Study finds toxic chemicals in South, S.W. Phila. air

Philadelphia Inquirer
Fri, Jun. 13, 2003

Residents of South Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia may be inhaling unhealthy levels of harmful chemicals, according to a report released yesterday by two local environmental activist groups.

The study, conducted between last June and this March by the Community Labor Refinery Tracking Committee and the Clean Water Fund, found 54 toxic chemicals in nine air samples. These included benzene, a carcinogen; carbon disulfide, a chemical that may cause reproductive or developmental disorders; MTBE, a possible carcinogen; and chloremethane, a chemical that can cause a build up of fluid in the lungs.

The levels of chemicals are not illegal for industries to produce or to release into the air. The study used Environmental Protection Agency guidelines - not laws - and standards set by other states, including Texas and Louisiana, as a basis for comparison.

Christine Knapp, program organizer for the local branch of the Clean Water Fund, said: "For years, residents of South and Southwest Philadelphia have had to bear a disproportionate share of our city's pollution."

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