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ATSDR Activities in Alexandria

 

Background

In January 2006, the Health Director of the Alexandria Health Department requested that ATSDR review existing air quality and other environmental data related to operations at the Mirant facility. The Health Director also asked ATSDR to assess whether existing data indicated a potential for health effects for nearby residents and to recommend next steps.

This type of request from a health department is standard for ATSDR. When ongoing exposures are suspected, ATSDR evaluates the available data to determine if a public health intervention is needed to minimize any acute exposures.

ATSDR reviewed available air modeling and emissions data, and provided our preliminary findings in January 2007 [PDF, 1.49 MB] Exit ATSDR. We used data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the City of Alexandria, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Mirant Plant.

In our preliminary findings, ATSDR could not determine whether air pollutants near the Mirant Plant could harm people’s health. For a complete evaluation, ATSDR needs additional air monitoring data that reflect concentrations of pollutants in areas where people live and work.

To give the community the information it needs, ATSDR set up short-term air monitoring stations in areas people live and work. The air monitors were set up in the Alexandria community near the Mirant Plant. The monitoring took place for six weeks in June-July 2007. Our community based air monitoring effort can help us better assess if public health could be affected. To learn more about ATSDR’s air monitoring efforts go to the fact sheet “ATSDR’s Public Health Activities in Alexandria”(2007) [PDF, 93 KB].

ATSDR monitored for pollutants that are most likely to be emitted from the Mirant Plant and that are most likely to pose health concerns to the community. The pollutants monitored are sulfur dioxide (SO2) , select metals, and particulate matter. As a service to the community, ATSDR developed information about air quality and health (2007) [PDF, 98 KB ].

ATSDR’s Community-based Air Monitoring

Overview

An overview of ATSDR’s Public Health Activities regarding monitoring of air pollutants near the Mirant Potomac River Generating Plant in Alexandria, VA is available in the fact sheet ATSDR’s Public Health Activities in Alexandria (2007) [PDF, 93 KB].

Air Sampling Locations

This aerial map shows the locations of the air sampling stations ATSDR set up in June 2007 near the Mirant Potomac River Generating Station in response to community concerns about possible community exposures to airborne contaminants from the station. Air Sampling Stations in the Vicinity of the Mirant Potomac River Generating Station - Alexandria, Virginia [PDF, 695 KB]

Protocol

The Protocol (2007) [PDF, 1.19 MB] is titled “Exposure Investigation” and details the procedures, methods and design of the ATSDR Community-based Air Monitoring Effort. 

NEW! (Updated August 2008) Results of ATSDR’s Evaluation in Alexandria

Results will be available by 2009.  The review process is long for two reasons.

  1. ATSDR wants to provide a complete and thorough evaluation of all available data.  ATSDR will review multiple data sets. 

    These data sets include: ATSDR’s own community-based air monitoring effort and data collected by multiple parties. A summary of the data used in the analysis will be included in the report.

  2. ATSDR will send a draft of the report for external peer review.  External peer review ensures that the evaluation performed in the report was done using the best science given the nature of the available information.  

    The report will be reviewed by external science experts who can independently review the report and have no conflict of interest with this project.  

    The final report will include information about the peer review process, the questions posed to the peer reviewers, their comments (verbatim), and ATSDR’s responses to their comments.

Selected Resources


  • Air Quality and Health in Alexandria (2007) [PDF, 98 KB]
    In response to the interest of the Alexandria, VA community, ATSDR is providing residents with general information about air quality and health.
  • What is Exposure? [PDF, 117 KB]
    Exposure means that you have come into contact with a chemical, and it has gotten into your body. This fact sheet answers questions about chemical exposure.

 

Page last updated: August 12, 2008