ITC Deer Park Fire: City of Houston actions, fixed site data analysis and recommendations Presentation Date: April 25 th , 2019 Presented By: Loren Raun, PhD Chief Environmental S cience Officer Interim Bureau Chief Bureau of Community & Children’s Environmental Health
Deer Park Fire VIEW OF THE FACILITY 2
Outline • City of Houston Actions • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background* • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints* • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background • City of Houston Recommendations *Exploratory analysis 3
Outline • City of Houston Actions • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background • City of Houston Recommendations 4
Timeline of Events March 18, 2019 • Deployed Mobile Ambient Air Monitoring Laboratory (MAAML) inside city limits downwind of the fire. • Closely watched the TCEQ continuous fixed site monitoring network data. • Deployed field staff on the eastern edge of Houston with hand‐held devices. March 19, 2019 • Worked with Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to deploy 20 additional PM2.5 monitors at fire stations and schools for more coverage o These monitors will remain for 6 months. March 20, 2019 • Harris County asked for assistance. • Used the MAAML to monitor several locations for the county. • Set up the MAAML to analyze canisters collected from the county Office of Emergency Management (OEM) overnight. 5
Timeline of Events March 21, 2019 • MAAML stayed at the Bureau of Pollution Control & Prevention (BPCP) to analyze canisters – none were submitted. • MAAML broke at 10p.m. and could no longer analyze. March 22, 2019 • Worked with EDF to deploy aroma VOC equipment on the MAAML to analyze benzene. March 23‐25, 2019 • Continued to analyze data. We shared our data with the County/OEM throughout the process. The city continues to use the MAAML as needed, we monitor the fixed site network data as is our routine, and we deploy staff with hand held devices in response to complaints. 6
Air Monitoring Our two main constituents of concern were Benzene levels and PM2.5 levels . • The MAAML has the ability to detect fine particulate matter as well as volatile organic compounds, including benzene at low detection levels, typically 20 minute continuous draw with real time results. • The TCEQ fixed site monitoring network in the Houston area consist of 9 monitors which provide benzene information and 8 which provide fine particulate matter information. The monitors provide continuous high quality hourly concentration data throughout the year, with a delay of about two to three hours for results to appear. • Our hand held devices measure to 10 ppb total VOCs, real time. 7
Air Monitor Locations 9 benzene monitors, Thiessen polygons with Manchester and Pleasantville neighborhood shown. 8
Air Monitor Locations 4 PM2.5 monitors, Thiessen polygons. 9
Data Lags On March 20, 2019 at 4:00p.m., data had only been updated through 1:00p.m. 10
Data Lags On March 20, 2019 at 11:00a.m., data had only been updated through 8:00a.m. 11
Outline • City of Houston Actions • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background • City of Houston Recommendations 12
Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background PM2.5 daily average at each monitor was compared to the previous month’s PM2.5 monitor (background), using a z‐score. The z‐score is the number of standard deviations above the mean of the background. In a normal distribution, 99.7% of the values lie between three standard deviations on either side of the mean. If the PM2.5 is high on the day of the fire, the z‐score will be positive and high, above 3. 13
Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background 14
Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background 15
Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background 16
Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background 17
Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background 18
Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background 19
Outline • City of Houston Actions • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background • City of Houston Recommendations 20
Emergency Department Respiratory Complaints ESSENCE data: • Essence stands for Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community‐ based Epidemics • Web‐based disease surveillance information system of Emergency Department Visits • Near real‐time data • Data is de‐identified Respiratory complaints pulled from 3/10‐3/23 based on: • Base week: 3/10‐3/16 ITC Fire week: 3/17‐3/23, • Respiratory as syndrome and/or chief complaints including asthma and shortness of breath • Only used hospitals/clinics that were reporting both weeks: • Includes data from major hospitals (Methodist, St. Luke’s, TCH, UTMB) and other reporting clinics. 21
Quick Reminder… Z‐Scores show the number of standard deviations above the background mean of the data 22
Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 Air Monitor PM2.5 Z‐Score Data, 03/17‐03/23 10 8 6 4 Z‐Score 2 0 17‐Mar 18‐Mar 19‐Mar 20‐Mar 21‐Mar 22‐Mar 23‐Mar ‐2 ‐4 Date Deer Park 2 Clinton Park Place UH West Liberty Z‐Scores show the number of standard deviations above the mean of the data. 23
Hospital/ED Data Results Hospital/ED Visits Z‐Score Data, 03/17‐03/23 12 10 8 6 Z‐Score 4 2 0 17‐Mar 18‐Mar 19‐Mar 20‐Mar 21‐Mar 22‐Mar 23‐Mar ‐2 ‐4 ‐6 Date Deer Park 2 Clinton Park Place UH West Liberty Z‐Scores show the number of standard deviations above the mean of the data. 24
Correlation between PM2.5 Air Monitor and Hospital Z-Scores Correlation Monitor Name Coefficient Houston Deer Park 0.68 #2 Clinton 0.19 Park Place 0.63 UH West Liberty 0.80 25
PM2.5 Data and Hospital/ED Data Regression of Hospital/ED visits Z‐Scores on PM2.5 Monitors Z‐Scores, 3/17‐3/23 10 R² = 0.4566 8 R² = 0.3957 Hospital/ED Visits Z‐score 6 4 R² = 0.6524 2 R² = 0.0367 0 ‐4 ‐2 0 2 4 6 8 10 ‐2 ‐4 Monitors PM 2.5 Z‐score At Deer Park #2, 46% of the variability in Hospital/ED visits is explained by PM2.5. 26
Outline • City of Houston Actions • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background • City of Houston Recommendations 27
Accessing Monitor Data https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi‐bin/compliance/monops/aqi_rpt.pl 28
Accessing Monitor Data Click AutoGC Hourly Averages by Parameter 29
Accessing Monitor Data S elect a Date 30
Accessing Monitor Data S elect a Date S elect a Parameter and Measurement Value 31
Accessing Monitor Data S elect a Date S elect a Parameter and Measurement Value Click “ Generate Report” 32
Benzene Monitoring STATISTICAL ANALYSES There are no national ambient standards for many other air pollutants, including benzene. The TCEQ created air monitoring comparison values (AMCVs). These are chemical specific air concentrations set to protect human health and welfare. Exposure to an air concentration at or below the AMCV is not likely to cause adverse health effects. The AMCV for benzene in the ambient air is 180 ppb for 1 hour short term and 1.4 ppb for chronic (Haney, 2014, TCEQ, 2018). 33
Benzene Monitor Readings, 2018 vs. 2019 Daily mean benzene (ppb‐volume) for March 17 to March 31, 2018 vs 2019. 34
Benzene Monitor Readings, 2018 vs. 2019 Daily max benzene (ppb‐volume) for March 17 to March 31, 2018 vs 2019. The concentrations during the fire were 100x the routine levels. 35
Benzene Monitoring STATISTICAL ANALYSES Statistical control charts were used to indicate when hourly benzene concentrations statistically exceed historical concentrations at the eight Houston area benzene air monitors. It also determines if the previous hour was also exceeded. 36
Historical Benzene by Hour by Monitor STATISTICAL ANALYSES 37
Monitor Data STATISTICAL ANALYSES 38
Monitor Data STATISTICAL ANALYSES 39
Monitor Data STATISTICAL ANALYSES 40
Outline • City of Houston Actions • Fixed Site Data Results: PM2.5 compared to background • Fixed Site Data Results for PM2.5 and Hospital Respiratory Complaints • Fixed Site Data Results: Benzene compared to background • City of Houston Recommendations • Presented as testimony to the State Legislature at ITC hearing, invited comments (4/4/2019). • Presented at Commissioner’s court, as requested by Adrian Garcia (4/9/2019). 41
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