Dehumidifier Often Not the Only Thing Required for Indoor Air Quality

According to the federal government website AIRNow.gov, pollution particles often make their way indoors, where they can cause respiratory problems and other ailments. A recent announcement from the website cites EPA statistics showing that indoor pollution can occasionally be as much as five times higher than outdoor pollution.

The website goes on to offer consumers some tips on how to maintain healthy indoor air quality. For example, one way to avoid unwanted pollutants in the home is to take off one’s shoes at the door, since these can be tracked in. Homeowners can also remove any known allergens from around their property and are also advised to keep their vacuum bags fresh and to consider ones that contain a HEPA filter.

Keeping air vents sealed and pets groomed is another way to avoid unwanted allergens and other contaminants. Another way to avoid contaminants is to close gaps, such as those connecting exhaust fans, which can allow moisture and mold spores to get a foothold that will require additional steps, such as a dehumidifier.

Toxins May Form When Skin, Indoor Ozone Meet

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.”

First Trial Over FEMA Trailer Fumes Opens

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.

Chinese Drywall Litigation On the Fast Track

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

Is Indoor Air Pollution a Real Problem

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.

EPA Says Indoor Air Often More Contaminated Than Outside Air

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.

Air Quality Issues for Building Owners

Various indoor air quality issues can confront a building owner and they are usually associated with an improper HVAC system. Poor air circulation and the introduction of clean outside air can usually cause the building occupants to experience discomfort or adverse health symptoms. Mold, hazardous or household chemicals, particulate matter, or ambient gases all can lead to poor indoor air quality. Building occupant interviews, comprehensive building inspection, and a realistic sampling strategy will all help in identifying the source or a buildings problems and dictate a proper remediation of the issues.

US EPA to Update its Asbestos Standard

Chemical Watch

Washington, DC – The US EPA has agreed to update its Asbestos National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) in response to a recommendation by its Office of Inspector General (OIG).

Since 1973, under the NESHAP Regulation, the EPA has allowed buildings that are structurally unsound and in imminent danger of collapse to be demolished, without first removing regulated asbestos-containing materials, the OIG said in a report.

The agency’s alternative asbestos control method experiments show that this can result in the release of significant amounts of asbestos into runoff wastewater. The experiments also demonstrate that the amount of released asbestos “often exceeds the legally reportable quantity” of one pound in a 24-hour period, the OIG said, and recommended that the EPA should update its guidance to address such potentially harmful releases and assess the potential public health risk posed by them.

In response, the agency agreed that its guidance in the area was “dated and disparate” and said it would put together a team of asbestos experts to advise it in producing an “updated consolidated guidance document, which has practical application to the regulated community.”

Commercial Roofer Cited for Repeat Violations

The exposure of workers to asbestos has led to proposed fines totaling $81,000 for one employer. Commercial roofer Douglass Colony Group Inc. was cited for four repeat and seven serious violations by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to protect workers from exposure to asbestos at a Denver work site. “Asbestos is a dangerous material that can potentially cause lifelong, irreversible health problems if proper procedures are not followed,” said Herb Gibson, OSHA’s area director in Denver. “OSHA’s asbestos standard has a specific work practice covering roofing operations that the employer failed to follow, exposing workers to needless health hazards.” Three of the four repeat violations, with a $45,000 penalty, were cited for failure to provide a competent supervisor to oversee the removal of asbestos-containing material, conduct an asbestos exposure assessment and provide adequate training for workers performing asbestos removal duties.

The fourth repeat violation, with a $15,000 penalty, was cited for failure to remove asbestos-containing material properly to minimize potential release of airborne asbestos; use mist-cutting machines appropriately; and use ventilation for dust collection and proper containment and transfer of asbestos-containing material. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Similar violations were previously cited in June 2013.

Seven serious violations, with a penalty of $21,000, were cited for failing to conduct asbestos removal work within a regulated area; conduct daily air monitoring to determine employee exposure; provide protective respiratory equipment and clothing; identify and inform workers and others of the presence, quantity and location of asbestos-containing material; and label waste containers holding asbestos products. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

While this employer provided the proper fall protection and the focus of this inspection was asbestos exposure, OSHA advises all contractors in the Colorado roofing industry of the agency’s Fall Prevention Campaign to stop falls in construction. Douglass Colony Group, headquartered in Commerce City, was given 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Questions about Asbestos at Gallup Elementary School

GALLUP, N.M. —A former state inspector and school workers are claiming asbestos was being yanked out of a ceiling where food is prepared at a New Mexico elementary school. “It was standard routine. If you came across asbestos, just remove it and go along with it,” said Brice Rohrer, a maintenance man with the Gallup-McKinley County School District. Rohrer said he’s worked in that position for 17 years. He said three years ago at Red Rock Elementary, a pipe broke in the cafeteria. He said a crew went to fix it, but two men stopped when they saw it was covered with asbestos. One did not.

He said asbestos went flying right into the cafeteria over the food counter during lunch, which caught the attention of a state inspector. Benny Kling, now retired from an environmental enforcement officer position, said Rohrer’s story is spot on “Asbestos was removed from the school during school hours without proper protection (and) without proper persons being trained and by contractors who were not licensed or trained to remove asbestos,” said Kling. He said he turned the case over to the feds.

A spokesman with New Mexico’s Environment Department said tests were done at Red Rock and samples were taken, but there was no evidence of asbestos. Kling said that’s because by then, the insulation labeled as asbestos had been removed. The school was built in 1966. John Hartog has worked at the school for more than 30 years. He’s been principal for 11. “I have no fear of asbestos being here,” he said. He said four years ago some was found in the gym plumbing, but it has been removed. He said there is none in the cafeteria, and parents should not be concerned. State Sen. George Munuz said parents hadn’t been properly notified for months. The state says the feds are involved. They were unable to be reached for comment.