Micah 6:8 Mission
Annual average PM2.5 concentrations modelled with NOAA HYSPLIT
Air Quality and You
Health problems in children and adults can occur because of both short- and long-term exposure to air pollutants. The levels and duration of exposure that can be considered ‘safe’ vary by pollutant, as well as the related disease outcomes.
For some pollutants, there is no “healthy” limit– any amount of exposure is unsafe.
Source: World Health Organization
Short-term (“acute”) exposures
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When there are episodes of very poor air quality, it can trigger symptoms of underlying health problems. This could mean worse symptoms of asthma, COPD, or other respiratory disease.
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It’s important to know when these bad air episodes occur so that people with underlying health issues can make choices to limit the amount of outdoor pollution they breathe. This could mean limiting outdoor activities or running an air purifier in their house.
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Sometimes you can tell that air quality is bad from smoky or hazy air, but sometimes you need monitoring.
Long-term (“chronic”) exposures
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Air pollution is a risk for all-cause mortality as well as specific diseases. The specific disease outcomes most strongly linked with exposure to air pollution include stroke, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, [and] pneumonia.
Make an Odor Report
Download our mobile app to conveniently submit anonymous reports of air quality problems, and see what your neighbors are reporting as well.
What is Particulate Matter (PM2.5)?
Brightline's Air Quality Fellows Create Educational Booklet
Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream. Of these, particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, also known as fine particles or PM2.5, pose the greatest risk to health.
Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States.
Air Quality Monitoring
In the last two years, more than ⅔ of days in Sulphur / Westlake have had bad air*
Average daily PM2.5 across all monitors above the EPA annual standard of 9 µg/m3
Current PM2.5
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35
To view more detailed air quality and meteorological data, see the Environmental Defense Fund Air Tracker
Top Polluters
This list of industrial polluters in Sulphur / Westlake is based on the most recent year of reported annual emissions from each facility, which can be found through the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Further information about the health effects of specific air pollutants can be found through the
To see our earlier work on this subject, visit our Toxic Tour.
Reported annual emissions do not include pollution from malfunctions, and start ups or shut downs, and these events can potentially produce acute exposures to high levels of pollution.
Get Involved
Follow our calendar and social media feeds for updated information and opportunities to make your voice heard
About Micah 6:8 Mission
At Micah 6:8 Mission, we treat the symptoms of the problems of our world in many ways. In our beginning, this work involved the Blessing Box and filtered water station. Now, we are working with the community to educate about the environmental and social issues facing us, and the ways we can make changes to resolve those issues.
After the horrific impacts of Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Delta, and Winter Storm Uri during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the organization did disaster relief in Calcasieu Parish, Micah 6:8 Mission founder, Cindy Robertson, realized that ‘upstream’ justice work was badly needed to determine and change the reason these storms were getting worse, and change the long-term health of our communities.
Micah 6:8 Mission is a member of The Disaster Justice Network, a network of community organizers, researchers and academics who focus on the social, economic, political and environmental factors impacting communities in Louisiana. That relationship led to connecting to regional and national environmental organizations and we began the work of educating our communities on the harm being done to our city, parish, state and the world by the actions of corporate interests focused on profits instead of protecting the workers they employ and communities they are located in.