Heart of the Matter: Addressing Pollutants ITEP Training

Joseph Ponessa, Ph.D

Professor Emeritus, Housing, Indoor Environment and Health Rutgers Cooperative Extension

General strategies for Dealing with Pollutants

 Source reduction  Dilution (Increase airflows/ add air  Removal/extraction

LEAD

3

Lead Poisoning

Sources:

 Old paint  Contaminated outdoor soils  Many other sources 

Auto exhaust, Toys, folk meds, vinyl, some pottery, etc.

Dust –young kids

’

activity) main exposure route (hand-to-mouth Test toddlers @ 1 st birthday!

4

Lead Poisoning

Health Effects

High doses  Organ damage  Convulsions, death Low doses  Brain impairment  Delayed development  Learning, behavioral disorders 5

Lead Poisoning

Health issues: Blood lead standards totally revised – 1991

 “ Low ” doses VERY important but -asymptomatic: Kid doesn

look sick

’

t

 Young children especially vulnerable (Development; ingestion; absorption) 

Hand-to-mouth (Contaminated dust): important exposure route

 Start blood test: 1 year of age 6

Pb & School Performance

7

Lead poisoning The good news • Average US blood lead levels dropped about 80% following the banning of leaded gas • The number of lead-poisoned children continues to decline But still • Millions of pre-1978 homes still pose a hazard • Lead contamination is extensive in our environment

Lead, Old Paint

Indoors

 Fix peeling paint- Do not dry scrape or dry sand!

 Use damp method to mop, dust. Wash kids ’

hands!

Contractors must follow EPA RRP rules- April 2010

9

Lead, Old Paint- Outdoors

 Cover bare soil (grass)  Use doormat ------------------------

Contaminated outdoor soils can be an important source of indoor lead dust!

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Lead in Soil

Risk settings:

 Urban areas; busy roadways  Old bldg exteriors  Old orchards  Special situations Testing available (RU FS 336)

Lead and gardens:

 Relocate or raise bed  Pb Uptake: root veg>surface veg > above-ground: (peppers, corn, tomato, eggplant  Adjust soil pH to 6.5 –7.0

Treated Lumber- CCA

11

Testing for lead Kids

Blood test at about 1 year of age, again at 2

Sites

 DIY tests: swabs; dust wipes (lab analysis) (leadlisting.org); soil & water (lab)  Professional risk assessment 12

A Fatal Poisoning: Jewelry/Trinket

 A four-year-old boy ingested a trinket included with a pair of sneakers and died of lead poisoning (Minnesota, Spring 2006) 13

Lead Issues in Construction

NJ - large pre

‘

78 housing stock 32% of NJ units- pre 1950; lead likely in 79% (Sources: NJDHSS; USEPA) Lead paint debris released through

 Deteriorated housing (chalking, peeling)  Painting - sanding, scraping  Renovation, remodel, repair (demolition) 14

New Federal Pb Regs: Renovation & Remodeling 15

Lead Issues in Construction

Safe work practices mandated - highlights: Minimize Dust, contamination! Protect occupants, workers & site  No open power sanding, no dry sanding  Site protection better than site cleanup  Large projects - isolate work area (Similar to asbestos protocols)  Adhere to EPA notification requirements 16

Renovation & Lead Debris

3000 2000 1000 0 7000 6000 5000 4000

Lead Debris: Abrasive Sanding Adjacent to Work Surface

6500 mcg

Before Cleaning 1070 mcg After Cleaning 40 mcg Federal Standard

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Lead Issues in Construction

FREE HUD Safe work practices training available: call 800 424 LEAD For NJ trainings – 732 363 5400 Separate trainings for



Workers (renovation, repair, maintenance)



Supervisors



Abatement



Owner-occupants exempt…but doing it wrong can cause bigger problems

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RADON

Source: USGS 19

Radon Basics



What is radon?



Where does it come from?



What does it do? (Health effects)



How is it found? Fixed?

20

Radon Fundamentals

What is it?

 Radioactive gas  Comes from soil (rock, gravel) (Also water)  Accumulates in buildings 

Increases risk of lung cancer

21

Radon: Where it all began

 Stanley Watras, a worker at Limerick (PA) nuclear plant, set off radiation detectors going IN to facility  Radiation traced to high radon in his home 22

Radon: Sources

 Radon comes from Uranium, found in sedimentary rock & phosphate deposits  Radon can enter as a subsurface gas 

Proximity of

‘

hot

’

rock to structure is key : location, location, location

 Can also enter via water  Granite countertops?

23

Radon- Dynamics

How does radon get into buildings?



Geology beneath bldg: main factor

 Negative pressure pulls subsurface gas in  Building pressure dynamics – many other factors  Radon volumes- small  In some areas-well water contains radon 24

Source: USGS How Radon Enters The House (Pathways) Also • Water • Bldg mat.

25

How Radon Enters The House (Dynamics)

Neg. bldg. press. draws in soil gases Two main factors in building depressurization

•

Thermosiphoning

•

Mechanical equipment

Source: USDOE 26

Radon: Health Effects

Lung cancer is the only* known health effect. Radon is

the second leading cause of lung cancer.

 Takes 20-30 years to develop  Smoking multiplies the risk  Some exposed persons not affected  US residential deaths est. @ 15,000 to 22,000 /year * Some evidence for other effects 27

Radon: Health Effects

Source: USEPA 28

Health Risk of Radon

Radon Risk: Never Smoked

RADON RISK IF YOU HAVE NEVER SMOKED

Radon Level If 1,000 people who never smoked were exposed to this level over a lifetime...

About 8 people could get lung

The risk of cancer from radon exposure compares to...

The risk of being killed in a

WHAT TO DO: 20 pCi/L 10 pCi/L 8 pCi/L 4 pCi/L 2 pCi/L 1.3 pCi/L

cancer About 4 people could get lung cancer About 3 people could get lung cancer About 2 people could get lung cancer About 1 person could get lung cancer Less than 1 person could get lung cancer Less than 1 person could get violent crime 10 times the risk of dying in an airplane crash The risk of drowning The risk of dying in a home fire (Average indoor radon level) (Average outdoor radon

0.4 pCi/L

lung cancer level)

Note: If you are a former smoker, your risk may be higher.

Fix your home Fix your home Fix your home Fix your home Consider fixing between 2 and 4 pCi/L (Reducing radon levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult.) (Reducing radon levels below 2 pCi/L is difficult.) Source:US EPA

Terrestrial 8% Cosmic 8% Natural 82% Healthy Indoor Air for America ’ s Homes Internal 11% Man-Made 18% Medical X-Rays 11% Nuclear Medicine 4% Consumer Products 3% Other < 1% Occupational Fallout Nuclear Fuel Cycle Miscellaneous 0.3% <0.3% 0.1% 0.1% % Contribution of Radon to the Total Average Effective Dose Equivalent in the U.S. Population (NCRP – 1987) Radon 54% Radon in the Home Instructional Module Slide #8

Health risk of radon

:

How well documented is the risk?

 Miner studies: n = 68,000 to date  BEIR VI studies  Residential studies BEIR VI Report (Iowa study)

Where is radon?

32

Radon: Local

Common question: “ Is it a problem where I live?

”  Varies from house to house, but local data often available  See:http://www.nj.gov/ dep/rpp/radon/radon map.htm

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Radon: Local, Fine Detail

Municipality Aberdeen Twp.

Allenhurst Boro Allentown Boro Asbury Park City Atlantic Highlands Avon-by-the-Sea Belmar Boro Bradley Beach Boro Brielle Boro Colts Neck Twp.

Deal Boro Eatontown Boro Englishtown Boro Fair Haven Boro Farmingdale Boro Freehold Boro Freehold Twp.

3 2 1 3 1 1 2 2 2 3 Tier Designation 3 3 1 3 2 3 3 Radon Risk levels Monmouth County municipalities SOURCE: NJDEP

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Radon Testing

But you DO need to test?

35

Radon Testing: Easy & Inexpensive

DIY tests

Charcoal Track etch No predictive radon test for a construction site 36

Radon testing: Real Estate Transaction

Real time monitor 37

Understanding Radon Test Results  3- 5 day test: screening test; not representative of long term exposure  30-90 day test better ---------------------------------------------- EPA ‘ Action level ’ : 4 pCi/L (WHO 2.7 pCi/L) Outdoor avg: ~ 0.5 pCi/L OSHA Mine Limit: 18 pCi/L equiv

Many NJ homes >20 pCi/L (Lifetime exposure @ 20, non smoker: Ca risk = 1 in 27)

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Communicating About Radon Risks

Compelling Arguments, Points To Be Made Chances serious radon problem are small… BUT

You need to test to find out…

It ’ s like having a smoke detector: while problem is unlikely, inexpensive device (test) can be lifesaver if problem exists 39

Communicating About Radon Risks:

Unique Features about Radon

 It ’ s a radioactive hazard BUT It ’ s natural  Can be easily measured  Clearly defined ‘ action level ’  Can be easily fixed, at relatively low cost with well-established methods  Health impacts pretty well established 40

How We Perceive Risks…and How We Sometimes Miss The Point !

“

The things that worry us are different from the things that kill us

”

Peter Sandman ------------------------------

Couple emerges from a session in a Montana ‘ Radon Spa ’ 41

Radon: How Fixed?



Subslab Depressurization

provides preferred path for radon exit  Most common remediation method Source: US EPA 42

Radon: Summary

 Do radon test  Fix high levels 

It

’

s real, it

’

s serious

EPA Radon hotline

1-800-SOS RADON 1-800-767-7236

NJ Radon Hotline

1-800 648 0394 43

A Question

From what you know about dynamics of radon entry into buildings, are there other soil gases or vapors that might enter by the same mechanism?

If so, can you name them?

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COMBUSTION PRODUCTS

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Tobacco Smoke



Don

’

t smoke

------------------------ If you do…  Take it outside  Never smoke around kids 46

Combustion Products

What are combustion products?

Burning any hydrocarbon fuel produces…?

47

Combustion Products (cont.)

What are combustion products?

Burning any HC fuel produces 

CO 2 , H 2

O—also NOx, CO, formaldehyde, particulates, etc . 48

Combustion Products: Impacts On Occupants & Buildings

  CO - health impairments, death Moisture - large quantities accumulate if combustion not vented (e.g. salamander) (mold, damage to building)   Formaldehyde, NO

X

- irritants Particulates - asthma triggers • ---------------------------------------------

CO 2

- High levels can affect drywall joint compound (carbonation) (rarely high enough to harm health) 49

Combustion Products Space Heaters –Fuel Fired

 Burn hazard  Fire hazard  Pollution hazard  CO, CO 2 , H 2 O, etc. 50

Combustion Products (cont.): Furnace

Service yearly, Use CO Detector

--------------------------

How do combustion products enter?

 Blocked chimney  Rusted flue pipe, heat exchanger  Backdrafting 51

Combustion Products: Blocked Flue

 Chimney blocked with crumbled mortar • Cleaned chimney - clear to sky 52

Combustion Products: Backdrafting

Reverse flow in flues can occur when

 Chimney is blocked  Low pressure condition exists in surrounding space

Tissue or smoke stream shows direction of flow at hood

Proper draft

53

Providing Fresh Air

Best practice to control moisture, pollutants and to save energy

 Build a tight building  Tightly seal ducts (anything but duct tape)  Ventilate by design Also  Use sealed combustion appliances 54

Airflows: Summary

Why be concerned about airflows into & out of buildings?

1) Energy transfers (losses) 2) Moisture transport (into bldg or into walls) 3) Pollutant transport (e.g. radon, ozone, fireplace smoke, etc.)

And on the plus side, airflows provide

1) Fresh air 2) Replacement/ makeup air 55

Airflow Dynamics

Summary (cont.)

 Amount of air entering (or leaving) through various openings (such as envelope leaks vs. flue openings) depends on relative sizes of openings (and is driven by pressure differentials.)  If total envelope leaks small relative to flue opening(s), some flues may become main sources of makeup air 56

Combustion Products: SUMMARY

 Use smoke, CO detector  Vent combustion appliances to outside  Operate combustion appliances according to directions (e.g. gas fireplaces)  Check furnace yearly  Use stove properly  Oil-filled space heaters safest 57

Combustion Products: Summary

 CO kills; many sources 

Low doses compromise CV, Respiratory patients.

 Many other nasty components produced by combustion (strong irritants, asthma triggers etc.)  WATER VAPOR is a major combustion product, can be moisture source 58

Some further thoughts about HVAC and IAQ

Filters:

 Remove particulates  Media filters Electrostatic filters (UL) 

AVOID ozone generators

AC:

 Troublespots:  Condensate tray. (Double pitch best )

Coils

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