Portland Air Alert: State Finds Increased Presence of Pollutant

State officials are trying to figure out what caused an increase in the presence of hexavalent chromium in Southeast Portland.

They made the disclosure Thursday.

The carcinogen was found in the area of Bullseye Glass, a small manufacturing company that had been linked to increases in hexavalent chromium, arsenic, and other heavy metals.

Inspectors from the state's Department of Environmental Quality inspected the plant but concluded Bullseye had not used hexavalent chromium since agreeing to stop using it in February.

"At this time, we do not know the source of the fluctuation in hexavalent chromium levels," said Brian Boling, a program manager at the Department of Environmental Quality.

"We are investigating other possible sources of the hexavalent chromium, and we will be analyzing wind speed and direction to help us identify potential sources."

David Farrer, a toxicologist with the Oregon health Authority said that while the levels were larger than anticipated, they are still well below levels that would cause short-term health concerns.

The presence of hexavalent chromium became a concern earlier this year when officials disclosed it had been found in moss in the area around the plant.

Further investigation discovered that Bullseye had been using it in unfiltered furnaces.