VOC Air Monitoring in Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas (Nov 2024–May 2025)

In this report, we document the design, implementation, and findings of a community-based air monitoring campaign conducted in Beaumont and Port Arthur, Texas, between November 2024 and June 2025. Supported by the Gulf Research Program, the project was designed to establish a descriptive baseline characterization of ambient air quality conditions using a combination of continuous monitoring for criteria air pollutants and repeated integrated sampling for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The monitoring effort was explicitly non-regulatory and intended to complement, rather than replace, existing regulatory air monitoring networks in the area. We developed the campaign in close collaboration with local community partners and emphasized sustained community engagement, standardized field protocols, and transparent data handling. A tiered participation structure supported coordination among monitoring coordinators, trained community researchers, and participating households. In total, 51 continuous monitors were deployed across residential neighborhoods in both cities to measure criteria air pollutants, while integrated VOC samples were collected approximately monthly using Summa canisters. All monitoring activities were supported by structured training, standardized documentation, and a comprehensive quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) framework. Across the monitoring period, criteria air pollutant concentrations generally reflected stable background conditions with intermittent short-term variability. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5; particles ≤2.5 µm in diameter) and ozone (O3) emerged as the most informative indicators for community-relevant temporal patterns, exhibiting clear daily, seasonal, and episodic fluctuations consistent with known atmospheric processes and regional influences. While concentrations were typically below commonly referenced regulatory benchmarks, short-term elevations relative to more health-protective reference values were observed on select days. This pattern underscores the importance of continuous, neighborhood-scale monitoring for understanding when exposures may increase. Our VOC monitoring revealed spatial, temporal, and compositional variability across sampling rounds and locations. BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) concentrations were broadly similar between Beaumont and Port Arthur in terms of median values, but Port Arthur exhibited greater variability and higher upper-end concentrations. Total VOC (TVOC; a broader EPA Method TO-15 VOC panel) concentrations showed some differences between cities and across months, with later sampling rounds characterized by higher overall VOC burdens and shifts in mixture composition. These findings highlight that VOC exposure dynamics are influenced not only by changes in total concentration but also by evolving chemical mixtures that may reflect localized sources and seasonal conditions. Spatial analyses demonstrated meaningful within-city and between-neighborhood variability for both criteria pollutants and VOCs. Site-level summaries revealed heterogeneity that would not be captured by a small number of centralized regulatory monitors alone. These results illustrate the added value of community-based monitoring for characterizing neighborhood-scale differences in ambient air quality. Importantly, this project demonstrates the feasibility and value of integrating community participation into technically robust air monitoring efforts. The campaign generated a rich, quality-controlled dataset while also documenting practical lessons related to logistics, training, and adaptive field implementation. Weather disruptions, scheduling constraints, and equipment logistics informed iterative improvements to field protocols and coordination strategies, strengthening the overall monitoring framework. As intended, the descriptions presented here are descriptive and do not assess regulatory compliance or quantify health risks. Instead, they provide a transparent, community-informed baseline of ambient air quality conditions in Beaumont and Port Arthur. This baseline can support future community discussions, guide hypothesis-driven research, and inform targeted follow-up monitoring or intervention efforts. More broadly, the methods, lessons learned, and reporting framework developed through this campaign offer a scalable model for community-based air monitoring in other industrially influenced regions and beyond.