Indoor Air Quality

Atlanta Journal Constitution – Oil found naturally on human skin can “trap” large amounts of indoor ozone, then “spit” it out in the form of chemicals that may irritate the skin and the lungs, new research suggests. “They are saying that compounds on the skin react to the ozone and cause more irritation to the skin,” explained one expert, Rajat Sethi, an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Texas A&M Health Science Center’s Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy in Kingsville. “They have identified those compounds.” Nolen advised against using products that produce ozone, such as air-purifying devices. “If it’s a mechanism with a filter of some kind, then you’re not going to be producing ozone,” she said. “If you’re using something that uses electric static or a chemical process, the odds are that you’re going to be producing ozone.”

NEW ORLEANS – A jury has been seated in the first trial over whether Gulf Coast storm victims were exposed to potentially dangerous fumes while living in government-issued trailers. The five-man, four-woman jury picked Monday will hear the case against trailer maker Gulf Stream Coach, Inc. The lawsuit was filed by New Orleans resident Alana Alexander and her son, Christopher Cooper. The federal government won’t be on trial in this case. Judge Kurt Engelhardt ruled last month that a two-year statute of limitations bars Cooper’s claims against the government. Lawyers plan to appeal that ruling. Hundreds of consolidated lawsuits claim FEMA trailers exposed residents to “elevated levels” of formaldehyde, which can cause breathing problems and is classified as a carcinogen.

Judge Eldon E. Fallon, who rose to national prominence by handling the complex Vioxx litigation, is fast-tracking the numerous Chinese drywall cases to a pace rarely seen in the plodding federal court system. Fallon, who is overseeing the combined litigation in New Orleans, has advised attorneys that trials could start as soon as six months from now. In short order, Fallon is set to announce which lawyers will take the lead on either side — forming what are known as the “steering committees.” The court also wants agreed-upon guidelines for inspecting affected homes, with inspections themselves completed one month later. “He is the guru among all federal judges for handling MDLs fast, quick and fairly to both sides,” said New Orleans attorney Daniel E. Becnel Jr., who favored Fallon getting the drywall cases and previously argued the Vioxx case before him. “The defendants respect him as much as the plaintiffs do. He doesn’t tip the scale in any direction, and he gets the job done.”

-Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Americans now spend on average 90 percent of their time indoors, being exposed to indoor air contaminants,” Bahnfleth notes. “The sheer exposure time amplifies the significance of any harmful substances in indoor air-but indoor concentrations of some contaminants may also be several times higher than outdoors.” These contaminants are many and varied, including off-gassing of toxic chemicals called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from building materials and furniture; carbon monoxide; radon; spores and mycotoxins from mold; pesticides; allergens from pets, insects, dust mites and other sources, and tobacco smoke.

Is a building you inhabit at home or work making you sick? The EPA describes Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) as a situation “in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified.” Says Bahnfleth, SBS symptoms include headache; eye, nose, or throat irritation; dry cough; dry or itchy skin; dizziness and nausea; difficulty in concentrating; fatigue; and sensitivity. “Because, by definition, there is no apparent cause of SBS, the responses to it may be broad brush, including increasing ventilation rates, looking for contaminant sources that might be a specific cause, and removing contaminant reservoirs such as carpets,” he explains. “In the home, the use of scented candles and air fresheners, cleaning fluids, and other chemicals can be removed to see if symptoms diminish.”

Individuals can take some steps themselves that can make a big difference, he suggests. Get your home tested for radon-and have it radon mitigated professionally if needed; consider investing in air purifiers that can filter out VOCs and fine particles that can deposit deep in the lungs, as well as dehumidifiers to reduce the likelihood of moisture condensation indoors, which promotes mold growth. Other simpler steps involve replacing toxic cleaning products with natural alternatives, not letting your car motor run while in the garage, and even just opening windows more often in your home.

According to conventional wisdom, dirty air is associated with factories or exhaust pouring out of cars and buses. “Polluted” is usually not a word associated with the air inside someone’s home. Yet, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air is often more contaminated than the air outside – up to five times more polluted.  The EPA estimates that most people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors – in their homes, in offices and in stores. This would be especially true during the colder months of winter, when outside activities are much less appealing. And unclean air in the home may cause several problems, ranging from slight discomfort to some forms of cancer. So, improving the air quality in our homes is something we should all take seriously.  Unfiltered air in the home can also be filled with pollen, mold spores, dust, dirt and other allergens that can act as triggers for asthma, allergy attacks or other breathing-related ailments. According to the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology, allergies, which are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease, affect as many as 40 million to 50 million people in the United States. And even people without breathing problems should be concerned with purifying the air in their homes.