Schools need to manage mold and moisture: EPA

Potential health effects and safe clean-up practices

Mold exposure can trigger asthma,
allergic reactions and more problems.

As you prepare for spring’s warmer weather, consider taking some time to review your district’s policies and procedures related to mold and moisture control.

Schools should be proactive in their moisture control practices, which are the key to controlling indoor mold growth.

Molds are a major source of indoor allergens and can trigger asthma in sensitive individuals.

Even when spores are dead or unable to grow, mold can cause health effects, such as allergic reactions.

The types and severity of health effects associated with exposure to mold depend, in part, on the type of mold present and the extent of the occupants’ exposure and existing sensitivities or allergies.

Prompt and effective remediation of moisture problems is essential to minimize potential mold exposures and their potential health effects. These negative health effects can lead to increased absenteeism and reduced performance in both staff and students.

To learn more about how IAQ issues, including mold and moisture, can affect student and staff performance, visit http://epa.gov/iaq/schools/benefits.html.

How should mold be safely cleaned?

It is essential to clean up mold as well as excess water or moisture, because moisture is the key to mold control.

If the excess water or moisture problem is not fixed, mold will most likely grow again, even if the area is completely cleaned.

Clean hard surfaces with water and detergent and dry them quickly and completely.

Absorbent materials such as ceiling tiles may have to be discarded if the mold cannot be completely removed.

To clean up mold safely and effectively, staff should wear waterproof gloves during clean up and should not touch mold or moldy items with bare hands.

Respiratory protection should also be used in most remediation situations to prevent inhalation exposure to mold.

10 tips to control mold and moisture in schools this spring

1. Establish a mold prevention and remediation plan within your greater IAQ management program.
2. View the IAQ Reference Guide on Mold and Moisture for tips on identifying and correcting common mold and moisture issues.
3. Inspect all school buildings for signs of mold, moisture, leaks or spills, or evidence of past water damage.
4. Prevent moisture condensation by increasing surface temperature, installing proper insulation and improving air circulation.
5. Eliminate sources of moisture by reducing indoor humidity; maintain indoor humidity levels between 30 and 60 percent.
6. Respond promptly when you see signs of moisture and/or mold or when leaks or spills occur. Dry all wet areas within 24 to 48 hours.
7. Perform regular heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) inspections and maintenance as scheduled. Ensure HVAC drip pans are clean, unobstructed and flowing properly.
8. Review EPA’s “Mold Remediation in Schools and Large Buildings” to learn about mold growth in schools and how it can be managed.
9. Educate school community members, including teachers, school officials, and facilities and maintenance staff , on the importance of mold and moisture control.
10. Review the Mold and Moisture: Double Trouble for Schools webinar presentation given by Peggy Caruso, IAQ Coordinator for Katy Independent School District in Texas and Todd Spore with PBK Architects. Learn cost-effective solutions to prevent and control mold and moisture, and find technical information about remediating mold or moisture intrusion.

Source: EPA


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Asthma on the rise in China's cities

Air pollution is a major risk factor
for asthma, experts say.

Asthma cases have risen dramatically in China over the past decade along with ever deteriorating air pollution, according to leading respiratory specialists.

Nationwide, the prevalence of asthma stands at 1 to 2 percent, while in some cities it can reach more than 10 percent, a leading pulmonary physician said.

Lin Jiangtao, director of the China Asthma Alliance and a physician at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, was citing results from the first nationwide epidemiology survey on asthma, which he led.

The potentially fatal disease has risen quickly across the nation, with Shanghai recording the fastest increase in prevalence of 190 percent over the past decade.

"Given that air pollution is a major risk factor in asthma, the disease is still rising constantly," Lin warned.

In a widely reported case, Chinese mother Shang Yujun moved her son to three different Chinese cites to escape air pollution before finally settling in London to control his asthma.

Lin suggested that patients with the disease limit outdoor activities and heavy exercise on days with high concentrations of pollutants, as such conditions can prompt asthma attacks.

Asthma is the leading cause of hospitalization among children in China and imposes a significant burden on their families. Patients with the condition have increased rates of work absenteeism.

The Asia Asthma Development Board said China has the world’s highest mortality rate from asthma, with 36.7 out of 100,000 patients failing to survive.

Wang Chen, a leading respiratory disease expert and an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said, "Various respiratory diseases have become a public health challenge in China."

But he said public awareness remains poor in a country where only 34 percent of the cases are under control.

Of the more than 30 million patients in China, about 80 percent fail to effectively control the disease and less than 5 percent have received standard treatment, Lin said.

A 36-year-old patient surnamed Wang, from Hebei province, said he used to be hospitalized three times a year in Beijing for serious asthma attacks. He was diagnosed with the disease after having it for more than a year.

"I frequently felt out of breath and had to take a rest when climbing up several steps," he said.

Drug therapy and a surgical procedure called bronchial thermoplasty helped put him back on his feet after he had to use a wheelchair.

Wang Chen called for standardized treatment and improved access to drug treatment for asthma patients.

Source: China Daily

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EPA moves against harmful chemicals in homes and schools

Poor IAQ can affect staff and student
health and productivity.

The EPA has taken action to protect consumers from new uses and imports of the harmful chemicals Toluene Diisocyanates (TDI).

These chemicals are currently widely used in residual amounts in the production of polyurethanes and consumer products, such as coatings, elastomers, adhesives, and sealants and can be found in products used in and around homes or schools.

Diisocyanates are well known dermal and inhalation sensitizers in the workplace and can cause asthma, lung damage, and in severe cases, death.

The proposed decision would give EPA the opportunity to evaluate the use of, and if necessary, to take action to prohibit or limit all products containing over 0.1 percent of the chemical including imported products that make their way into the United States.

EPA’s proposed action, a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), would require manufacturers (including importers) to notify EPA at least 90 days before starting or resuming new uses of these chemicals in consumer products at levels above 0.1 percent by weight.

EPA would then have the opportunity to evaluate the intended use of the chemicals and, if necessary, take action to prohibit or limit the activity.

Source: EPA

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Gyms plagued by bad air

Indoor air in gyms may be polluted by dust
and chemicals such as formaldehyde.
Photo: Freedigitalphotos.net

A new study of air quality in gyms raises questions about whether the places in which we work out are as healthy as they should be.

Science and common sense tell us that exercising in polluted air is undesirable.

People who frequently run alongside heavily trafficked freeways and breathe great lungfuls of exhaust have been shown to have an increased risk of heart disease, even if they are otherwise in admirably good shape.

But few studies systematically have examined the air quality inside gyms.

So for the new study, which will appear next month in the journal Building and Environment, researchers at the University of Lisbon in Portugal and the Technical University of Delft in Holland decided that they would place air-quality monitoring equipment in gyms throughout Lisbon.

Portuguese fitness sites are similar to those in the United States, said Carla Ramos, a graduate student at the University of Lisbon who led the new study.

Most feature a weight room and multiple, smaller studio spaces for aerobics classes, yoga sessions and similar programs.

For the new study, Ms. Ramos obtained permission from 11 Lisbon gyms to position air-quality monitors in each site’s weight room and several studios. The machines were set to measure pollutants during the late afternoon or evening hours, when the gyms were at their most crowded.

For about two hours at each gym, the monitors measured the levels of commonly found indoor pollutants. These include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, airborne particulates such as dust, and various chemicals released by carpeting, cleaning products, furniture or paint, including formaldehyde.

To gain even more detailed readings, the scientists subsequently placed additional monitors in three of the gyms, which measured air quality throughout the building and throughout the entire day.

Then they checked the pollutant levels from all of the gyms.

Their findings were disquieting. In general, the gyms showed high levels of airborne dust, formaldehyde and carbon dioxide. The concentrations of these substances generally exceeded most accepted standards for indoor air quality. (No government agency in the United States formally monitors air quality in gyms.)

The levels were especially high during evening aerobics classes, when many people were packed into small studios, stirring up dust and fumes and puffing heavily, producing carbon dioxide with every breath.

The high concentrations of dust and chemicals like formaldehyde in the air at the gyms represent perhaps the greatest potential concern, Ms. Ramos said.

In sufficient concentrations, these substances can contribute to asthma and other respiratory problems, she said. Almost all of the gyms in the study had levels of these substances that significantly exceed European standards for healthy indoor air standards.

Carbon dioxide, though not toxic to people, could also be cause for concern. In high concentrations, Ms. Ramos said, it has been found to contribute to bodily fatigue and cognitive fogginess, neither of which is desirable during a high-intensity aerobics class.

Elevated levels of carbon dioxide can also indicate a poorly ventilated building, she said, especially if they remain inflated for hours, as they did in her study.

“We consider that the gymnasiums meet the criteria for a poor indoor quality,” Mr. Ramos said.

Poor indoor air quality is a particular issue in gyms, of course, because people there tend to be breathing heavily.

“When we exercise, we take in more air with each breath and most of that air goes through the mouth, bypassing the natural filtration system” in the nostrils, Ms. Ramos said. “The pollutants go deeper into the lungs compared to resting situations.”

The findings should not, however, discourage anyone from visiting a gym, Ms. Ramos said. None of the sites in the study had measurable levels of carbon monoxide, she pointed out, one of the most dangerous of known air pollutants.

The data might, though, prompt diligent gymgoers to perform a sniff test. If the air at your fitness center smells chemical-laden and stale, consider talking with the site manager, Ms. Ramos said.

Ask about ventilation and if the building has undergone a recent indoor-air-quality assessment.

Inquire, too, about the types of cleaning products used at the gym and whether floors are swept or mopped; the latter is better at reducing airborne dust, Ms. Ramos said.

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For her part, Ms. Ramos conducted a formal air-quality assessment at the gym she attends (separately from her study) and offered the manager advice about how to reduce some of the pollutants that turned up.

“I prefer to be indoors to practice physical activity,” she said, as long as the air is as healthy as the activity.

Source: NY Times blog

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Researchers focus on asthma's mystery triggers

Environmental factors may affect non-allergic asthma.

Researchers are making interesting new discoveries about a particularly confusing type of asthma.

Doctors increasingly are recognizing that as many as half of asthma sufferers have a form of the lung disease known as nonallergic asthma.

Some medications that help control symptoms of the more familiar allergic asthma aren't as effective in nonallergic patients.

There is still much that isn't understood about allergic asthma, which is brought on by an overactive response of the body's immune system to food, pollen and other allergens.

Even more mysterious is the cause of nonallergic asthma, which doesn't involve an immune-system response. Symptoms for both forms of the disease typically include constricted airways, wheezing and coughing.

Researchers also continue to discover substances in the environment that appear to increase the risk for developing asthma.

One of the latest studies, from New York's Columbia University Medical Center, found an association between asthma rates and phthalates, chemicals used in many plastic products that have raised health concerns.

The scientific hunt for the causes of asthma reflects concern about the puzzling rise in rates of the disease.

In the U.S., the percentage of the population diagnosed increased in 2010 to 8.4%—or more than 25 million adults and children—from 5.5% in 1996, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some 1.8 million people visited a hospital emergency department in 2010 for asthma-related treatment.

Scientists studying nonallergic asthma say greater understanding of the molecular pathways in this form of the disease could lead to new targets for drug development.

Stefan Worgall, chief of the pediatric pulmonology, allergy and immunology division at Weill Cornell Medical College, and his colleagues recently discovered that when a normally occurring type of fat, known as sphingolipids, isn't embedded properly in the cell walls in the lungs of mice, the airways constrict.

Dr. Worgall says the finding could help explain why obesity is a risk factor for asthma. Obese people tend to exhibit abnormalities in sphingolipids, he says.

Currently, Dr. Worgall and his team are measuring sphingolipid levels in the blood and breath of asthmatic children. Early findings suggest the levels appear abnormal, he says.

Jeroen Douwes, director of the Centre for Public Health Research, at Massey University in New Zealand, believes nonallergic-asthma patients might have particularly sensitive nerves in the lungs that tell the brain at a lower-than-normal threshold that a noxious substance is in the air and airways need to be constricted.

TAKE A BREATH

Asthma rates have been rising for years, for reasons that aren't understood.

• About 8.4% of people in the U.S. had asthma in 2010, up from 5.5% in 1996.
• Boys are more prone to asthma than girls. But as adults, more women have asthma than men.
• Black children are twice as likely as white children to have asthma.
• Symptoms of asthma can include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing and difficulty breathing.
• Dust, mold, pets, exercise and strong emotions are some common triggers of asthma attacks.

—Source: CDC

Some previous studies suggest some asthmatics have an inappropriate neural response, which might translate into greater sensitivity, says Dr. Douwes. He is currently reanalyzing samples from previous studies of children followed since birth for asthma and allergy symptoms to look for evidence of neural activation.

An oversensitive neural pathway would help explain such mysteries as why dust or pollen can trigger an asthma attack without causing an allergic reaction and why stress has been found to bring on attacks in some people, Dr. Douwes says.

Not all asthmatics respond to traditional asthma medications. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, for instance, are usually administered with an inhaler and in other forms to prevent asthma attacks.

The drug is generally effective in people with allergic asthma because it dampens the body's immune response to an allergen. People with nonallergic asthma often get less relief from corticosteroids.

Instead, these patients might be given another type of drug called a beta-agonist, such as albuterol and levalbuterol, which works by relaxing lung muscles.

Environmental factors are among the most studied causes for both types of asthma.

In a recent study of phthalates, researchers studied 300 women and their children living in New York's inner city, where asthma rates are relatively high.

The study measured phthalate levels in the women's urine during pregnancy and in the children at ages 3, 5 and 7 years old.

After taking into account other risk factors, such as maternal smoking, the researchers found significantly higher rates of asthma among the children whose mothers had the greatest levels of phthalates during pregnancy, says Rachel Miller, a co-author of the study and an allergist, pulmonologist and environmental health sciences professor at Columbia University Medical Center.

But there wasn't a correlation between asthma and the children's own exposure to phthalates in the early years after birth, according to the study, which was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in September.

"It's assumed that the prenatal period is going to be your most susceptible period [for disease], including lung development," says Robin Whyatt, a study co-author and a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health.

The researchers cautioned that while the study found an association between phthalates and asthma, it didn't prove causation.

The finding is "potentially very important because exposure to phthalates is widespread," says Neil Pearce, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who studies asthma but wasn't involved in the phthalate study.

The CDC says people are widely exposed to phthalates but the chemical's impact on human health isn't known and needs more research. Phthalates have been found to affect the reproductive systems of lab animals, according to the CDC.

Phthalates, which make plastics flexible, among other functions, are found in many household products from vinyl flooring to certain types of plastic food containers and scented candles, but aren't listed on labels.

Dr. Whyatt says that to minimize phthalate exposure, people shouldn't microwave in plastic containers and should store food in glass instead.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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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.

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NY air quality rules would target restaurants, food trucks

Restaurants might need to install
devices to avoid air pollution.

Mayor Bill de Blasio backs proposed antipollution laws that would require many restaurants and commercial kitchens to install emission filters on ovens and char-broilers, ban new wood-burning fireplaces and encourage refrigerated trucks to switch to battery power from diesel fuel.

The proposals, discussed before the City Council's Committee on Environmental Protection, would affect eateries across the five boroughs -- mom-and-pop pizzerias, food vendor trucks, high-volume char-broilers and vehicles that deliver or serve refrigerated food or beverages.

Sponsors say the rules would save hundreds of lives every year by removing from the air unhealthy particulate matter that causes diseases from emphysema and asthma to diabetes.

The New York City Hospitality Alliance and the New York State Restaurant Association, which represent many of the affected establishments, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Food purveyors would need to change the way they operate under the proposals.

Char-broilers in establishments that cook at least 875 pounds of meat or seafood a week would need to install the devices. So would restaurants with coal or wood-fired pizza ovens.

Food trucks that don't switch to the cleanest technology -- currently battery-powered refrigeration -- would face annual fees. Trucks that deliver perishables such as frozen food would also face new restrictions on idling.

The rules would also ban the building of new wood-burning fireplaces anywhere in the city, including homes. Only fireplaces that burn fuels such as natural gas would be allowed.

Existing fireplaces could not legally burn wood with moisture content greater than 20 percent. Moist wood, officials say, releases more pollutants than the drier variety.

Source: NewsDay

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CDC survey shows asthma rates dropping

But researchers cautious about celebrating yet

Asthma has been linked to tobacco smoke,
air pollution, pollen and other causes.

A new survey suggests asthma in the U.S. may finally be on the decline. But the results are so surprising that health officials are cautious about claiming a downturn.

"I wouldn't say it's good news — yet," said the study's lead author, Jeannine Schiller of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The findings come from a large national health survey conducted last year. The drop could just be an unexplained statistical blip, and Schiller said she's waiting for data from this year before proclaiming asthma is on the decline.

For the past few years, about 8.6 percent of Americans have said they have asthma.

But in last year's survey, 7.4 percent said they currently had it. That was the lowest mark in a decade, and represents a decline of more than 3 million people.

The largest declines were seen in black children and women.

There was also a drop in those who said they'd had an asthma attack or episode in the past year. The number fell from 4.4 percent in 2012 to 3.8 percent last year — the lowest mark in more than 15 years.

The new survey involved in-person interviews of more than 47,000 Americans and covered both adults and children.

Asthma can cause bouts of coughing, wheezing, and chest pain. Experts aren't sure what causes it, but asthma attacks can be triggered by things like tobacco smoke, air pollution, pollen, and cockroaches.

Studies have pointed at decrepit housing and climate change as some of the possible reasons for the increase in asthma seen in the past decade.

The disease can be controlled through medication. Some studies have shown a gradual decline in the percentage of asthma patients who said they suffered an attack in the previous year.

Experts say there's been no recent major advance in asthma treatment or improvement in the environment that would account for the latest figures.

"Nationally, I'm not aware of anything that would explain these statistics," said Dr. Karen Freedle, an Emory University specialist in pediatric asthma.

Source: Star Tribune

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State of the Air brings good and bad news

The report shows some improvements,
but millions  of people live and work in
areas where the air remains unhealthy.

A new report tries to clear the air on where America stands in its battle with air pollution.

The 2014 State of the Air report out Wednesday from the American Lung Association presents a good news/bad news mix showing improvements in America's air quality compared with previous decades, but more recently an increase in ozone readings since its 2013 report.

Bottom line, the association says, is that 147.6 million people live in areas where air quality remains unhealthy, almost 16 million more than the 2013 report.

The report averaged year-round and 24-hour levels of particle pollution, a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles that come from coal-fired plants and vehicle exhaust, and measured ozone, or smog.

Particle and ozone pollution increase the risk of heart disease, lung cancer and asthma attacks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though some improved, all of the most polluted cities have year-round particle levels that violate health standards, according to the report.

Cities that ranked as the cleanest cities in 2010-2012 based on measures of ozone and short- and long-term particle pollution were Bangor, Maine; Bismark, N.D.; Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla.; and Salinas, Calif.

In terms of air quality, there have been some wins, such as a court case upholding standards limiting power plant emissions of toxic air pollutants and the Supreme Court's decision on cross-state air pollution. The next step is the Environmental Protection Agency making a decision on a healthier national ozone standard.

As the summer heats up, people can check air quality online at AirNow.

This article has been edited for length.
Source: USA Today

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New ways to detect diseases that are linked to polluted air

More diseases from air pollution uncovered by improved data material

Breathing polluted indoor air can
make us sick, studies show.

Good health and personal registers in combination with model calculations of air pollution down to an individual address has helped Danish researchers to become among the very best in the world to detect harmful diseases deriving from polluted air

At rest, we breathe approx. 12-15 times per minute, and for each inhalation we change approx. one litre of air. Depending on the activity level, this makes up a daily quantity in the order of twenty cubic metres of air that - with its content of pollution in the form of particles and different gases - can make us ill depending on how polluted the air is.

Asthma attacks, wheezing, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer are some of the more glaring examples of diseases we - in worst case - can get from the domestic air.

The list of injuries due to air pollution in Denmark is long. This appears from a brand new article that professor Ole Hertel from Aarhus University, has written with a number of Danish colleagues at University of Copenhagen, the Danish Cancer Society and Aarhus University.

"So the list of diseases detected in Denmark is long, but it does not mean that we have the world's most polluted air. This is to be found in Asia, Africa and South America. Here, you typically find a yearly mean value of the particle pollution (PM10) of 50-200 micrograms per cubic metres of air, while the content in Copenhagen and other Western European Megacities typically is at a lower level - about 20-50 micrograms per cubic metre. But even in a "moderately polluted" air as we call it in Danish towns and cities, we find many serious injuries which come from the air that we breathe every day," explains Ole Hertel.

Studies on polluted air and health effects

In the article "Utilizing Monitoring Data and Spatial Analysis Tools for Exposure Assessment of Atmospheric Pollutants in Denmark", Ole Hertel and his colleagues review the Danish experiences in combining measurements and models.

By combining measurements on relatively few but well-chosen places with advanced models for spreading of air pollution, the researchers can calculate the air pollution down to the individual addresses.

Hertel and Co. review a number of Danish studies of the coherence between air pollution and injuries to health.

A total of nine short-term studies have been published in Denmark, where researchers have demonstrated respiratory and cardiovascular diseases after episodes with increased air pollution, etc.

Similarly, eleven studies demonstrate long-term injuries due to air pollution, e.g. lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and mortality.

Improved information, surprising results

The scientists' ability to detect a wide range if different types of damages of the Danes' health is due to the fact that Danish researchers represent some of the very best to demonstrate illnesses caused by air pollution on human health.

This is obvious when we look at the model for spreading of air pollution, OSPM, which was developed by Danes and is now used in approx. twenty countries. This is also why Ole Hertel was invited to give an overview of the diseases detected to be a consequence of the air pollution in Denmark, first on a major international conference and afterwards in book form.

Ole Hertel points out one of the Danish results as particularly notable:

"It came as a surprise to me that the studies showed a connection between air pollution and diabetes. It is rather new information that air pollution can cause diabetes, and we are working on finding a biological explanation for this correlation. This is an example of the fact that our very detailed way of working in Denmark leads to precise results."

Source: AAAS


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Washington day cares close to polluted roads

Small children are most affected by
air pollution, experts say.

It’s a cruel fact of physiology: kids are the hardest-hit victims of air pollution.

Pound for pound, children breathe more than adults, receiving a relatively bigger toxic dose delivered to their developing bodies. And the smaller the child, the bigger the impact. What makes an 8-year-old cough could make an infant stop breathing.

That science takes on particular significance in Washington, where 126 day cares are located beside major roads and where rules about where new facilities can open are not enforced.

Researchers say air pollution from vehicle traffic can aggravate asthma, reduce lung function and boost school absenteeism, as well as promote cancer later in life and harm developing immune systems.

An additional 439 day cares sit within 500 feet of the state’s heaviest truck routes, a new analysis by InvestigateWest shows. The diesel fuel that powers these trucks can spew 100 to 200 times more soot than gasoline engines, and the exhaust is so toxic that the World Health Organization classifies it as a carcinogen.

Nationally, more than 11 million children under 5 are enrolled in regular child care.  In Washington, one-fourth of all toddlers and one-third of all preschoolers attend a licensed child care facility, according to a 2008 survey.

The pollution risks are not always reflected in where parents choose to or are able to enroll their kids.

Just south of Everett along Interstate 5, a hedge separates the playground of Kids ‘N Us Learning Academy from a highway off-ramp. Among the dozens of day cares that fall within the pollution plume of I-5, Kids ‘N Us is one of the closest, its property line just over 300 feet from the heavily traveled road.

In Washington, the murky set of guidelines governing where day cares can operate does little in practice to protect kids from air pollution risks.

State child care licensing code does not restrict where in-home day cares — limited to 12 or fewer kids — can open.

Institutional child care centers, which have an average capacity of 69 kids, are required to be on an “environmentally safe site” and in a neighborhood “free of a condition detrimental to the child's welfare,” according to a state regulation.

The licensing process for a new day care does not require a site review by health officials to determine whether a property is safe from environmental hazards like nearby freeways. Instead, the Department of Early Learning, a fire marshal and the local planning department sign off on a new location. The agency also employs four health specialists to respond to complaints and concerns.

As is the case with schools, the construction of day cares can trigger a State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA, review. But that process emphasizes air risks stemming from construction like dust and short-term truck traffic rather than ambient air concerns like a nearby highway.

Reducing harm from near-road exposures at day cares is something of a bureaucratic hot potato, with the Washington Department of Early Learning saying it’s not its job to correct for environmental risks, and health officials saying the initial push isn’t theirs to make.

State officials acknowledge that they are a lot more worried about keeping kids safe — meaning, for starters, alive — than in heading off seemingly subtle pollution threats. The high-profile deaths of two children in state-licensed day cares — one an accidental drowning in 2004, the other a death from E. coli in 2010 — focused regulators’ attention on acute threats to children.

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

Source: Investigate West

Provide children with clean air

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Lung societies plead for better health care

Lung diseases affect many people
worldwide, experts say.

Experts from the world's leading lung organizations have come together to call for a worldwide effort to improve health-care policies and systems and care delivery to make a positive difference for the lung health of the world.

Produced by the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), the report has been launched on World COPD Day, Nov. 20, providing an overview of lung health across the globe.

Entitled Respiratory Diseases in the World: Realities of Today — Opportunities for Tomorrow, the report features five major disease areas that are of immediate and greatest concern. This includes COPD, which is the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide.

"This report aims to heighten awareness of lung disease throughout the world. We hope that this collaboration will help to shed light on the pervasiveness of these conditions and diseases and will be a call to action for health-care professionals, policy makers, patients, and advocates," said Michael H. Baumann, MD, MS, FCCP, President, American College of Chest Physicians.

Some of the key issues highlighted in this publication include the following:

• COPD affects more than 200 million people and is the fourth-leading cause of death in the world.
• Asthma affects about 235 million people worldwide, is one of the most frequent reasons for hospital admissions among children, and leads to approximately 180,000 deaths each year.
• Respiratory infections account for over 4 million deaths annually, disproportionately in children, and are the leading cause of death in low-income or middle-income countries.
• TB kills around 1.4 million people with about 8.7 million new cases of TB annually.
• Lung cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world, accounting for 13% of the total reported cancers and affecting over 1.6 million people annually.

Source: American College of Chest Physicians via Eurek!Alert

Provide cleaner air for those with respiratory ailments

Respiratory illnesses, including asthma, can make breathing difficult. Among other prefention and management strategies, experts recommend using an air cleaner to remove potential irritants and contaminants from the ambient air.

Electrocorp has designed commercial and industrial air cleaners for healthcare and hospital environments that combine the most trusted air filter system of activated carbon and HEPA with a small footprint design and various configurations to match a client's needs.

For more information, contact Electrocorp.

Grad student sues for toxic mold in housing

Toxic mold exposure can lead to
ill health and respiratory disease.

A UC Santa Cruz graduate student has filed a lawsuit against UCSC, seeking an excess of $25,000.

Matthew Richert and his wife, Lori George, are suing because they think the toxic mold in their campus apartment caused their daughter's severe respiratory problems.

The couple's daughter Libby, then 1, began to have breathing problems in October 2011, four months after the family arrived.

Santa Cruz doctors couldn't stabilize her, and transferred her to Stanford's pediatric intensive care unit. She spent the next three days in critical condition.

Libby, who was eventually diagnosed with asthma and allergic rhinitis, was hospitalized at Stanford three more times.

At first, the couple was unsure what triggered Libby's attacks, and took their older daughter out of preschool to minimize germ exposure.

The family started noticing mold on their walls in fall of 2011, around the same time Libby first got sick. They tried to manage it, but it returned.

In June 2012, Libby's doctor wrote a letter to UCSC housing requesting the family be transferred if the mold couldn't be removed. Richert and George filed five transfer requests in the following year.

In May, the family conducted an independent mold inspection, which showed five types of toxic mold known to cause severe asthma and allergic rhinitis growing in their apartment.

The university also conducted its own inspection around the same time, which showed damage to the walls. The university transferred the family to a hotel a few days later. The apartment remains unoccupied.

"It's very frustrating, it's very scary and we're not the only ones," George said.

In March 2009, more than 100 residents gathered at Family Student Housing to protest rising rent and substandard living conditions. Many complained that mold was growing in their apartments and allergy attacks kept their children up coughing at night.In April, then-resident Orville Canter collected 142 signatures from residents who said their units were infested with mold, despite cleaning and common-sense prevention methods.

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

Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel

Concerned about mold and poor IAQ?

Most indoor air contaminants can be removed with a high-quality air purifier that features many pounds of activated carbon and HEPA air filters.

Electrocorp has designed a wide range of industrial-strength air cleaners with carbon + HEPA filter system, and it has provided cleaner air to many schools and universities as well as other educational facilities.

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Lungs affected by fumes during shooting practice

Fumes from military small arms can lead to a decline in
lung function, a new study shows.
Image courtesy of vudhikrai/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Exposure to fumes released during the firing of military small arms can lead to a decline in lung function, according to a new study.

The research, which was presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Annual Congress in Barcelona in September 2013, suggests that members of the armed forces who are regularly firing small arms could be putting their lung health at risk.

Over the last 5 years, the armed forces in Norway have started to report ill health after live firing training. This new study aimed to characterize the health effects from the use of these weapons and investigate which components in the emissions were causing the health effects.

Researchers from Oslo University Hospital and the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment examined 55 healthy, non-smoking men from the Norwegian Armed Forces. They tested the exposure to fumes from three different types of ammunition, one leaded and two lead-free, used in an assault rifle.

Related to occupational respiratory diseases: asthma, silicosis and asbestosis

Each participant had a spirometry test, which measures lung function, before the shooting, immediately after and 24 hours after. A tent was used during the shooting to control other exposures.

The findings revealed that there were no significant differences in the types of ammunition used, but all groups experienced a decline in lung function shortly after shooting and at 24 hours after exposure, compared with the pre-test levels.

The results showed that lung function, measured by FEV1 (FEV1 is the maximal amount of air you can forcefully exhale in one second. It is then converted to a percentage of normal. This is the standard measure of lung function), declined by a mean average of 5% across all groups at 1 hour after shooting and by 7% at 24 hours after shooting.

Anne-Katrine Borander, lead author of the study from the Oslo University Hospital, said: "The findings from our small sample show that fumes from military arms are causing a decline in lung function shortly after firing practice."

"These lung function changes are comparable to the effects caused by other occupational risk factors, such as organic dusts in farming and cotton workers. Although we noticed this decline for all types of ammunition, further research can now be undertaken to look at specific exposure components to help design better ammunition, and to continue implementation of other measures for avoiding these effects."

Source: European Lung Foundation, EurekAlert!

Concerned about occupational health and safety or exposure to fumes and hazardous substances? Electrocorp offers exceptional air cleaners for industrial and commercial use, which can remove airborne chemicals, fumes, gases, particles, biological contaminants and odors to provide better indoor air quality. For more information, contact Electrocorp.

Communities get EPA grants to address IAQ concerns

EPA awards 2013 Environmental Justice Small Grants 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a total of $1.1 million in competitive grants to 39 non-profit and tribal organizations working to address environmental justice issues nationwide.

The grants support activities such as
improved IAQ in child care facilities.

The grants will enable the organizations to develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in low-income, minority and tribal communities overburdened by harmful pollution.

“EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants are making a visible difference in communities across the country,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy in the press release.

“These grants help build capacity, raise awareness, and equip communities with the tools to address environmental challenges – from climate change impacts to brownfields and water pollution. I’m proud to continue to promote these important grants and advance EPA’s long-term commitment to our community stakeholders.”

The 2013 grants support activities that address a range of community concerns such as reducing exposure to indoor environmental asthma triggers, restoring and protecting waterways, educating child care professionals on ways to prevent lead poisoning, and reducing pesticide use in child care facilities.

Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process.

Since 1994, EPA’s environmental justice small grants program has supported projects to address environmental justice issues in more than 1,400 communities.

The grant awards represent EPA’s commitment to promoting community-based actions to address environmental justice issues.

In the fall of 2013, EPA will issue a Request for Proposals for the FY 2014 Collaborative Problem Solving Grants. A schedule of pre-application community stakeholder teleconference calls will be announced at that time.

More information:

2013 EJ Small Grant recipients and project descriptions

About EPA’s Environmental Justice Small Grants program

Concerned about indoor air quality in your community? Electrocorp has designed long-lasting and efficient air cleaners for commercial and residential use. Contact Electrocorp for more information.

Back to school with clean air? Schools plagued by poor IAQ

Air quality issues at two Darlington County, SC, schools

School-aged children may be affected by
poor indoor air quality in the classroom.

Over the summer, Darlington High School has experienced mold issues in a handful of classrooms, according to a press release made public by the school.

The classrooms were cleaned and treated per regular corrective maintenance procedures.

However, the high level of rainfall this summer aggravated the existing situation, causing the old problems to reoccur and additional classrooms to be impacted. In all, seven classrooms at Darlington High are affected, the press release says.

A firm specializing in environmental testing and treatment was scheduled to conduct air quality and other tests in the identified classrooms, as well as throughout the school.

Meanwhile, the school district, in consultation with the industrial hygiene experts, has begun cleaning the classrooms with specially recommended products, removing the carpet, and installing and running industrial dehumidifiers.

As a precaution, the teachers and classes that meet in the seven classrooms will be moved to other locations on the school's campus. The classrooms will not be accessible to students or teachers until the rooms have been appropriately cleared and further testing indicates the problem is resolved.

An unusual odor in a classroom at the Darlington Adult Education Building in the B.A. Gary Complex has prompted district officials, in an abundance of caution, to conduct indoor air quality tests on that classroom and inspect the rest of the building as well. The room has been closed off to staff and students.

Allergic reactions to mold are the most common health effects of mold, according to Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, on medicinenet.com. Asthma attacks may be caused by mold or mold spores in people who have asthma and are allergic to mold. Even in nonallergic individuals, mold can irritate the eyes, skin, and airways.

Parents with concerns are encouraged to call the school's principal or the district office at 843-398-5100.

Source: WBTWNews13

Provide cleaner air in schools 

Electrocorp's RAP series features the carbon
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Electrocorp offers high-quality air purifiers for schools and learning institutions that feature the right air filter combination to combat mold, dust, particles, chemicals and odors.

The air cleaners can be easily moved from one room to the next, or they can be installed on the wall or behind the ceiling, as part of the duct system.

Electrocorp has helped schools across North America provide cleaner and healthier air in schools.

Contact an Electrocorp IAQ expert for more information.

Traffic pollution increases asthma in adults

Living or working
near heavy traffic
affects well-being,
researchers found.

Asthma sufferers frequently exposed to heavy traffic pollution or smoke from wood fire heaters, experienced a significant worsening of symptoms, a new University of Melbourne led study has found.

The study is the first of its kind to assess the impact of traffic pollution and wood smoke from heaters on middle-aged adults with asthma.

The results revealed adults who suffer asthma and were exposed to heavy traffic pollution experienced an 80 per cent increase in symptoms and those exposed to wood smoke from wood fire heaters experienced an 11 per cent increase in symptoms.

Asthma affects more than 300 million people worldwide and is one of the most chronic health conditions.

Dr John Burgess of the School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne and a co-author on the study said "it is now recommended that adults who suffer asthma should not live on busy roads and that the use of old wood heaters should be upgraded to newer heaters, to ensure their health does not worsen."

In the study, a cohort of 1383 44-year old adults in the Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study were surveyed for their exposure to smoke from wood fires and traffic pollution. Participants were asked to rate their exposure.

The survey asked for exposure to the frequency of heavy traffic vehicles near homes and the levels of ambient wood smoke in winter.

Results were based on the self-reporting of symptoms and the number of flare-ups or exacerbations in a 12-month period. Participants reported from between two to three flare-ups (called intermittent asthma) to more than one flare-up per week (severe persistent asthma) over the same time.

Heavy vehicle exhaust linked to health effects

Traffic exhaust is thought to exacerbate asthma through airway inflammation. Particles from heavy vehicles exhaust have been shown to enhance allergic inflammatory responses in sensitized people who suffer asthma.

"Our study also revealed a connection between the inhalation of wood smoke exposure and asthma severity and that the use of wood for heating is detrimental to health in communities such as Tasmania where use of wood burning is common," Dr Burgess said.

"Clean burning practices and the replacement of old polluting wood stoves by new ones are likely to minimize both indoor and outdoor wood smoke pollution and improve people's health," he said.

"These findings may have particular importance in developing countries where wood smoke exposure is likely to be high in rural communities due to the use of wood for heating and cooking, and the intensity of air pollution from vehicular traffic in larger cities is significant."

The study revealed no association between traffic pollution and wood smoke and the onset of asthma.

It was published in the journal Respirology.

Source: University of Melbourne; EurekAlert!

Keep traffic fumes out at work

Portable air purifiers provide cleaner
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Many workplaces are situated close to major traffic areas, highways and industrial parks, where the outdoor air may be polluted and seep into the work space.

Electrocorp's air purifiers for the office and other air purification systems for a wide range of industrial uses feature the most efficient and long-lasting air filters to remove airborne chemicals, gases, odors, particles, dust and biological contaminants.

Cleaner air has been linked to fewer employee absences, fewer health and safety claims and increased morale.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and materials.

Cleaning jobs linked to asthma risk

A new study has found strong evidence for a link between cleaning jobs and risk of developing asthma.

Researchers at Imperial College London tracked the occurrence of asthma in a group of 9,488 people born in Britain in 1958. Not including those who had asthma as children, nine per cent developed asthma by age 42. Risks in the workplace were responsible for one in six cases of adult onset asthma – even more than the one in nine cases attributed to smoking, according to the analysis.

There are many occupations that are thought to cause asthma. In this study, 18 occupations were clearly linked with asthma risk, four of which were cleaning jobs and a further three of which were likely to involve exposure to cleaning products.

Farmers, hairdressers, and printing workers were also found to have increased risk, as previous studies have reported. Farmers were approximately four times more likely to develop asthma as an adult than office workers.

Besides cleaning products, flour, enzymes, metals, and textiles were among materials in the workplace identified in the study as being linked to asthma risk.

The study was led by Dr Rebecca Ghosh at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College London. Dr Ghosh said: “This study identified 18 occupations that are clearly linked with asthma risk, but there are others that did not show up in our analysis, mainly because they are relatively uncommon. Occupational asthma is widely under-recognised by employers, employees and healthcare professionals. Raising awareness that this is an almost entirely preventable disease would be a major step in reducing its incidence.”

The study, published in the journal Thorax, was funded by Asthma UK and the Colt Foundation.

Malayka Rahman, Research Analysis and Communications Officer at Asthma UK, said: "This research has highlighted a new group of people, specifically those working in occupations related to cleaning, such as cleaners or home-based personal care workers, who may have developed adult onset asthma due to exposure to chemicals they work with on a daily basis. We advise anyone who works in the industries highlighted in this study and who have experienced breathing problems to discuss this with their GP, and we urge healthcare professionals to make sure they consider possible occupational causes in adult onset asthma and tailor their advice to people with asthma accordingly."

Survey to examine healthcare workers’ risk of asthma

Healthcare workers are exposed to
many occupational risks, incl. asthma.

Healthcare is North America’s largest industry, but it can expose workers to a multitude of work-related risks, including

• Work-related asthma
• Harsh cleaning products
• Latex
• Indoor air pollution
• Pathogens

More information is needed to protect workers accurately from asthma risks, so the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) wants to assess the situation with a comprehensive survey of hospital- and nursing home-based healthcare workers.

The goal is to identify modifiable occupational risk factors for asthma that can help authorities formulate and implement prevention strategies.

The proposed survey would include several thousand healthcare workers from New York City, who can participate online or by phone.

The participating workers will include certified nursing assistants, central supply, environmental services, licensed practical nurses, lab techs, operating room techs, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and dental assistants.

The survey can also help make healthcare workers more aware of the asthma risks at their workplace, so that they can help identify risk factors and solutions.

Do you think this survey will help the healthcare industry? Share your thoughts with us.

Source: Risk and Insurance

Air cleaners for healthcare settings

In order to reduce asthmagens (pollutants that can cause or aggravate asthma symptoms), indoor air needs to be controlled, ventilated and cleaned.

Electrocorp has developed portable and powerful air cleaners for hospitals and healthcare, which feature a complete filtration system to remove fine particles, dust, chemicals, VOCs, odors, fumes, mold, bacteria and viruses from the ambient air.

Electrocorp's RAP series combines
carbon and HEPA filters for best results.

The filtration system contains

• Deep-bed activated carbon filter for gaseous pollutants and odors
• HEPA filter for particles
• Easy-clean pre-filters
• UV germicidal filtration for pathogens and mold (optional)

Highly recommended air cleaners for healthcare settings include the RAP series, which come in different sizes and filter configurations to provide the most efficient IAQ solution, the AirMedic+ series, a small and portable air purifier for individual rooms that offers supreme particle filtration and the I-6500 series, a top-rated air cleaner for larger spaces or in rooms that require strict air quality control.

Electrocorp also offers air cleaners for dental labs as well as other types of laboratories.

For more information, contact Electrocorp today.

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Hair salon hazards: Toxic chemicals and VOCs

Beautiful hair may come at a price: Many salon
workers and clients are exposed to chemicals.

What are hair salon hazards?

Chemicals used in the beauty industry are unregulated, and many release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carcinogens. 

Studies show that hairdressers have triple the risk of developing breast cancer and are more likely to develop leukemia and multiple myeloma.

There is no limit to how far people will go for great looking hair.  The zeitgeist of the last decade is characterized by celebrity styles that go from dark to light, curly to straight and vice versa.

The problem with indoor air pollutants - and hair salon hazards - is that many of the effects are long term. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.6 million people will die every year as a result of indoor air pollution.  

Poor indoor air quality in salons

In salons, masks and general ventilation systems offer little or no protection against airborne chemicals that may cause damage to the immune, reproductive, neurological and respiratory systems.

On a daily basis, hairdressers are exposed to several chemicals including ammonia, phenylenediamine (PPD), sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide. New trends like the Japanese and Brazilian straightening treatments add chemicals like formaldehyde to that roster. 

Aside from causing hair loss, bruising and eczema like reaction on the scalp, Brazilian straightening treatments can cause lung inflammation, asthma, severe allergic reactions and death.  

A list of toxic chemicals lurking in salons

1. Ammonia
   Ammonia is used in hair dye to allow color molecules to penetrate.  Ammonia irritates the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, and may cause asthma and other breathing problems.
   
   
2. Phenylenediamine (PPD)
   When it comes to hair dyes, Phenylenediamine (PPD) is the most common cause of allergic reactions.  This chemical is very toxic and when inhaled, it may cause damage to the liver, kidneys, nervous system and respiratory tract.  The fumes emitted by PPD also cause inflammation of the airways, which make it difficult to breathe.  
    
3. Sodium Hydroxide
   Sodium hydroxide is often used in hair relaxers and causes damage to the respiratory tract and severe pneumonitis.   
    
4. Formaldehyde
   Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.  Aside from being linked to cancer, it may cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, coughing and wheezing, as well as skin irritation.  This chemical is also used to embalm the departed.

Gaseous pollutants like VOCs are the result of a variety of hair processes.  Combined with the regular air contaminating culprits - mold, dust mites, ozone and petrochemicals - poor indoor air quality is a real hair salon hazard.

Air cleaners for hair and hail salons need to be equipped with at least 27 pounds of activated carbon, and several inches of carbon filter depth. 

Additionally, an electrostatic pre-filter accompanied by a pleated HEPA filter will help trap particle contaminants. 

For more information, contact Electrocorp.