Dangerous chemicals applied in Indiana workplaces

Dangerous chemicals found inside Indiana restaurants, nursing homes, hotels and health clinics

Restaurants, hotels and health care
facilities might have been treated with
harmful pesticides.

Products such as Fipronil, more well known by its brand name Termidor, arrived on the market nearly a decade ago, and have since been adapted to a number of uses, including commercial and agricultural pesticides. It’s even used in very low doses in some pet flea treatments, including the brand name Frontline.

Used safely, as directed, Fipronil can be a game changer in the elimination of pests, especially ants.

The product works so well that it has to be diluted and combined with water when its sprayed as Termidor. It also comes with a long list of use restrictions backed by federal law.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists Fipronil as a "possible human carcinogen," meaning it has the potential to cause cancer.

Termidor is only approved for outdoor use in areas far away from humans and animals. Using it indoors around children whose immune systems are still developing is of particular concern, the EPA noted.

But, in early 2012, state regulators began getting tips from whistle blowers alleging that wasn't what was happening in the field, and that the pesticides were being used indoors.

Last summer, investigators from the Office of the Indiana State Chemist (OISC), based at Purdue University, opened their first Fipronil case file, and began gathering samples across the state.

Swabs were taken inside restaurant kitchens and retirement homes, churches and health clinics, hotels and even grocery stores.

From Mooresville to Muncie, Bloomington, Greenwood, Indianapolis and dozens of other Central Indiana cities, nearly every test so far has come back positive for Fipronil.

OISC and the EPA are still gathering evidence on the effects of long term exposure to Fipronil, but both agencies are concerned by their findings so far.

The state fined one company, Ecolab, $18,000 for violations of Fipronil use. A settlement was recently reached requiring the company to pay $9,000 of that fine.

But Ecolab isn't the only company now accused of illegally applying Fipronil indoors.

State investigators are now tracking at least three additional active cases.

Investigators are also asking for the public’s help. Those looking to hire a pest control company should

• ask if they are licensed with the state and the appropriate agency
• get two or three references and use them
• check the accuracy of what they have been told

The state’s ultimate goal is to cut the risk of indoor Fipronil use to zero.

Editor's note: This article has been edited for length.

Source: WishTV

Concerned about pesticide use or airborne chemicals in your workplace or building? Electrocorp manufactures commercial and industrial-strength air cleaners with deep-bed activated carbon + HEPA air filters. Activated carbon is the most effective and trusted filter media to remove airborne chemicals, gases and fumes, while HEPA traps particles and dust. Electrocorp offers air purifiers in various sizes and configurations. Contact Electrocorp for more information.

Bacteria and other contaminants in hotel rooms

Hotel rooms can be full of
bacteria and other pollutants.

No matter how diligent hotels are with their cleaning regimen – the lack of cleaning standards and other factors allow many surfaces to be contaminated, researchers say.

Scientists from the University of Houston examined surfaces of hotel rooms and found television remotes to be the most contaminated with bacteria. Also, items on the housekeeping cart can potentially lead to cross-contamination between rooms, they say.

Most hotels and guests judge a room’s cleanliness by how clean it looks, but this is an ineffective method of measuring levels of sanitation.

Contaminated surfaces can spread infections during outbreaks in hotels, and immunocompromised individuals may be specifically at risk, the researchers warn.

As expected, other highly contaminated surfaces included the toilet and bathroom sink as well as the bedside lamp switch.

Source: The American Society for Microbiology

Other pollutants in hotel rooms

Mold - Typical causes for mold in hotels are deficient air conditioning systems and air and water leaks in the building walls. Most hotel rooms have little fresh air exchange and let mold and bacteria thrive in an environment of vinyl wall paper and shower steam.

Pesticides – It may be bed bugs or other insects or pests thathave invaded a hotel – but the use of pesticides can be quite dangerous to hotel guests as well, since they often contain toxic chemicals.

Chemicals – Building materials, furniture, textiles, carpets and other substances in hotel rooms may off-gas chemicals and volatile organic compounds that can be irritants and known health hazards. Other chemical pollutants come from cleaning products and personal care products as well as air fresheners.

Allergens - The hotel's mattress, pillow, rug, drapery and upholstered furniture can all easily collect dust, mites and bodily secretions — all of which can cause reactions in allergy sufferers.

Tobacco smoke – Smoking is banned in many hotels, but certain rooms may be designated as smoke rooms (and certain guests may light up, anyway). Stale tobacco smoke is difficult to eradicate and can leave behind harmful chemicals and toxins.

Air cleaners for hotels

Air cleaners for hypoallergenic
hotel rooms, odor control,
mold control and more.

Using non-toxic materials and products whenever possible, implementing a strict cleaning regimen and making sure there is adequate ventilation can all help to improve indoor air quality in hotels – but the right air cleaner will provide cleaner and healthier air around the clock.

The best air cleaners for hotels feature a combination of activated carbon, HEPA and a UV lamps to remove odors, chemicals, gases, particles, dust, mold spores, bacteria and viruses from the air. They should be easy to use, quiet and equipped with long-lasting filters.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and the best air cleaners for your hotel, motel, inn or hospitality business.
  

Researchers develop new cleaning technique for hospital rooms

Disinfection system a cost-cutting tool for health care and hospitality industries

Hospital-acquired diseases
are preventable: Experts

Infectious diseases acquired during a hospital stay cost 100,000 people their lives each year – a number that is entirely preventable, researchers say.

A Queen’s University infectious disease expert and others have developed a new disinfection system that can be used to clean hospital rooms as well as bed-bug infested hotel rooms.

The new technology pumps a specific ozone and hydrogen peroxide vapor gas mixture into a room to sterilize all surfaces, including floors, walls, drapes, mattresses, chairs etc.

The technique takes its cue from natural human responses:  If an antibody attacks a germ, it generates ozone and a tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide for a new compound that neutralizes bacteria, viruses and mold.

Study results on the process are published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

The technique will be commercialized and is expected to be ready for sale in 2012.

Source: Queen’s University

Air cleaning for hospitals and hotels

I-6500 air cleaner for hospitals,
hotels and other applications.

For the times between sterilization processes, hospitals and hotels can help keep the air clean and healthier with stand-alone air filtration systems.

Electrocorp has developed complete industrial-strength air cleaners with deep-bed activated carbon filters and HEPA as well as UV to remove the widest range of indoor air pollutants, including chemicals, gases, odors, particles, dust, bacteria, viruses and mold.

Find out more about air cleaners for hospitals and healthcare plus air cleaners for the hospitality industry.

For more information, contact Electrocorp at 866-667-0297.

Indoor air quality improves with restaurant smoking bans

A Michigan-wide smoking ban has led to much
better indoor air quality in restaurants, study shows.

Restaurants in Michigan are serving up much cleaner and healthier air these days.

After 18 months of a no-smoking rule, a study found a 93 percent reduction in indoor air pollution from secondhand smoke, the Michigan Department of Community Health says.

The study tested 77 restaurants from 13 cities before the law was passed, in the time between 2005 and 2008.

The cities include Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, Midland, Novi, Saginaw, Sault Ste. Marie, Traverse City and West Branch.

The law came into effect on May 1, 2010, and the restaurants were then re-tested, the agency said.

The study included three casinos from Detroit. Casinos are exempt from the smoking ban, which is why the study results were not 100 percent reduction of indoor air pollutants, they say.

The agency hopes for better health outcomes because of the ban as well and plans another study to measure hospitalizations and heart problems. Another study is planned to measure the overall impact of the Smoke-Free Air Law and economic results.

Another year-long study by the American Cancer Association showed that more than 90 percent of residents support the ban.

Source: Holland Sentinel

Persistent tobacco smells can be cured with an air cleaner

The cigarettes may be gone, but the smells may still be there.

Tobacco smoke toxins have a habit of infiltrating every nook and cranny of a room, making it extremely difficult to remove odors after the fact.

An air cleaner that promises to be able to handle lingering stale tobacco smoke odors and other smells in restaurants and bars needs a complete air filter system with activated carbon and HEPA.

Activated carbon is the most efficient and affordable filtration media to adsorb chemicals, gases and odors, while HEPA is the gold standard in particle and dust filtration. Together, the filters can help keep the air clean and patrons happy and comfortable.

For more information on Electrocorp’s air cleaners for restaurants, bars and the hospitality industry as well as other customizable options, please contact Electrocorp (toll-free): 866-667-0297.
 

Allergen-free hotel rooms – a home away from home for those with allergies

Hotels can offer much more than just a
nice clean room: Better air quality.

Indoor air quality is important – and hotel chains are catching on.

At a time when hotels promise everything from custom ice-cream room service to complete wedding proposal preparations, it's no surprise that they're also offering hypoallergenic rooms.

According to an article in the Tribune Newspapers, the Hyatt, Wyndham, Intercontinental, Fairmont and Mandarin hotel chains — among others — are experimenting with everything from small tweaks in bedding and air-purification systems to complete room remodels to help allergy sufferers have a symptom-free stay.

In hypoallergenic rooms in the Hyatt, the air is circulated up to five times an hour in these rooms, the mattresses and pillows are encased in a protective hypoallergenic covering, and the carpet and upholstery are cleaned and protected with Pure Clean and Pure Shield anti-allergen products, said Lori Alexander, spokeswoman for Hyatt.

Guests who want to stay in Hyatt's hypoallergenic rooms are charged $20 to $30 extra per night, depending on the hotel's location.

Hotel rooms considered problematic places

For those with allergies, a hotel room can trigger a swarm of reactions, said Philip Tierno Jr., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University.

The hotel's mattress, pillow, rug, drapery and upholstered furniture can all easily collect dust, mites and bodily secretions — all of which are the bane of allergy sufferers, Tierno said.

"Unless a hotel has impervious covers on their mattresses and pillows, they're contributing to allergies and exacerbating them," Tierno said. "Even if you don't have allergies now, you can develop them over time. You don't need to be breathing in this garbage from mattresses and pillows."

But before someone with allergies pays extra for a hypoallergenic room, they should see exactly what the hotels are offering, said Stanley Fineman, president-elect of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and allergist with the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic.

Filtering the air and circulating it frequently is helpful, as is covering the mattresses with mite-proof allergenic casing.

"I have patients who complain about the reactions they get from sleeping in some hotel rooms, so for some people with allergies, it may be worth it to pay the premium to sleep in a room that's prepared that way," Fineman said. "This might be a benefit for certain patients."

Source: Danielle Braff, Special to Tribune Newspapers
Editor’s note: The original article has been edited for length.

Related posts:

• Traveling? Take note of the indoor air quality in your hotel 
• Secondhand smoke in casinos a health risk, study reveals

Electrocorp has designed portable, cost-effective and low-maintenance air filtration systems for the hospitality industry.
Talk to one of our air quality experts today to learn more.

Traveling? Take note of the indoor air quality in your hotel

Poor indoor air quality is a common complaint in public lodging establishments such as hotels, apartments and motels. 

Websites like tripadvisor feature many warnings by concerned hotel guests about issues such as poor housekeeping and mold. A search for “mold” brought up hotels in the U.S., Italy, Taiwan, Mexico and Thailand.

Hotels often suffer from poor indoor air quality because they have a greater density of people per square foot than office or apartment buildings and cannot control environmental conditions in rooms.

Hotel guests can be sensitive to mold and mildew

Mold spores are a natural part of the environment and they will settle down and thrive when they find a spot with enough moisture or humidity. Many people will notice a bad smell in rooms that harbour mold.

According to mold remediation professionals, typical causes for mold in hotels or motels are deficient air conditioning systems and air and water leaks in the building walls. Most hotel rooms have little fresh air exchange and let mold and bacteria thrive in an environment of vinyl wall paper and shower steam.

Reported health problems to mold exposure include breathing difficulties, headaches, nausea, gastrointestinal ailments, skin rashes, severe allergic reactions and neurological damage.  

Mold growth a costly concern in public lodgings

Mold problems not only turn off visitors, they can also be expensive. Insurance companies are catching on to an increase in mold claims and are raising their prices accordingly.

When a hotel in Hawaii had to close 453 rooms in 2004 to take care of a mold problem, the estimated cost for finding the source of the mold and removing it was $10 million.

Thankfully, more and more hotel administrators and public health authorities are addressing mold abatement concerns. For example, the Florida Department of Health  has set up a division where people can call or write in to lodge complaints about indoor air quality in hotels and motels.

Industrial air cleaners offer additional protection against the effects of mold

If a mold problem already exists, an industrial-strength air purifier is an important tool in the mold abatement process. Improper clean-up practices may result in health and liability issues, especially if hazardous materials are released in the air and contaminate neighboring areas.

For a list of powerful air scrubbers, click here. Electrocorp has designed industrial air cleaners for the hospitality industry.

In terms of mold prevention and improvement of overall experience, hotel owners and managers are starting to make improved indoor air quality, air exchange systems and other IAQ services a priority.

Some hotels have realized that better, cleaner air is an important part of their business and even offer a free-standing indoor air purifier in certain rooms, on top of well-maintained ventilation systems. The best air cleaners feature a combination of activated carbon, HEPA and a UV light to remove odors, chemicals, gases, particles, dust, mold spores, bacteria and viruses from the air.

Hotels are in the business of keeping customers happy. The more people realize the dangerous effects of mold and demand rooms with top indoor air quality, the more hotels will listen and act accordingly.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and the best air cleaners for your hotel, motel, inn or hospitality business.