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.

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.
 

Retail and restaurant owners face environmental risks

Restaurants can be affected by
environmental risk factors.

Owning retail space or a facility that serves food takes a lot of work.

A major part of the responsibilities involve environmental due diligence and risk management, according to an article on GlobeSt.com.

There are a lot of environmental concerns that retail and restaurant owners need to take into consideration.

First, retail owners need to identify certain businesses and industries that work with hazardous toxins:

Drycleaners: Drycleaning operations often use solvents and toxic chemicals that can contaminate the soil, groundwater or indoor air.

Auto Shops: Spaces that service cars use many petroleum-based and hazardous substances that can contaminate soil and indoor air and expose workers and clients to the toxins.

Gas Stations: Underground storage tanks for fuel pose risks for leaks. Even if there is a gas station adjacent to the property, experts warn of vapor intrusion in case of leaks that can affect the health and well-being of occupants.

Indoor Air Quality

Retail and restaurant spaces suffer from the same indoor air quality problems as other indoor spaces – except their concerns may be compounded because of the merchandise or patronage.

For example, fashion stores often stock tons of merchandise that has been treated with chemicals. New electronic equipment releases toxins into the ambient air. New furniture and carpets off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and flame retardants.

Many air cleaners can be hidden behind
walls or above drop-down ceilings.

The air in restaurants may be compromised by food odors, smoke and other pollutants.

After the initial assessment of the property history and current environmental risks, a proper management strategy needs to be put in place that includes various scenarios and responses as well as preventive measures.

A comprehensive IAQ management strategy will take source control, ventilation and air cleaning into account. Regular ventilation systems are often not enough to remove harmful pollutants.

An easy and cost-efficient alternative to renovations is using an industrial-strength air cleaner with activated carbon and HEPA.

Electrocorp specializes in air treatment systems for the hospitality industry and for retail spaces that can remove chemicals, gases, odors, particles, dust, bacteria, viruses and mold.

Contact us for more information and a personalized recommendation.
 

Restaurants paid for being smoke free

Restaurants benefit from good indoor
air quality, experts say.

Oklahoma is instituting a new program designed to reduce the number of restaurants that allow smoking in their establishments.

The “Restaurant Smoking Room Rebate Program” has been introduced by the Oklahoma State Department of Health to reduce exposure of restaurant employees and customers to secondhand smoke.

The department is acting on studies that have shown that even brief exposures to secondhand smoke can have a negative health impact.

"We are pleased to offer this rebate program because we recognize many restaurant owners wanted to do the right thing to improve the health of their employees and customers, but needed assistance in making the conversion to be completely smoke free," State Health Commissioner Dr. Terry Cline was quoted in an article by NewsOn6.

The program means that restaurant owners can receive a rebate of 50 percent of the capitalized expenditures for some smoking room construction costs, minus any depreciation taken from the expenditures.

For more information, contact the OSDH at 405-271-3619, or 1-800-522-0203.

Source: NewsOn6

Indoor air quality in restaurants and dining rooms

It’s often easy to tell if a restaurant or dining room had hosted smokers before – the persistent smells coming from tobacco smoke chemicals and particles seep into every nook and cranny and stubbornly cling to textiles, carpets and other surface areas.

Short of renovating the entire space, an easy and cost-effective IAQ solution is a portable industrial air cleaner with a large activated carbon filter and HEPA.

The multistage filtration systems from Electrocorp can remove a wide range of indoor air pollutants, including chemicals, odors, gases, particles, bacteria, viruses and mold.

With a diverse product line and the ability to customize air cleaners to target specific pollutants (such as those stemming from tobacco smoke), Electrocorp is able to offer an indoor air cleaning system for virtually any IAQ concern.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and have a look at our air cleaners for

• Hospitality (Restaurants, Hotels, Motels, Casinos, Diners, and more)
• Odor Control
• Various industrial applications

Phone: 1-866-667-0297
E-mail: info@electrocorp.net 
  

Smoking ban improves air quality for bar and restaurant employees

Restaurants and bars often have to
deal with bad odors and stale tobacco.

When it comes to indoor air quality and bars and restaurants, a decrease in secondhand smoke exposure has a positive effect on the people working there.

A study of 40 Michigan bar employees revealed their exposure to secondhand smoke was nearly nonexistent 10 weeks after the smoke-free air law took effect in May 2010, according to a report in the Holland Sentinel.

The Michigan Department of Community Health study measured participants’ levels of cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, found in urine after tobacco exposure.

Four to six weeks before the smoke-free law took effect, the same bar employees’ cotinine levels were similar to levels seen in smokers.

As the study shows, their cotinine level was nearly undetectable six to 10 weeks after the law was implemented.

Though cotinine levels are the best indicators of secondhand smoke exposure, the study also measured participants’ levels of creatinine and NNAL, two chemicals also found in urine of those who have been exposed to secondhand smoke.

In the statewide study, creatinine levels remained about the same in the participants before and after the law took effect. NNAL mean levels went from .086 picomoles per milliliter to .034 picomoles per milliliter before and after the law took effect.

Workers also reported better overall general health and fewer respiratory symptoms after the law.

Source: Holland Sentinel

 
Indoor air quality in bars and restaurants

Even after a smoking ban comes into effect, bars and restaurants often have to deal with stale, lingering odors that are a normal byproduct from years of smoking.

Electrocorp offers a range of air filtration systems for bars and restaurants that can remove airborne, chemicals, odors and particles and improve the overall indoor air quality in the space.

Contact us to find out more.