Data collected from monitors running 24 hours a day during the first week of March show no change in levels of metals in the air near two Portland glass manufacturing plants, and that short-term health risk remains low.
Today’s air monitoring results (available online at saferair.oregon.gov/Pages/What-We-Know) indicate that measured levels of all metals in air near Bullseye Glass Co. in Southeast Portland were many times lower than what was measured there in October 2015. (This Oregon Department of Environmental Quality report is available online atwww.deq.state.or.us/nwr/docs/PowellSE22nddata.pdf.)
None of the sampling results were higher than the Oregon 24-hour screening levels, meaning that there is no immediate or urgent health risk related to these new results, according to an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) toxicologist.
The newly released data covers monitoring from March 1 to March 8. The monitoring locations are the same five sites—four near Bullseye, one near Uroboros—as those used in February to collect air samples that were reported March 17. Data from those samples also showed no readings above Oregon 24-hour screening levels. Both companies voluntarily suspended use of the metals of concern in February.
Weekly air monitoring data will continue to be reported each Thursday by an interagency group that includes DEQ, OHA and Multnomah County Health Department and published atSaferAir.Oregon.gov.
Metals in Portland air samples—and resulting health risk—remain low
Agencies report results of 24-hour monitoring during week ending March 8
March 25, 2016
