I i\doc-- co( pc,\ ecent studies by EPA and other • Combustion sources. Gas cooking Home and R federal agencies have uncovered stoves, woodstoves, kerosene heaters, surprising, sometimes disturbing, facts and other unvented heating and cooking about the size, scope, and sources of units that employ combustion are major Office: Shelter indoor air pollution. sources of indoor pollutants such as Exposure to indoor pollutants takes carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and or Threat? place in residences, public and private particulate matter. buildings, and vehicles—collectively Another major combustion source is classified as "indoor environments." environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The home, workplace, school, This term refers to tobacco smoke automobile—virtually any enclosed released in an indoor environment. It is s by Rembert Brown structure—contains hundreds of potential also sometimes called "passive sources of air pollutants, both natural smoking." Chemicals in environmental and manmade. tobacco smoke include particulates, Most people today spend about 90 benzene, styrene, nicotine, and a percent of their time in environments of number of other substances. ETS is this kind. Such prolonged exposure believed to pose a significant risk to explains, in part, the high levels of health, especially among spouses and exposure to indoor air pollutants that children of smokers. take place. = Materials and furnishings. Building Also contributing is the general materials may be the source of asbestos, "tightening" of buildings—residential formaldehyde, and other volatile organic and other—that has taken place since chemicals (VOCs). In particular, paints the 1970s in the national effort to and adhesives are major sources of reduce heating and cooling costs. VOCs. Buildings are much better sealed and insulated than they used to be. During • Biological contaminants. Molds, that same energy crunch, heating and spores, bacteria, and viruses find air-conditioning engineers cut back on breeding grounds—and transport the amount of fresh air per building mechanisms—in auto and building air occupant. These factors have combined conditioners, humidifiers, ventilation to increase personal exposure to indoor systems, and building materials. air pollutants. • Human activities. The use of many "Sick building syndrome" is the name common household products such as given the health symptoms caused when pesticides, paints, solvents, cleaning occupants of modern energy-efficient agents, air fresheners, and toilet buildings have been exposed to indoor deodorants may release significant air pollutants. These symptoms can amounts of indoor pollutants. Taking a mimic those of many diseases, ranging hot shower can even release low levels from colds and flu to more serious of radon and chloroform. disorders. Victims have reported headache, eye irritation, sinus problems, • Ambient (outdoor) environment. runny nose, cough, shortness of breath, Several indoor pollutants, among them arid nausea. Complaints have occurred radon, some termiticides, and in offices, schools, health-care facilities, combustion products from automobiles, and modern buildings of other types. In originate outdoors but can collect and concentrate indoors in residences, addition, some well-recognized diseases— "Legionnaire's Disease" schools, and other buildings. among them—can be spread through Consult the box on "Indoor Air ventilating systems. Highlights" for specifics about major indoor air pollutants, their sources and Key Exposure Sources effects, and what steps you can take to deal with them.•• -- A number of commonly occurring chemicals and other substances are How Big a Problem is Iiidocir Air associated with sick building syndrome Pollution? . and other ailments related to indoor air Since people spend the greater part of quality problems. To help bring future their day—and their various research efforts into proper focus, EPA . indoor environments.; it is of compelling has pinpointed several key categories of - importance,to'seek accurate and early pollutants and sources within enclosed 1 informatiori about the extent to which environments:. . people are exposed to indoor air pollutants; the health effects which .4 those exposures_ may cause, and actions people can take to reduce their risk. •

„St yarr:t , EPA JOURNAL Microenvironments

as Ass

Total Pollutant exposure Pollutant exposure 1. Pollutant exposure Pollutant exposure Human Exposure in residences in outdoor air -1- in buildings in vehicles to Air Pollution (office, school, etc.) (car, plane, train, etc.) •

Most people spend about 90 percent of their time inside a home, school, office, car, or other closed structure. In these enclosed spaces, they may be exposed to hundreds of natural and man-made pollutants daily.

EPA has conducted a major study Results of the study clearly suggest coordinating EPA's indoor air activities, which has uncovered some surprising the major sources of these chemicals are assisting in setting research priorities, and sometimes disturb.ng facts about to be found either in the home or in and carrying out the Agency's the size, scope, and so -irces of indoor personal activities. responsibilities for disseminating air pollution. "TEAM," which stands for Common activities such as smoking, information about indoor air quality. Total Exposure Assessment driving, painting, pumping gas, using They work in conjunction with the Methodology, is an investigation begun air fresheners and moth repellents, Office of Research and Development, by EPA in 1979. visiting a dry cleaner, and even taking which has a staff of 15 and a budget of Several thousand rat domly selected hot showers can sometimes dramatically approximately S3 million devoted to individuals were screened for age, sex, increase one's exposure to these indoor air research. smoking habits, and occupations until a chemicals. The goal of EPA's Indoor Air Program pool of 600 individuals was located in The TEAM study continues, and has is to provide information to seven U.S. cities. Individuals selected been expanded to cover about 40 homeowners, consumers, state and local for the study were ther fitted with vest pollutants, including carbon monoxide, governments, architects, building samplers that collected about 20 volatile pesticides, and particulates as well as managers, and others so these groups organic pollutants, including benzene, some previously untested volatile can make informed choices about how chloroform, and other s olvents, for later organic chemicals. Early findings have they.can reduce exposure to indoor air analysis in a laboratory. been released to the public and pollution. Participants were asked to answer a Congressional officials. Over the next year, in conjunction questionnaire detailing their activities The variety of chemicals and with organizations in the public and during the day. They also provided substances involved, coupled with private sector, the program will: samples of their household water and variations - in the levels of individual • Develop a booklet for the general allowed their breath to be analyzed for a exposure to them, makes risk public about indoor air quality. large range of pollutants. In addition, assessment a formidable task. Often some household backyards were there is more than one source for a • Develop a technical manual about equipped with fixed-sib air monitors to given pollutant, or a variety of different environmental tobacco smoke. compare measurements of personal pollutants from different sources can • Develop a technical manual about exposure to those of ambient outdoor interact in the same indoor diagnosing, mitigating, and preventing air. environment, with results that are building-related illnesses. Analysis of the exposure data difficult to predict. However, the • Prepare a directory of state agencies indicated that personal exposure to Agency's Comparative Risk Project has involved in indoor air activities. many chemicals was usually greater, estimated that the risks from indoor air often much greater, than outdoor pollution are among the top five • Provide leadership for the Interagency concentrations of the pollutants. For environmental problems. Committee on Indoor Air Quality every one of the dozen or so prevalent (CIAQ), the group that coordinates chemicals, the mean personal exposures EPA's Indoor Air Program federal indoor air activities. exceeded outdoor concentrations by 200 • Report to Congress by October 1988 to 500 percent. This was true even in Steadily accumulating data about the about EPA's findings and the two most concentra:ed chemical importance of indoor air pollution recommendations concerning indoor air. manufacturing and petroleum refining convinced EPA of the need for an areas in the study: Baycnne-Elizabeth, Indoor Air Program. At present, the The Indoor Air Research Program has New jersey, and Los Angeles, California. Agency's program consists of a small, among its priorities the following: new, and intensely busy group of five people with an annual budget of $200,000. Part of the Office of Air and Radiation's program development unit, EPA's indoor air group is charged with

DECEMBER 1987 3 • Developing more sophisticated and • Implement non-regulatory programs standardized methods for identifying such as technical assistance, training, Indoor Air the causes and remedies for indoor and information dissemination aimed at pollution. building the capacity of state and local Highlights • Conducting studies in test chambers governments, the private sector, and and test houses to measure pollution members of the public to take There are many different sources of from potential sources and the appropriate actions. indoor air pollution, and many effectiveness of proposed mitigation • Refer problems to other federal different ways of dealing with the techniques. agencies with relevant authority. problems they pose. In general, however, the primary mechanisms for • • Request separate indoor air regulatory Assessing the health effects of improving indoor air quality entail exposure to low levels of mixtures of authority from Congress if appropriate. eliminating, reducing, or sealing volatile organic compounds and Asbestos and radon, two of the most sources of pollution. environmental tobacco smoke. frequently encountered indoor air When a home or other building has These formidable tasks came to EPA pollutants with serious health a low rate of ventilation to start with, in 1986 as part of that year's Superfund ramifications, are the subject of major the use of a mechanical heat recovery amendments. These responsibilities are programs carried out by other offices at ventilation system (also called an largely in addition to other specific EPA. As a result of special funding from air-to-air heat exchanger) can be quite indoor air pollution targets, such as Congress, efforts to reduce exposure effective in reducing the concentration radon, asbestos, formaldehyde, and levels for both these indoor air of multiple pollutants without pesticides. contaminants are well advanced. substantially increasing energy costs. The Agency's recently expressed The future will undoubtedly bring Air cleaners such as high-efficiency policy on indoor air pollution calls for other indoor pollutants into the particulate filters, negative ion EPA to identify significant indoor air spotlight as scientific knowledge and generators, and electrostatic problems and, where appropriate, to public awareness of the various aspects precipitators—used separately or in carry out one or more of the following of this multi-faceted - problem continue series—can be effective in reducing mitigation actions: to grow. 0 particulates. Care should be taken, • Issue regulations under existing (Brown is a Writer/Editor in the however, to select air cleaners which will provide adequate air flow and can statutes including the Toxic Substances EPA Office of Public Affairs.) Control Act, the Federal Insecticide, be easily maintained. Many devices do Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, and the Non-smokers are exposed in some not do an adequate job of removing Safe Drinking Water Act. buildings to large quantities of particles,_and only a few systems have environmental tobacco smoke, known been demonstrated effective against as ETS. gaseous pollutants. lEnvironmental Tobacco Smoke Sources: Cigarettes, cigars, pipes. . .Effects: Numerous—because of the •wide variety of harmful chemicals in the smoke—including eye;--throat, and lung irritation; increased long-term risks of lung cancer, emphysema, and cardiovascular disease by "passive - smokers Steps You Can Take: Quit/prohibit smoking or limit indoor smoking to one area that is directly vented to the 'outdoors.

4 EPA JOURNAL

Indoor Air—How Clean Is It? Contaminants in Homes and Offices Pose a Serious, Growing Health Threat Still, even with limited funds, the EPA is unvented or poorly maintained gas By Larry B. Stammer -• calling for studies to pin down the health appliances. Special to The Washington Post effects of indoor pollution. It also is seeking ■ Chemicals that are known animal carcin- ways to reduce indoor contaminants as well I ogens or toxics are often found at very low ver since Congress authorized the as a joint effort by government and industry 1 levels in air fresheners, shoe .polish, paints, Clean Air Act in 1970, the nation \ to-develop a voluntary program to upgrade I printed materials, household cleaners, sol- has marshaled its political, eco- building ventilation standards as well as i vents. moth balls and dry-cleaned clothes. nomic and technological forces to' building design, arialltiftry4pperation and .at_ An estimated 84 percent of U.S. house- Erid the skies of health-threatening air - holds use home 'pesticides, many of which pollution. maintenance of heating, aieconditioning and ventilation systems. have never been tested to determine- their Billions of dollars have been spent to con- 1 health effects. • trol emissions from motor vehicles, facto- In a report made public in December, the EPA compared risks of 20 different enviro- The World Health Organization has es- ries, refineries and power plants. Still timated that as many as 30 percent of new stricter standards are planned. mental problems. Radon, indoor air pollu- tion and pesticide residues on foods pose and remodeled buildings may be plagued by Yet a growing body of scientific evidence indoor air quality problems—an estimate suggests that indoor contaminants may pose the greatest health risk but received the least amount of federal spending, the report borne out by widespread reports of "sick the most pervasive air pollution threat of all. building" illnesses, including workers at the Concentrations of some toxic, cancer-causing said. Toxic dumps and leaking underground gasoline storage tanks pose far less risk but EPA's own headquarters in Washington. and mutagenic pollutants found indoors are up . EPA researchers theorize that, based on to 100 times greater indoors tian they are receive the most money and attention from the EPA, the study said. available data, indoor pollution, including outdoors. They far exceed limits placed on the- secondhand tobacco smoke, may account same pollutants in outdoor air ly the federal "We concentrate on the big visible sources, chemical plants and oil refineries for as many as 11,400 deaths yearly. Radon Clean Air Act. ,and outdoor air, but the true exposures are exposures may result in 3,000 to 20,000 ,.' ..From tobacco smoke and radioactive ra- the little things under your nose," said additional deaths. don gas to molds, fungi, -come ustion prod- Lance -Wallace, an EPA scientist who has It wasn't until 1985 that the magnitude of ucts and everyday household products such pioneered studies aimed at determining the the indoor pollution threat became readily as air fresheners and pesticides, humans are . "total exposure" to pollutants from all apparent. A five-year EPA study surveyed being exposed in their homes, offices and • sources, both outdoors and indoors. • 600 individuals in six cities to find out what vehicles to thousands of chemical and bio--1 The EPA has estimated that indoor pol-- . their exposure was to 20 different chem- logical agents. ,..:1 lution may cost "tens of billions" of dollars icals, some of which have been linked to Couple these concentrations with the factA annually when medical spending and lost cancer and birth defects. that most people spend 80 percent to 90 productivity are added up. The Consumer:: Researchers were startled by the find- percent of their time in increasingly tight, Federation of America has placed the costs • ings. It did not matter whether the study energy-efficient buildings, ane indoor . pol- as high as $100 billion a year. participants lived next to an oil refinery Or- lution becomes especially worr some. A bewildering array of organic com- in a pristine rural setting. Indoor concen- How worrisome remains an open ques- pounds from household products form the trations of the 20 chemical compounds stud-. tion. Aside from the severe effe..cts of indoor catalog of indoor pollution threats: ied were almost always higher, often by.10 pollutants like. asbestos,. lead and carbon ■ Asbestos, found in cement and insulation, times or more, than they were outdoors. monoxide, little is known about the he can lead to lung cancer or asbestosis, a chronic Peak concentrations in some homes were threat posed by other common pollutants. lung ailment. Numerous _asbestos_ abatement. 200 to 500 times higher than outdoorS. Still, scientists say that it is reasonable to programs are underway in schools and public. .1 -• Blood samples and breath tests revealed conclude that as exposures increase in- buildings. Last July, the EPA banned most re- that participants from rural areas were bur= doors, so do the risks. In fact, in a report to maining uses of asbestos. dened with as much chemical contaminants Congress last year, the Enviro.unental Pro- ■ Lead, which retards intellectual and emo- irrtheir systems as urban dwellers—a fact tection Agency noted: "Suffici!nt evidence tional development in children, can be found researchers said could only point to exists to conclude that indoor air pollution in older plumbing and in household dust as indoor sources of pollution common in ev- represents a major portion of the public's fold paint deteriorates or is chipped away Irry household. exposure to air pollution and may pose se- during remodeling. Wallace said that 37 participants in the rious acute and chronic health risks." ■ Radon, a radioactive gas, invades homes air pollution exposure studies who filled According to estimates by some individ- . through cracks in the foundation and is the their own gasoline tanks at self-service _ ual researchers, indoor pollutic n could rank nation's second-leading cause of lung can- pumps had twice as much benzene in their . 1mong the top. 10 causes of death in the- cer. It may be present at levels the EPA. . breath two to five hours after filling up the United States. considers unsafe in as many as 12 million gas tank as 300 other participants who did"" - • Scientists for years have appealed to the U.S. homes. not ■ fill their own tanks. But, Wallace added EPA for greater attention to indoor pollu- Formaldehyde, a probable human cancer- that "the most important exposure to ben- tion issues. During the Reagan administra- causing agent, wafts from foam insulation, zene is cigarettes." tion, EPA requests for research funds were plywood and particle board. Benzene levels in homes with smokers ■ repeatedly reduced, and the 3ush admin- Benzene, a known human carcinogen, is were 30 percent to 50 percent higher than istration has allowed only mod€ st increases. emitted by synthetic fibers, plastics and in nonsmoking households. Smokers and While the EPA staff has estimated that some cleaning solutions. It is also present in those around them are exposed to an esti- $20 million a year would be needed for in- gasoline fumes and cigarette smoke. mated 4,600 chemical constituents in cig- door air pollution research, the Bush admin- a Nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide anti arette smoke, a number of them cancer- istration this year is spending only $2.68 fine particulates that can cause respirator) causing. Various studies have estimated million. illnesses spew from: kerosene heaters an that enviromental tobacco smokp may ar.. mnt-fur upwards . of 5,000 deaths a year In a large number of cases we among nonsmokers. see it's going to be pretty much Indeed, EPA scientist James L. Repace up to individuals to make their has said that the risks of indoor air pollution own choices as to what steps from tobacco smoke to nonsmokers are al- they should or shouldn't take to most twice as great as from radon gas, and reduce their exposure to indoor more than a hundred times as great as the air pollution," said Robert Axel- :otal death rate from all cancer-causing haz rad, director of the EPA's indoor irdous outdoor air pollutants regulated by air division. :he EPA under the Clean Air Act. "These kinds of health risks Each year, there are 200,000 emergency have been there all along. We -oorn admissions for allergies; one third of just haven't realized it," said hem are believed to be caused by micro- John Holmes, chief of the Cali- )iological contaminants found indoors, ac- fornia Air Resource Board's re- :ording to Harriet: Burge, the director of search division. "But slowly the University of Michigan's al we're getting the results from lergy research laboratories at what is a gigantic experiment. Aim Arbor. As it becomes clear what the Biological contaminants can risks are, at least on a selective thrive in building ventilation sys- basis, society will move to re-: tems that are poorly maintained duce or severely limit those or designed. They also can pro- risks." ■ liferate in hot water systems if (c) 1989, Los Angeles Times . water is not kept at tempera- tures of at least 113 Fahrenheit. Formaldehyde, which is widely used in building materials and fur- nishings, can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, coughing, skin MEM detlegiregtar•■ •■ rashes, headaches, dizziness, nau- MBE INDOOR AIR POLLUTION sea, vomiting and nosebleeds. It POTENTIAL HAZARDS IN THE HOUSE also causes nasal cancer in rats AND IN THE WORK PLACE' and is thus a suspected human 1. MOISTURE " carcinogen. 2. PRESSED WOOD FURNITURE/ Generally, the newer the PLYWOOD / • building material or furnishings, : HUMIDIFIER the higher the formaldehyde gas 4. HOUSE DUST MITES . emissions. High temperatures 5. DRY CLEANED GOODS and humidity can compound the . 6. MOTH REPELLENTS * problem. 7. PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS ; 8. AIR FRESHENER Reducing or eliminating ex- 9, FOAM PADDING =me. mamIl••• saw= msamm, posure to indoor contaminants is wimp mowli mt on.... 10. PANELING ' mid amim.I mos often fairly straightforward. It ovaa TOBACCO SMOKE; could involve changes in behav- 12. CARPETS/ ior as obvious as stopping smok- 13. PRESSED WOOD SUBFLOORING ing (or only smoking outdoors) 14. DRAPES • or making certain that ventila-1 15: WOOD STOVE/FIREPLACE. . 16.: HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS tion systems are properly main- 17: ASBESTOS FLOOR TILES taine$ and operated. 18. PRESSED WOOD CABINETS/ " Ordinary house plants can help, ' PLYWOOD " a study by the National Aeronau- 19. UNVENTED GAS STOVE tics and Space administration 20. ASBESTOS PIPE WRAP/INSULATIC found. The study said that philo- , .21: RADON • • - dendrons, spider plants and the 22. UNVENTED CLOTHES DRYER golden pothos were most effec- .23. KEROSENE HEATER ' 24. PESTICIDES/DISINFECTANTS/ , tive at absorbing formaldehyde, CLEANERS • • * - while flowers like the gerbera 25. STORED HOBBY PRODUCTS/, daisy and chrysanthemums re- AEROSOLS/GLUES `. duced levels of benzene. Bamboo 26. PAINT SUPPLIES/SOLVENTS NOTE: Pollutants also include: viruses; bacteria; fungi; mercury and lead STORED .FUELS • • • '. palm, English ivy, peace lily, formaldehyde chloroform. 28 .. CAR EXHAUST/CARBON MONOXIC mother-in-law's tongue and Chin- SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ese evergreen also proved to be effective -air purifiers, the study said. Consumers can substitute saf- er products for those that give off toxic chemicals, and carefully follow directions on the use and storage of pesticides, paints and solvents.

Pesticides (products that kill household pests). Remedy: Use nonchemical methods o f pest control HEATING & COOLING o live more safely and stay healthy, we often r11 where possible. Follow manufacturer's directions. Mix SYSTEMS take simple steps to protect ourselves and our or dilute outdoors. Open windows when using indoors. families. Smoke detectors alert us about the Air Conditioner. Take plants or pets outside when applying pesticides. Remedy: Empty potential for fire. Parents childproof their homes to Do not store pesticides inside home. Clean shoes and and clean water tray often. Follow protect their inquisitive toddlers. Yet, few of us hands to avoid tracking pesticides indoors. Call EPA all service and maintenance procedures, including recognize that the air we breathe inside our homes changing filter. See How Healthy at 1-800-858-PEST for more information. See 13 a can make us feel tired or dizzy, make our eyes itch of our throats feel scratchy, bring on an asthma attack, Furnace. Remedy: Have your heating system in- Stored Fuels (e.g. gasoline, kerosene). Remedy: Buy spread an infectious disease, or even, over a long limited quantities. Use well-sealed containers. Do not spected and serviced every year. Repair fuel or gas period of time, contribute to our risk of cancer. store inside home. See a leaks promptly. Follow service and maintenance guid- Is The Air ance, including changing filter. See You may be surprised to leirn that the air inside your home may be more seriously polluted than the BASEMENT OR Fireplace. Remedy: Open flue when fireplace is in outdoor air, even if you live in a large industrial city. GROUND FLOOR use. Have flue and chimney inspected annually for In Your This, coupled with the fact that you spend a large blocks, leaks, or other damage. See 33 amount of time inside your home, makes indoor air Asbestos Pipe Wrap & quality a health concern. Some people, such as the Furnace Insulation. Remedy: See Gas Space Heater. Remedy: In room where heater young, the elderly, and the chronically ill, are even All Rooms: Floor Tiles Containing Asbestos. See is located: open a door to the rest of the house; turn more seriously affected. Fortunately, there are simple on exhaust fan; and open a window slightly. See Home? steps you can take to reduce your exposure to indoor Dehumidifier. Remedy: Empty and clean water tray pollutants. often. See Kerosene Heater. Remedy: Vent to outside. Only use fuel recommended by manufacturer. Refill out- Ground Moisture. Remedy: Clean and disinfect side. If using unvented, open a door to the rest of the How To Use This Checklist basement floor drain regularly. Keep basement dry house and open a window slightly. See 33 and free of moisture and mildew. See a Use the following room-by-room guide to check Woodstove. Remedy: Vent to outside. Choose a for indoor pollutants. In each room, we have listed Radon. Remedy: Test your home for radon—do it properly sized woodstove that is certified to meet EPA different household products, the indoor air problems yourself kits are easy and inexpensive. Fix your home emission standards. Make certain all woodstove doors associated with them, and remedies intended to help if your radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or fit tightly. Use aged or cured (dried) wood only; never decrease your family's exposure to indoor pollutants. higher. For more information, contact your state radon use pressure-treated wood. Follow manufacturer's A summary of adverse health effects or symptoms office or call I-800-SOS-RADON. See directions. See 33 33 associated with different pollutants is also included. This information is not intended to replace the Stored Hobby Products (e.g. paint, glue, epoxy). services, advice, or consultation of a physician. Remedy: Follow manufacturer's directions. Use For more information on reducing indoor air outdoors, if possible. Indoors, open window or use problems in the home, contact: Indoor Air Quality exhaust fan. Reseal containers well. Clean brushes Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-438-4318. Ask KITCHEN for a free copy of The Inside Story: A Guide to and other materials outside. See Indoor Air Quality Operators are also able to answer A Room—by—Room Checklist questions and supply more information about specific Household Cleaners. Remedy: Unvented Clothes Dryer. Remedy: Vent to indoor pollutants found in your home. for Your Home's Indoor Air Open window. Use according to outdoors. See 13 33 if gas-fired dryer. manufacturer's directions. See 13 Funding for this document was provided through a cooperative agreement with he U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency. Moisture from Cooking & Dishwasher Use. CONSUMER FEDERATION OF AMERICA Remedy: Install and use exhaust fan. See Pressed-Wood Cabinets. Remedy: See Living pressed-wood furniture or cabinetry, ask about Carpets. Remedy: Clean and dry or remove water- Environmental Tobacco Smoke (from cigarette, pipe, Room: Paneling, Pressed-Wood, Cabinetry. See formaldehyde content and release. Some types of damaged carpets promptly. If installing new carpet, ask and cigar smoking). Remedy: Do not smoke in your pressed-wood products, such as those with phenol resin, your retailer to air out the carpet before installation. home or permit others to do so (especially near Unvented Gas Stove & Range. Remedy: Keep emit less formaldehyde. Also, pressed-wood products Ask for low-emitting adhesives, if adhesives are children). I f smoking cannot be avoided, open burners properly adjusted (blue flame tip, not yellow). coated with polyurethane or laminates may reduce form- needed. Leave the premises during and after installa- windows or use exhaust fans. See 13 S3 Install and use exhaust fan. Never use a gas stove to aldehyde emissions. After installation, open windows. tion. Open doors and windows; use window fans or heat your home. See El Maintain moderate temperature and humidity. See room air conditioners. Vacuum regularly. See Floor Tiles Containing Asbestos. Remedy: resulting from water damage; a from new carpet. Periodically inspect for damage or deterioration. Do BATHROOM ALL ROOMS not cut, rip, sand, or remove any asbestos-containing ggr Draperies. Remedy: New draperies may be treated materials. If you plan to make changes that might disturb the asbestos, or if materials are more than Air Freshener. Remedy: Open Animals (dander, hair, feather, or skin). with a formaldehyde-based finish and may emit form- slightly damaged, repair or removal by a professional i rr) window or use exhaust fan instead. Remedy: Clean house regularly. aldehyde for a short time. Open doors and windows. needed. Call EPA at 202-554-1404 for more !fusing air fresheners, follow See Maintain moderate temperature and humidity. See 12 information. See 13 directions. See a

House Dust Mites. Remedy: Clean house and Moisture, Mold & Mildew. Remedy: Install and use Health Effects of Common Indoor Pollutants exhaust fan. Fix plumbing leaks promptly. See 13 vacuum regularly. Wash bedding in hot water. See a

Personal Care Products (e.g. hair spray, nail polish). 13 ASBESTOS: No immediate symptoms, but long term respiratory tract infections (bronchitis, pneumonia) and ear infec- Lead-Based Paint (if manufactured before 1978). Remedy: Open window or use exhaust fan. risk of chest and abdominal cancers and lung diseases. tions; increased severity and frequency of asthma episodes; de- Remedy: Leave lead-based paint undisturbed if it is in creased lung function. Follow directions for use. See a Smokers are at higher risk of developing asbestos-induced good condition. Do not sand, bum off, or remove lead lung cancer. paint yourself; to remove, hire a person with special FORMALDEHYDE: A widely used chemical in house- training for correcting lead paint problems. For more BIOLOGICALS: Includes allergens (mold, mildew, hold products. Eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and cough- BEDROOM information call 1-800—LEAD—FYI. See pollen) and infectious disease agents (viruses, bacteria). Eye, ing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions. May cause can- 13 Dry Cleaned Goods. Remedy: Do nose, and throat irritation; shortness of breath; dizziness; drowsi- cer. May also cause other effects listed under Organic Gases. ness; fever; digestive problems; asthma; humidifier fever Moisture. Remedy: Use exhaust fans. Use dehumidi- not accept dry cleaned goods with (a respiratory illness); influenza and other infectious diseases. LEAD: Lead affects practically all systems within the body. fier if necessary (See Basement.• Dehumidifier). chemical odor until they have been Lower levels of lead can adversely affect the central nervous See properly dried. Try a different thy cleaner. See U a CARBON MONOXIDE: Al low concentrations, fatigue system, kidney, and blood cells and can impair mental and physi- in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease. cal development. Lead at high levels can cause convulsions, Humidifier. Remedy: Clean according to At higher concentrations, impaired vision and coordination; coma, and even death. manufacturer's directions. Refill with clean water headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea; flu-like symptoms GARAGE daily. See 13 that clear up after leaving home; and death. Hundreds of people a ORGANIC GASES: Gases released from chemicals used mu bn die each year in their homes from CO poisonings. in household products. Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches; Car Exhaust. Remedy: Do not Moth Repellents (with paradichlorobenzene). loss of coordination; nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central idle car in garage. To keep exhaus Remedy: Avoid breathing vapors. Place moth repel- 33 COMBUSTION BYPRODUCTS: Eye, nose, and throat nervous system. Some organic chemicals may cause cancer in out of house, use weather strippim lents in trunks or other containers and store separately irritation. Nitrogen dioxide may cause decreased lung function humans. on door from garage to house. See (attic, storage closet), away from living areas. See and increased respiratory infections in young children. Respi- 33 rable particles may cause respiratory infections, bronchitis, and ri1 PESTICIDES: Eye, nose, and throat irritation; damage to lung cancer (See Environmental Tobacco Smoke). central nervous system and kidney; increased risk of cancer. Paint Supplies. Remedy: Open windows when using LIVING ROOM Follow manufacturer's directions. Buy limited quant ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE: Eye, nose, RADON: An invisible, radioactive gas. It is the second lead- 13 ties. I fproducts contain methylene chloride (e.g. paint and throat irritation; headaches; lung cancer; may contribute to ing cause of lung cancer. No immediate symptoms. Smokers are Paneling, Pressed-Wood strippers), use outdoors. Reseal containers well. Clean heart disease. Specifically for children, increased risk of lower at higher risk. Furniture & Cabinetry. Remedy brushes and other materials outside. See 0 When purchasing new paneling, Growing Concern Over Indoor Air Pollution By Wiley Buck tens of billions of dollars in lost worker Increasing the dissipation rate will Americans are spending more and productivity alone. help alleviate the Indoor Air Quality more time indoors, up to 90 percent Indoor air pollutants are only one (IAQ) problem, but will not typically according to the Consumer Federation indoor toxin. Water also brings in a solve it. of America. VCRs, CD: , and other variety of pollutants, some which are Uncontrolled ventilation—leaky amenities are making life nside homes the result of the distribution and stor- windows, doors, and walls—is ineffec- and offices more and more comfortable. age of the water within the building. tive because the ventilation rate does But more comfortable doesn't neces- And dust from lead paint, itself a dan- not correspond with emission rates sarily mean safer. In fact several stu- gerous and very common pollutant, is and occupancy rates. Hence, there is dies have shown it's qui .e the oppo- known for its tenacity to stick to what- not a strong correlation between in- site—indoor air is haz2rdous. The door pollutant levels and the energy EPA's 1987 landmark Total Exposure efficiency of a building. Properly de- Assessment Methodology study con- signed and controlled ventilation— cluded that to a large degree an indi- mechanical, and to a lesser degree, vidual's exposure to indoor air toxins natural—is effective, but it limits en- overshadows exposure to toxins out- ergy conservation. side the home. Levels of toxins in the In a typical office or home, sources indoor air can be 10 to 00 times as of toxic indoor air can include build- high as the National P mbient Air ing materials, building systems, dura- Quality Standards (NAAQS), devel- ble goods, household products, volun- oped under the Clean Air Act. tary activities, human respiration, and The NAAQS levels, currently used outdoor sources. The majority of the for outdoor air quality control only, sources are brought in voluntarily, like are most often based on a risk of 1 in a herd of toxic Trojan horses. 100,000 of contracting a fatal disorder Given the countless possible con- from the air pollutant. Pollutants in- taminants, it is tough to choose which side, then, can pose a fatal risk up to 1 are the worst in an overall sense. Some in 1,000. And this estimate is conserva- of the most dangerous toxins at the tive, since the NAAQS do not yet rec- highest levels are found in isolated ognize the synergistic dangers of simul- cases. Other toxins, described below, taneous exposure to many pollutants. are more ubiquitous while still haz- What the indoor pollutz nt levels are ardous. doing to the other 999 folks who sur- Formaldehyde vive is not encouraging either. Several Revelations about urea-formalde- barometers indicate that the effects are hyde foam insulation (UFFI) splashed quite deleterious. Environmental Ill- the dangers of formaldehyde into the ness (EI) sufferers, a growing segment mass media and the public's eye. When of the population, have lost virtually the foam was banned, the collective all resistance to the onslaught of pol- consciousness of the dangers of for- lutants most people encounter every- maldehyde died with it. But formalde- day. "Indoor air pollutior is our big- hyde remains one of the most common gest problem," says Lynn Lawson, and deleterious indoor pollutants. Public Relations Direc:or of the Formaldehyde is used in a variety of Human Ecology Action League, a household products. As glue resin in support group for EI victims. Up to 15 ever surface it comes in contact with, the form of urea-formaldehyde or percent of the American citizenry suf- constituting an indoor "land" pollu- phenol-formaldehyde, it gives many fer from some chemical sensitivities, tion problem. construction materials their integrity. according to one estimate. n addition, Air Toxins Fiberboard, particleboard, plywood, the "Sick Building Syndrome"—when Air toxins come in three basic forms: chipboard, paneling, and carpeting a new office building causes people to chemical, radioactive, and biological. are some of the many carriers and become ill—strikes the ma ority of the Levels are determined by three factors: emitters of formaldehyde. Acid cata- occupants to some degree. 1) source strength and entry efficacy; 2) lyzed wood finishes found on cabinets The total cost of indoor air pollu- reactivity once indoors; and 3) exhaust also contain formaldehyde. tion? David Mudarri of the US EPA or dissipation rate. Formaldehyde outgasses from the Office of Air and Radiation estimates Source strength is usually the dom- glue into its so-called "free" form. The inant factor and, accordingly, source rate of outgassing is dependent upon Wiley Buck is an energy engineer at reduction and entry prevention are age of material, humidity, and temper- the Center for Neighborhood Tech- usually the most effective means of ature. With each 10 degree rise in no logy. getting rid of an indoor pollutant. temperature, formaldehyde doubles its

14 The Neighborhood Works February- March 1989 tie of emission. Airborne formalde- percent range will promote growth of carbon monoxide. Combustion air is vde forms caustic formic acid when it one or more organisms. The higher recirculated when there is no venting the relative humidity, the more likely A mes in contact with water. This system, or when there is a breakdown hemical reaction takes place in the that problems will develop. in the the venting system. One recent foist linings of the respiratory tract. Lower humidity levels tend to en- study, cited in the Chicago Tribune, n cases of extreme exposure, it is sus- courage allergic rhinitis and sinusitis found that "three to five percent of in people as well. Measured levels of ,.:.cted of causing nasal cancer. In patients coming to the emergency room ilder cases, the symptoms include relative humidity can vary across the of the University of Illinois Hospital .eaciache, runny nose, sinus conges- board, and without some sort of con- in the winter of 1985-86 with ... flulike ion, sore throat, and most indica- trol, will generally be outside of this symptoms were suffering from carbon ively. unusual fatigue—all flu-like range. monoxide (CO) poisoning," accord- ymptoms. Combustion Products ing to Dr. Paul S. Heckerling. Symptoms increase exponentially The use of gas appliances, vented Carbon monoxide poisoned patients cith the concentration of formalde- and unvented. increases the amount of shared two common characteristics: Iyde in the air. For most people. syrup- combustion products in the air. With a They had been heating their living orns occur around 0.1 parts per mil- properly veined gas appliance, the lev- quarters with their stoves: and others ion. els attained do not appear to be delete- in tneir homes fell ill. Faulty venting Dr. Thad Godish, director of the rious. With unvented appliances, how- systems cause up to 300 deaths a year. ndoor Air Quality Research L,abora- ever, dangerous levels of combustion The second most harmful combus- ory at Ball State University, reported products can gather in a closed space. tion product is the formation of ni- .hat in homes with formaldehyde resin trous oxide (NO2). NO2 reacts with board as subflooring he has found air- water to form a strong acid, which can borne formaldehyde levels of 0.1 to 0.3 Most sources of permanently damage lungs, cause ppm, and 0.07 to 0.15 ppm in homes indoor air pollution headaches, and upper respiratory infec- with UFFI. In mobile homes, lie has tions. Levels of NO2 can exceed the measured airborne formaldehyde lev- are substances EPA's National Ambient Air Quality els between 0.2 and 0.6 ppm. The brought in voluntar- Standards in homes with unvented "base rate" of emissions for an older appliances. home with conventional furnishings, ily, like a herd of Other sources of dangerous levels of he finds, is between 0.04 and 0.07 ppm. combustion products include unvented Bioaerosols and Humidity toxic Trojan horses. kerosene heaters, wood stoves, and Every home has a community of liv- combustion engines. ing organisms with which we usually At the flame temperature of natural Cigarette Smoke live comfortably. However, given cer- gas—approximately 1,200 degrees cel- A combustion product by defini- tain temperature and moisture con- sius—a tmospheric diatomic oxygen tion, secondhand cigarette smoke con- ditions, these bacteria, viruses, fungi, and nitrogen are broken down into tains a myriad of over 4,700 com- and mites can thrive • to bothersome their elemental states. The sulfur com- pounds, both gases and particles, many levels. By some accounts, this is the pounds known as mercaptans—added of them toxic. Sidestream smoke has most ubiquitous of all indoor air qual- to the gas to give it its characteristic even higher concentrations of some ity problems. odor—also break apart at these ternper- toxic and carcinogenic substances than Most bothersome are the fungi atures, releasing their sulfur mole- the smoke inhaled by the smoker. How- known as riboflavins and actinomy- cules. An array of chemical reactions ever, sidestream smoke is usually dil- cedes. These fungi have toxins in their then occur, with the end products uted as it circulates. cell walls, which they release as a being sulfuric oxides, nitrous oxides, The Surgeon General of the United defense mechanism. Fungi often at- carbon oxides, and water. These end States reports that there is very solid tach themselves to toxic substrate such products cover the spectrum of toxic- evidence that nonsmokers suffer lung as a painted wall, and proceed to defe- ity, from lethal to harmless. disease from secondhand cigarette cate toxic compounds from their sys- The worst case is the formation of smoke. The symptoms and diseases tem into the air. Dust mites, invisible carbon monoxide, CO. Carbon mon- parallel those caused by smoking. Cig- to the naked eye, shed skin and pro- oxide is formed in appreciable quanti- arette smoke also acts as a vehicle for duce feces to which 20 percent of us are ties only when there is a lack of oxygen other toxins to enter the lungs. allergic. for the combustion process. Inhaled, Asbestos Anywhere that the humidity and carbon monoxide effectively restricts Asbestos is a mineral known for its temperature sources are supportive, the transfer of oxygen from the blood fibrous nature. Most of the asbestos in they will thrive. Under refrigerators, to the cells. Elevated carbon monoxide the US originated in Canada. The fib- in air filters and ducts. in humidifiers blood levels bring about dizziness, ers are so small that once inhaled, the and de-humidifiers, in bathrooms and headaches. nausea. and fatigue—again, respiratory system has great difficulty on window sills, the conditions are flu symptoms often hiding the true in expelling them. Asbestos causes often ideal and bioaerosols thrive. cause of illness. Higher levels bring scarring of the lung tissue, asbestosis, General room conditions are often- about unconciousness and even death. mesothelioma. and cancer of the diges- times hospitable as well. Any relative Recirculated combustion air is one tive tract. You can expect to find asbes- humidity level outside of the 40 to 60 common cause for elevated levels of tos on old boilers, heat pipes, and

February-March 1989 The Nelohoornood Works 15 shingles. At one time it was widely if residential standards for other pollu- Formaldehyde Again, given the fl ac- used as a sound absorb ng material in tants developed by the EPA would also tuations in formaldehyde emission tiles and "popcorn" c i lings. allow this level of risk. rates, the longer the reading the more It is suspected that fiberglass dust Bill Silver, an official in the Service representative it will be. There are sev- may pose the same r ks as asbestos Employees International Union Local eral manufacturers of "badge" detec- does, but the consensu is not strong. 925, doesn't necessarily see the EPA's tors or eight-hour samplers, but the Radon lack of commitment as the foremost longer monitors are more difficult to Radon gas is found i varying levels barrier to improving IAQ in office find. One manufacturer is Air Quality everywhere in the Unit States. Radon spaces. The problem is, instead, the Research International in Berkeley, is a natural decay elem nt of uranium mindset of office workers. California. Their seven-day monitor found in soil, and it its decay ele- "It's not common for people to asso- costs about S50 including analysis. ments that are dangero s. Inhaled into ciate poor indoor air quality with their Combustion Products Carbon mon- the lungs, radon deca products are health problems, and that's the grea- oxide badges and alarms and nitrous themselves likely to cay and emit test barrier," Silvers says, to obtaining oxide monitors that give quick results harmful radiation into he lung tissue. improved IAQ. "The building owners (CO) and sample measurements are The immediate effect ncludes irrita-- which are addressing IAQ are pretty available. Prices range from $10 to tion of the lung, but t e real danger much the exception" he continues, $100. lies in its cancer causin effect. Radon even though "the solution tends to be Bioaerosols One of the most difftr- is believed to cause bet een 2,000 and quite simple." cult to identify, bioaerosols are best 30,000 cancer deaths ev y year, accord- It was only with the passage of the controlled by controlling humidity ing to the EPA, which puts it second 1986 Superfund amendments that EPA levels, and inspecting and cleaning only to cigarette smoki g. was mandated to begin research and areas that are potential growth media. Most (85-90 percent of the radon information dissemination regarding Inexpensive hygrometers are available that enters a home corn s directly from IAQ, but their current budget is spent at hardware stores, and general hu- the soil. It is in the asement that mostly on radon. "Only five percent of midity levels can be brought into the radon finds most of its n try routes- my job description deals with IAQ" preferred range with the use of humi- cracks, drains, and pi ing all offer says Mardi Klevs, the only person difiers and dehumidifiers, which must access routes. Some o this radon is working on non-radon IAQ at US EPA be cleaned regularly since they them- brought up to higher fl ors by dissipa- six state Region 5 headquarters in selves are growth media. tion and via the chim ey effect of a Chicago. This may change, as well as Material Safety Data Sheets Request building, which essent Ily draws the the lack of standards. A bill to expand an MSDS from the manufacturer of basement air up. Rad n concen tra- EPA's funding for IAQ work from $3.6 any product you plan to purchase and tions, however, fall pr ipitously the million to $48 million has been intro- bring indoors. An MSDS will report higher it is measured n a building, duced to Congress, but was opposed by on some of the dangerous chemicals in posing little or no th at above the the Reagan administration. the product, excluding those found in third floor. California, Canada, and many Euro- small quantities. Summary pean countries, meanwhile, have deve- The problems with i door air qual- loped standards which address indoor FOR MORE INFO Housing Resource Center, 1820 W. 48th St.. have prompted litti constructive air-quality from this vantage point. Cleveland, OH 44102. (216) 281-4663. HRC response from the gov nment agen- What To Do hosts the annual Bluperint for a Healthy House cies we might expect t be involved. There is an awakening market for conference, and prints an index of testing and The US EPA has in erpreted the both home testing and alternative pro- mitigation products. NAAQS levels as apply' g to outdoor Thad Godish, Ph.D., director. Indoor Air ducts. Some guidelines to follow for Quality Research Laboratory, Ball State Univer- air only, leaving a gl ring lack of homeowner testing include: sity, Muncie, IN 47304, (317) 285-5782. Concen. standards for indoor air. The Occupa- Radon The two basic choices for a trates on formaldehyde. Mardi Klevs, US EPA, tional Safety and Healt Administra- simple home or office test is an acti- Region V. Office of Air and Radiation. 230 S. don issues standards r the work- vated charcoal canister or an alpha- Dearborn, 5AR-26. Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 886- 6054. David Mudarri, US EPA Headquarters. place—the only indoo air quality track detector. Alpha-track detectors Office of Air and Radiation, 401 M Street SW, standards currently in p ce—but typ- take 30-90 day samples, while charcoal Washington, DC 20460. (202) 382-7753. ically does not enforce t em in offices. canisters take three to seven day read- Consumer Federation of America, 1424 16th Radon is the one exce tion to EPA's ings. Although the EPA recommends Ave. NW, Suite 604, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 387 - 6121. Non-Toxic and Natural: How to lack of standards for in oor air qual- taking a screening measurement with Avoid Dangerous Everyday Products and Buy or ity. EPA has a "guide ine" of four a charcoal canister, it is more accurate Make Safe Ones, Debra Lynn Dadd, J.P. Tarcher, picocuries per liter of air. Lifetime to take a longer reading with an alpha- Inc. Los Angeles. Distributed by St. Martin's exposure to this level r presents, ac- track detector, unless very high levels Press, New York. 1984. A thorough user-friendly cording to EPA's estim tes, a one to are suspected (in which case you might reference guide. Healthful Houses: -How to Design and Build Your Own, Clint Good and five percent chance of co tracting lung not want to wait 30-90 days for the Debra Lynn Dadd, Guaranty Press, Bethesda cancer. This compares to NAAQS' reading). Both types cost about $25 MD. 1988. Another user-friendly reference guide acceptable risk of 0.001 p rcent, which including analysis, and are available with a better concentration on building pro- means that EPA is willi g to accept a in hardware and home supply stores, ducts and systems. Lynn Lawson, public rela- risk 1,000 to 5,000 time tions director, Human Ecology Action League, greater than though the alpha-track detectors are P.O. Box 66637, Chicago, IL 60666, (312) 665- NAAQS. This can only I ad one to ask not as readily available. 6575.

16 The Neighborhood Wor February-March 1989 /

A Sickness in the Air Lively-Diebolt are suffering has it put her career back on vice president of the Ameri- WASHINGTON, D.C. from an indoor-air-related ill- track. can Federation of Govern- "I am a barometer of the ness. a condition created "They considered me dam- ment Employees, is that no things to come," says Stella largely by sick-building syn- aged goods—unable to do the laws exist to require employ- Lansing. She calls herself a ca- drome. which affects buildings job," she says as she enters her ers to monitor air quality, and, nary, a modern-day version of. constructed during the energy- second year on extended leave simply put, the employer—the the bird that coal miners used conscious 1970s. without pay. She says her boss Federal Government—prefers to carry into the mines. If the Designed to seal out harsh has yet to fulfill an agreement to cut costs at the expense of bird died, the miners knew climates, such structures also to find her a job she can do worker safety. methane was in the air and it seal out fresh air. And they from home. This summer, Schlein was time for them to get out. seal in a growing number of While sick-building syn- asked Congress to consider Like canaries, Lansing is toxic substances in today's of- drome is believed to affect as legislation that would require supersensitive to certain sub- fice environment—from type- many as 30 per cent of build- all employers, not just the stances. But for her, it was for- writer correction fluid and ings nationwide, many Fed- Federal Government, to mon- maldehyde from a new carpet, photocopier toners to new of- eral workers maintain they are itor indoor air pollution. not methane, that sent her res- fice furniture and carpet ad- at particular risk. A survey "I have come to know first- piratory and neurological sys- hesives. Poorly organized of- conducted for the American hand the devastation that oc- tems into a panic in the spring fice space and inadequately Federation of Government curs in the lives of the vic- of 1986. And it happened not maintained ventilation sys- Employees earlier this year tims." he told members of a in a coal mine but while she tems typically exacerbate the found that more than three- House subcommittee while was at her desk at the U.S. De- problem. fourths of the respondents- Lansing, Lively-Diebolt, and partment of Labor. In what they hope are 1,829 union and nonunion others sat nearby, their respir- That reaction changed her precedent-setting cases, Lan- employees at twenty-seven ators at the ready. "Some ded- life. Once an avid outdoors- sing and Lively-Diebolt were Federal agencies in the Wash- icated public servants have woman, she now spends most able to get some of their med- ington area—believe the air seen their careers and their of her time near special filters ical bills covered under work- quality where they work is a health ruined by indoor-air- to help her breathe. Seven ers' compensation. Still, cov- problem, and nearly two- related illness." drugs keep her body function- erage doesn't include the $700 thirds agreed that their agen- —MARY BETH S. MARKLEIN ing. "I have aged considerably worth of air-filter equipment cies are not doing enough to in the last three years," says Liveiy-Diebolt had to put in provide clean air. (Mary Beth S. Marklein is a Lansing, a vocational- her home or the $10,000 fur- The underlying problem, free-lance journalist in Wash- rehabilitation specialist. "I nace she plans to install. Nor says David Schlein, national ington, D.C.) tried to reintegrate into the Department of Labor, but it became very apparent that I was permanently sensitized." u• .v Bobbie Lively-Diebolt was t4?1,-;40... a senior staff member at the • "?...r"'>;;;-r< • U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency. In January 1988, when a new carpet was in- stalled at EPA, she had a se- rt vere reaction. "1 got to work at 7 A.M., my voice started cracking by 7:15," she says. "By 7:20 I was in bad shape. I completely lost my.. voice, .1 had problems breathing,. everything was in slow mo- tion." She has not been able to return to her office. "Before all this happened I was ex.'..,:mely healthy," she says. She jogged twenty miles a week and did aerobic weight-lifting on alternate 41t days. Today, says Lively- 57% `e • • Diebolt, "I go very few places. •'47*.P. *t.;1;7".`?::: I'm very restricted. I always • f"I't:"4:"" • travel with a respirator in my JOSEPH SLOUGH purse." Doctors say Lansing and Quake XOGRESS1VE / 17 NOTE: Tobacco smoKe also contains Steps You Can Take: Asbestos: Call Effects: Breathing difficulty, - eye and volatile organic comounds (including EPA's TSCA (Toxic Substances Control skin irritation, nausea, dizziness,

benzene and formalc ehyde); Act) hotline at 1 - 202 - 554 - 1404. You'll increased risk of serious lung disease. be sent a free packet including an combustion gases; and particulates. For Steps You Can Take: In the home, use details about these indoor air asbestos fact sheet, a booklet, and integrated pest management techniques report offering "Guidance for pollutants, see below. instead of chemical pesticides. Use Controlling Asbestos-Containing consumer products according to the Combustion Materials in Buildings." It is important manufacturers' directions and ventilate Sources to remember a few basic principles: Do during and after use. Remove unused not remove or disturb Pollutants/Sources: Carbon monoxide, spray cans, paints, etc. Store remaining nitrogen dioxide, and particulates from asbestos-containing material that is in cans in garage or room vented to good condition. When such materials gas stoves, kerosene aeaters, outside. Use a fan vented to the are frayed or in poor condition, call in woodstoves, malfunctioning furnaces, outdoors when you take showers to a professionally trained contractor to car exhausts (via bui ding ventilation reduce exposure to organics released systems, loading doc cs, and garages handle the problem. Formaldehyde: from hot water. adjoining residences and offices). Purchase materials labelled "low-emitting formaldehyde." Coat Effects: Carbon moncxide: Headache, Ambient (Outdoor) pressed-wood surfaces to reduce Environment dizziness, nausea, and death at very emission of formaldehyde. Follow high concentration. Nitrogen dioxide: Sources: Contaminants such as radon manufacturers' directions and ventilate Throat, lung, and eye irritation. and termiticides that originate before and after use of materials Particulates: Eye, nose, and throat outdoors in the soil but collect, containing volatile organic irritation, bronchitis, emphysema, lung penetrate cracks in structures, and compounds. cancer, heart disease. concentrate indoors. Steps You Can Take: Install an exhaust Biological Effects: Increased risk of cancer. Contaminants fan vented to the outdoors above your Steps You Can Take: Have your home gas range. Increase ventilation to the Sources: Air conditioning systems, inspected and modified, if necessary, local area where woodstoves and humidifiers, cooling towers, household by a qualified contractor. Radon: Test kerosene heaters are used. Follow pets. your home for radon. EPA conducts a manufacturers' direct. ons and use Effects: Pneumonia-like respiratory Radon Measurement Proficiency proper fuel in space heaters. infections, allergic reactions. Program. This voluntary program allows laboratories and businesses Materials Steps You Can Take: To avoid and Furnishings engaged in radon detection to harboring and distributing biological demonstrate their capabilities. The _ Sources: Asbestos in :nsulation, ceiling - microorganisms, clean air-conditioning names of firms participating in this surfaces, etc.; formaldehyde in systems and empty humidifier water program can be obtained from your plywood and particleboard (also trays frequently. Keep surfaces clean state radiation program or from your present in tobacco smoke); other and dusted. • EPA regional office. Termiticides: volatile organic compounds in a wide Human Testing for pesticides is expensive and range of building mat including 3rials Activities is recommended only if you suspect caulking and adhesives. • Sources: Hazardous substances in that high levels may be present. To Effects: Asbestos: Lung, chest, and pesticides, paints, solvents, cleaning locate a commercial laboratory abdominal cancer, ph..s scarring of the agents, polishes, air fresheners, toilet qualified to test your indoor air for lungs. Formaldehyde: Breathing deodorants, copying machines, hot traces of termiticides, call the National difficulty, eye and skin irritation, water, textiles, the dry-cleaning Pesticide Telecommunications nausea, dizziness. Volatile organic - - - process. Network (NPTN) at 1 800 858 7378. compounds: Breathing difficulty, eye You may also want to contact EPA's and skin irritation, naasea, dizziness, Public Information Center for • increased risk of serious lung disease.: additional information about radon

and termiticides: 1 - 202 - 475 - 7751.

DECEMBER 1987 R3 THE JOURNAL FRIDAY HOME REPORT, MARCH 18, 1988 Radon tops list of indoor pollutants

If you're more than a bit uptight $15 or so, will allow you to find out prevalent. But don't let that stop about dangerous indoor air pollu- quickly if there might be a prob- you from at least checking for tion, you should be. After all, some lem. If it shows questionable re- foam-type insulation. of that stuff can kill you. sults, a longer test of several Look for an opening in an inside At the-same time, however, you months duration is in order. wall on the exterior of the house — stand a good chance of driving ■ Asbestos — Most often asso- remove a wall plate and look be- yourself crazy if you try to make ciated with commercial buildings, hind or around the junction box, or sure you are completely protected asbestos is a durable, fibrous, non- take off the panel that covers the from all of the various pollutants combustible material that also can main water valve — and search for that can be trapped inside your be found in houses, especially old- hardened foam. house. er ones. And like radon, it is highly Since not all foam is urea form- Unfortunately, that seems to be carcinogenic. aldehyde, you'll have to cut out a exactly what's happening to poten- While products containing as- section and have it analyzed. tial home buyers, reports Kenneth bestos are rarely used in new con- To test for the gas from other T. Austin, chairman of HouseMas- struction, it has been found in sources, you can hire a contractor ter of America, a large home in- many roofing, flooring and insulat- or buy a do-it-yourself test kit. But spection service headquartered in ing products as well as spackling you might not want to bother un- Bound Brook, NJ. compounds that were installed be- less you or a member of your fam- At the other extreme, Tiouse- fore 1972, when asbestos was ily already suffers from bronchial Master, which operates in 110 cit- banned. problems. ies in 31 states, also has found that Inspection services don't go out ■ Water pollutants — The Envi- sellers are almost totally insensi- of their way to find the material. ronmental Protection Agency sets tive to the problem. If the house has a hot water or limits on 30 possible water pollut- "There's a real dichotomy out steam heating system, look for ants, but lead is the one nearly ev- there," says Austin. "Buyers are pipe, furnace and duct insulation eryone is worried about. Also, some byproducts of the chlorine , very concerned, almost to• the that is torn or crumbling. It can re- point of paranoia, but the apathy lease invisible- particles which, if used to disinfect water are known on the part of sellers is just as in- inhaled, will remain in your lungs carcinogens. credible. They're like smokers who permanently. - _ -- don't want to hear about the risks It takes a. laboratory test to de- If the house has a well, by all they are taking." termine if a product contains as- means, says Austin, have the water Actually, the correct approach bestos. And if asbestos is found, its tested for both potability and to indoor pollution rests some- removal is a task for a trained con- purity. -where between- thosetwft . tractor; not a. do-it-yourselfer. But if the place is on a municipal . tremes. Here, as -Austin-s‘= ff Formaldehyde — The- use. of I -system, you probably needn'twor- the proper order for your concern„›. urea formaldehyde foam, a major ry. Most tap water is relatively starting with the pollutants that source of pollution, is practically safe, and plumbers no longer use you should be most worried about: nil now. But it was once an impor- lead solder to bind pipes together. tant insulating material, especially ■ Combustion gases — Any ap- ■ Radon — Because of its insid- in mobile and manufactured pliance that burns fuel will give off ious nature and its proven harmful. homes. Formaldehyde also can be byproducts of combustion, which effects, this colorless, found in plywood, particle or fiber can be lethal but more often just dioactive carcinogen should be ev il board, wall paneling, floors,. cause dizziness and headaches. eryone's priority. shelves, cabinets and even. . Most private home inspectors will Radon, which comes.frOnt the=' furniture. be on the lookout for problems. natural breakdown of uranium in' The gas that is emitted from this the soil, has always been there: It's material has been linked to nasal Frequent causes of combustion just that outside in the open air it is cancer in laboratory rats, but it is contaminants are defective central diluted to the point of being, more likely to affect humans with heating systems in which the ex- 1 harmless. respiratory problems or allergies. haust is not vented properly, or But the gas can seep. into The gas decreases over time, and cracked furnace heat exchangers. houses. And once trapped inside, it houses more than a year old pose can accumulate to dangerouwlev- little threat. els. In fact, scientists now estimate Again, inspectors won't go out that it is a leading cause of lung of their way to look for formalde- cancer, second only to cigarette hyde, especially because it is so smoking. - ' I Home inspection services don't- normally • test for radon, but most will perform the service at an extra charge. Or you can do it yourself. A short-term test kit. which runs If the house has a wood stove or a kerosene heater, make sure they, too, are vE nted. And stop smoking. Cigarettes are a major source of ni- trogen oxide and carbon monox- ide — and formaldehyde, too. ■ Allergens — Although the mi- crobes an J. fungi that make one of every six people itch and sneeze often find their way inside, the al- lergens in most houses are man- made, or E t least man-caused. , A common allergen is thaecreat- ed by the Stagnant air anti water in improper y maintained humidifi- ers, dehu.-nidifiers, air condition- ers and air-cleaning filters. Other fprms of allergens come from storing — and even using — common I ousehold cleaners, pes- ticides, sc lvents, paints and other chemical Products. Dust, too, is a major socrce of allergic reaction, as are mold and mildew. ■ Chlordane — This carcino- genic chemical was used widely in killing termites before it was banned last year. And it is a perfect example Pr* just how far the pollu- tion scare has gone. Chlordane, says Austin, is dan- gerous only when applied improp- erly, so it should be at the bottom of the poLutant list. "You could "al- most build an argument for not even mentioning it," he says. "The incident rate is very low compared to the oth er pollutants." FOOTNOTE: If you want to check a house for pollution before you buy it, add a contingency clause to your offer that allows you enough tine. Otherwise you could lose out txp someone who's not as careful. Also, rr ake sure your contract spells out exactly what will happen if a problE m is discovered. Will the seller pay to have it corrected? Or will the h e or she give you some- thing off he agreed-upon price to have the Nwork done after ••■•■■..• New CPSC Study Report

INdOOR AIR WORSE ThAN OUTdOOR

Formaldehyde levels in new homes on the average, spend 65 per cent of are about the same as in homes insu- their time in their residences and cer- lated with urea formaldehyde foam tain subpopulations such as infants, (UFFI). That bad news surfaced•in an the elderly, and the ill, who are likely Oak Ridge (Tenn.) National Laboratory to be more susceptible to the effects study that found levels of volatile of pollutants, spend an even' greater Older homes have safer air, materials chemicals in the air in 40 homes — percentage of their time indoors. ranging from new to more than 40 "It has been estimated by the Na- years old — were about 10 times those tional Academy of Sciences that indoor urea formaldehyde foam insulation of outdoor levels. And researchers air pollution may contribute $15 to (UFFI) and pressed wood products." found about 150 different chemicals $100 billion to the national health care indoors — compared to 10 or less out- costs. The decline in the quality of in- Formaldehyde measures evaluated doors — during the nine-month, three- door air has recently become of greater Formaldehyde was the focus for season study that was conducted for concern because of the recent trend to much of the project because one of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety conserve energy by tightening homes the • purposes of the research was to Commission. which has resulted in reduced air ex- evaluate two formaldehyde measuring Kailish C. Gupta, project officer for change. Based on these preliminary ob- devices. Measurements showed summer the study, noted in a status report re- servations it becomes apparent that formaldehyde concentrations in homes leased March 16 that "little attention there is a need to determine what pol- of up to five years old were about twice ...has been paid to the quality of indoor lutants we are exposed to in our homes those in homes five to 15 years old air and especially of residential air." and what hazards they may pose." and more than three times as high as "Concern about the quality of in- Gupta pointed out that little re- in homes more than 14 years old. door air derives from the finding that search had been conducted on indoor There was little seasonal variation levels of several pollutants (e.g. nitro- pollution and more data was needed in older homes, but spring and summer gen dioxide, carbon dioxide, formalde- on such pollutants as "formaldehyde formaldehyde levels in new homes were hyde and other organics) have been and otjier volatile inorganics and or- about twice those in the fall. This in- generally higher indoors than outdoors, ganics found in the home due to the dicated heat and humidity play major and in many instances exceeded the use of a large number of consumer and roles in formaldehyde emissions. Data recommended outdoor exposure stan- structural products such as aerosols, also indicated formaldehyde concen- dards," Gupta said. "This concern is plastics, cleaners, polishes, paints and trations in UFFI homes increased as heightened by the fact that Americans, varnishes. stoves, heaters, furnishings,• outdoor temperature increased, hitting a peak level in late afternoon or evening before declining. But levels in homes without major sources of formalde- hyde appeared to decrease during the day as occupant activity increased. Such observations tend to make single measurements of formaldehyde mean- ingless. The study also measured the effect of increasing air exchange rates by turning on the central fan, or opening a window. Such increases in air ex- change did reduce concentrations, but Under-five-year-old homes show twice the formaldehyde levels of older homes. not in proportion to the increased rate.

9 The Human Ecologist/No. 26 Gupta speculated that this might be But experiments to determine a due to increases n emission rates caused practical way to deal with highly vola- by decreases in "background formalde- tile organic chemicals were conducted. hyde levels." One experimental method pointed to a In addition .o the ongoing formal- car in an attached garage as a major dehyde measurements, the 40 homes source of the dangerous chemicals. also were monitored once during spring Because three out of four of the Attached garages, standard in new homes, and summer an I again in the winter to homes had electric heat, there were contribute to indoor pollution determine leve s of volatile organic few particulates measured. But Gupta chemicals. The 24-hour samples turned said winter data were being analyzed. Because the study was conducted in up from 20 to more than 150 "volatile Since nearly every home had a wood TVA country, natural gas — considered organics" which included benzene, burning fireplace or stove, winter re- by many clinical ecologists as the num- toluene, naphthalene and others capa- sults could be significant. ber one source of many patient prob- ble of causing everything from leukemia lems — was not much of a factor. Only TVA country to depression of the• central nervous two homes had gas ranges, for example. system. Nearly all of the homes had central But most of the homes had attached air-conditioning. Turning on the heat- garages which, according to the prelim- Gupta said sampling procedures ing, ventilation and air conditioning inary study, probably means you're were not capable of quantifying "highly system (HVAC) nearly doubled the better off getting wet than driving your volatile organic:" which "may actually number of air exchanges per hour. car into your house. be of greater tox icological concern than "The major contribution to the air The study, which marks the first the less volatile." exchange rate by the HVAC system is time that a government agency looked "These include halogenated hydro- to decrease the concentrations of most seriously into indoor air pollution in carbons such as methylene chloride as pollutants m the home during use," homes, continues. More reports are due well as lower molecular weight alde- Gupta said "The effects of meteoro- this year, targeting "specific pollutants hydes and moromers that may be re- logical conditions on the air exchange and/or specific sources of these pollu- leased from plat tics and resins," Gupta rate of the houses require further tants for detailed evaluation and health said. analysts." hazard evaluations."

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.3nd gnfrociucing WHOLE HOUSE FUME AND ODOR FILTRATION Be sure to stop by our display at the Society for Clinical Ecology meeting in Chicago this October to learn how CENTRAL FILTRATION can reduce odors and fumes in your home, mobile home, office, clinic, etc!

Write or call for our latest information.

"More Than A Decade of Product and Service Reliability"

10 The Human Ecologist/No. 26 HAZARDOUS WASTE NEWS #43

From RACHEL: Weekly news and resources for citizens fighting toxics -- September 21, 1987

averages for every chemical in every INDOOR AIR S MORE CONTAMINATED season, usually by a factor of 2 to 5. This HAN 0 OR AIR; HOMES AT RISK means that, in a typical day at work and at home (combined), people breathed in 2 to 5 Why is it important to reduce the use times as much hazardous chemical as they of hazardous materials (as distinct from would have if they had sat in their back reducing hazardous wastes)? Here's one yards for 24 hours. This was true even if compelling reason: Indoor air pollution is a the people lived within a mile of a source greater source of exposure to hazardous of industrial air pollution. chemicals than is outdoor exposure, even if In NJ, the night-time readings (indoor you live near major "point sources" of air) exceeded outdoor air concentrations in pollution, according to a careful study by 28 out of 30 cases. the federal Environmental Protection In North Carolina and North Dakota the Agency (EPA). results are even stronger (because in NC From 1979 to 1985, EPA researchers and ND the outdoor air is cleaner): in 17 studied the outdoor air, the indoor air, and out of 18 cases, personal air exceeded the chemicals carried on the breath of 355 levels found in outdoor air, usually by a individuals living in the [heavily industria- factor of 5 to 10. lized] Jersey Pity-Bayonne part of New The chemicals on peoples' breath were Jersey, in [not so industrialized] Greensbo- closely correlated with their activities of ro, North Carolina, and in [not industria- the previous 12 hours. People had chlorof- lized] Devils Lake, North Dakota. orm (a carcinogen) on their breath if they The EPA looked for 20 chemicals in all were exposed to chlorinated water (th rough these locations and they found 11 of them drinking, showering, bathing, washing at all locations. This is known as the clothes and dishes). TEAM [Total Exposure Assessment Method] Other factors causing increased Study and it was carefully done; about 5000 exposure to chemicals: samples were taken in all, 1500 of them Occupation: Employment in plastics, taken to provide quality control checks on wood processing, service stations/garages, the data. painting, textiles, metals, scientific laborat Participants in the study wore a small, battery-operated pump pinned to a vest; the WELCOME TO NEW READERS pump drew in • air close to the subject's We got your name from friends who told us you face, providing a good measure of the are interested in solving the problem of toxics. quality of the air a person was breathing. You will receive four free issues of Hazardous At night the pump was placed on the Waste News; if you do not subscribe by the fourth issue, we will stop bothering you. Our regular bedsidetable (providing a measureof indoor subscription rate is S10 per year. air). Other pumps were placed in peoples' back yards or side yards, providing Each week we present news and resources that can measures of outdoor air. At the end of make a difference to citizens fighting toxics. each day, each person's breath was sampled. Stories in the News are drawn from a large pool Thus the study provided data on (a) of information in RACHEL, the Remote Access Chem- ical Hazards Electronic Library, a computerized personal air; (b) indoor air; (c) outdoor ai r; database we maintain for free use by the media, and (d) breath. local governments, schools, libraries, and citi- zen activists. Anyone with a tabletop computer In New Jersey, 11 hazardous chemicals (Apple, Commodore, IBM-PC or whatever) can dial could be measured consistently in breath into Rachel with a modem and extract information. and air samples. The chemicals are 1,1,1- For free access to RACHEL, write us. Is your town's library plugged in? Ydur school? Funded trichloroethane, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, by foundations and by individual donations, tetrachloroethylene, o-xylene, p-dichloro- RACHEL is a resource for you and your children. benzene, chloroform, trichloroethylene, and carbon tetrachloride. Averages (med- ians) for personal air exceeded outdoor ories, dye plants and even hospitals were Moth crystals and room deodorizers are associated with significantly increased intended to maintain high levels of p- exposure to 9 of the 11 chemicals. dichlorobenzene in homes, so no one should Home characteristics: living with a be surprised that they succeed. Recently smoker or a chemical plant worker in- p-dichlorobenzene was determined to be a creased the exposure of everyone in the carcinogen. In homes using moth crystals home. or air deodorizers, p-dichlorobenzene levels Common daily activities: pumping are 25 times higher than in outside air (in gasoline (filling one's gas tank) or visiting NJ). a service statior ; visiting a dry cleaner; What can be done to reduce exposures keeping moth crystals or room deodorizers to chemicals in the home and at work? in the home; furs ture refinishing; painting; Consumers can purchase less of the scale model building; using pesticides; offending products (moth balls, for ex- smoking; traveling in a car--were all ample); citizen pressure can force manufac- associated with increased exposures to one tu rers to reduce their use of hazardous or more of the 11 chemicals. chemicals; citizen pressure can force Specific exposures are as follows: government agencies to adopt standards for smokers (and those living with smokers) building materials (for example, particle have elevated levels of benzene,, styrene, board is today loaded with formaldehyde, a ethylbenzene and p-xylene on their breath. carcinogen); and ventilate the place better. The sidestream of a cigarette provides much Programs to force waste reduction will help more benzene the n does the smoke inhaled little, if at all. by the smoker (240 micrograms per The TEAM study results appeared in cigarette in the s destream vs. 35 microgr- the scientific journal Environmental ams in the mainst -eam). About 60% of U.S. Research, Vol. 43 (1987), pgs. 290-307. children live in homes with smokers and are thus exposed to benzene, a cause of leukemia. Chi dren with one parent GAO FINDS FEDERAL AGENCIES SLOW TO smoking have a cioubled risk of leukemia; PLAN CLEANUP OF THEIR TOXIC DUMPS with both parents smoking the risk of leukemia is increased five-fold (compared to The federal General Accounting Office children of non-smoking parents). (GAO) has issued a 36 page report, Chlorinated water causes indoor air in Superfund: Civilian Federal Agencies Slow New Jersey to have four times as much to Clean Up Hazardous Wastes [GAO/RCED- chloroform as ou -.door air. 87-153] , which says federal agencies have A person visiting a dry cleaner for five so far found 1,882 hazardous waste sites on minutes has twice as much tetrachloro- their property but have evaluated only half ethylene (PCE) on his or her breath, of them. Most agencies are still looking. compared to a person avoiding such a visit. The report is available free from GAO, PCE levels in dry cleaning shops are very DHISF, P.O. Box 6015, Gaithersburg, MD high. 20877; phone (202) 275-6241.

Hazardous Haste News is published weekly by Environmental Research Foundation, P.O. Box 3541, Princeton, NJ 08543. Editor, Peter Montague, Ph.D.; Assistant Editors, Annette Eubank, Maria B. Pellerano. The News is mailed first class every Monday from Princeton, NJ. Subscription, $12 per year for-individuals and non-profits,45 for students and senior citizens, $100 for businesses.

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City! Comp Ms. Lois Gibbs State and zip, P.O. Box 6806 Falls Church, VA 22040 703-237-2249 FIGHTING HOMEMADE POLLUTION

Your guide to nontoxic home maintenance Sharon Faelten

Sharon ihelten's most recent book is The pared with outdoor levels of only 15 Tossing out many of those exotic clean- Allergy Self-Help Book . (Emmaus, PA: micrograms per cubic meter. ers will save you money, too. Often, a few Rodale Press, 1983). Poor ventilation—especially in closed- simple products such as soap, vinegar, bak- up, winter environments—can also lead to ing soda, ammonia, washing soda (sodium health problems. It fosters the growth and carbonate), and borax can do the job of a When it comes to taking care of our reproduction of bacteria and other micro- closetful of more complicated formulas. homes, sometimes we are our own worst organisms, particularly in wet areas such The workshop, too, can be a miniature enemies. With the best of intentions, we as bathrooms or basements; as a result, chemical warehouse. Don't hoard half- clean our ovens, wax our floors, refinish your chances of catching the flu or other empty cans of volatile paints, solvents, and our furniture, cook our dinners, fire up our upper-respiratory illnesses increase. cleaners. When you finish a job, clean the woodstoves, switch on our air condition- But indoor air pollution is by no means area immediately—and throw out what you ers, vacuum our rugs, and struggle to keep confined to the cold-weather heating sea- don't expect to use in the near future. And our lawns and gardens weed-free. son. In fact, pollutants of all types accu- always ventilate well, with a fan, when you Unfortunately, all of these . efforts and mulate most heavily in the "shoulder use hobby products. many others contribute to an invisible, of- seasons"—spring and fall—when the air is It's also a good idea to air out the entire ten odorless mist of pollution trapped in- humid, and the furnace doesn't kick on for house regularly, winter and summer. If you as long or as often as it does in the dead of can't bear to let heat paid for with expen- side our squeaky-clean castles. winter, when it serves to dry out and cir- The resulting effect on health is hard to sive petrodollars drift away into the strato- culate air. (Formaldehyde and other pollut- sphere, your next best bet is to install an measure precisely, but researchers are con- ants '- ling to moisture like iron clings to a air-to-air heat exchanger. vinced that indoor air pollution is respon- magnet.) Your house can be "home, sweet home" sible for a variety of ills, from persistent Right outside our homes there are more again if you know what you're up against sniffles, headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, problems. Chemical weed killers and pes- and how to fight back. ■ rashes, and abdominal and chest pains to ticides, spread on the lawn and garden to outright poisoning and lung cancer. wipe out unwanted plants and insects, kill Consider the specific effects of two com- because they're strong poisons. These po- mon gaseous pollutants: carbon monoxide tent compounds can leach into well water and nitrogen dioxide (their primary or, if sprayed on trees, enter your house sources indoors are gas stoves, heaters, through open windows. Pesticides and her- and clothes dryers). Carbon monoxide bicides are usually stored indoors, adding (CO), a colorless, odorless gas, combines to the stockpile of pollution sources. with hemoglobin in the blood to form car- Fortunately, there are numerous simple, boxyhemoglobin (COHb), which inter- practical steps you can take to reduce this feres with oxygen absorption . Inhaled in sinister cloud of homemade air pollution, large quantities, CO is fatal. But. the gas is as the accompanying chart shows. harmful even at the lowest levels. Some First of all, take stock of unnecessary people with the heart condition angina pec- sources of pollution in your home. In one toris suffer discomfort when blood . levels experiment, 13 noxious chemicals were de- of COHb are as low as 1 percent. tected in a room after a single product— Nitrogen dioxide (NO„). is associated scented oven cleaner—was used. Add in with• pulmonary edema, bronchoconstric- the number of other high-tech cleaning aids stashed in the broom closet, and you get an tion (a respiratory problem.), and increased idea of the magnitude of the problem. But chances for infections of all types. Yet air- when you read our chart, you'll start to see quality research teams have routinely mea- how many of these polluters you can easily sured NO, levels as high as 700 micrograms per cubic meter in kitchens with unvented do without. gas stoves and in other areas with un- vented kerosene or gas heaters—corn- CLEAN is starting a series of articles which were contained in NEW SHELTER magazine special report, November, 1984. In the push to make our homes airtight These articles address the sources of in- fortresses against the weather, we are door pollution you might not be aware of. locked in a dangerous new enemy: indoor Even more important, it presents solution pollution. to the problem. "Fighting Homemade Pollu- tion" arms you with detailed information It has many sources: building materials, about the safest ways to keep your home insulation, carpeting, furniture, un- clean, bug-free and healthy. In "Clean- . vented gas appliances. We make matters ing the Air", we show you how to find - worse by setting loose all kinds of and fix- your home's air polluting troubl pollutants in and around our homes - spots. For those of you who will be buil toxic cleaning products, paint strippers•ing new homes, "A Clean Start" gives step nesticiJes, herbicides and more, and by by-step instructions for creating a non- most reports, the quality of the water toxic home from the ground up - for littl that flows through our taps is also more than the cost of a conventional home declining. In "Pure Solutions" you will learn how to evaluate and improve your drinking water with minimal fuss and expense. Finally, the lists of resources and further reading provided with these arti- cles will help you along the road to a healthier and happier home.

NONTOXIC HOME MAINTENANCE GUIDE Pollutants that may be emitted Precautions, solutions, or alternatives Comments Cleaning Products and Activities . Aerosols (see also hydrocarbons Use pump-spray or other nonaerosol ver- Ingredients in aerosol products are not always air fresheners and (petroleum distil- • sions of cleaning and grooming products. For disclosed on the label. deodorizers, dis- lates), including example, use cream, stick, or roll-on deo- The small size of aerosol-propelled particles infectants and butane, isotxrtane, dorants; use liquid, paste, or powder oven makes it possible for them to be inhaled deeply germicides, oven propane, and possi- cleaners. into the lungs and quickly absorbed into the blood. cleaners, and pest bly methylene Aerosol mists act like magnets for radon-decay and weed control) chloride; nitrous products, carrying ariy radon in the air with them oxide into the lungs. The problem is exacerbated when aerosols are used in closed spaces, such as bathrooms and workshops. Air fresheners and formaldehyde Open a window, or use an exhaust fan—or do Air-freshener products don't really "freshen" the deodorizers both. air; they deaden our sense of smell or counteract . Sprinkle baking, soda in odor-producing areas. one odor with another. Place an open box of baking soda in the refrig- erator to absorb food odors. • Carpet deodorizers formaldehyde Sprinkle baking soda over the entire carpet. Baking soda will absorb smoking, cooking, and pet Use approximately 1 cup per medium-sized odors that settle into the carpet. (Do not put baking room. After 30 minutes, vacuum. soda on a damp carpet) Carpet and rug naphthalene, Make your own carpet shampoo: Mix 1/2 cup Clean the carpet on a dry, sunny day with the shampoos sodium lauryi mild liquid dishwashing detergent with 1 pint windows open to speed drying. sulfate; turpentine, boiling water; let cool. Whip the paste into a Don't soak the carpet—it may mildew. 1, 1, 1 -trichloro- stiff foam using an electric mixer. Apply it to the Test any shampoo first on an inconspicuous area. ethane, and petro- carpet with a damp sponge. Rub gently. Work to prevent discoloration. leum distillates in 4 x 4-foot sections. VV1pe off the suds with a clean cloth. To rinse, add 1 cup of white vinegar to 1 gallon of lukewarm water. Rinse each section and wipe the carpet dry as you go. Change the rinse solution frequently. connnuet Pollutants that may be emitted Precautions, solutions, or alternatives Comments

Disinfectants and cresol, phenol, and Wash items with soap and water, or with borax Chemically sensitive people often react to phenols germicides related chemicals or sodium carbonate (washing soda) in water. and other chemicals in disinfectants. Drain cleaners hydrochloric acid, Prevent dogging by covering drains with a If you use a commercial chemical drain opener that potassium hydrox- screen to keep out grease, food scraps, hair. fails to work, you'll be left with a drain clogged with ide...(lye), sodium To loosen blockage, use a rubber plunger or a highly caustic compound. hydroxide (caustic plumbers "snake" (or both). Follow up by soda) pouring 1 cup of salt, 1 cup baking soda, and 1 cup vinegar down the drain. Flush with 2 quarts. boiling water. Floor wax and wax turpentine and other To polish linoleum and vinyl floors without People who are sensitive_to fumes and odors have strippers fumes commercial wax: Mix 1 part thick boiled starch been known to suffer headaches or other discom- with 1 part soap suds. Rub the mixture on the fort after exposure to fresh floor wax. floor, and polish dry with a clean, soft cloth. To remove old wax: Pour a small amount of club soda on a section of floor. Scrub in well; let soak for a few minutes, then wipe clean. Furniture polish petroleum distillates Use olive oil, 100 percent lemon oil, beeswax, (solvent type) or beeswax and olive oil. Oven cleaners potassium hydrox- Wipe away grease and spills after preparing Aerosol oven cleaners are among the worst ide (lye), sodium each meal. Wipe away charred spills with a contributors to indoor air pollution. People with hydroxide (caustic nonmetallic bristle brush. asthma, chronic bronchitis, and other respiratory soda), perfumes To remove baked-on grease and spills, sprinkle problems are particularly susceptible to fumes of with dry baking soda: scrub with a damp cloth strong oven cleaners. No matter how thoroughly after 5-minutes. (Don't let baking soda touch you try to rinse these cleaners, a residue remains wires or heating elements.) that begins to emit additional fumes the minute you Scour racks and burner inserts with steel wool. heat the oven again. Spot removers ammonium hydrox- For butter, coffee, gravy, or chocolate stains: Taking care of spots immediately, with nontoxic ide; amyl, butyl, and Sponge up or scrape off as much as possible, compounds, avoids a trip to the dry cleaners. ethyl acetate; immediately. Dab with a cloth dampened with a Commercial dry-cleaning agents such as per- benzene; naphtha; solution of 1 teaspoon white vinegar and 1 chloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene may cause sodium silicofluor- quart cold water. lightheadedness, dizziness, and other central- ide; 1, 1, 1-trichloro- For stains that have set, try a dab of full- nervous-system symptoms. ethane strength white vinegar. Or put paper towels underneath to blot, and apply a solution of equal parts ammonia and water. (If an ammonia stain remains, blot it with a solution of table salt in water.) Home Workshop and Hobby Producin Pant, various solvents Use water-based paint whenever possible. Seal Ingredients in oil-based paint may cause fluiike oil-based and hardening all paint cans with a tight-fitting lid. symptoms when inhaled agents spray methyl chloride, Use nonaerosol paints. (See comments under aerosols) toluene, xylene Paint strippers, volatile fumes from Use outdoors or in a very large room with a Solvents used in furniture refinishing can cause glues and various solvents: steady current of dry (not humid) air. Ventilate headaches, drowsiness, blurred vision, impaired adhesives, turpen- toxic chemicals, well: Open all windows and the door, and use a motor response, and chemical intoxication. Paint tine, varnish, such as methylene large exhaust fan to blow fumes out. solvents are of particular concern to people with lacquers, auto-body- chloride (Paint strip- Wear a paper filter dust mask when grinding or heart conditions and those who wear contact repair compounds pers made before- sanding. Use a dust attachment on power lenses because methanol and certain other solvent 1978 may contain tools. Clean up dust and filings with a vacuum compounds can stress the heart, and contact benzene, which cleaner, not a broom. lenses absorb strong vapors and hold them against probably causes Don't soak brushes in solvents. Clean them the eye, causing irritation or eye damage. cancer.) immediately, and soak them in plain water or soap and water. Always wear protective goggles, gloves, and a work apron. Separate the work area apart from the living space as much as possible. Never pour leftover solvents down the drain, flush them down a toilet, or dump them into a storm sewer. They will leach into the drinking- water supply. Call your public-health or sanita- tion department to find out if there's a local disposal program. oannnued Pollutants that may be emitted PTecautions, solutions, or alternatives Comments

All chemical sprays and even many of the organi- Pest and weed aldrin, arsenic triox- Spray plants with nonchemic,a1 compounds. cally approved botanical sprays are toxic to people. control ide, carbon disul- Examples: Spray with a soap-and-water fide, chlordane, solution (3 tablespoons of soap per gallon of Some chemical sprays cause cancer. If you decide cryolite, dimethyl water) for aphids, meatybugs, mites, and white- to use chemical pest- and weed-control products dichlorovirryl flies. Spray with pyrethrum, a product of a type anyway, dispose of leftovers properly to lessen the phosphate (DOVP: of chrysanthemum, to control caterpillars, impact on the air and water supply. a nerve poison used beetles, aphids, mites, leafhoppers, thrips, Store all insecticides and herbicides under lock in flea collars and moths, and dozens of other fruit and vegetable and key, to prevent accidental poisoning in "pest strips'), pests. children. dieldrin, heptachlor, Introduce other predatory bugs, such as soldier hydrocyanic acid bugs, ladybugs, damsel bugs, pirate bugs. gas, lead arsenate, spiders, lacewings, and gall midges to control methoxychlor, unwanted pests. methyl bromide, Use bacterial pesticides, such as Bacillus nitrosamines, pare- popilliae for Japanese beetles and B. thunn- dichlorobenzene, giensis for many types of insect larvae. parathion, sodium Interplant with pest-repellent plants: marigolds, arsenate, strychnine coriander, thyme, yarrow, rue, and tansy. Indoors, dispose of garbage to avoid attracting ants. Use flypaper and ftyswatters. Discourage roaches with a mixture of 2 table- spoons flour, 1 teaspoon cocoa, and 4 teaspoons borax. Place on small sheets of paper in corners, nesting places, and near moldings. To control fleas on dogs and cats: Bathe animals every 2 to 4 weeks with pet shampoos containing insect-repellent herbs such as rosemary, rue, eucalyptus, and citronella. For termites, ask exterminator to use organo- phosphates, such as chlorpyrifos (Oursban 7C., by Dow). Heating and cooling systems Air conditioning - molds, dust, and Clean reservoirs regularly with detergent or a Air conditioners recirculate indoor air, thereby (poorly maintained) disease-causing hydrogen peroxide solution. lowering the rate of indoor—outdoor air exchange. microorganisms: Central unit: Clean or replace filters (usually Legionnaire's disease (Legionella pneumophila) is refrigerant gases located in furnace) before cooling season and a well-known example of air-conditioning-related (mainly fluorocar- periodically thereafter. Have the ductwork bacterial illness. bons) vacuumed regularly. Room unit: Clean the filter (located behind the air-intake grille on the front) once a month during periods of heavy use. Vacuum dust and lint from the condenser and evaporator yearly. Have the system checked for leaks periodically. Coal-burning stove benzo (a] pyrene Install air-filtration equipment. Because benzo [a] pyrene and POMs cause or furnace and polycyclic Burn hard, not soft, coal. cancer at high levels of exposure, scientists are organic compounds concemed that those pollutants may pose a risk at (POMs), polycyclic low levels, too. aromatic hydrocar- Hard coal bums "cleaner' than soft coal. bons (PAHs) Forced-hot-air dust, nitrogen For dust: Check the air filter. If it's metal, Performing routine maintenance on furnaces. and heating system dioxide (in gas remove and hose it off or scrub it once a heating systems helps to cut down - on air contami- furnace systems) month. If disposable, replace it every two nation, no matter what type of fuel the system months during the heating season. uses. Place all-metal or cloth filters over duct openings to rooms. Have furnace and ductwork vacuumed by a professional furnace-cleaning company once a year, just before heating season. Check for leaks, a cracked heat exchanger, or a blocked flue.

cont:nued Pollutants that may be emitted Precautions, solutions, or alternatives Comments

Woodstove nitrogen dioxide, Bum hot fires (300° to 400° F). Adding firebrick In general, hotter fires produce less pollution. benzo [a] pyrene and having a draft opening to the back center However, this tendency vanes from stove to stove. of the stove can help to raise stove temperature Stoves with low cross-draft baffles seem to without increasing the amount of wood burned produce far less pollution than stoves without and therefore the amount of pollution produced. baffles or with inclined or horizontal baffles. Bum raw, untreated wood only, not scraps of according to one study. creosoted or treated lumber. Woodstoves need a good supply of combustion air If the stove has a blower, vacuum and clean it. for safe and efficient operation in superinsulated or replace the filters before the first fire of the homes. season (or 3 days after the last fire). Appliances Clothes dryer (gas) carbon monoxide Vent outside, or replace with an electric dryer. See stove (gas), below, for comments on health (CO), nitrous oxide effects of unvented gas appliances. (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), hydrocarbons (including benzene and acetylene) Stove (gas) carbon monoxide Vent exhaust outside. (A recirculating range Pollution from an unvented gas appliance can (CO), nitrous oxide hood isn't adequate.) cause respiratory distress and aggravate angina (NO), nitrogen Ask the gas utility company to extinguish the pectoris in people with heart disease. It is also dioxide (NO2). pilot light; light the stove with a match or flint responsible for a variety of allergic complaints, sulfates, hydrogen striker instead. from fatigue, irritability, and headaches to asthma, cyanide, aldehydes nausea, and joint pains.

Vacuum cleaner dust (including Replace with a water-trap vacuum cleaner, or Water-trap vacuum cleaners collect dust in water (dust-bag-equipped) highly allergenic install a central vacuum-cleaning system, and instead of an airbag. They do not vent dust back animal dander and vent the exhaust away from living quarters. into the room via the exhaust hatch and are, there- insect particles) fore, cleaner to use. Water-trap vacuum cleaners are also more powerful, picking up more dust to begin with. They are highly recommended by aller- gists for people with asthma and other allergies.. Water softener lead, cadmium Hook the softener up to the hot-water supply Soft water leaches heavy metals out of pipes (leached from only, and use the cold-water tap for drinking because it's more acidic. pipes), sodium and cooking. Lead disrupts normal production of hemoglobin in Use only if the water is very hard (20 grains per blood. Low levels can lower one's ability to fight off gallon or higher). infection. Heavy exposure leads to nerve disor- ders. Cadmium buildup can lead to high blood pressure, kidney disease, and iron-deficiency anemia. Overconsumption of sodium often leads to high blood pressure in susceptible people. Cigarette Smoking Tobacco smoke Over 1500 chemi- Install air-filtration equipment. If no one in your house smokes, you are automati- cals, including Ventilate the house as much as possible. cally avoiding one of the biggest contributors to acrolein, aldehydes, If you smoke, think about quitting. If visitors to indoor pollution and one of the biggest known aluminum, benzo [a] your home ask if they can smoke, don't be threats to health and life. pyrene, carbon afraid to say no. Cigarettes are responsible for more cases of lung monoxide. formal- cancer than all other sources of pollution dehyde, hydrocar- combined. Cigarette smoke also contributes to bons, hydrogen heart disease, emphysema, and bronchitis and cyanide, nitrites, triggers severe reactions in asthmatics and other phenols, pyridines, people with respiratory allergies. and sulfur In some ways, this is the easiest source of pollu- tion to eradicate; in other ways, it's the hardest.

FOR FURTHER READING "The In's and Out's of Air Pollution," Tech- The Household Pollutants Guide by the Disease Control, Roger Yepsen, Jr., ed. Em- nology Review, AugusvSeptember 1982 Center for Science In the Public Interest. maus, PA: Roclaie Press, Inc., 1983 "A Test of Small Air Cleaners," NEW Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1978 The Household Environment and Chronic by Illness by Guy 0. Pfeiffer. Springfield, IL: SHELTER, July/August 1982 Clean Your House and Everything In It "Clean Water at Your Tap," NEW SHELTER, Eugenia Chapman and Jill C. Major. New Charles C Thomas, 1980 October 1983 York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1982 "Indoor Air Pollution: A Public Health Per- The Encyclopedia of Natural Insect and spective," Science, July 1983

32 RODALE'S NEW SHELTER A28 SUNDAY\ FEBRUARY 12, 1989 . THE WASHINGTON P651' .4-- Science for Measuring Indoor Pollutants. Advances Improvel Instrument Can Measure Smaller Degrees of Exposure to Organic Substances

The technology of measuring in- organic analyzer that gives a rough door air pollut on has leaped ahead INCREASING DETECTION LEVELS reading of the overall amount of in the past decade, growing along chemicals in a room. Made possible with scientific interest in the sub- n a swimming pool measuring 40 feet long by 20 feet wide by six by the development of microcircuit- ject, accordin 1 to Environmental I feet deep, at a detection level of one part per million (1:1,000,0001, ry for the space program, it works Protection Age ncy officials, private 1/2 cup of pollutants could be detected. At one part per billion by breaking up organic substances consultants an I published research (1:1,000,000,000), 2 drops of pollutants could be detected. into electrically charged ions and papers. 40 feet long, measuring the energy that breakup The basic in ttrument to measure causes the substances to give off. concentrations of volatile organic Some new devices have only lim- compounds—e nitted from sol- ited use. When EPA scientists vents, cleaning fluids or dry-cleaned clothing, among other things—is a wanted to measure the amount of chromatograph a device that uses a chloroform released when people neutral gas to push the compound took hot showers, they devised a through a looped tube that is coated gadget that could take 12 rapid se- with a material called adsorbent DETECTION LEVEL DETECTION LEVEL: quential air samples without clog- 1:1000,000 1:1,000.000,000 that attracts it. 1/2 cup of poUutants 2 du:Inset pollutants ging up because of high humidity. The rate at which the compound The chromatograph is useful YEAR DEGREE TO WHICH POLLUTANTS CAN BE DETECTED moves through the tube—translat- when scientists have a rough idea of 1950 — ONE PART PER MILLION (1:1,000,0001 ed by a tletec or into a standard what they are looking for, but an 1960 — ONE-HALF PART PER MILLION 10.5:1,000.0001 peak-and-valley chart—tells the even more sophisticated analysis researcher how much is there and 1965 — ONE PART PER BILLION II:1,000,000,0001 1975 — ONE PART PER TRILLION (1:1,000.000,000,0001 tool is the mass spectrometer, confirms what substance it is. The which is better known for its use in most sensitive can detect quantities 1983 — ONE PART PER QUADRILLION (1:1,000,000,000.000.000) drug testing. An invention of the down to the picogram, essentially HY (OBEY —THE WASHINGTON POST 1970s, it breaks materials into one part of matt rial per billion parts of air. made possible the development of dollar to record personal exposure atomic fragments that can be The chromatograph has been portable monitors, which collect to organic substances. matched, like fingerprints, to the around since th a 1950s, but it has cruder data than bulkier fixed ma- This year, EPA will publish re- compounds in them. In an EPA stu- been used for ndoor air pollution chines but come closer to duplicat- sults of a study in which Baltimore dy of 10 public buildings released only in the p= decade, with the ing real-life conditions. housewives wore newly developed last year, the mass spectrometer development o synthetic adsor- In 1984, the engineering lab at portable monitors to measure their found that a typical air sample con- bents suited to c rganic compounds. the EPA's Research Triangle, N.C., exposure to nitrogen oxide while tained 100 to 200 chemical com- Improvement.: in the chromato- office developed a prototype por- cooking with gas stoves. pounds. graph's analysis capabilities have table monitor the size of a silver Another portable tool is a total — D'Vera Cohn .11161 0 0 K AR

In Fight ainst — - , The Frontier Moves Indoors SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1989 Dry Cleaning, Copiers May Pose Hazards

Federal scientists are using the By D'Vera Cohn unoccupied house rented by EPA to Washington Post Staff Writer "lots of dollars ail-Cab-out half a dec- test the 'real-life dispersion of sub- 'Workers at the Library of Con- ade." stance§-, such as nitrogen dioxide gress' Madison annex have been 'A few indoor pollutants, such as and carbon monoxide, given off by complaining of headaches, sinus asbestos and tobacco smoke, have kerosene heaters; perchloroethy- problems and skin rashes ever since, been amply studied, and there is lene, a chemical that is emitted in the white marble structure that is scientific consensus on their dan- low levels by dry-cleaned clothing Washington's second largest office gers. However, little is known and causes cancer in animals; and building opened in 198f. ' about the bacteria that grow inside organic compOunds released by hair This month, three federal agen- heating and cooling systems, or of spray and other personal care aero- cies ace embarking on a half- the effects of low levels of so-called sol products. - million-dollar detective project to volatile organic compounds emitted They also are using it to design a find out whether and, if so, how the from typewriter correction fluid, computer program to map the flow cleaning materials, carpet adhe-_ of air and pollutants to predict the building is making the employees sives, moth cakes and other such-- sick; path a substance will take through a products. In the middle are sub- ,. home without running a cumber- The enterprise will employ ques- stances that are known to be toxic , tionnaires, use sophisticated mea- some experiment. surement methods that in some in large doses—ozone for exam- And it is cumbersome. To study ple=but whose lesser-level indoor the "perc" in dry-cleaned clothing, cases , did not exist a decade ago, effects are uncatalogued. and try new techniques that could ' researchers hung a man's two-piece One reason the science is so new wool-blend suit, a woman's wool sadd to the recent and sometimes isthat the issue of indoor air quality,. uncertain silence of assessing, in- skirt and two polyester blouses— • was not recognized until the energy jokingly called an "EPA standard door air pollution. Results maynot.:-.: crisis of the 1970s prompted con- load"—in a closet, then sampled the .be known for a,year. - struction of airtight buildings that fumes-, the clothes gave off over trap pollutants and encourage cost:- ihree weeks depending on whether , The study "will be an,example foi4, conscious building managers to turn the plastic wrapping was.on or off, other agencies and prh'iate indni* down ventilatficn. ' In other cases,'.' or the clothing had been aired out all over•.the 'thuntry,", said Nancy the problem stems from products for'a kW:hours. It took 12 weeks to - Bush, a librarY spokeswoman. such as photocopying machines and run four "scenarios. It is a unique venture, but so , is portable , humidifiers, not,- widely", ; , The tests found no significant) much of the work being done on r used until recently. , . : ' difference in chemical emissions indoor air quality. The topic is so Much of the technology 'under— under . different conditions. "What new that there is a lot of informa- lying -the..,science is of recent vin-.. : we found . was it doesn't matter - tion on the prevalence of many pol- tage. It was not until 1981 that fed :- much 'what ---the !homeowner does lutants, but no agreement on what' eral researcheri,.. using newly de- once it, gets home," said Merrill' ' levels are safe. 4 veloped monitors small enough for -''.:- -,Jackson, 'who oversees 'research at' In addition, the private consulting people to wear,.: could proVe that : the EPA heuse. some people are exposed to higher "Ken'Gilei- of the Consumer - Prod industry, which is largely unregu- levels . of pollutants indoors than,),uct Safetyrigornmission, which or lated, is growing so quickly that t outdoors. It was only in. the 1970s?: •dered,the research ; said the agency some express concern about shoddy that synthetic-materials were . de- is encouraging cleaner§ to improve work. - veloped making it easier to test for their processing to remove more of "We're just surveying the issue chemicals where only one molecule the distinct-smelling chrnical. -, -. . right now," said Michael Berry, is present in every billion molecules The, safety ,commission also, is. manager of the Environmental Pro- of air—an impottant advancement negotiating with kerosene- ..heater , - tection Agency's indoor because indoor chemicals often are manufacturers' for a voluntary "stan search program in Research,..Tri-', present only at such low levels. dard on,nitrogen dioxide emissions: angle, N.C. Assembling a solid, base!) One frontier of indoor pollution In keeping with a Reagan adminis:-. of information, he said, will reguire research is going on behind the tration philosophy, the ,agency will doors• of a ranch house a few miles -1-'''promulgatert"Mandatort .) standards from Berry's office, The garage and i ' only..when voluntary onesfaiO3', honse are filled with . deVices •; to Other fedexal, agencies have • measure the products ',Of, 'e-Veryilay.y.5Aaiesf asbestoS-.staridarda,..- and there , life. are recommended governinenr.! panies and EPA-sponsored training s- standards for rack n, as well as pri- of radon detection firms. The best - vate industry gu delines for ade and turning up the air flow will take advice, experts say, is to look for quate ventilation, temperature and = care of most problems. But some ' firms that have good references and humidity in buildiigs. A few prod- environmental activists are press - a long track record. ucts, such as paint strippers, carry - •ing for more. Even that may not be enough. n-.1 federally mandated warning labels. Earon Davis, an environmental When. Public Citizen, a group health consultant who publishes a There are occupational standards ' founded by Ralph Nader, conducted .'; for some .chemia_ls, but they are newsletter on indoor pollution, said an accuracy test of radon testing i he believes there should be stan- designed to protect factory work- firms, three out of seven of the na- ti ers. Many researchers and consum- dards for individual products, stan- tion's largest home detection com- er groups think thsy are inadequate dards for overall chemical exposure and special efforts to protect, a panies failed—meaning they were * for the more sustained but lower off by'more than 25 percent in de- growing minority of workers who level exposure of less brawny office ' tecting the amount of radon in an - employees to a mixture of com- are particularly chemically sensi- exposed canister. pounds. tive. The firms all had passed a similar • To answer the- question of what "There is some baseline level we EPA screening, but the Public Cit- happens when people are exposed can set that will protect the major- ity of people," he-said.-"But there' izen canisters were sent anony-' -' to low levels of a lot of substances, mously,' whereas the laboratories-: , an EPA lab in Chapel Hill, N.C.,. is also has to be a second system to knew which testing devices were testing the impact of 22 commonly . deal with those 'with unusual sen- from EPA so they could be especial- , .sitivities," a group he estimates used chemicals or the memory ancr equals up to 15 percent of the work ly careful in analyzing them, Public Citizen said. breathing 'passagss. Students will •: force. sit in a room-siz sd steel chamber Not only is there an absence of 'PeoplePeople go intoi the stores and ;, infused with the witches' brew for national standards for many. pollut- see EPA-approved on the label and several hours, after which they will .: ants, but there also is little govern- - . . . people do put their- faith in ; be given memory tests and have ment accreditation of laboratories ' that," said Amy Schirmer of Buyers nasal passage cell samples taken..-. doing the work, aside from some Up, the Public Citizen division that None of the chemicals is known regulationsof asbestos removal corn- conducted the tests. • "That's all " to cause human cancer, and all will . right if we trust the EPA test, but be present in one-tenth the amount we don't." that industrial standards allow. Partly in•response to the buyers. Most EPA of icials believe the Up study, which was released last government is nc;t likely to set rec- month, EPA announced Friday that 7 ' •ommended ceilin :s on exposure to it will begin so-called blind testing' any one chemica , though' some be- for some of the new applicants for :: . lieve there might be guidelines for the EPA proficiency rating, though overall chemical rxposure. not for firms that already won .a :- Some experti, concluding • that. proficiency rating. Stale air is the biggest culprit, say The indoor testing industry is that cleaning the ventilation system. groWing so quickly that it is easy for. 2 standards to Slip, said Christopher"! Dyson, the Buyers Up laboratory;; ' director. Small companies often dol. not have a quality assurance officer .: to make sure proper procedures are followed, he said, and there is so:' much turnover that at some labs he dealt with two or three people ,in;1 charge during the year that the ra-1 don project took to complete. , 21 ',`Everyone wants to get into it beCiuse supposedly, you can make a4 lot 'of inoney,"'D)ison said. John McCarthy, president of En- 'Vironmerital. Health and Engineer- ing of Newton; Mass:, said his firm. has beeri called in to double-check.. the work of other consultants, and4 .`we find that, many times their: methods are not"state:of-th&art or il :,follow4 "their ,interpretations do !not ' the most current scientific Tina ings." 2 AMERICAN Are you working LUNG How big a problem ASSOCIATION' in a sick building? is office air The Christmas Seal People- When you're at work, do you get headaches? Do you have pollution? difficulty breathing? Are you groggy or nauseated? Do your eyes burn? Do you find yourself sneering or coughing? And A World Health Organization report suggests that as many do you feel better when you leave the office? If so, there's a as 30 percent of new and remodeled buildings worldwide possibility that you are working in a SICK BUILDING. may generate excessive complaints related to indoor air Indoor Air The 'sick building syndrome' is a recently recognized quality. In a nationwide random sampling of office workers, phenomenon, and, unfortunately, an increasingly common 24 percent perceived air quality problems in their work one. When a significant number of building occupants environments, and 20 percent believed that their work per- experience symptoms that do not fit the pattern of any par- formance was hampered accordingly. Pollution in ticular illness and are difficult to trace to any specific source, the problem may be 'sick building syndrome". What Are The Symptoms Sick building problems may arise because of improper- Of Working In A Skk Building? ly designed or maintained heating, ventilating and air condi- The effects of office air pollution usually show up first as one the Office tioning (HVAC) systems office equipment. furniture and or a combination of the following symptoms: stuffy nose, surplice and operations in the building, sneering dry cough, tightness of the chest, or sore throat. To save rising energy cons, new buildings are tightly Other symptoms may also appear, including fatigue, sealed and modern ventilation systems recycle a large por- headache, nausea, skin irritation, and burning itching eyes. tion of inside air. Often, fresh air may not leads the worker. However, these symptoms may be a result of a variety of For example, use of flexible office partitions in large open causes. Frequently, it is difficult to firmly establish the rela- spaces can interfere with the sir distribution an it was origi- tionship between the symptoms and the work environment. nally designed. Energy oasts in older buildings are reduced This is not the whole story. Germ-caused illnesses — by adding insulation, caulking, and weather-stripping. Win- such as Legionnaire's Disease, which can lead to serious dows are made air-tight, and outside air dampers are dosed. infection or even death — are often the result of indoor air Whether a building is old or new, the same recirculated air pollution. is breathed again and again by the people working in these buildings. This brochure suggests some solutions to office air eptnlity prob- The problem is made worse by increasing numbers and lem CaU your fora( Lung A.130616011fiir more information. varieties of pollutants from furnishings air conditioning, heating and ventilating systems modern office equipment and supplies humidifiers and dehumidifiers and second- hand tobacco smoke. The result? Ale pollution levels can be fir greater lowboys than °Indoors

1132 as

What Causes Office Air Pollution Problems?

The major reasons for prior indoor air quality in office budd- afternoon levels of carbon monoxide can be 10 to 20 times secondhand smoke is definitely dangerous to human ing are the presence of indoor air pollution 90.1Ceq poorly greater than EPA's daily standard for outdoor air quality. health. Involuntary smoking has now been established designed, maintained or operated ventilation systems and as a cause of king cancer in healthy nonsmokers. Major Soarers Garages and loading docks in buildings are a uses of the building that were unanticipated or poorly More than half of all US. employers have institut- major source &carbon monoxide. If improperly vent- planned foe when the building was designed or renovated. ed restrictions on smoking in their facilities. A 1959 ed. or if there is a leak in the duct work, the gas can seep Frequently, no single pollutant is present in unhealthy survey of Fortune 50 companies reported that at least into a building's offices in unhealthy amounts. amounts, yet because there are so many pollutants present. 10% have smoke-free policies and almost 42% permit the total effect may he unhealthy. Pollutants most likely to Heath Effects Carbon Monoxide can produce fatigue. con- smoking only in limited, designated smoking at at cruse problems in the office are fusion, headache. dimities& and nausea. It can impede coordination and worsen heart problems. Very high Volatile Organk Compounds exposures can cause death. Blologkal Agents Volatile organic compoimds (VOCs) are released from cer- Biological agents are present in the air almost everywhere, tain solids or liquids as gases at rocnn temperature. They and are a common factor in office air pollution. They Formaldehyde include a variety of chemicals (benzene, carbon tetrachlo- include bacteria, vivant", fungi, pollen, dust mites and other Formaldehyde is a commonly used chemical compound ride. styrene) which may have both short-term and long- insects, animal dander (tiny scales from hair, feathers, or found in as many as 3,000 different building products term health effects. skin) and molds. They can travel through the air and are Major Seances In office buildings. the major sources of Major Soorces Volatile organic compotmds can he found often invisible They are usually inhaled, either alone or by formaldehyde are likely to be partickboard, fiberboard, in some furniture, paint, adhesives, solvents, uphol- attaching themselves to particles of dust and then entering and plywood in furniture and panelling glues and stery, draperies, carpet, spray cans, clothing, construe- the respiratory system. upholstery and drapery fabrics. non materials, cleaning compounds, deodorizer, copy Major Seances Offices can be especially vulnerable to machine toners, felt-tip markers and pens, and correc- Health Effects Exposure to formaldehyde can cause microorganism hearse fungi and bacteria find nour- tion fluids. headaches, sore throats, and fatigue. Other health ishment in inadequately maintained air-circulation sys- effects can include rashes, nausea dizziness, and eye Health Effects Short-terns effects include eye, nose and tems and in dirty washronnes and respiratory tract irritation. Furthermore. formalde- throat irritation; headaches and nausea. On a long- Health Medal When biological agents are allowed to flour- hyde has been frond to care cancer in animal research term basis, exposure to high levels of some of these ish in poorly maintained ventilation systems, severe and industrial workers. substances may produce damage to the liver, kidney health problems can result that can be experienced and the central nervous system. throughout an entire building. Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Infectious and noninfectious diseases can he Secondhand smoke—the smoke from someone else's Other Pollutants caused by various biological agents. They can make you cigarette, cigar or pipe—containt more than 4,000 chemi- With today's new, ever-changing inninen equipment, addi- sneeze. trigger allergic reactions. cause rashes, watery cals, including nicotine. formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, tional dangers can confront the office worker. Copying eyes, hoar.tenen, coughing, din:ince, lethargy, breath- and other known cancer-causing agents. While smokers machines. for example, can emit ozone, which causes ing problems, and digestive problems. themselves face serious health risks from tobacco, it is now coughing, choking headache, fatigue. and lowers the body's People with asthma are especially susceptible to . dear that even people who don't smoke may be threatened. resistance to infection. Office buildings are likely to contain allergic problems caused by biological agents. Their Exposure to secondhand smoke, also called environmental asbestos in ceiling and floor tiles and acoustic and heating very sensitive airways can react to various allergens and tobacco smoke, may have certain harrnful--possibly even insulation. Asbestos fibers can be inhaled into the lungs and irritants, making breathing difficult. fatal—health effects such as lung cancer and heart disease. remain in the lung tissue, where they can cause scarring. or asbestosis, and cancer. Health Effects Tobacco smoke can irritate eyes, nose and Carbon Monoxide throat and can cause headaches and nausea. The Sur- can This odorless gas is a regulated outdoor' air pollutant. It geon General of the United States has concluded that be an even greater heard indoors. In some office buildings, Air Pollution in the Office Building

1. Carbon Mo t a de 3. Biological Agents 5. Volatile Organic Compounds Garages. Motor V ides. Loading Docks Humidifiers Air Conditioners. Dehumidifiers, Felt -Ttp Markers and Pens, Cleaning Compounds. Washrooms, Ventilation Pipes and Ducts Paint, Copy Machines. Solvents 2. Formalde Glum Partitions. rpet, Paneling. Drapery Fabric. 4. Tobacco Smoke 6. Ozone Particleboard Fum re, Upholstery Fabric Cigarettes, Cigars Pipes Copy Machines

What Can Be Done About It?

In older building, windows can be opened, ceiling rate for the first few weeks of occupancy. This will Four Bask R re- fans can be installed to help circulate the outside air, dilute possible emissions from new polluting sources. merits to Rest Health and humidifiers or dehumidifiers can be added. Rela- tive humidity should be kept between thirty and sixty ▪ Alter or remove office equipment, furnishings, and percent. supplies that continue to cause trouble for workers. to Sick Building Some fomoldefryde sources. for example, can be elimi- 3. Maintain the ventilation system. Regularly clean and nated by the use of a coating or sealer. I. Eliminate tobacco smoke. A smo e•ree policy is the disinfect every part of a ventilating heating or cooling best way to protect the health dal! ployees. If that is device or system, including humidifiers and delurmicli- II Obtain assurances from the seller that new furnishings not currently feasible, smoking Id be allowed only fien, air filters, air circulation pumps and blowers. and equipment are free of irritating gases and can be in a separately-ventilated area exclusively for returned if found to cause symptoms among workers. that purpose. where no is required to enter 4. Remove sources of poPut Ion. It is important to keep up or pro through. (Your local A is Lung Aencia- to date with the chemical components and health II If the building contains an attached or underground tion can provide materials to help nies develop effects from exposure to equipment. furnishings and and implement no-smoking pot* garage, make sure the ventilating system operates so as supplies in your office. Change or remove sources that to prevent auto exhaust fumes from entering the cause problems for workers. 2. Provide adequate ventilation. G idelines for office offices. Also, check air ducts for leaks. buildings set by the American icty of Heating. Refrigerating, and Air Conditi ning Engineers ▪ Locate loading docks or dumpster areas far from the (ASHRAE) require circulation of fi seen to sixty cubic Other Ways to Cure building's air supply inlet vents. feet of outside air per minute per rt, depending upon the activities that normally in that room. If Sick Buildings ▪ Check cleaning agents for dangerous components. If air circulation in large open spaces' hampered by par- possible. toe nontoxic materials. If not. ventilate offices titions raise the partitions apprnxi tety six inches off Ask the building manager or other during and after using cleaning agents. the floor. responsibleLe person to To assure adequate ventilation i a modern build- IN If, in spite of these measures workers continue to have ing. adjustments can be made to the tilating system. In new or renovated buildings, increase the ventilation symptoms, hire an environmental indoor air quality professional to test the air and identify the problem. RICOSH FACT SHEET INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

THE PROBLEM

Are you working in a sick building? When you're at work do you get headaches? Sneeze or cough excessively? Do your eyes burn? Do you feel better when you leave the office? If so, you may be working in a "sick" building.

To save energy costs, new tightly-sealed office buildings and modern ventilation systems recycle a portion of inside air over and over again without adequate cleaning or the addition of fresh outside air. In older buildings, insulation is added, windows are air-tight, and outside dampers are often closed.

Whether the building is old or new, the same recirculated air is breathed again and again by people working inside. Workers suffer a variety of symptoms ranging from drowziness and decreased alertness to respiratory infection.

The problem is worsened by the many pollutants that exist inside the workplace.

COMMON OFFICE TOXINS

Source Hazard Effect Duplicating machines solvent Ammonia and Methanol Irritation to eyes, nose, throat Ventilation shafts, ceilings or Asbestos Mesothelioma (tumours), cancer— ceiling tiles asbestosis (from high exposure) Rubber cement and some cleaners, Benzene and Toluene Drowsiness, headaches, dizziness, stencil fluid, copier toner, liquid liver damage. Benzene has been eraser linked to leukemia and other blood disorders

Adhesives, waxes, Inks, rubber, Common Office Irritants Skin problems, dermatitis, allergic carbon, typewriter ribbons, photo- reactions copying papers, cleaning fluids. Insulation, glues in new carpeting, Formaldehyde Irritation of eyes, nose, mouth, building materials throat, allergic reactions. Suspected cancer-causing agent Irritation to eyes, nose, throat, Copying machines, electrical equip- Ozones coughing, chest pains, drowsiness, ment headaches. Lower levels — headaches, fatigue, Correcting fluids, inks, adhesives, Trichlorethylene dermatitis. Higher levels — nausea, compounds vomiting, confusion Suspected cancer•causing agents. Toner in photocopying machines Trinitro-fluorenone (TFN) & Nltropyrenes Respiratory infections, allergic Humidifying and air-conditioning Micro-organisms (viruses, bacteria, responses systems and fungi) Insecticides and pesticides Depending on chemical com- Spraying of plants and premises ponents: from liver disease to eye WHAT CHANGES CAN BE MADE?

Improvements can be made in office ventilation systems through regular maintenance. increasing the percent of fresh air in each air change, increasing the frequency of air changes. locating roof intake vents where they will draw in the cleanest air available, and efficient cleaning of recirculated air and 'fresh air' if :men ***** 7.

Office equipment which produces pollutants must S. properly maintained. It can alsc be isolated to one area that has special ventilation.

Buildings can have volatile pollutants 'baked out of then by turning up the heat to minus and venting the fuses to the outside over a weekend or longer shut-down period.

Dangerous materials such as asbestos can be removed entirely' and safer materials substituted. Solid insulation can be sealed in to the walls; formaldehyde from particleboard can be chemically sealed or coated with a formaldehyde-absorbing saint.

Heat recovery, which use saves energy, can be used as a sate alternative to air recirculation.

AKING ACTION TO GUARANTEE A HEALTHY WORK ENVIRONMENT

UNION ACTION: (If your workplace is not unionized, work cooperatively with co-workers to make the needed changes.)

- Sur ey your workplace for pollution sources and reports of healt problems or discomfort. The survey can be done by walki g through each work area, observing operations and inter iewing workers. Alternatively, a questionnaire can be distr buted to union members.

- Investigate how the ventilation system operates. Find out answers to these questions:

* W o is responsible for operation and maintenance of the venti ation system?

* A e there written standard procedures for the operation. and maintenance of the system? If there are, you should obtai and review a copy

* A e their written procedures in case of breakdown of part, or all of the ventilation system? These procedures shoul be in writing and available for review. If there are none hey should be implemented. If they are inadequate they shoul be upgraded.

* I exhaust air recirculated? If so, what percent fresh air gets added? ( 33% if the Swedish guideline) What cleani g is performed on air before recirculation? Is the cleani g method capable of removing all types and amounts of contam nants which may be present?

* Ho often is the air in the room changed? (Rates are specif ed as air changes per hour, minutes per air change, and ai flow rate per floor area)

- Take a physical tour of the ventilation system - requiring visits to both the basement and roof - preferably with someon who operates or maintains the system. You can also contac an outside heating and cooling contractor. Locate,

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OFFICE VENTILATION SURVEY GUIDE

SYSTEM COMPONENTS THINGS TO NOTICE OR ASK

fresh air intake -are there sources of contaminated air which could enter, such as roof tar vapors, incinerator com- bustion products, exhaust air, flue gases, auto fumes -damper setting, open to closed -is filtration provided

heater, boiler -type of fuel -are combustion products properly vented to outside

humidifier -cleanliness of water resevoir

air conditioner -type of refrigerant (unless cooling tower is used, which uses water as refrigerant)

air distribution and -type of insulation on inside or outside surfaces return ductwork -frequency of cleaning of ductwork; observe inside if possible

room air distribution -test to see which way and how fast air is moving by and air return vents watching to see how smoke is drawn from a cigarette or smoke tube (available from safety equipment suppliers - see Yellow Pages) -cleanliness

heat exchanger -type- heat wheel, runaround liquid, air to air, waste-heat boiler

exhaust air discharge -percent discharge vs. percent recirculated -location far enough from fresh air intake

air cleaner for recirculated -type *filtration through paper, cloth or fiber air glass is for dusts *incineration, wet scrubbing, adsorbtion on activated carbon is for gases and vapors 7117 GETTING MANAGEMENT TO ACT:

- After you complete the hazard the complaint survey and the survey of the ventilation system, the union should consider one or more of these follow-up actions:

* Meet with management with the results of your surveys. I ssue a list of demands which the union believes will address office pollution problems with a deadline for action.

ile a grievance, specifiying the union demands as the emedy.

evelop contract language on indoor air pollution and ncorporate the language in you next contract egotiations.

ake direct action to reinforce your demands. For example orkers could wear buttons calling attention to the roblem. The union could arrange for everyone to take a resh air break outside, or to call in sick with stale lung disease.

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lAt NFO Indoor r Quality Information Clearin house epi e of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

DOCUMENTS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION

,To receive a copy of any of the following publications, please mark an X next to the document's publication number, then complete reverse side and fax or mail to the Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse (IAQ INFO) at the address noted.

General Information

(IAQ-0009) The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ-0029) Targeting Indoor Air Pollution: EPA's Approach and Progress (IAQ-0059) Secondhand Smoke: What You Can Do As Parents, Decisionmakers, and Building Occupants (IAQ-0046) Fact Sheet: Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders (IAQ-0003) Fact Sheet: Ventilation and Air Quality in Offices (IAQ-0004) Fact Sheet: Sick Building Syndrome (IAQ-0006) Fact Sheet: Report to Congress on IAQ (Summary of 1989 Report) (IAQ-0007) Fact Sheet: Residential Air Cleaners (IAQ-0008) Fact Sheet: Use and Care of Home Humidifiers (IAQ-0040) Fact Sheet: Carpet and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ-0061) Fact Sheet: Flood Cleanup: Avoiding Indoor Air Quality Problems (IA0-0010) Residential Air Cleaning Devices: A Summary of Available Information (IAQ-0060) Current Federal Indoor Air Quality Activities (IAQ-0015) What You Should Know About Combustion Appliances and . Indoor Air Pollution (IAQ-0023) Asbestos in Your Home (IAQ-0025) Biological Pollutants in Your Home

Technical Information

(IA0 - 0019) EPA TEAM Study Summary (IAQ-0020) IAQ in Public Buildings: Volume I Project Summary (IAQ-0021) IAQ in Public Buildings: Volume II Project Summary (IAQ-0022) Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Air Pollutants in Indoor Air — Project Summary

Limited number of Survey of Indoor Air Quality Diagnostic and Mitigation Firms available. Please call for further information.

IAQ INFO PO Box 37133 • Washington, DC • 20013-7133 Building Air Qua ity: A Guide for Building Owners & Facility Managers This documen (Stock # 055-000-00390-4) may be obtained for $24.00 from the Superintendent of Documents, U. . Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9325, (202) 783-3238.

Introduction to In• oor Air Quality: A Reference Manual Introduction to In• oor Air Quality: A Self-Paced Learning Module This set of doc ments may be obtained for $47.00 by nonmembers and $40.00 by members. Contact the National Envir nmental Health Association, 720 Colorado Blvd., #970 South Tower, Denver, CO 80222, (303) 756-90' 0.

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IAQ INFO PO Box 37133 • Washington, DC • 20013-7133