How dangerous is the Porter Ranch methane leak to someone with asthma

January 29, 2016 11:58 AM

If someone with asthma will be driving through the region, specifically: southbound on I-5, then east on I-10, how dangerous is the Porter Ranch methane leak to that person? I can't find any good information on exactly how widespread the methane is and in what concentrations it is on the I-5.
posted by MarioM to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

Not at all dangerous, considering 1) given that the 5 passes only as close as 5-10 miles to the leak, the concentrations will only be marginally above normal background levels, and 2) it's not a chronic exposure.
posted by un petit cadeau at 12:19 PM on January 29, 2016 [2 favorites]

You will be too far away to be exposed to anything other than the normal level of automobile pollutants on the 5.

Driving through it is not dangerous even if you were going to be close, which you won't be. We can smell it at the Porter Ranch Walmart, which is still open and doing normal business.

Living full-time in it, if you are up the hill toward the leak, is contraindicated and those people are temporarily relocating (voluntarily, and not everyone is doing it). You will be miles (maybe 4-5 at the closest) away from the relocation area.

I live about 3 miles away. We are fine. Everything is normal here.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:20 PM on January 29, 2016 [1 favorite]

You will be in a car, many miles from the problem area. There is no way this will affect you at all.

The gas leak has affected some residents of Porter Ranch who lived closest to the leak and were constantly exposed to it for months. It will not affect you.
posted by erst at 12:21 PM on January 29, 2016

Response by poster: Thank you all. Very reassuring.

Mario
posted by MarioM at 8:06 AM on January 31, 2016