samples was performed each week by an EPA Region 7 field team deployed from Kansas City, KS. As part of the canister changeout visits, the field team acquired several hours of real-time EtO concentration data using a next generation emission measurement (NGEM) mobile monitoring system fitted with a high-performance spectroscopic analyzer. The mobile monitoring unit provided geospatially resolved real-time EtO concentration data near the facility with an MDL of ~1.2 ppbv. The EPA Region 7 field team also acquired >50 short time duration (25 second) canister grab samples from stationary observation points collocated with the NGEM system for comparison purposes. Some of the canisters were acquired during periods of elevated EtO concentrations, corroborating the real-time spectroscopic data and informing 24-hr canister results. The field effort included acquisition of meteorological data to help provide context for the EtO concentration measurements. This presentation describes interim results for the study and compares measurements from the various techniques.