Indoor Air Quality Information by State December 2003
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Local Health Department Internships
Local Public Health Organizations The following links go to pages for employment, volunteering and internships for local public health departments, public health districts and local health units in Texas. A ● Abilene Taylor-County Public Health District ● Addison (City of) Developmental Services Department ● Alamo Heights (City of) ● Alice (City of) Community Development Department ● Allen (City of) Environmental Services ● Amarillo Area Public Health District ● Andrews City-CO Health Department ● Angelina County and Cities Health District ● Aransas County Environmental Health ● Arlington (City of) Environmental Health Division ● Austin Public Health B ● Balcones Heights (City of) Public Health ● Bastrop County Environmental & Sanitation Services ● Baytown Health Department ● Beaumont Public Health Department ● Bee County Health Department ● Beeville (City of) Development Services Department ● Bell County Health Department 1 Texas Health and Human Services ● hhs.texas.gov ● Bellaire (City of) ● Big Lake (City of) ● Blanco County Environmental Services ● Bosque County Courthouse ● Brady (City of) Health Inspector Office ● Brazoria County Health Department ● Brazos County Health Department ● Brown County-City of Brownwood Health Department ● Brownsville (City of) Health Department ● Burleson (City of) Environmental: volunteering, employment ● Burleson County Environmental ● Burnet County Environmental Services C ● Caldwell County Sanitation ● Cameron County Public Health ● Carrollton (City of) Environmental Svcs: volunteering, employment -
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Updated 2010
RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN HEALTH CARE, UPDATED 2010 American College of Physicians A Position Paper 2010 Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care A Summary of a Position Paper Approved by the ACP Board of Regents, April 2010 What Are the Sources of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care? The Institute of Medicine defines disparities as “racial or ethnic differences in the quality of health care that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences, and appropriateness of intervention.” Racial and ethnic minorities tend to receive poorer quality care compared with nonminorities, even when access-related factors, such as insurance status and income, are controlled. The sources of racial and ethnic health care disparities include differences in geography, lack of access to adequate health coverage, communication difficulties between patient and provider, cultural barriers, provider stereotyping, and lack of access to providers. In addition, disparities in the health care system contribute to the overall disparities in health status that affect racial and ethnic minorities. Why is it Important to Correct These Disparities? The problem of racial and ethnic health care disparities is highlighted in various statistics: • Minorities have less access to health care than whites. The level of uninsurance for Hispanics is 34% compared with 13% among whites. • Native Americans and Native Alaskans more often lack prenatal care in the first trimester. • Nationally, minority women are more likely to avoid a doctor’s visit due to cost. • Racial and ethnic minority Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with dementia are 30% less likely than whites to use antidementia medications. -
Human Service Workers Any People Experience Hardship and Need Help
Helping those in need: Human service workers any people experience hardship and need help. This help is provided by M a network of agencies and organi- zations, both public and private. Staffed by human service workers, this network, and the kinds of help it offers, is as varied as the clients it serves. “Human services tend to be as broad as the needs and problems of the cli- ent base,” says Robert Olding, president of the National Organization for Human Services in Woodstock, Georgia. Human service workers help clients become more self-sufficient. They may do this by helping them learn new skills or by recom- mending resources that allow them to care for themselves or work to overcome setbacks. These workers also help clients who are unable to care for themselves, such as children and the elderly, by coordinating the provision of their basic needs. The first section of this article explains the duties of human service workers and the types of assistance they provide. The next action. Throughout the process, they provide several sections detail the populations served clients with emotional support. by, and the occupations commonly found in, human services. Another section describes Evaluate and plan some benefits and drawbacks to the work, and Working closely with the client, human the section that follows discusses the educa- service workers identify problems and cre- Colleen tion and skills needed to enter human service ate a plan for services to help the client solve Teixeira these problems. This process—which includes occupations. The final section lists sources of Moffat additional information. -
Disparities in Health and Health Care: Five Key Questions and Answers
March 2020 | Issue Brief Disparities in Health and Health Care: Five Key Questions and Answers Samantha Artiga, Kendal Orgera, and Olivia Pham Executive Summary 1. What are health and health care disparities? Health and health care disparities refer to differences in health and health care between groups that are closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Disparities occur across many dimensions, including race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, location, gender, disability status, and sexual orientation. 2. Why do health and health care disparities matter? Disparities in health and health care not only affect the groups facing disparities, but also limit overall gains in quality of care and health for the broader population and result in unnecessary costs. Addressing health disparities is increasingly important as the population becomes more diverse. It is projected that people of color will account for over half (52%) of the population in 2050. 3. What is the current status of disparities? Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA) lead to large coverage gains, some groups remain at higher risk of being uninsured, lacking access to care, and experiencing worse health outcomes. For example, as of 2018, Hispanics are two and a half times more likely to be uninsured than Whites (19.0% vs. 7.5%) and individuals with incomes below poverty are four times as likely to lack coverage as those with incomes at 400% of the federal poverty level or above (17.3% vs. 4.3%). 4. What are key initiatives to address disparities? The ACA’s coverage expansions and funding for community health centers increased access to coverage and care for many groups facing disparities, and other provisions explicitly focused on reducing disparities. -
Healthy Climate® Indoor Air Quality Systems
HEPA Bypass Air Filtration Systems Healthy Climate® Indoor Air Quality Systems HEPA-20 HEPA-40 HEPA-60 The best possible air filtration. High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filtration Systems ® 99.97% efficiency rating Pollutants like dust, pollen, bacteria and viruses find their way into your for removal of all small, home’s air every day. These pollutants can cause poor indoor air quality, breathable particles, airborne mold spores, bacteria and which impacts both your home environment and health. At the very least, Place. viruses, down to 0.3 micron poor air quality can make your home uncomfortable. And, if you’re one of Bypass configuration quietly circulates and cleans the air more than 50 million Americans who suffer from allergies, poor air quality throughout the home can make your home very unhealthy. Designed for easy integration BETTER with Lennox® heating and HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AIR FILTRATION FOR A CLEANER, cooling systems for total HEALTHIER HOME ENVIRONMENT. home comfort …A A Healthy Climate® high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) bypass filtration Best possible air-filtration performance system can go a long way toward improving the air you breathe. Using the same filtration technology found in hospital operating rooms and HOME science labs, a HEPA system removes nearly all allergy-inducing contaminants, including even the smallest particles and bacteria. It filters and freshens the air, so you can breathe easier. Highly effective filtration. THREE CLASSES OF AIR CONTAMINANTS Lennox makes your With a particle-efficiency rating of 99.97%, this system captures and Particles—Pollen, dust mites, dirt, pet dander. filters particles and bioaerosols as Particles are any small as 0.3 micron—contaminants substances measuring less than 100 microns that standard filtration systems in diameter. -
ASHRAE Position Document on Filtration and Air Cleaning
ASHRAE Position Document on Filtration and Air Cleaning Approved by ASHRAE Board of Directors January 29, 2015 Reaffirmed by Technology Council January 13, 2018 Expires January 23, 2021 ASHRAE 1791 Tullie Circle, NE • Atlanta, Georgia 30329-2305 404-636-8400 • fax: 404-321-5478 • www.ashrae.org © 2015 ASHRAE (www.ashrae.org). For personal use only. Additional reproduction, distribution, or transmission in either print or digital form is not permitted without ASHRAE's prior written permission. COMMITTEE ROSTER The ASHRAE Position Document on Filtration and Air Cleaning was developed by the Society's Filtration and Air Cleaning Position Document Committee formed on January 6, 2012, with Pawel Wargocki as its chair. Pawel Wargocki, Chair Dean A. Saputa Technical University of Denmark UV Resources Kongens Lyngby, Denmark Santa Clarita, CA Thomas H. Kuehn William J. Fisk University of Minnesota Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Minneapolis, MN Berkeley, CA H.E. Barney Burroughs Jeffrey A. Siegel Building Wellness Consultancy, Inc. The University of Toronto Johns Creek, GA Toronto, ON, Canada Christopher O. Muller Mark C. Jackson Purafil Inc. The University of Texas at Austin Doraville, GA Austin, TX Ernest A. Conrad Alan Veeck BOMA International National Air Filtration Association Washington DC Virginia Beach, VA Other contributors: Dean Tompkins Madison, WI for his contribution on photocatalytic oxidizers Paul Francisco, Ex-Officio Cognizant Committee Chair Environmental Health Committee University of Illinois Champaign, IL ASHRAE is a registered trademark in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, owned by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. © 2015 ASHRAE (www.ashrae.org). For personal use only. -
Improving Air Quality for Operators of Mobile Machines in Underground Mines
atmosphere Article Improving Air Quality for Operators of Mobile Machines in Underground Mines Andrzej Szczurek 1, Monika Maciejewska 1,*, Marcin Przybyła 2 and Wacław Szetelnicki 2 1 Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrze˙zeWyspia´nskiego27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland; [email protected] 2 Centrum Bada´nJako´scisp. zo. o., ul. M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 62, 59-301 Lubin, Poland; [email protected] (M.P.); [email protected] (W.S.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-7132-028-68 Received: 12 November 2020; Accepted: 9 December 2020; Published: 18 December 2020 Abstract: In underground mines, mobile mining equipment is critical for the production system. The microenvironment inside the mobile machine may cause exposure to strongly polluted mine air, which adversely affects the health and working performance of the operator. Harmful pollutants may access the cabin together with the ventilation air delivered from the machine’s surroundings. This work proposes a solution that is able to ensure that the air for the machine operator is of proper quality. The proposal emerged from an analysis of the compliance of cabins of mobile machines working underground in mines with occupational health and safety (H&S) standards. An analytical model of air quality in a well-mixed zone was utilized for this purpose. The cabin atmosphere was investigated with regard to the concentration of gaseous species in the surrounding air, the cabin ventilation rate, and human breathing parameters. The analysis showed that if currently available ventilation approaches are used, compliance with multiple H&S standards cannot be attained inside the cabin if standards are exceeded in the surroundings of the machine. -
Security, Disease, Commerce: Ideologies of Postcolonial Global Health Nicholas B
Special Issue: Postcolonial Technoscience ABSTRACT Public health in the United States and Western Europe has long been allied with national security and international commerce. During the 1990s, American virologists and public health experts capitalized on this historical association, arguing that ‘emerging diseases’ presented a threat to American political and economic interests. This paper investigates these arguments, which I call the ‘emerging diseases worldview’, and compares it to colonial-era ideologies of medicine and public health. Three points of comparison are emphasized: the mapping of space and relative importance of territoriality; the increasing emphasis on information and commodity exchange networks; and the transition from metaphors of conversion and a ‘civilizing mission’, to integration and international development. Although colonial and postcolonial ideologies of global health remain deeply intertwined, significant differences are becoming apparent. Keywords emerging diseases, exchange, information, networks, pharmaceuticals, public health Security, Disease, Commerce: Ideologies of Postcolonial Global Health Nicholas B. King In April 2000, the Clinton administration, citing domestic political pres- sure and awareness of an emergent international health threat, formally designated HIV/AIDS a threat to American national security. Earlier that year, a National Intelligence Council (NIC) estimate projected that the disease would reduce human life expectancy in Sub-Saharan Africa by as much as 30 years, and kill as much -
Indoor Air Quality
Indoor Air Quality Poor indoor air quality can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, headache, burning eyes, or skin rash. People with asthma or other breathing problems or who have allergies may have severe reactions. Common Indoor Air Pollutants Poor indoor air quality comes from many sources, including: » Tobacco smoke » Mold » Pollen » Allergens such as those from cats, dogs, mice, dust mites, and cockroaches » Smoke from fireplaces and woodstoves » Formaldehyde in building materials, textiles, and furniture » Carbon monoxide from gas furnaces, ovens, and other appliances » Use of household products such as cleaners and bug sprays » Outdoor air pollution from factories, vehicles, wildfires, and other sources How to Improve Indoor Air Quality » Open windows to let in fresh air. • However, if you have asthma triggered by outdoor air pollution or pollen, opening windows might not be a good idea. In this case, use exhaust fans and non-ozone-producing air cleaners to reduce exposure to these triggers. » Clean often to get rid of dust, pet fur, and other allergens. • Use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter. • Wet or damp mopping is better than sweeping. » Take steps to control mold and pests. » Do not smoke, and especially do not smoke indoors. If you think poor indoor air is making you sick, please see or call a doctor or other health care provider. About CDC CDC is a federal public health agency based in Atlanta, GA. Our mission is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability. For More Information We want to help you to stay healthy. -
Diagnosing IAQ Problems
Diagnosing IAQ Problems he goal of the diagnostic building T Start (reason for concern) investigation is to identify and solve the indoor air quality complaint in a way that t 6 prevents it from recurring and that does not Initial walkthrough n preparation create other problems. This section n visual inspection describes a method for discovering the n talk with occupants and staff cause of the complaint and presents a t “toolbox” of diagnostic activities to assist Do you have Yes you in collecting information. an explanation Just as a carpenter uses only the tools for the complaint ? that are needed for any given job, an IAQ No investigator should use only the investiga- t Collect additional tive techniques that are needed. Many information about indoor air quality complaints can be n building occupants resolved without using all of the diagnostic n the HVAC system n pollutant pathways tools described in this chapter. For n pollutant sources example, it may be easy to identify the (sample contaminants if needed) source of cooking odors that are annoying t nearby office workers and solve the Develop one or more hypotheses problem by controlling pressure relation- to explain the problem. Test by ships (e.g., installing exhaust fans) in the manipulating building conditions or exposure, or by performing food preparation area. Similarly, most appropriate tests. mechanical or carpentry problems prob- ably require only a few of the many tools t t you have available and are easily accom- Do results Attempt plished with in-house expertise. No Yes Follow-up support your a control validation The use of in-house personnel builds hypothesis ? strategy skills that will be helpful in minimizing and resolving future problems. -
WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality : Selected Pollutants
WHO GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY WHO GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY: WHO GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY: This book presents WHO guidelines for the protection of pub- lic health from risks due to a number of chemicals commonly present in indoor air. The substances considered in this review, i.e. benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (especially benzo[a]pyrene), radon, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethyl- ene, have indoor sources, are known in respect of their hazard- ousness to health and are often found indoors in concentrations of health concern. The guidelines are targeted at public health professionals involved in preventing health risks of environmen- SELECTED CHEMICALS SELECTED tal exposures, as well as specialists and authorities involved in the design and use of buildings, indoor materials and products. POLLUTANTS They provide a scientific basis for legally enforceable standards. World Health Organization Regional Offi ce for Europe Scherfi gsvej 8, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Tel.: +45 39 17 17 17. Fax: +45 39 17 18 18 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.euro.who.int WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: selected pollutants The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn Office, WHO Regional Office for Europe coordinated the development of these WHO guidelines. Keywords AIR POLLUTION, INDOOR - prevention and control AIR POLLUTANTS - adverse effects ORGANIC CHEMICALS ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE - adverse effects GUIDELINES ISBN 978 92 890 0213 4 Address requests for publications of the WHO Regional Office for Europe to: Publications WHO Regional Office for Europe Scherfigsvej 8 DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Alternatively, complete an online request form for documentation, health information, or for per- mission to quote or translate, on the Regional Office web site (http://www.euro.who.int/pubrequest). -
Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality
Factors Affecting Indoor Air Quality The indoor environment in any building the categories that follow. The examples is a result of the interaction between the given for each category are not intended to site, climate, building system (original be a complete list. 2 design and later modifications in the Sources Outside Building structure and mechanical systems), con- struction techniques, contaminant sources Contaminated outdoor air (building materials and furnishings, n pollen, dust, fungal spores moisture, processes and activities within the n industrial pollutants building, and outdoor sources), and n general vehicle exhaust building occupants. Emissions from nearby sources The following four elements are involved n exhaust from vehicles on nearby roads Four elements— in the development of indoor air quality or in parking lots, or garages sources, the HVAC n loading docks problems: system, pollutant n odors from dumpsters Source: there is a source of contamination pathways, and or discomfort indoors, outdoors, or within n re-entrained (drawn back into the occupants—are the mechanical systems of the building. building) exhaust from the building itself or from neighboring buildings involved in the HVAC: the HVAC system is not able to n unsanitary debris near the outdoor air development of IAQ control existing air contaminants and ensure intake thermal comfort (temperature and humidity problems. conditions that are comfortable for most Soil gas occupants). n radon n leakage from underground fuel tanks Pathways: one or more pollutant pathways n contaminants from previous uses of the connect the pollutant source to the occu- site (e.g., landfills) pants and a driving force exists to move n pesticides pollutants along the pathway(s).