Transcript Indoor Air Quality: Common Problems and Health Effects Jeff Mears

Indoor Air Quality:
Common Problems
and Health Effects
Jeff Mears
Area Manager
Environmental Health & Safety Area
Oneida Nation
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Quality of Life
People spend most time indoors
• Half of waking hours at work or school
• Pollutant levels higher indoors
• Most-sensitive people spend more time
inside
• Health impacts and medical expenses
are great
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The Dirty Dozen
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5.
6.
Carbon Monoxide
Lead
Mold
Radon
Particles
Tobacco Smoke
7. Asbestos
8. Chemicals & Pesticides
9. Pests
10. Ozone
11. Volatile Organic
Compounds
12. Building/Remodeling
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Environmental
Asthma Triggers
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Animals
Mites, insects, rodents
Mold
Tobacco smoke/wood smoke
Combustion by-products
Pollen, dusts, odors, VOCs
Ozone, chemicals
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Carbon Monoxide
Odorless and
Colorless
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Symptoms of
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
• At low to moderate levels
 Headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness,
sleepiness, confusion
• At high levels
 Loss of consciousness or death
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Potential Causes of Carbon
Monoxide (CO) Problems
• Cooking
• Un-vented appliances
• Improperly installed combustion
equipment
• Broken combustion equipment
• Pressure problems
• Internal combustion equipment
 Generators, cars, etc.
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Furnace needs maintenance !
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Building pressures can cause
combustion gas spillage
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Check for Carbon Monoxide
and other combustion
by-products
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CO alarms
Odors
Visual evidence
Building pressures
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Best to locate CO detectors
18” from ceiling
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Best to locate 18” from ceiling:
CO slightly lighter than air
Heat sources produce CO
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Lead
• Found in paint, dust,
soil
• Most common source
lead-based paint
• 1 in 11 U. S. children
have dangerous level
of lead in bloodstream
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Lead: Health Effects
• Kids
 Delayed development, lowered IQ, memory &
learning problems, hyperactivity, discipline
problems
• Adults & kids
 Anemia, high blood pressure, kidney &
reproductive disorders
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Lead and Kids
 Young children at special risk
 Unintentional eating of lead-tainted dust
most important route (hand-to-mouth)
 Children’s absorption of lead highly
efficient
 Children’s developing systems
especially vulnerable
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Simple Measures To
Reduce Lead Hazards
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Dust control (damp dust)
Duct tape for chips
Coating surfaces
Hand-washing to minimize dust
ingestion effects
*Never sand, scrape, or burn old paint
unless certain there’s no lead
content !*
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Mold
Moisture
Temperature between 40° and
100° F
Spores
Nutrients
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Mold: Health Effects
• Allergic Reactions
 Runny nose, sinus congestion, irritated or red
eyes, scratchy throat, cough
• Asthma
 Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
 Tightness in chest, difficult breathing, cough,
fever, muscle aches
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Radon
• Naturally occurring
radioactive gas
• Invisible and odorless
• Seeps into homes
through cracks in the
foundation or crawl
space
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Radon: Health Effects
• Increased risk of developing lung cancer
• Second leading cause of lung cancer
• Smokers more likely to get radon-induced
lung cancer
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Particles
Sources
 Outdoor sources
 Activities & pets
 Tracked-in dirt
Health effects
 Asthma trigger
 Allergy trigger
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Settling velocity of smallest particles in terms of days
smallest particles can be suspended for 10 days
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Change Furnace Filters
• Keeps air cleaner
• Extends life of equipment
 Furnace overheating
 Heat pumps
• Energy savings
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If you cannot remove the source . . .
Reduce the exposure with cleaning or containment
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Particles
 Remove source of particles
. . . if possible
 Keep particles out
 Air sealing
 Stop dirt at door
 Improved particle removal
 Housekeeping
 Filtration
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Tobacco Smoking
•
High risk
 Frequent smoking indoors
•
Medium risk
 Occasional smoking only in “well ventilated”
areas
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Low risk
 Tobacco smoking not permitted indoors
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Second-Hand Smoke:
Health Effects
 In adults
 Increased risk of lung cancer
 Allergic reactions
 Asthma, wheezing
 In children
 Increased risk of respiratory infections
 Higher risk of developing asthma
 Frequent middle ear infections
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ASBESTOS
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Asbestos
Shingles
Linoleum
Floor tiles
“Fireproof board”
Pipe and duct wrap
Vermiculite insulation
“Popcorn” ceiling texture
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Asbestos: Lung
Cancer Risks
•
High risk
 “Friable” asbestos present
•
Medium risk
 Asbestos present, but intact
•
Low risk
 Asbestos encapsulated
 Regularly inspected and maintained
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Chemicals and Pesticides
• Toxins, irritants, carcinogens
• Exposure may be oral, inhaled or skin
contact
• Get LD-50 and irritancy information
• Longevity to affect pest and occupants
• Pests may be resistant
• Ease of becoming airborne
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Integrated Pest
Management Strategies
• Keep them out
 Change surrounding landscape
 Block pest entries and passages
• Reduce food and water availability
 Establish and enforce food policy
 Repair leaks and prevent condensation
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Integrated Pest
Management Strategies (cont.)
• Use pesticides appropriately
 Use least toxic
 Respond to problems
 Apply when building is empty
 Notify staff and parents
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Ozone Generator
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Ozone
• Avoid exposure to indoor ozone
• Strong respiratory irritant
• Asthma trigger
 Ozone “air cleaners”
 Photocopiers & laser printers
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Volatile Organic
Compounds & Chemicals
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Cleaning products & solvents
Personal care products
Crafts
Particle board, carpet, rubber/vinyl
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Household Products & Chemicals
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High risk
 Chemicals used without ventilation
 Long periods of exposure
 Products stored in home
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Medium risk
 Hazardous materials used with limited ventilation
 Short exposure times
•
Low risk
 Products stored and used outside
 Used with proper ventilation
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Carpet
•
High risk
 Old carpet (mold, organics, lead, dirt)
 Installed on damp concrete/soil
•
Medium risk
 New carpet without ventilation
•
Low risk
 Low-VOC carpet
 Carpet off-gassed before installation
 Improved vacuum equipment
• Consider no carpet
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Building & Remodeling
 Particles
Lead, asbestos, mold, fiberglass
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Glues, sealants, paints, asphalt
Pressed wood, paneling/plywood
Pressure-treated materials
Carpet, rubber, vinyl
Internal combustion equipment
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Questions?
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