Wildfires lead to costly health problems

Wildfire air pollution worsens respiratory and cardiac
health issues for people far away, scientists warn.

There are plenty of immediate concerns in a fire: protecting homes and businesses, saving lives, limiting the number of acres consumed and so on.

But increasingly, researchers and policymakers are finding that the lingering health and safety impacts of wildfires may be far more worrisome – and more widespread.

Smoke, after all, can travel any way the wind takes it, exacerbating an array of health problems in cities hundreds of miles from the original fire. In 2002, for example, a fire in Canada caused a 30-fold increase in fine particulate matter in the air in Baltimore, 1,000 miles away.

According to Kim Knowlton, a senior scientist with the health and environment program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), that level of air pollution can contribute to a variety of respiratory and cardiac issues and has even been correlated with premature death and low birth weights.

In a 2011 study, conducted in partnership with researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of California at San Francisco, Knowlton found that more than 760,000 encounters with the health system between 2000 and 2009 could be attributed to exposure to wildfire smoke.

These health problems carried a steep price tag: $740,000 in direct healthcare costs and more than $14bn in overall health costs once the value of lives lost prematurely was factored in.

The 2003 wildfire season in southern California alone resulted in 69 premature deaths, 778 hospitalizations, 1,431 emergency room visits, and 47,605 outpatient visits, mostly for respiratory and cardiovascular health problems aggravated by smoke exposure.

A brewing health crisis

Scientists fear that, as climate change intensifies, the conditions that make wildfires likely – namely heat, drought, and shifting weather patterns – are becoming increasingly common, laying the foundation for more wildfires and a major public health crisis.

In fact, there is evidence to suggest that we may already be in the midst of one: a 2011 brief from the NRDC found that two-thirds of US citizens live in counties affected by smoke conditions.

In its most recent report, the National Climate Assessment addressed the potential costs and risks of wildfire-related health concerns, noting that smoke from a fire could contribute to health impacts in regions far from the original disaster.

Moreover, the report argued, particulate matter from wildfire-related smoke could affect atmospheric properties and thus weather patterns.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIEHS, has also addressed this side of the wildfire issue.

For the past five years, it has taken a particular interest in research that examines climate change-related health impacts on vulnerable populations, and in 2010 launched dedicated funding for this research. The first of those grants began in 2011, including a project at Yale that aims to pinpoint which populations are most vulnerable to the health impacts of forest fires under a changing climate.

Still more research attempts to quantify the financial impact of wildfires. The 2008 fire season led to almost $2.2m in hospital costs in the Reno-Sparks area of Nevada, while the 78,000 wildfires in California between 1999 and 2013 burned approximately 3.8m acres and incurred more than $4bn in suppression costs, a recent Union of Concerned Scientists study reports.

And these impacts are likely to increase. In a Harvard University study on the effects of wildfires on US air quality, researcher Xu Yue estimates that by the middle of this century wildfires will have increased the amount of fine particulate matter in the air from 46% to 70%, and the amount of black carbon from 20% to 27%, relative to today’s numbers.

Not only are respiratory and cardiac issues expected to rise, but also, in a seemingly endless and vicious loop, the particulate matter and other chemicals contained in wildfire-smoke will further exacerbate climate change.

A 2010 study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Colorado at Boulder estimates that wildfires in the contiguous US and Alaska release about 290m metric tons of CO2 a year, which is the equivalent of 4%-6% of the nation’s CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels.

Learning to live with fire

The Clean Air Act has gone a long way toward reducing the amount of particulate matter and other pollutants emitted into the air by companies.

However, the act doesn’t cover air pollution caused by wildfires, and the combination of climate change and continued development in fire-prone areas could negate much of the improvement that it has brought about.

In a recent research brief, the Nasa Air Quality Applied Sciences Team alluded to this problem. It began by pointing out that US air quality has vastly improved in recent years: “Eight-hour averages of surface ozone (O3) have declined by nearly 20% since 1990, while 24-hour averages of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) have dropped by 25%.”

The report then noted, however, that these improvements are vulnerable to atmospheric disturbances: “Unusual weather can interrupt that trend, as was seen in the hot dry summer of 2012, when Chicago and St Louis experienced double the average number of O3 episodes from the previous four years.”

Given the difficulty of regulating fire-related air pollution, state and local agencies have focused instead on better communicating health risks to the public, creating early-warning systems, and integrating wildfire risks into climate adaptation plans.

That means looking at everything from land-use management and development permits to forest management in an effort to minimize the impacts of wildfires in the future.

Even shifting the time of year that fire departments conduct controlled burns could have an impact; recent research has shown that extreme heat exacerbates the health impacts of fires, and thus recommends that controlled burns happen in the spring.

Source: The Guardian

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Check out Electrocorp's air cleaners for wildfires and smoke and contact Electrocorp to talk to an IAQ consultant.

Wildfires destroying homes, forcing evacuations

Due to dry conditions, this year's fire season has
started early and is bound to set records.

Fire crews are making an unheard-of scramble as a huge number of lightning-sparked wildfires continue to burn across drought-parched regions of Oregon and Washington.

One fire in north-central Washington has already caused severe damage, destroying an estimated 150 homes.

According to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, there were 13 large, uncontained fires burning in Oregon as of last week, consuming over 494,000 acres.

In Washington, seven fires have burned close to 319,000 acres. Nearly 12,800 firefighters and support personnel have been dispatched, and both Washington and Oregon have declared states of emergency.

Carol Connolly, a public information officer for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, said that although the region has dealt with high-acreage fire incidents before, the complexity of having so many scattered across Oregon and Washington at once "is pretty unprecedented."

That means "20 different operations, 20 different fires to get resources to," Connolly said.

A National Interagency Coordination Center incident report showed that at least five of these fires have forced evacuation orders, and even more pose a threat to structures and residences.

Peter Goldmark, Washington's commissioner of public lands, said that beyond the challenge in addressing the large number of incidents, "it's also the very adversarial weather conditions that we've found ourselves in."

This year's fire season started early, due to unusual heat and drought conditions, he said. It has already far outstripped the number of acres burned in an average year.

In 2013, wildfires in Washington burned over 152,603 acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). On Sunday, Washington's Carlton Complex Fire alone grew to nearly 300,000 acres.

The Red Cross has set up six different shelters for evacuees.

Complicating matters, the Carleton Complex fire has also caused extensive damage to power lines.

This level of fire activity is consistent with what the Pacific Northwest may have to contend with more as climate change intensifies. The National Climate Assessment, released this year, stated that warmer and drier conditions have already increased the frequency and intensity of fires in Western forests since the 1970s.

Under a scenario where emissions increase through 2050 and gradually decrease afterward, the assessment predicts that the median area burned each year in the Northwest could quadruple, reaching 2 million acres annually by the 2080s. However, this figure is expected to vary significantly depending on fuel conditions, it said.

Severe fire conditions are also being felt in other regions of North America. Unusually warm and dry weather, also consistent with climate change, has spurred wildfires in well over 2 million acres of Canada's Northwest Territories (ClimateWire, July 16).

California, too, is grappling with an above-average fire season. Speaking to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last week, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Director Ken Pimlott said that three years of drought has left fuels on the ground "parched and ripe to burn."

"Southern California has been in continuous fire season since April of last year," Pimlott said. "They are burning with a speed and intensity that we would normally see in the peak of summer or fall."

Source: E&E Publishing;  This article has been edited for length.

Wildfires lead to poor air quality, which has been linked to many health concerns, especially for residents suffering from asthma and other lung diseases. If the air quality outside is bad, the air inside may be even worse. Electrocorp has designed portable and highly efficient air cleaners with activated carbon and HEPA air filters to remove air contaminants such as smoke particles, chemicals, odors, gases, allergens, asthmagens and many more. Contact Electrocorp for more information.

Firefighters need better cancer coverage: Canada

Ontario announces increase in firefighter cancer coverage

Multiple cancers can result from
firefighting work.

The government of Ontario is expanding the qualifications for workers’ compensation for career firefighters.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced that the province would add six types of cancer to the list of diseases that count as work-related for firefighting professionals.

As of Premier Wynne’s announcement, breast cancer, multiple myeloma and testicular cancer have been newly classified as diseases that can result from firefighting work.

The government also plans to add prostate, lung and skin cancer to the list of illnesses presumed to be work-related by 2017.

“Firefighters face dangerous situations every day, and the risks are both immediate and long-term,” Premier Wynne said in a statement. “While we can never fully remove these dangers, we can, as a government, ensure firefighters have access to the highest quality of care and support.”

The Ontario Premier credited a private member’s bill by Steven Del Duca, the MPP for Vaughan, for spurring on these legislative changes.

The government said in an April 30 press release that the extension of presumptive status for these cancers would be retroactive to Jan. 1, 1960. It applies to firefighters who work on a full-time, part-time or volunteer basis and to fire investigators.

The intention is to reverse the burden of proof for firefighters who suffer from these diseases and want to claim coverage under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.

Previously, the government had added eight types of cancer — brain, bladder, kidney, esophageal, ureter and colorectal cancer, as well as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and specific types of leukemia — to the list of presumably work-related diseases in 2007.

The new additions followed seven years of lobbying by the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA) to expand the number of diseases presumed work-related in the sector.

“We’re certainly extremely pleased for firefighters and for their families, that we were able to achieve that recognition,” said OPFFA president Mark McKinnon. “We’ve been lobbying for it for several years.”

McKinnon explained that “a toxic soup of chemicals” in modern fires had expanded the dangers for people in the profession, regardless of the state-of-the-art protective gear that firefighters wear now.

“In the old days, when everything was built of wood and raw fabrics, you didn’t have the chemicals that you do have in today’s TVs and furniture and everything,” McKinnon explained. “And those chemicals affect firefighters, and not necessarily through inhalation, through smoke, but in through our skin.”

As a result, firefighters are more likely to suffer from these types of cancer than the general population, McKinnon added, citing research indicating that firefighters contract testicular cancer at twice the rate that other people do and approximately five years earlier.

He said that he also wanted to see post-traumatic stress disorder recognized as a presumptive condition for firefighters.

Ontario is not the first Canadian province to start acknowledging links between firefighting and several cancers this year.

In February, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Workplace Health, Safety & Compensation Commission recommended that the provincial government update legislation to classify cancer as a workplace hazard for firefighters.

Source: OHS Canada

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More wildfires may mean poorer air quality

An increase in wildfires can affect human
health and respiratory conditions.

As the American West, parched by prolonged drought, braces for a season of potentially record-breaking wildfires, new research suggests these events not only pose an immediate threat to people's safety and their homes, but also could take a toll on human health, agriculture and ecosystems.

The study, appearing in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology, could help societies map out a plan to mitigate these effects in wildfire-prone regions.

Matthew D. Hurteau and colleagues point out that wildfires naturally occur in many areas around the globe.
In response, human societies have harnessed the power of fire to better control wild blazes and minimize damage. But climate change also can impact the number and severity of wildfires.

Understanding how these factors influence each other is crucial so that people can better prepare for the future and perhaps lessen the effects of the blazes.

Previous studies have estimated the effect of climate change and population growth on wildfire patterns and the risk of damage to buildings and homes in California. Hurteau's team wanted to expand on those findings and investigate six possible future climate scenarios.

Using several different models, they estimated that by 2100, emissions from wildfires in California will grow by 19 to 101 percent. They found that climate, not population growth or development, will likely be the driving force behind these increases.

However, a rise in wildfires still will mean significant societal challenges, such as higher pollution levels, which can affect human health and aggravate respiratory conditions. Poor air quality also can lower crop yield, and forest health could suffer.

Source: American Chemical Society via AAAS

Better air quality with air purifiers

Poor air quality outside also means that indoor air quality suffers, which is often affected by accumulation of contaminants due to poor ventilation, HVAC systems, chemical and/or pesticide use and more.

Electrocorp has designed smart and effective air cleaners for industrial and commercial applications that can remove airborne contaminants and provide cleaner and more breathable air.

The air purifiers feature carbon wall technology for the removal of chemicals and gases as well as HEPA or Super-HEPA for fine particles and dust (a variety of pre-filters help preserve the lifespan of these main filters).

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Smokers impact productivity, study says

Companies benefit from smoke-cessation
programs, study authors say.

A recent report from the Conference Board of Canada claims that employees who smoke have a strongly detrimental effect on their companies’ bottom line.

Smoking Cessation and the Workplace: Benefits of Workplace Programs, which was released on Oct. 29, is the third and last in a series of briefings by the Canadian Alliance for Sustainable Health Care (CASHC) — a program run by the Conference Board — on how smoking affects the work environment.

Among the report’s revelations: a combination of decreased productivity and increased absenteeism resulted in an average yearly loss of $4,256 per daily smoker in Canada in 2012, a figure that is way up from the calculated $3,396 in 2005.

“The research is mostly health-focused, but we also looked at productivity losses, because we were trying to argue that it is in the best interests of the employers to actually do something about this,” explained study co-author Fares Bounajm, an economist with CASHC.

“They do actually have a lot to benefit from this. But the other major goal is obviously to reduce smoking.”

The study analyzed four different categories of costs attributed to smoking employees, putting dollar values on the losses.

Daily smokers increase absenteeism rates

Productivity loss, attributed mostly to unsanctioned smoke breaks, accounted for an average cost of $3,842 per daily smoker in 2012, with an additional $414 lost per daily smoker due to absenteeism. Daily smokers also tend to take about two-and-a-half more sick days a year than nonsmokers do, the study added.

“In a typical Canadian firm with 100 employees, 14 daily smokers and 15 former daily smokers who recently quit, this represents an annual productivity loss of nearly $60,000,” the study said. “The figure can be significantly higher in industries where smoking rates are typically well above average.”

In terms of costs that have a more indirect effect on employers, the Canadian economy lost about $7.1 billion in productivity in 2010 due to people who could not work because of chronic conditions resulting from smoking, including lung and bladder cancer, leukemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease.

An additional $4.3 billion in long-term economic losses was due to the calculated 26,681 premature deaths attributable to the habit that same year.

Bounajm said that while employers shouldn’t necessarily be seen as responsible for helping their employees quit smoking, they do have a strong financial motivation to establish workplace smoking-cessation programs.

“Smokers do cost their employers money, and we know that a lot of the employees would like to quit,” he said.

“This could be a win-win situation for both the employers and many of the smokers that do want to quit, because the employers can implement a workplace cessation program, and by doing so, they can get a good return on their investment, because they can lower their productivity losses due to smoking. At the same time, the employees benefit because they become healthier and they achieve their goal of quitting smoking.”

Bounajm added that employers could add cessation aids to their company benefits plans. “We know that there are two types of aids that do work. We know that counseling works. We know that certain cessation aids work. And we know that combining them together actually works the best.”

The report estimated that an effective workplace cessation program could cause the prevalence rate of daily smokers in an average Canadian company to decrease by 35 per cent by 2025.

Source: OHS Canada

Keep indoor air healthy to boost productivity

Even with a ban on indoor smoking, smokers bring carconogenic particles and odors back indoors. Workers are also exposed to other indoor air contaminants in most workplaces, including allergens and dust, chemicals, fumes and odors as well as viruses, bacteria and mold.

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A changing climate blamed for bigger wildfires

Changing climate leads to bigger, smokier wildfires

Bigger wildfires may become a bigger
threat to public health, experts warn.
Photo by Danilo Rizzuto/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This year more than 4,000 wildfires burned almost a million acres across the Northwest. That falls below the 10-year average, as only one year in the last decade has had fewer fires than this year.

Scientists are quick to point out that no single fire season can be attributed to changes in the global climate, but as summers in the western half of the United States become drier and warmer, the chances of bigger, longer smokier fire seasons is expected to increase.

A recent Harvard University study has found that by 2050 the wildfire season for the western United States will be about three weeks longer and be up to twice as smoky because of changes connected to global warming. 

In the Pacific Northwest, the area burned during the month of August could increase by 65 percent.

Wildfires come with smoke and health effects

With larger, longer-lasting wildfires, air quality is projected to suffer. Based on the amount of on-the-ground biomass available to be burned, researchers expect to see wildfire smoke increase in the Northwest between 40-100 percent in the coming decades.

Wildfire smoke is made up of tiny organic and black carbon particles that are a fraction of the diameter of a human hair. These microscopic particles can travel deep into the lungs and even cross over into the bloodstream. 

Inhaling those fine particles isn’t good for anyone, not even healthy people. Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, leading to coughing, headaches, scratchy throats and runny noses. 

And for some people, wildfire smoke can be life threatening. It can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and even strokes.

Wildfire smoke is already one of the biggest drivers of degrading air quality throughout the Northwest. Over the past few months, wildfires have created hazardous and smoky conditions, and clouds of smoke as big as thunderheads billowed over communities in Southern Oregon and Central Idaho.

Looking back on U.S. fires

Since the 1980s, the overall number of wildfires and the amount of acres burned in the United States has increased steadily. As the climate has warmed, snow melts earlier and dry periods have lengthened both of which favor fire conditions.

Other factors contribute to increasing the size and severity of wildfires, including a history of fire suppression over the last century. Fire suppression can lead to an abundance of biomass on the ground in forested areas. That biomass serves as kindling that turns what might have been a small manageable fire into an unstoppable megafire.

But even after you account for fire suppression, climate change is still a factor. Places like Yellowstone National Park, which have experienced larger wildfires in recent decades, never had active fire suppression.

Extreme fire behavior has become more common.

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

Source: Oregon Public Broadcasting

Breathe better air indoors

During wildfire season and beyond, a movable indoor air purifier with an activated carbon and HEPA air filter system can help remove potentially dangerous airborne contaminants.

Smoke particles and chemicals as well as other volatile organic compounds, allergens and mold spores can effectively be trapped with activated carbon and HEPA. Activated charcoal adsorbs chemicals, gases, odors and fumes, while HEPA traps 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns.

Electrocorp offers large and small-footprint air cleaners for commercial, industrial and residential use. For more information, contact Electrocorp today.

Hospital bans all smoking on site

Smoking bans may help
people to try and quit.

A full smoking ban at all hospital sites in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan has been given the go-ahead.

Smokers will be prescribed with nicotine replacement patches to help them cope during their stay at affected hospital sites, but e-cigarettes will not be allowed.

Staff were already banned from smoking within the grounds but there were smoking shelters for patients.

Ahead of the meeting, Dr Sharon Hopkins, public health director of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, said the proposals had been 18 months in the planning because officials recognised a ban would "not be easy and patients and the public would have to be supported".

Dr Hopkins said patients in hospital currently receive support to cope with any existing addictions and the same help would be offered to smokers.

She said they would be given support from the health board's smoking cessation service and smokers could be prescribed with nicotine replacement patches to help them cope during their stay.

"We know from evidence elsewhere that a total ban is much more likely to decrease the number of cigarettes people smoke and that they are much more likely to try and quit," she said.

E-cigarettes will also be banned because while they are being promoted as aids to stopping smoking Dr Sian Griffiths of the health board's public health team claimed there was little evidence to suggest they worked.

Nicotine therapy will be used instead.

The changes come into force October 1.

Source: BBC

Indoor air a major concern in hospitals

Even without the threat of lingering smoke particles and chemicals, the indoor air quality in hospitals is often less than stellar, exposing staff, patients and visitors to potentially harmful airborne contaminants and irritating odors.

The I-6500 from Electrocorp is
ideal for hospital settings.

Since opening windows is not always possible, hospitals can use mobile air cleaning devices with activated carbon, HEPA and UV germicidal filtration to provide cleaner air in patient's rooms, waiting rooms, clean rooms, operating rooms, cafeterias and other areas.

Electrocorp's air cleaners for hospitals and health care include the RAP Series, the I-6500 and the AirRhino series, among others.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.

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.
  

Builders know: Air filtration improves air quality

All year round, indoor air pollution may affect
building occupants, experts say.

All year round, a home or building’s indoor air quality may be compromised by a wide range of pollutants.

In the summer, the main culprits may be pollen, dust and smoke particles and chemicals.

A good ventilation system will regularly exchange stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air.

Building occupants can further improve indoor air quality by curbing certain habits or products such as smoking indoors, storing hazardous products indoors, paints and furnishings that release VOCs and more.

Still, a ventilation system may be unable to cope with the onslaught of particulate matter, odors and chemicals that can affect people’s health and well-being over time.

That is when an air filtration system becomes a valuable ally.

Some of the factors influencing a decision on air filtration are:

• Size of the space
• Air tightness
• Existing ventilation system
• A person’s sensitivity to pollutants
• The level of pollutants

Many commonly used filtration systems target only particulate matter but won’t be effective when it comes to chemicals, gases and odors.

A stand-alone air purifier is one of the simplest and most effective solutions. They can be moved at will and simply plug into an outlet for instant air cleaning.

A stand-alone air cleaner with activated carbon and HEPA provides the most complete protection by targeting not only particles but also gaseous pollutants. They are typically used in the room or area where people spend most of their time (i.e. bedroom or living areas).

A whole-home system connected to the duct work is a good option for those suffering from allergies and respiratory problems.

Source: Fairbanks Daily News

Air cleaners for homes, buildings and commercial applications

In large buildings or single-family homes, a portable or HVAC-attached air cleaner can make a big difference in the overall air quality.

Electrocorp has designed powerful air cleaners with a deep-bed activated carbon filter, a HEPA filter and optional UV germicidal filtration to provide a complete air filtration system for any setting.

Whether it’s during construction, for facility management or other commercial and industrial uses, Electrocorp’s IAQ specialists will help determine the right air quality solution for the space in question.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.
 

Bars still invaded by smoke, study shows

Bars and other establishments could expose patrons to
secondhand smoke even if a smoking ban is in effect: Study

Bars and pubs that have implemented a smoking ban have taken steps into the right direction, but their patrons may still be exposed to secondhand smoke, a Wellington (New Zealand) study shows.

Even years after smoking bans came into effect, the bars’ indoor air quality may suffer from smoke seeping into the indoor environment from outdoor smoking areas.

The Wellington researchers tested the air quality in seven establishments, seven years after the bans were implemented and measured the particulate levels in the outdoor smoking areas, inside the bar close to the area and further inside the bar.

The results showed poor air quality for all those areas, at higher pollution levels than recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The exposure to smoke affected bar patrons but also especially bar staff, the researchers say.

Based on the study’s results, the researchers said outdoor areas require tighter regulations, too.

Source: Waikato Times

Bars, restaurants and other establishments benefit from good IAQ

Air cleaners can be hidden or mounted to the ceiling to
help purify the air.

Poor indoor air quality not only affects patrons’ and staff’s health and well-being, it can also lead to disappointing stays and subsequent avoidance of the establishments.

For the most effective odor and smoke control, bar owners and operators need to take source control (an effective ban), ventilation and air cleaning into account.

Electrocorp’s line of industrial-strength air cleaners for the hospitality industry can help remove odors and chemical as well as particulate pollutants from the ambient air, which often tend to cling to indoor surfaces even after active smoking has been banned.

The air cleaners are so effective because they combine proven and trustworthy air filters, including a large activated carbon filter for odors and gaseous pollutants, HEPA filters for up to 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns and UV germicidal filtration for enhanced protection against mold, bacteria and viruses.

Want more information? Contact Electrocorp between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST at 866-667-0297 or any time by e-mail: info@electrocorp.net.
  

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.
 

Smoke-free workplaces save lives, study finds

Smoke is a poor IAQ offender.

A Mayo Clinic study confirms that keeping a workplace smoke-free reduces the risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths.

In fact, the research shows that the incidence for heart attack and sudden cardiac deaths was cut in half after a smoking ban went into effect for workers in Olmsted County, Minn.

The smoking ban had other effects as well. Adult smoking rates decreased by 23 percent, while other risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity remained stable or increased.

The population-based study showed that during the 18 months before Olmsted County's first smoke-free law for restaurants was passed in 2002, the regional incidence of heart attack was 212.3 cases per 100,000 residents.

In the 18 months following a comprehensive smoke-free ordinance in 2007, in which restaurants and workplaces became smoke-free, that rate dropped to 102.9 per 100,000 residents -- a decrease of about 45 percent.

Additionally, during these two time periods, the incidence of sudden cardiac death fell from 152.5 to 76.6 per 100,000 residents -- a 50 percent reduction.

"We are going to use this information to help us convince corporations -- convince countries -- that this is the right thing to do to protect the health of their workers and their citizens," said Richard Hurt, M.D., director of Mayo Clinic's Nicotine Dependence Center in a news release.

Breathe cleaner, healthier air at work

Tobacco smoke is one of the worst offenders when it comes to indoor air quality, so banning smoking at the workplace is a good first step to better health and safety conditions.

RAP Series: Versatile air cleaners

However, workers may be exposed to a range of other indoor air pollutants such as VOCs, particles, mold and more.

Poor indoor air quality can affect the workers’ productivity, health and well-being.

For better IAQ, companies need to implement a good IAQ management strategy consisting of source control, improved ventilation and air cleaning.

Electrocorp specializes in industrial-strength air cleaners for virtually any industry segment. The air cleaners remove chemicals, gases, odors, particles, dust, pathogens, mold and allergens with a deep-bed activated carbon + HEPA filter combination.

Contact us to find out more.

Wildfires and air quality concerns

Wildfires can lead to poor air quality
and affect people in nearby regions.

Out-of-control wildfires driven by strong winds are destroying hundreds of homes in Central Texas.

Firefighters have been battling the blazes non-stop since the beginning of the week.

The scope of the damage may only become apparent over the next couple of days, but experts warn that there can be immediate and long-term health effects linked to wildfire smoke exposure.

Wildfire smoke poses a very serious health risk as 80 to 90% of wildfire smoke is within the fine particle range. These fine particles are generally less than 2.5 microns in diameter and can penetrate deep into the body. 

An increase in this type of airborne particulate matter has been linked to numerous health problems including headaches, nausea, dizziness, respiratory problems, strokes and heart attacks.

Homeowners and facility managers in nearby regions should also take precautions. Smoke can travel far beyond the main burn zone and studies show that even a small increase in airborne fine particulate matter can affect overall health.

In fact, wildfire smoke can stay suspended for a long time, they can travel far and wide and may easily enter buildings.

In an EPA-led study, ERs saw a 66 percent increase in people complaining about heart and lung conditions such as asthma, heart failure, heart attacks and others while the wildfires were burning and for several days afterwards.

Related posts:

• Wildfires lead to busier ERs
• First wildfires, then flash floods? New Mexico officials worried
• Environmental fallout from wildfires and IAQ concerns

Contact Electrocorp for more information and indoor air treatment solutions.
  

Marsh fire brings dangerous pollutants to New Orleans

Wildfire smoke can cause health problems
in certain individuals.

Businesses, building managers and residents in the New Orleans area should be very concerned about the air they are breathing – not just outside, but indoors as well.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality have issued Air Quality Alerts due to a stubborn marsh fire in eastern New Orleans that is causing smoke plumes to drift over the city and posing a health threat due to the high levels of particulate matter in the air.

The state environmental agency warned that smoke will continue to be a health issue for sensitive groups, including the elderly and people with asthma and other respiratory diseases. it urged people in those groups to avoid prolonged outdoor activities and exertion.

The threat of the smoke to people with pre-existing heart and lung disease is especially acute, said Dr. James Diaz, director of the environmental and occupational health sciences program at the Louisiana State University School of Public Health, in an article published in the Times-Picayune.

"It's very irritating to the airways and mucous membranes of the eye and nose, and the upper respiratory tract," Diaz said. "It can cause bronchospasms and asthma attacks."

He said those exercising outdoors, particularly joggers and swimmers are more at risk because the intense activity increases the rate of breathing, and inhalation of the tiny particles.

"The best thing to do is shelter indoors in any sort of area with good air filters," he said.

Source: The Times-Picayune


Air cleaners with carbon + HEPA remove the widest range of pollutants

Electrocorp specializes in industrial air cleaners that can handle smoke particles and chemicals. With units of varying sizes and with different multistage filtration systems, Electrocorp’s air cleaners can handle virtually any IAQ concerns.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and browse the air cleaners recommended for different industries:

• Facility management
• Offices
• Schools and Universities
• Hospitals and healthcare
• And more

Air purifiers for homes and offices – smoke purifiers

Homeowners and residents that are concerned about the indoor air quality in their homes, should check their existing home air filters and consider buying a serious air purifier with activated carbon and special tar-trapping filters to help keep their air clean.

Find out more about air purifiers for wildfire smoke on the AllerAir blog or contact AllerAir directly.

Don’t gamble with your health at casinos

Not everyone smokes in casinos, but most
establishments fail indoor air quality tests.

Casinos are notorious for taking gamblers’ money, but frequent gamblers and casino workers may have another thing to worry about – indoor air pollution.

A recent article in the Kansas City Star quoted health advocates from two area health organizations warning against unhealthy levels of indoor air pollution in five area casinos, especially on the floors where smoking is allowed.

In their study, the health organizations found that there’s enough smoke in the air to expose full-time casino employees to more particulate pollution than the Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for eight-hour work shifts.

Even though many cities have instituted a smoking ban in public places, bars and restaurants, casinos often receive exemptions to clean indoor air laws. That special treatment has put gaming establishments on the front lines in recent battles over whether to curb or extend legal restrictions on smoking.

Public battle, litigation over smoking laws

According to the article, casinos insist that their business relies disproportionately on smokers, while health advocates point to profitable casinos in states where smoking isn’t allowed.

Meanwhile, casino workers have sued employers over health problems, from asthma to cancer, allegedly caused by constant exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.

As the study showed, it doesn’t take a lot of cigarettes to cause a lot of pollution. Indoor air quality was deemed as unhealthy, even though just under 17 percent of the people in the casinos’ smoking areas were actively smoking.

Health effects of smoke and particulate

Fine particulate pollution can come from cigarettes, auto tailpipes and even burgers on a grill.

The tiny particles work their way into the lungs, where they cause inflammation and aggravate asthma, emphysema and other respiratory diseases.

Particulates also are suspected of contributing to heart attacks.

Cigarette smoke also contains various carcinogenic chemicals, which can affect smokers and those breathing in secondhand smoke.

Source:  Kansas City Star

Indoor air filtration systems for casinos, bars and restaurants

Electrocorp offers a wide range of indoor air cleaners for bars and restaurants, casinos and the hospitality industry.

The industrial-strength air purification systems filter out dangerous chemicals, gases, odors and particles with the deepest beds of activated carbon and most efficient HEPA filters.

Electrocorp can custom-build units for rooms, floors or spaces of any size. Contact Electrocorp directly for more information and ask about air cleaners designed to combat smoke pollution.
 
Related posts:

• Secondhand smoke in casinos a health risk, study reveals
• Why a bad smell can hurt bars and night clubs

   

First wildfires, then flash floods? New Mexico officials worry about more disasters

Natural disasters: Wildfires and floods can affect
rescue workers and residents in the area.

The Las Conchas wildfire has turned into the most destructive raging fire in the state’s history, and now residents may have yet another problem on their hands – the seasonal rains that are moving toward New Mexico.

In a recent article from Reuters, officials could claim that progress was being made in saving the Indian pueblo lands on the north end of New Mexico’s largest wildfire, which triggered the temporary evacuation of the Los Alamos nuclear laboratory.

However, the charred land may be unable to cope with the monsoon rainfalls that are coming, officials said.

"We've gone straight from fire danger to flood danger, so it's one thing after another," the article quoted a frustrated Jason Lott, superintendent of the Bandelier National Monument, a revered ancestral home of New Mexico's pueblo Indian natives.

The risk to flooding has been aggravated by the raging wildfire which has burned off trees, ground-hugging grasses and vegetation, raising concerns that any run-off will barrel down canyons unchecked, causing creeks to burst their banks.

Crews have worked hard this week to clear stream beds, removing logs and other debris creating a clearer path so waters cannot back up and flood historic sites and buildings.

Many buildings will be sandbagged and hopefully sealed from the waters, Lott said.

The wildfire was ignited on June 26 when strong winds tipped an aspen tree onto nearby power lines in the Santa Fe National Forest about 12 miles southwest of Los Alamos, the article says. It has scorched 14,400 acres of land.

Natural disasters and indoor air quality

Wildfires and floods not only affect buildings and land, they can also cause adverse health effects for residents once they return to their homes.

Outdoor air pollution combined with indoor air pollutants can aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma.

However, it’s not just asthmatics who need to beware of smoke, researchers say, but also patients with heart failure, (who) should be particularly aware.

After floods, the extreme moisture often causes active mold growth and associated health problems.

Activated carbon can remove airborne
chemicals and odors.

Electrocorp offers air filtration systems with high efficiency particle filters and deep-bed activated carbon filters as well as UV germicidal filtration to help remove harmful chemicals, particles and odors associated with tobacco and wildfire smoke as well as mold.

See also:

• Wildfires lead to busier ERs: Report
• Water infiltration - bad news for buildings
• Clean-up tips for flood-related mold 
• VIDEO: LANL employees return to work

Environmental fallout from wildfires and related IAQ concerns

Wildfires have a long-lasting effect on
the environment and human health.

Wildfires leave much more behind than fire-scarred buildings, ash and a swath of destruction.

As homeowners and business owners all over North America return to the regions that were affected by wildfires raging in Utah, Arizona, Florida, Colorado, Alaska and Alberta (see AllerAir's Q&A blog post), experts are worried about the environmental legacy they will encounter.

"If there's a really heavy fire and you burn up plastic ... you'll end up with some of that residual, partially burnt plastic in the soil," said Anne Naeth, a biologist and expert in land reclamation at the University of Alberta, in a recent article from The Canadian Press.

Not only were houses and businesses burnt to the ground, wildfires also claimed vehicles, gas stations and other sources of inorganic and organic toxins.

Many of those compounds, including zinc, lead, mercury, copper, cadmium from burned wiring, piping, auto parts, broken lights and thermometers; dioxins and furans from burning tires; PCBs and PAHs, probably phthalates and polybrominated compounds from other burned plastics, upholstery, etc may dissipate quickly, experts say.

Exposure to heavy metals a concern

However, the article cites one of the few studies done on the environmental impact of wildfires in residential areas, which suggests that heavy metals will probably stick around. The U.S. Geological Survey looked into what happened after fires in southern California roared through residential developments in 2007.

"For arsenic, lead and antimony, concentrations in one or both of the residential composite ash samples approach or exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency residential soil preliminary remediation guidelines," the report says.

The study also found elevated levels of chromium. As well, it found the remaining ash was so alkaline it was caustic — significantly more so than ash from woodland fires.

Exposure to heavy metals has been linked with developmental retardation, various cancers and kidney damage.

Environmental experts also voiced concerns about damaged soil, since the heat bakes the clay component of dirt almost as if firing it in a kiln, leaving it unable to absorb water.

Source: Canadian Press

Indoor air quality may suffer after wildfire

Wildfire smoke poses a very serious health risk as 80 to 90% of wildfire smoke is within the fine particle range. These fine particles are generally less than 2.5 microns in diameter and can penetrate deep into the body. 

An increase in this type of airborne particulate matter has been linked to numerous health problems including headaches, nausea, dizziness, respiratory problems, strokes and heart attacks.

Children, pregnant women, those suffering from existing respiratory conditions and older adults are even more susceptible to the effects of wildfire smoke particulate.

Smoke can also travel far beyond the main burn zone. Studies show that even a small increase in airborne fine particulate matter can affect overall health.

Air cleaners for better indoor air quality

AllerAir and Electrocorp offer air filtration systems with high efficiency particle filters and deep-bed activated carbon filters to remove harmful chemicals, particles and odors associated with tobacco and wildfire smoke.

Clients can choose from powerful air purifiers for the home and office to industrial-strength units for use in various commercial and industrial applications.

Call 1-866-667-0297 to contact Electrocorp.
   

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.
  

Nonsmoker sues employer, wins secondhand smoke lawsuit in France

Companies may be held liable if they
don't enforce anti-smoking laws and
expose workers to secondhand smoke.

PRLog (Press Release) – Apr 01, 2011 – In France, apparently for the first time, a nonsmoker has successfully sued her employer and won money damages for being exposed to tobacco smoke in the workplace. 

This victory follows a long string of successful legal actions in the U.S. by nonsmokers against the major tobacco companies, their employers, and "places of public accommodation" including everything from an airline to a fast food company, says public interest law professor John Banzhaf, who helped bring the first successful lawsuit in 1976.

"In the U.S., nonsmokers have brought successful legal actions against big tobacco, employers with smoky workplaces, public places like fast food outlets, their neighbors in condo and apartment buildings, and even against parents who smoke around the children, and in at least one case the legal action was based not upon secondhand tobacco smoke but rather third-hand tobacco smoke - the residue of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals which linger on surfaces long after smoking has ceased," says Banzhaf, a professor at George Washington University Law School.

The French lawsuit was brought by a teacher in an art school in Toulouse.  She claimed that she got lung cancer because the school didn't enforce the anti-smoking law from 1992 and, as a result, many teachers kept smoking and exposed her to smoke.  The court agreed with her claim, and awarded her money damages.

"It has been well known and established since at least the 1990s the secondhand tobacco smoke causes lung cancer, and lung cancer deaths, in nonsmokers, and, indeed, is the major cause of such cancers after smoking by the smoker himself.  Secondhand tobacco smoke has been officially classified as a known human carcinogen - in the same category as asbestos, plutonium, benzene, etc. - for many years," Banzhaf explains.

No one would doubt for a moment that a school which willfully exposed a teacher to radioactive plutonium or asbestos would be subject to legal liability, and it should be no different if it is secondhand tobacco smoke - a substance estimated to kill over 600,000 people a year, argues Banzhaf.

"This decision puts other French companies - which often do not enforce the no-smoking law in their workplaces - on notice that they may be faced with a lawsuit under French law and held liable for damages.”

Source: http://www.prlog.org/11412969-nonsmoker-wins-lawsuit-in-france-patterned-on-us-victories-says-lawyer.html