Background:
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has initiated an air toxic study in Paterson City in April 2010 to further investigate elevated levels of eight air toxics that were measured during the Urban Community Air Toxics Monitoring Project, Paterson City, NJ (UCAMPP) from November 2005 until December 2006.

Out of 132 air pollutants measured during the UCAMPP study, levels of p-dichlorobenzene were significantly elevated at one of the monitoring locations (176 Broadway) in Paterson for a two month period compared to the other monitoring locations in Paterson and around the state. As a result, NJDEP has determined that further study is needed to determine if this two month elevation was a one time event or whether the levels are an ongoing occurrence. Seven other air pollutants were also elevated at all three sites in Paterson as well as at other air monitoring locations around the state. The levels of these air pollutants (benzene, ethyl benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, chloromethane, tetrachloroethylene, and p-dichlorobenzene) were above NJDEP health guidelines at Paterson and at the other New Jersey sites.

Goals of the Additional Air Monitoring in Paterson Study:
There are two goals for the additional air monitoring study. The first is to determine whether the levels of p-dichlorobenzene remain elevated or whether the two-month elevation in p-dichlorobenzene levels observed during UCAMPP was a one-time event. The second is to determine the variation in the levels of the specified air pollutants around 176 Broadway.

Sampling Plan:
NJDEP is monitoring at and around the site where the elevated levels of p-dichlorobenzene were observed. Two types of samples will be collected. One type of sample will be collected at the same location and in the same way as was done in the earlier UCAMPP study and at the other three air toxics monitoring locations around the state (Chester, New Brunswick and Elizabeth). This sample will be collected every twelve days, which coincides with measurements obtained at the three other monitoring locations around the state. This type of sample will allow NJDEP to compare the levels at 176 Broadway to the data collected during the previous UCAMPP study and at the other 3 monitoring sites around the state.

The second type of sample will be by a different method that will measure the eight air pollutants listed above. This method will use a small sampling device that does not require electricity so it can be placed in multiple locations around 176 Broadway every other month over the course of the year. This type of sample will allow NJDEP to determine the variation of levels of these air pollutants over about a 1 square mile area around 176 Broadway.