What and where we monitored

Monitoring dates: January 2006 to January 2007.

Air toxics monitored: Benzene, toluene and xylene.

Sampling frequency: 24-hour samples once every six days.

Number of samples analysed: Newport (benzene, toluene and xylene) – 55; Spotswood (benzene, toluene and xylene) – 59.

Location: Two sites – High Street, Newport and Craig Street, Spotswood.

Results of monitoring

We monitoried benzene, toluene and xylene in residential areas; the primary focus of this study was to measure the levels of air toxics in a residential area near a large industrial complex and petroleum tank farm in Newport.

Monitoring demonstrated concentrations of benzene, toluene and xylene were below health-based monitoring investigation levels at both sites. Concentrations were higher in Newport than in Spotswood, which is most likely due to the close proximity of the tank farm to the Newport monitoring location.

24 hour results - Newport

Sample date	Benzene (ppb)	Toluene (ppb)	Xylene (ppb)
Annual investigation level	3.0	100.0	200.0
24 hour investigation level	Not applicable	1000.0	250.0
Annual average	1.0	4.3	4.4
Maximum 24 hour level	Not applicable	15.1	16.6
21-Jan-06	2.0	8.1	15.9
27-Jan-06	2.6	9.3	7.0
02-Feb-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
08-Feb-06	1.9	8.9	8.2
14-Feb-06	0.3	0.8	0.5
20-Feb-06	Not detected	0.4	0.3
26-Feb-06	Not detected	1.0	0.4
04-Mar-06	1.8	4.9	14.5
10-Mar-06	Not detected	0.4	0.2
16-Mar-06	1.5	5.7	12.8
22-Mar-06	2.4	8.0	16.0
28-Mar-06	Not detected	0.6	0.4
03-Apr-06	1.3	3.7	11.9
09-Apr-06	0.3	1.2	0.4
15-Apr-06	Not detected	0.5	0.3
21-Apr-06	0.7	1.9	3.5
27-Apr-06	1.8	6.9	16.6
03-May-06	0.6	2.6	7.5
09-May-06	0.3	0.9	0.8
15-May-06	0.5	1.7	1.3
21-May-06	1.8	6.4	13.8
27-May-06	1.5	4.4	6.9
02-Jun-06	0.5	2.0	1.5
08-Jun-06	2.2	9.4	13.5
14-Jun-06	1.5	6.0	5.8
20-Jun-06	2.1	9.4	16.3
26-Jun-06	1.0	7.8	3.1
02-Jul-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
08-Jul-06	1.2	3.3	6.0
14-Jul-06	1.1	5.8	6.0
20-Jul-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
26-Jul-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
01-Aug-06	0.6	2.2	3.2
07-Aug-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
13-Aug-06	1.1	5.3	2.4
19-Aug-06	1.5	7.3	15.6
25-Aug-06	Not detected	0.5	0.3
31-Aug-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
06-Sep-06	0.4	2.4	0.7
12-Sep-06	1.8	11.8	3.7
18-Sep-06	0.5	2.4	0.5
24-Sep-06	1.1	8.6	2.4
30-Sep-06	0.6	1.0	0.3
06-Oct-06	0.6	3.0	1.0
12-Oct-06	1.0	6.3	1.6
18-Oct-06	0.3	0.9	0.3
24-Oct-06	1.9	12.8	4.2
30-Oct-06	0.3	1.0	0.4
05-Nov-06	Not detected	Not detected	Not detected
11-Nov-06	Not detected	0.3	0.2
17-Nov-06	Not detected	0.2	Not detected
23-Nov-06	0.4	1.4	0.4
29-Nov-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
05-Dec-06	2.1	10.7	2.8
11-Dec-06	1.4	5.6	1.2
17-Dec-06	1.0	3.8	0.8
23-Dec-06	Not detected	Not detected	0.0
29-Dec-06	Not detected	0.2	Not detected
04-Jan-07	0.6	4.1	0.8
10-Jan-07	2.3	15.1	9.0
16-Jan-07	1.0	5.5	1.2
22-Jan-07	Not detected	0.2	Not detected

Not applicable: A 24-hour investigation level is not specified for benzene. Not detected: Air toxic was below measurable levels. Not sampled: No result is available due to sampling failure or error. ppb: parts per billion (for every one billion litres of air there is one litre of the pollutant).

Detection limits are as follows:

Compound	Benzene (ppb)	Toluene (ppb)	Xylene (ppb)
Detection limit	0.3	0.2	0.2

ppb: parts per billion (for every one billion litres of air there is one litre of the pollutant).

24 hour results - Spotswood

Sample date	Benzene (ppb)	Toluene (ppb)	Xylene (ppb)
Annual investigation level	3.0	100.0	200.0
24 hour investigation level	Not applicable	1000.0	250.0
Annual average	0.8	2.2	1.0
Maximum 24 hour level	Not applicable	9.3	6.6
21-Jan-06	0.9	2.2	0.8
27-Jan-06	2.5	9.3	6.6
2-Feb-06	1.3	4.0	1.7
8-Feb-06	0.6	2.2	0.7
14-Feb-06	0.5	1.6	0.8
20-Feb-06	0.6	2.4	1.1
26-Feb-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
4-Mar-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
10-Mar-06	0.5	1.8	0.8
16-Mar-06	Not detected	1.4	0.7
22-Mar-06	1.9	4.2	2.2
28-Mar-06	1.4	5.0	1.3
03-Apr-06	1.2	2.4	1.0
09-Apr-06	0.6	0.6	0.3
15-Apr-06	0.5	0.5	0.2
21-Apr-06	0.9	1.7	1.2
27-Apr-06	1.3	4.6	2.7
03-May-06	0.7	1.0	0.8
09-May-06	0.5	1.2	0.6
15-May-06	0.8	2.1	1.1
21-May-06	0.7	1.3	0.5
27-May-06	1.4	4.0	2.2
02-Jun-06	0.9	2.7	1.3
08-Jun-06	1.6	4.6	2.7
14-Jun-06	0.9	2.8	1.3
20-Jun-06	1.5	5.2	2.6
26-Jun-06	0.7	1.7	0.6
02-Jul-06	0.5	0.6	0.4
08-Jul-06	0.5	0.8	0.3
14-Jul-06	1.1	4.1	2.2
20-Jul-06	1.0	3.2	1.3
26-Jul-06	1.1	5.2	2.1
01-Aug-06	0.8	1.9	0.9
07-Aug-06	1.0	3.2	1.2
13-Aug-06	0.6	1.0	0.3
19-Aug-06	0.4	0.7	0.3
25-Aug-06	Not sampled	Not sampled	Not sampled
31-Aug-06	0.6	2.5	0.8
6-Sep-06	0.6	1.4	0.6
12-Sep-06	1.0	2.9	1.4
18-Sep-06	0.9	7.2	1.8
24-Sep-06	0.4	0.3	Not detected
30-Sep-06	0.5	0.8	0.3
06-Oct-06	0.6	1.7	0.7
12-Oct-06	0.3	0.9	0.3
18-Oct-06	0.3	0.7	0.3
24-Oct-06	0.6	2.1	0.7
30-Oct-06	0.7	1.5	0.5
05-Nov-06	0.5	1.0	0.2
11-Nov-06	0.6	1.7	0.5
17-Nov-06	0.5	1.5	0.4
23-Nov-06	0.6	1.5	0.5
29-Nov-06	0.5	1.3	0.4
05-Dec-06	0.5	1.6	0.4
11-Dec-06	0.5	1.4	0.3
17-Dec-06	0.5	0.8	0.2
23-Dec-06	0.5	1.5	0.3
29-Dec-06	0.5	0.7	0.2
04-Jan-07	0.5	1.4	0.3
10-Jan-07	0.7	2.3	0.4
16-Jan-07	0.5	1.6	0.3
22-Jan-07	0.4	0.7	0.2

Not applicable: A 24-hour investigation level is not specified for benzene. Not detected: Air toxic was below measurable levels. Not sampled: No result is available due to sampling failure or error. ppb: parts per billion (for every one billion litres of air there is one litre of the pollutant).

Detection limits are as follows:

Compound	Benzene (ppb)	Toluene (ppb)	Xylene (ppb)
Detection limit	0.3	0.2	0.2