Preliminary results of air-quality monitoring outside Paulsboro High School indicate no short-term health threat to students from heavy-metals pollution, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Paulsboro is near several refineries in Gloucester County. The EPA released its findings yesterday, based on two months of testing that began in August.
The EPA cautioned that it still was analyzing whether there are long-term effects. The agency said it was not ready to release a report on whether volatile organic compounds, another type of toxin, were found in excessive amounts near the school.
Elias Rodriguez, an EPA spokesman, said those findings were still under review. Final results may be released in about two months. Testing continues at the schools, he said.
In its School Air Toxics Initiative, launched in April, the EPA said it would monitor 62 schools nationwide to determine whether long-term exposure to industrial contaminants in the outdoor air could affect the health of students and staff.
Paulsboro High School, with an enrollment of about 475, was the only school in the Philadelphia area selected to participate, based on its proximity to heavy industry.
Directly behind its football field is the 900-acre Valero Refinery. Nearby are the Nu Star Energy and Sunoco refineries and the Exxon Mobil Research Laboratory and Air Products Chemicals Group.
Though early results are encouraging, EPA scientists warned against drawing conclusions, "since the project is designed to show if long-term" exposure poses risks, the agency said in a press release.
In Paulsboro, the EPA is testing for metals such as lead, nickel, and manganese, which can be emitted from refinery smoke stacks; carbonyls; and volatile organic compounds. The toxins are known to cause, or are suspected of causing, cancer and other serious health effects, including respiratory and neurological problems, according to the EPA.
Contact staff writer Jan Hefler at 856-779-3224 or jhefler@phillynews.com.
Read the preliminary EPA results at http://www.epa.gov/schoolair
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