Truck drivers and commuters can breathe easier

The mobile air purifier fits into any vehicle - in the trunk,
under the seat or in a preferred spot.

Daily commutes and long drives in the vehicle can expose passengers to harmful chemicals and fumes as well as fine particles.

These have been connected to health concerns such as respiratory disease, cancer and other medical issues.

Built-in car filters will keep out a few of these particles, but Electrocorp's partner company AllerAir wanted to offer their trusted carbon and HEPA filter combo to those who drive a lot.

They developed a mobile unit with a 32 oz. granular activated carbon filter to adsorb airborne chemicals, fumes and gases (including diesel fumes, benzene and toluene) and particle filters to provide a complete air purification solution for the vehicle.

Check out AllerAir's car air purifiers.

Note: Electrocorp is AllerAir's industrial and commercial division and also offers carbon + HEPA air purifier solutions.

Most car pollution comes from 25% of cars

Stop-and-go traffic
increases emissions.

When it comes to polluting the environment, not all cars (or drivers) are created equal.

A recent study conducted by University of Toronto researchers found that just 25 percent of cars they measured produced about 90 percent of the total traffic-related air pollution.

Pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2) are known to have a negative impact on climate change, but cars also emit a wide array of pollutants associated with lung cancer, respiratory diseases, and heart disease. The researchers focused on measuring these types of pollutants, and found that just a quarter of cars produced the majority of particulates and carbon monoxide in the area.

Jonathan Wang, one of the authors of the study and a chemical engineering PhD student at the University of Toronto, said the chief polluters were older cars in need of a tune-up.

“We found it was a large amount of transport trucks, but a good proportion was just cars – a mixture of both,” Wang said. “We suspect they were older vehicles.”

The researchers took real-time measurements of the exhaust of about 100,000 cars driving past air-sampling probes on one of Toronto’s busiest roads. The study was borne out of concern that vehicle fleet emissions spread farther than previously known.

In addition to total particulates and carbon monoxide, the researchers found that a quarter of cars measured produced over 76 percent of pollutants like benzene, toluene, and other known carcinogens.

Besides driving an older vehicle (anything older than seven years), Wang said driving behavior could also have a huge impact on pollution.

“Cruising at normal speeds is better than heavy braking and heavy acceleration,” he said. “Stop-and-go traffic can increase emissions for vehicles.”

The report shows that drivers have pretty good control over local car pollution, Wang said. Modifying your driving behavior, maintaining your vehicle with regular oil changes and air filter replacements, and choosing a newer car with good gas mileage could all impact air quality.

So if you want to buy a car that doesn’t ruin the world, here’s where to start:

• Buy newer
• Do your research
• Consider multiple pollutants
• Get a car record

This article has been edited for length. Source: Boston.com

Are you concerned about the air pollution in your area or place of work? Electrocorp offers a wide range of indoor air cleaners with activated carbon and HEPA that actually remove harmful pollutants. An air cleaner for inside the car is also available. Contact Electrocorp by calling 1-866-667-0297 or writing to sales@electrocorp.net.

Diesel fumes cause 6 percent of lung cancer deaths: Study

The World Health Organization concluded last year that diesel exhaust is carcinogenic

An estimated 6 percent of lung cancer deaths in the United States and the United Kingdom – 11,000 deaths per year – may be due to diesel exhaust, according to a new study.

Emission standards for diesel engines have become more stringent in recent years, but their exhaust still plays a significant role in lung cancer deaths among truckers, miners and railroad workers, the authors wrote. In addition, diesel exhaust still poses a major cancer threat for people living in dense cities or near highways, they said.

Truckers and miners exposed over their careers to diesel exhaust face a risk of deadly lung cancer that is almost 70 times higher than the risk considered acceptable under U.S. occupational standards.

Traffic exhaust can
affect people's health.

The scientists calculated the lifetime risk for these workers at up to 689 extra lung cancer deaths per 10,000 workers exposed. In comparison, one cancer death per 1,000 workers is used to set federal workplace standards.

In addition, people in urban areas face a lifetime risk of lung cancer that is 10 times higher than the acceptable risk used in U.S. health standards, according to the study.

An estimated 21 per 10,000 people exposed to the amount of diesel exhaust commonly found near U.S. highways would be at risk of dying of lung cancer over their lifetime. That compares to the risk of one death per 100,000 people that is used to set air-quality standards.

To come up with their calculations, the researchers from Emory University and several other U.S. and European institutions used data from three previous studies of workers – two of truckers and one of non-metal miners – as well as national death statistics for the United States and United Kingdom.

They estimated that 4.8 percent of lung cancer deaths in the United States and 1.3 percent in the United Kingdom were due to environmental and occupational exposures to diesel exhaust.

“With millions of workers currently exposed to such levels, and likely higher levels in the past, the impact on the current and future lung cancer burden could be substantial,” the authors wrote.

The researchers said their estimates “are far from precise and depend on broad assumptions.” But they said their findings are “generally consistent” with past findings.

Other factors, such as smoking, were not taken into account. They used the assumption that smoking does not modify effects of diesel exhaust.

The World Health Organization concluded last year, after reviewing health data for workers, that diesel exhaust is carcinogenic.

Diesel emissions have declined substantially over the past few years in the United States and Europe since new engine standards were initiated.

More than 50,000 high-polluting diesel engines were cleaned up or removed from U.S. roads between 2008 and 2010, according to an Environmental Protection Agency report. About 230,000 tons of soot and smog-causing pollutants were eliminated, according to the report.

However, while buses and trucks have largely adopted cleaner technology, it’s taken longer for off-road engines, such as farm and construction vehicles.

Source: Environmental Health News

Do you work or live close by a major roadway or traffic zone? You could be exposed to diesel fumes and other contaminants making their way indoors through windows, doors and building cracks. An industrial-strength air cleaner with activated carbon and HEPA helps remove these indoor air contaminants (including chemicals, odors, particles, mold and more). Electrocorp offers air cleaners for offices and warehouses, manufacturing facilities, healthcare settings, schools and many other workplaces. Contact Electrocorp 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
air at work and at home.

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.

Diesel emissions increase cancer risk: Study

Diesel exhaust could
affect your health.

Exposure to diesel fumes could be causing cancer at a greater rate than previously known, researchers say.

A new long-term study by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that miners exposed to diesel engine exhaust are three times more likely to contract fatal lung cancer, and that commuters on busy highways in smoggy, urban areas might face a similar risk.

The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

While diesel exhaust is currently classified as a “probable carcinogen”, health authorities will review this classification in the months to come.

A change in classifications could mean tighter regulations as well.

The study looked at 20 years of data on miners exposed to diesel exhaust and showed significant increases in the risk of lung cancer deaths with higher level of exposures, especially in miners working more than 5 years.

The study authors warn of the risks to Americans living in urban areas as well, although the risk is lower for lower doses of diesel exhaust.

Drivers getting stuck on long highway commutes may be exposed more than people standing on the sidewalk because of wind tunnel effect, experts say.

Commuters can help protect themselves by

• Leaving windows closed on busy highways and streets
• Setting the air on “recirculate” to keep pollutants out
• Having a HEPA filter installed in the car

Newer diesel cars are much cleaner than older models, experts say, but many older models are still being used on the streets.

Source: The Sun

Reduce indoor air pollution with air cleaners

When the air outside is polluted, pollutants make their way indoors – where they can build up to unsafe levels if not handled properly.

That is why the air in many workplaces could expose workers to higher levels of pollutants that can affect their health and well-being.

Electrocorp offers portable and powerful air cleaners with activated carbon, HEPA and other filters to remove the widest range of indoor air contaminants.

The air cleaners work 24/7 to provide cleaner, healthier air and they can handle airborne chemicals, gases, odors, VOCs, particles, dust, bacteria, viruses and mold.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and more options.

Health and safety concerns in the auto repair industry

Auto body shop and garage workers can be exposed to
chemicals, vehicle exhaust, asbestos and other pollutants.

The automotive repair and maintenance industry employs more than 1.3 million U.S. workers and it involves a number of serious health risks.

That is why the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is working with partners to promote research and improve workplace practices.

Most of the auto repair and maintenance businesses are small, with fewer than 20 people, but they all face the same kind of health and safety issues:

• Exposure to chemicals and vehicle exhaust
• Exposure to biological materials and asbestos
• Injuries like sprains, cuts and bruises
• Slips, trips and falls
• Fatalities from falling objects, transportation events, fires and explosions
• And more

Even small businesses can take inexpensive steps toward a safer workplace.

First, business owners and managers need to recognize the risks and become aware of the most pressing concerns.

Then they can take the following actions:

1. Identify chemical, fire, noise, safety and environmental hazards and train workers on them
2. Switch to water-based cleaners and safer products where possible
3. Inspect tools and equipment regularly
4. Ask workers to report hazards and symptoms right away
5. Keep dust wet at all time and avoid cleaning with compressed air when repairing brakes and clutches to protect against cancer and lung disease from asbestos
6. Wear protective gloves and other protective equipment when working with solvents and other hazardous materials
7. Clean up spills promptly

Source: Risk & Insurance  

Improve indoor air quality in auto repair shops

The AirRhino combines activated carbon and HEPA filters
for superior chemical and particle filtration.

Auto repair and maintenance workers are routinely exposed to solvents, oil, gasoline fumes and other respiratory hazards, which can stay in the air long after the initial use.

One way to help clean the air is to use an industrial-strength air cleaner with a large activated carbon filter and a HEPA filter to remove airborne chemicals, gases, fumes, odors as well as tiny particles, dust and fibers.

Electrocorp’s air cleaners for auto body shops and garages can tackle large amounts of indoor air pollutants and help keep the air clean and healthy.

One of the most recommended air cleaners for this industry is the AirRhino, a versatile air cleaner that can be hung on the ceiling or stand on the ground and that features up to 100 lb. activated carbon filter and/or superior dust and particle filtration.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.