Air contaminants vanishing into walls hamper lab experiments

Models of particle pollution have
been inconsistent, researchers say.

Models trying to predict airborne particle pollutants have been inconsistent over the past decade.

Some airborne particles can vanish into the walls of laboratory chambers, which could explain discrepancies in air pollution experiments. The findings of a new study suggest that models of particle pollution have been off for about a decade.

For their tests, researchers evaporated toluene, an ingredient of car exhaust that can form secondary organic aerosols, in a Teflon chamber.

Unlike previous researchers, they added “seed particles” such as ammonium sulfate. Adding these particles increases the aerosols that form when toluene vaporizes.

When there are no seed particles, the vapors end up sticking to or dissolving into the chamber walls, said Chris Cappa, an assistant professor at the University of California, Davis, and co-author of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.

“The walls of these chambers act as a sponge for the vapors,” Cappa said.

The findings of a new study suggest that models of particle pollution have been off for about a decade.

Cappa said that previous lab studies have underestimated secondary organic aerosol formation by about two to four times.

These aerosols, which are a byproduct of volatile organic compounds from vehicles and the burning of fossil fuels, are a major part of fine particle pollution.

Known as PM2.5, these particles can penetrate people’s lungs and disrupt their heart.

The discovery could explain why models that have tried to predict particulate levels from emissions inventories have not jibed with levels actually measured in the air.

“Accounting for such losses has the clear potential to bring model predictions and observations of organic aerosol levels into much closer agreement,” the authors wrote.

Laboratory models are often used to estimate regional air quality. And in the past 20 years, scientists have incorporated aerosols into climate models, too, because they can scatter or absorb radiation from the sun.

Aerosols that scatter sunlight would have a cooling effect, while those that absorb it have a warming effect.

The study was limited in that only one compound was tested. However, Cappa said the results should hold true for other aerosol precursors and the researchers plan on testing more.

The experiment doesn’t mean that regional air pollution is underestimated because scientists also use observations from the atmosphere.

“It’s not quite fair to say we’ve been underestimating impact of air pollution, but from a modeling standpoint we’ve been limited in our ability to properly set up strategies for improving air quality,” Cappa said.

Source: EHN

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OSHA cites NY medical lab for inadequate worker safeguards against bloodborne pathogen hazards

Photo: Ambro/freedigitalphotos.net

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, headquartered in Burlington, N.C., for alleged repeat and serious health violations following a November 2012 complaint inspection of its Schenectady location by OSHA's Albany Area Office.

OSHA found that phlebotomy technicians who drew blood did not receive required training until after working with the blood. In addition, workers were not trained on procedures in the event of an exposure incident. OSHA's bloodborne pathogen standard requires employers to provide workers with regular training, which includes steps to take in the aftermath of an exposure, and to provide the training before workers begin working with blood. One repeat citation was issued with $38,500 in proposed fines. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Similar hazards were cited in 2011 at a Jersey City, N.J., facility.

"The failure of Laboratory Corp. to provide adequate and timely training needlessly placed workers at risk," said Kimberly Castillon, OSHA's area director in Albany. "The health and wellness of the Laboratory Corp. workers depends on this company promptly and effectively addressing these issues at all its locations."

Three serious violations, with $19,500 in proposed fines, include the failure to have specific procedures to inform workers on obtaining post-exposure care; update the exposure control program to reflect technological changes to eliminate or reduce bloodborne pathogen exposures; and train workers exposed to traysol, a chemical used in stabilizing and shipping blood samples, about its physical and health hazards. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

More information about bloodborne pathogen hazards and safeguards is available at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/index.html.

"An effective illness and injury prevention program in which management and employees work together to identify and prevent hazardous conditions, such as these, is a key tool in protecting the health and safety of employees in the workplace," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator for New York.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet informally with the OSHA area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Albany office at 518-464-4338.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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