From March 2-9, 2016, EPA Region 6 and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) collected preliminary outdoor air samples, from multiple locations in the area surrounding the Denka Performance Elastomer facility, to determine if chloroprene could be detected in the outdoor air in the community, and at what levels. The purpose of the preliminary sampling was to decide if a more extensive and comprehensive monitoring and assessment plan was needed.
EPA in collaboration with LDEQ, placed canisters at six locations and collected air samples for 8- or 24-hour periods. LDEQ operated their mobile analytical monitoring laboratory (MAML) and collected instantaneous or "grab samples" over a 48-hour period.
The limited nature of this dataset makes the sampling results insufficient for estimating the chloroprene concentrations present over longer time periods. In order to understand the potential for health risks that might be associated with the long-term presence of chloroprene in this area, a more comprehensive air monitoring effort is being implemented.
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