Governor Cuomo Announces Schools Can Open. Can They or Should They?

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that public schools can decide to open as long as they are in a region where the average rate of positive coronavirus tests is below 5 percent over a two-week period.  To read Governor Cuomo's announcement click here.  It is interesting to note that still means School Districts will have to figure out how to open, handle busing, and all the other parts of the schooling process.  There is plenty of information that indicates that children are very efficient spreaders of viruses.  Forbes magazine recently published an article "New Evidence Suggests Young Children Spread Covid-19 More Efficiently Than Adults", which is about two studies, one published in  The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and the other is a pre-print manuscript awaiting peer-review.  The JAMA study shows young children who have mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms have 10 to 100 times as much SARS-CoV-2 in the nasopharynx as older children and adults.  The other study showed that children age 14 and younger risk of transmitting Covid-19 was 22.4 percent—more than twice that of adults aged 30 to 49, whose rate of contagiousness was about 11 percent.  As an industrial hygienist and a certified indoor environmental consultant, we believe school administration/boards of education need to use some basic industrial hygiene and indoor air quality principles to open safely.  It will mean that quite a few things need to change to be able to keep students, teachers, and staff safe.  Like any basic industrial hygiene problem, we should use the hierarchy of controls to protect workers by reducing the potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

Hierarchy of Control Methods

The first hierarchy of control is the elimination or the substitution of the hazard.  This control is about prevention if we can eliminate the exposure then we eliminate the hazard.  So if we can make sure individuals with Covid-19 do not attend school we can eliminate the exposure.  To accomplish this most facilities are doing a combination of questionnaires and temperature taking to ensure people who are sick stay home and out of the workplace.  However, this does not capture asymptomatic individuals who can also spread SARS-CoV-2.   A recent study discussed in STAT's article "Fever checks are a flawed way to flag Covid-19 cases", indicated that Covid-19 patients were 27 times more likely than others to have lost their sense of smell.  But they were only 2.6 times more likely to have fever or chills, suggesting that anosmia (the loss of sense of smell) produces a clearer signal and may, therefore, be a better Covid-19 catching net than fever.  The idea of using a smell test is supported by a USA Today article "Why do so many COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smell? Scientists now know."  Testing to determine if an individual has lost their sense of smell can be done in several ways (for example, having a person smell a scratch-and-sniff card and pick the correct odor out of four choices) with the gold standard being the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test called UPSIT.  The scents are released by scratching the microencapsulated scents with a pencil.  The test taker has a choice of 4 answers for each and the test takes 10 to 15 minutes.  This would prevent individuals from entering the school and hence eliminate the hazard.  Unfortunately, it doesn't totally eliminate the hazard.  So we must add additional controls to continue to reduce the exposure.   

SARS-CoV-2

The next level of control would be engineering controls.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s website "Indoor Air and Coronavirus (COVID-19)" there is growing evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 remains airborne in indoor environments for hours, potentially increasing in concentration over time.  Due to this evidence, we would use the engineering controls ventilation (bringing fresh air from outside) and air filtration (removing the virus from the air inside the building) to reduce the potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2.  The purpose of the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a building is to bring fresh air from outside the building to dilute the contaminants that may build-up in a building.  Humans produce CO2 and body odor plus other contaminants (i.e., moisture, if we're sick viruses & bacteria) and other processes in the building produce other contaminants (i.e., cleaning chemicals, copiers, uncontrolled moisture can produce mold, etc.).  The HVAC system should be designed to reduce these contaminants and provide a certain amount of fresh air per person in the building.  When we are concerned about the indoor air quality (IAQ) of a space we use carbon dioxide (CO2) as an indicator of how well the ventilation system is ventilating a space.  In other words how well the ventilation system, is reducing the contaminants in the space.  The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) publishes a standard 62.1-2010 "Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality" as a guideline for determining acceptable IAQ (for the purposes of comfort).  This guideline recommends maintaining CO2 levels in a space no greater than 700 parts per million (ppm) above outdoor air levels.  However, a recent article in The Conversation titled "How to use ventilation and air filtration to prevent the spread of coronavirus indoors" discusses research that showed the effects of ventilation on a tuberculosis outbreak at Taipei University.  The study showed when engineers improved air circulation in the rooms and got the CO2 levels in the rooms reduced to under 600 ppm (from above 3,000 ppm) the outbreak stopped.  This shows that if we use CO2 detectors in rooms to ensure the rooms are properly ventilated and we can keep CO2 levels below 600 ppm we have a better chance of reducing transmission of the virus in these rooms.  The same article also discusses using air cleaners for air filtration there are several items to understand when using air cleaners.  First, you want an air cleaner that has a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) that is capable of filtering the particles at 99.97% of all particles at 5 microns and greater. The next thing to consider is how powerful it is and finally how reliable are its claims.  The Conversation article provides some excellent links for the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) that certifies air cleaners and a Harvard-Colorado University Boulder Air Cleaner Calculator for Schools tool for helping to decide the best air cleaner for a particular classroom.  This too may not completely eliminate the hazard so we will have to go to the next control - Administrative and work practice controls.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s website  "How COVID-19 Spreads" the virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person:

• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
• Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
• These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly inhaled into the lungs.
• COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.
• It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.  This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Administrative controls to reduce this exposure would include social distancing, surface cleaning and disinfecting, and handwashing (we discussed handwashing in our blog post regarding Future Environment Design's Pandemic Policy).  The CDC website "Strategies for Protecting K-12 School Staff from COVID-19" has a lot of information and resources on handling social distancing, and surface cleaning and disinfecting for schools for everything including sports, music, and busing.  Another idea some schools are considering is holding in-person classes outdoors.  An article in the magazine Fast Company titled "Inside the Quest to Reopen Schools-By Moving Classes Outside" discusses the work of the nonprofit organization called Green Schoolyards America.  Green Schoolyards America with other organizations has created the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative which has been working with schools to create outdoor learning spaces.  This is an outgrowth from a webinar held on June 4, 2020, entitled "Outdoor Spaces as Essential Assets for School Districts's COVID-19 Response".

The final level of control would be personal protective equipment (PPE).  Though face coverings are not truly considered PPE but for the purposes of public health and the fact we want the person to wear something, we will take the liberty to consider it this level of control which is the last and least effective control.

Face Covering, not a surgical mask

If you have read our previous blog post "Filtering Facepiece Respirator or a Dust Mask or N95 Respirator versus a Surgical Mask" on the difference between N95 respirators/filtering facepieces/dust masks vs surgical masks.  You know there is a big difference between surgical masks and N95 respirators.  In our blog post, we mentioned face coverings but there still seems to be some confusion.  We blame the media for not using consistent wording or terminology.  They go back and forth utilizing the wording face coverings and masks.  A face covering is not a mask (though they are now making things that look like a surgical mask but specifically say not for medical use (see picture above), which tells you that it is not a surgical mask but just a face covering).  The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a website devoted to "COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions".  This website has some basic points regarding cloth face coverings:

• May be commercially produced or improvised (i.e., homemade) garments, scarves, bandanas, or items made from t-shirts or other fabrics.
• Are worn in public over the nose and mouth to contain the wearer's potentially infectious respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks and to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), to others.
• Are not considered personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Will not protect the wearer against airborne transmissible infectious agents due to loose fit and lack of seal or inadequate filtration.
• Are not appropriate substitutes for PPE such as respirators (e.g., N95 respirators) or medical face masks (e.g., surgical masks) in workplaces where respirators or face masks are recommended or required to protect the wearer.
• May be used by almost any worker, although those who have trouble breathing or are otherwise unable to put on or remove a mask without assistance should not wear one.
• May be disposable or reusable after proper washing.

More and more data continues to come in proving the value of wearing face coverings.  The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published a study "Absence of Apparent Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from Two Stylists After Exposure at a Hair Salon with a Universal Face Covering Policy-Springfield, Missouri, May 2020".  The results of that study are pictured above.    Another article that discusses the benefits of face-coverings for protecting people from SARS-CoV2 is at the Fast Company website titled "Countries where everyone wore masks saw COVID death rates 100 times lower than projected".  The CDC has a website called "Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19".  This website provides information regarding cloth face coverings; how to wear cloth face coverings, considerations for wearing cloth face coverings, making cloth face coverings, and washing cloth face coverings.

By using the hierarchy of controls we discussed above, schools could open to in-person schooling.  But these are significant changes to the way schools have been run for years.  The question really is does the school have the resources to change and can it adapt to these changes.  Very tough questions for administrators, teachers, and parents, and students.     

Merry Holidays and a Happy New Year From Future Environment Designs Training Center. The Only Constant is Change!

We wish all of you who read our blog and attend our classes a Merry Holidays and a Happy New Year!  We hope your 2019 is better than your 2018 and may it be healthy, prosperous, and joyful!

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

2019 will bring some changes to Future Environment Designs Training Center (#FEDTC).  The first change is to continue to grow our online training by providing training tokens to our clients who attend our asbestos & mold courses.  This added value to our current courses continues to distinguish us from our competitors.  So we can add training courses our clients/students would be interested in, we are asking our attendees for suggestions for classes we can develop into online training courses.  In addition, we are strongly considering becoming a New York State Education facility (we hope to have the financing for this undertaking within 2-3 weeks of the New Year).  This would allow us to offer the New York City training courses and provide the Site Safety Training cards.  It would also require us to expand the number of training instructors we use.  This will be a major undertaking and as many of you who know me, will take tremendous courage on my part to overcome my fears related to trusting others with my business.   2019 is already starting on a good beginning with several courses almost fully booked in the first quarter.

Bergdorf Goodman Window

No sooner than the New Year of 2019 rings in, New York City will be going through several changes.  The asbestos amendments to Title 15 will go into effect January 6, 2019, and the Indoor Allergen Rule goes into effect on January 16, 2019.  In New York State before the New Year hits (December 31) the minimum wage will go up.  In addition, don't forget to save the date for the Professional Abatement Contractors of New York's  (PACNY) 23rd Annual Environmental Conference on February 27-28 & March 1, 2019, at Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York.  We will be your host for the February 27th, the proficiency day, where we will be discussing asbestos inspections/survey among other things.  We hope to see you there!  Again, we wish you a Merry Holidays & a Happy New Year!

Related Stories:

• NYC DEP Asbestos Rule Amendment Goes Into Effect
• NYC HPD Proposes Rules to Implement Indoor Allergen Hazards
• December 2018 Safety Suzy Newsletter
• Long Island's Minimum Wage Workers Getting a Raise
• Register for the PACNY Conference
• NYC Adds Training Requirements for Construction Workers
• NYC Site Safety Training website

 

NYC's Department of HPD Proposes Rules to Implement Indoor Allergen Hazards Legislation

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (NYCHPD) is holding a public hearing on November 2, 2018, to accept comments on a proposed rule to implement legislation regarding indoor allergen hazards.  To find out how to comment on the proposed rule visit NYC's rule website at https://rules.cityofnewyork.us/content/proposed-rules-regarding-indoor-allergen-hazards.  The proposed rules implement Local Law 55 of 2018, enacted by the City Council.  The legislation establishes an owner's responsibility to investigate for and remediate indoor allergen hazards like mold, cockroaches, mice, and rats in multiple dwellings.  The rules provide for work practices to be used by owners in performing the work to remediate these conditions.  The Local Law goes into effect on January 2019.

Green algae in condensate pan

The new rules include several definitions that are interesting:

• Indoor allergen hazard - means any indoor infestation of cockroaches, mice, or rats or conditions conducive to such infestation or an indoor mold hazard.
• Indoor mold hazard - means any condition of mold growth on an indoor surface, building structure or ventilation system, including mold that is within wall cavities, that is likely to cause harm to a person or that has been cited as a violation by NYCHPD.
• Pest -means any unwanted member of the Class Insecta, including, but not limited to houseflies, lice, bees, cockroaches, moths, silverfish, beetles, bedbugs, ants, termites, hornets, mosquitoes, and wasps and members of the Order Rodentia, including but not limited to mice, Norway rats, and any other unwanted plant, animal or fungal life that is a pest because it is destructive, annoying or a nuisance.
• Underlying defect means a condition that causes an indoor mold hazard, such as a water leak or water infiltration from plumbing or defective masonry pointing or other moisture condition or causes an infestation of pests, including holes or entryway paths for pests.

Mold on a sheetrock wall

These rules require the owner of the building to make an annual inspection for indoor allergen hazards in apartments and common areas of the building.  It also requires the owner to inspect if the occupant informs them that there is a condition in the apartment that is likely to cause an indoor allergen hazard or the occupant requests an inspection or NYCHPD issues a violation requiring the correction of an indoor allergen hazard in an apartment.  The owner is required to fix an indoor allergen hazard in an apartment using safe work practices specified in these rules.  The owner must provide new tenants with a pamphlet developed by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  Prior to new tenant occupancy, the owner is required to fix all visible mold and pest infestations in the apartment, as well as underlying defects using the safe work practices.  The assessments or work regarding indoor mold hazards must be performed in compliance with Article 32 of New York State Labor Law (Mold Licensing and Minimum Work Practices).  It seems to us if this rule goes into effect tenants have another weapon they can use to make sure their apartments are healthy living environments.

Related Articles:

New York City Asthma-Free Housing Act by Jack Springston, CIH, CSP, FAIHA

NYS Department of Labor Publishes Two New Mold Fact Sheets

Asthma Control Study Indicates a Home Visit Strategy is Successful.

New York State Mold Licensing & Minimum Standards Law Is Signed By Governor Cuomo

NYS Mold Law Changes, Licensing Requirement Goes Into Effect January 1, 2016.

Mold Legislation Threatens Restoration/Remediation Industries

13 Days Till PACNY's 22nd Annual Environmental Conference!

Here we are again!  The Professional Abatement Contractors of New York's (PACNY's) 22nd Annual Environmental Conference is 13 days away.  As usual, we are excited for the conference and looking forward to going to Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York to hear some presentations, gamble a bit, and enjoy some great networking.  We are sponsoring the conference, again.  So come visit Future Environment Design's (FEDTC) at booth 18!  Ms. Sheryl Esposito will be womaning the booth!  As we have done in the past, we will be tweeting the conference live at twitter.com/angelogarcia3 with the hastag #FEDTCPACNY on Twitter.  There are some exciting presentations we look forward to hearing, this year!

Long Island is Usually Represented by Some Entertaining Characters! 

Linda Reinstein, President & Co-Founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization and the Global Ban Asbestos Network, presentation on Thursday, March 1, 2018, is the keynote speaker.  She is inspiring and we are looking forward to hearing an update about the ban of asbestos under the current administration.  Mr. James Meacham, of the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), presentation on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, "Solving the Mystery of the ACB" sounds intriguing.  Considering all the problems we have experienced on Long Island (Clemente Park & Dix Hills) with the dumping of asbestos and other hazardous materials, Richard Clarkson, of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), presentation on Thursday, March 1, 2018, on "Part 360 Revisions and Solid Waste Regulations" should be very interesting!  On the same day, Mr. Adam Andrews, of the American Council of Accredited Certifications (ACAC), presentation on "The Advantages of Certification for Indoor Air Quality" will give us a different perspective.  Mr. Bob Krell of IAQ Technologies and Healthy Indoors Magazine, presentation "Avoiding Potential Pitfalls of Mold Investigations and Remediation Projects" will close out Thursday.  Leading us into the cocktail reception in the exhibitor hall.

Cocktail Reception in the Exhibitor Hall

The final day of the conference typically starts with a presentation before NYSDOL's panel and round table discussion.  This year, we are looking forward to hearing AAC's Peter DeLucia's presentation on "Managing the Many Facets of the Silica in the Construction Standard".  It will be interesting to hear how a contractor is dealing with this new standard that went into effect in September 2017.  The conference will close out with the Panel from the NYSDOL featuring Dr, Eileen Franco, Director; Mr. James Meacham, PE, Program Manager; Ed Smith, PE, Engineering Services Unit; & Mr. Kirk Fisher, Licensing & Certification Unit.  They will be giving us an update on what they are doing and an opportunity to ask questions.  If you wish to attend you can register for the conference at PACNY's website.  We look forward to seeing you there.  It always a good time!

Yes it is!

   

Related articles

• PACNY's Environmental Conference - Day 1 - And So It Begins!(futureenv.blogspot.com)

• Revisit "Changes Are Coming", Did They? & Save The Dates For PACNY's 2018 Environmental Conference

• Future Environment Designs: PACNY's Environmental Conference-The Very Technical Sessions-Day Two!

• Future Environment Designs Blogpost: PACNY's Environmental Conference - The NYSDOL Round Table - Day Three and So It Ends!

• Future Environment Designs: #Asbestos Floor Tile Debate Results 

NYC's Legionnaire Outbreak Over, Leading to New Requirements for Building Owners.

The recent legionnaire's disease outbreak in the Bronx, is over according to the New York City Health Department.  The impact of this disease outbreak seems to have not had an impact on the Opera House Hotel (according to the New York Times) which was at the center of the outbreak.  A far cry from the first legionnaire outbreak back in 1976.  That outbreak caused the closing of the Bellevue Stratford Hotel, four months after the outbreak and it did not reopen until 1979.

English: Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, Philadelphia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Legionnaire's disease is caused by a common gram negative rod-shaped bacterium called Legionella. It is widely distributed natural inhabitant of waters.  There are approximately 50 species and 70 serogroups have been described.  The 1976 occurrence in Philadelphia had 221 people that were treated and 34 deaths.  Legionella bacterium was found in the cooling tower of the hotel's air conditioning system.

Legionnaire's disease symptoms include fever, chills, cough, muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, loss of coordination and occasionally diarrhea and vomiting.  Typically takes 2-10 days to incubate.  Many cases go undiagnosed and transmission is not person to person.  It is treatable with antibiotics if diagnosed early enough.

The infection occurs from inhaling water droplets that originated from a water source contaminated with Legionella.  Typical manmade sources include cooling towers, evaporative coolers, hot water systems, showers, whirlpool spas, architectural fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice-making machines and misting equipment.  Environmental sources are freshwater ponds, rivers and creeks. 

A forced draft cooling tower (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Commonly used method of analysis is the methodology from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which involves collecting a sample of the water source. Culture Analysis is considered the "gold standard" and analysis can take 10-14 days.  The OSHA Technical Manual offers the following guidelines for interpreting Legionella analysis results (numbers are in colony forming units per milliliter (cfu/ml)):

ACTION    COOLING TOWER   DOMESTIC WATER    HUMIDIFIER

  1                     100                           10                     1

  2                    1000                         100                    10

Action 1: Prompt cleaning and/or biocide treatment of the system.

Action 2: Immediate cleaning and/or biocide treatment.

As part of the outbreak, the New York City Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) issued a mandatory order to have cooling systems inspected and remediated within 14 days of receipt of the order.  New York City has recently passed new requirements (Local Law 77 of 2015) for the registration of cooling towers and evaporating condensers.  Existing cooling towers and evaporative condensers must be registered with the New York City Building Department (NYC DOB) by September 17, 2015.  Visit the NYC DOB website for more info.  The DOHMH order requires building owners to hire environmental consultants experienced in disinfection using current industry standard protocols including the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 188P and Cooling Technology Institute Guidelines WTB-148. 

Disinfection will require the use of biocides, biocides are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC).  EPA regulates the labeling and use of biocides.  NYS DEC requires a commercial pesticide applicator certification in Category 7G - Cooling Towers, Pulp & Paper Process.

Will these new requirements prevent another outbreak?  Only if the regulations are enforced.  There are many laws on the books, however, how many of them are enforced.  You can almost say instead of "the devil is in the details", you should say "the devil is in enforcement".  Be Safe!

Related articles

• Hotel tower source of Legionnaires' outbreak(wcvb.com)

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• State health department deploys 150 officials to test Legionella bacteria in the Bronx(pix11.com)

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• Officials: Legionnaire's outbreak in New York City has ended(mashable.com)

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• New York City Outbreak: What Is Legionnaire's Disease?(scientificamerican.com)

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• NYC mayor signs law to combat future Legionnaires' outbreaks(newsday.com)

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• Legionella Bacteria Found In Cooling Tower In Riverside High School In Yonkers(newyork.cbslocal.com)

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• Legionella has checked out of the city; Opera House Hotel cooling tower was the source(crainsnewyork.com)

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• Legionnaires' Outbreak in New York City: Some Basics for Nurses(ajnoffthecharts.com)

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Legionella Found in Windshield Washer Fluid

Interesting research from Arizona State University found that the bacteria Legionella, commonly found in fresh water, was able to survive in certain automobile windshield washer fluids and can grow in washer fluid reservoirs.  This could potentially lead to people being exposed to the bacteria and maybe developing Legionnaire's disease or Pontiac Fever.

Windshield washer fluid (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Arizona State University research was conducted by Otto Schwake, an Arizona State University student pursuing a doctoral degree in Microbiology under the supervision of Morteza Abbaszadegan, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. Although windshield washer fluid was not normally associated with spreading disease, this research was begun after a series of epidemiological studies found motor vehicle use to be associated with increased risk for Legionnaires' disease.  One such study attributed nearly 20% of Legionnaires' disease cases in the United Kingdom not associated with hospitals or outbreaks to automobile windshield washer fluid.

Based on a recent webinar held by EMLab P&K featuring the Dr. Harriet Burge, Legionella is a gram negative bacterium that is a widely distributed natural inhabitants of water and is common in many environments.  It is heat loving and will proliferate in temperatures between 20 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius.  Growth is promoted by other micro organisms.  Legionella is the causative agent of Legionellosis (Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever).

The first recognized outbreak of Legionnaires disease occurred in Philadelphia in 1976.  As many as 221 people were treated and 34 deaths occurred.  The source was identified as the Legionella bacterium and found in the cooling tower of the hotel's air conditioning system.  Over 90% of legionelloses are caused by Legionella pneumophila.

English: A silver stain of Legionella pneumophila , the bacteria that causes Legionellosis. Although I got this image from a commercial website it is clearly labeled as from the CDC. This website routinely uses images from Wikipedia, which is a good thing, so no issue should be taken with using an presumably public domain image from their website. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Legionellosis takes two distinct forms:

• Pontiac Fever: respiratory illness without pneumonia, symptoms resemble acute influenza

• Legionnaires' Disease: symptoms include fever, chills, cough, muscle achees, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, loss of coordination (ataxia), and occasionally diarrhea & vomiting.

Legionellosis incubates in 2-10 days.  It is one of the top three causes of community-acquired pneumonia. Legionellosis affect 8,000 to 18,000 people in the United States each year. Transmission is not person to person. Legionellosis infection occurs after inhaling droplets that originated from a water source contaminated with Legionella. Environmental sources include freshwater ponds, rivers and creeks.  Typical manmade water sources that can be a source of Legionella include: cooling towers, evaporative coolers, hot water systems, showers, whirlpool spas, architectural fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice-making machines, and misting equipment.  Based on the above research now windshield washer fluid reservoirs, may be added to this list.

Related Articles:

• How To Detect And Identify Legionella
• Portugal: Legionnaires' Disease Alert
• Legionnaires' blamed for chef's death
• Possible Outbreak Of Legionellosis At The Playboy Mansion?

AIHA Registry Programs Launches New Program For XRF Field Measurement Registry

Peeling lead-based paint is an indicator that lead dust may be on the floor and surfaces

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Registry Programs LLC officially launched on January 18, 2011 a new registry program for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) Field Measurement.  The XRF Field Measurement Registry (FMR) program allows participants to use their registration status for in-situ XRF measurements.  This registry program does not address accreditation required for recognition by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP) as required at 40 CFR Part 745 for environmental lead analyses.
The FMR program is designed to recognize organizations and their affiliated operators that perform in-situ XRF measurements of lead paint surface coatings in the field.  The program maintains minimum standards of conduct for all FMR participants through adherence to the programs policies and registration process.
The FMR program will provide:

• Connections – clients, customers, and employers can find or hire the right kind of professional
• Consistency -- standardization of processes and methods across state lines and country borders
• Continuous improvement – a venue for collaboration and sharing of best practices

The FMR program will raise the competency bar through recognition of high quality organizations and their affiliated operators.  Registries help assure a level of quality among professionals and confidence among regulators and consumers who are looking to identify and then properly control or remove potential health hazards to workers and occupants of buildings.
Registered organizations and enrolled operators perform in-situ field measurements of lead surface coatings utilizing an XRF.  Registered organizations have met the qualifications for inclusion on the registry: personnel training, adherence to an established and documented quality system that is based on the most current version of the FMR Policy.  All enrolled operators must be affiliated with an FMR Registered organization that oversees the Quality Assurance and Quality Control program that monitors the operator and be properly trained and licensed for the work to be performed.
For general information and information detailing the registry program and processes, please visit the web site: http://www.aiharegistries.org/.  For specific inquiries, contact the AIHA Registry Program at info.RegistryLLC@aiha.org.

Related articles

• AIHA Survey Indicates Issues That Concern Industrial Hygiene Profession (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• A Mom Tests Toys for Toxins, Helping to Get the Lead Out (health.change.org)
• BESI Offers First X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Certification for Gypsum Products (pr.com)

The Importance of Developing a Marketing Plan

Image by EmaStudios via FlickrThe above linked article by Cochrane & Associates, LLC, an environmental, mold, heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and indoor air quality industries' only dedicated marketing, public relations and business development consulting firm, discusses the importance of developing a marketing plan.  Now is the time to develop your plan for 2011.  The article discusses the important points of a marketing plan these are:

• Goals
• Methods
• Frequency
• Timeframes
• Assign Tasks
• Budget
• Methods for Evaluating Success

Read the article to find out the details.

Related articles

• What Is the Difference Between a Business Plan and a Marketing Plan (brighthub.com)
• Examples for a Marketing Plan Executive Summary (brighthub.com)
• What's the Buzz on Facebook? Face your Small Business Struggles in 2011 (networksolutions.com)
• The NextWomen Tool Series: How to Write a Marketing Plan (thenextwomen.com)

Study suggests that being too clean can make people sick

Image via WikipediaA recent study by the University of Michigan School of Public Health suggests that people who are overexposed to endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) may suffer more allergies and negative effects to their immune systems.  Study suggests that being too clean can make people sick.  This study indicates that young people who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps containing triclosan may suffer more allergies, and exposure to higher levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) among adults may negatively influence the immune system.  Triclosan is a chemical compound widely used in products such as antibacterial soaps, toothpaste, pens, diaper bags and medical devices.  BPA is found in many plastics and, for example, as a protective lining in food cans.  Both of these chemicals are in a class of environmental toxicants called endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), which are believed to negatively impact human health by mimicking or affecting hormones.  "We found that people over age 18 with higher levels of BPA exposure had higher CMV antibody levels, which suggests their cell-mediated immune system may not be functioning properly," said Erin Rees Clayton, research investigator at the U-M School of Public Health and first author on the paper.  The study also found that people age 18 and under with higher levels of triclosan were more likely to report diagnosis of allergies and hay fever.  There is growing concern among the scientific community and consumer groups that these EDCs are dangerous to humans at lower levels than previously thought.

Related articles

• Study suggests that being too clean can make people sick (eurekalert.org)
• Being Too Clean Can Make People Sick (science.slashdot.org)
• Too Much Hygiene May Affect Immune System, Study Suggests (nlm.nih.gov)
• "Study: Bisphenol A, Triclosan and The Hygienic Hypothesis" and related posts (afludiary.blogspot.com)
• You can be too clean: Chemicals in soap can harm children's health (dailymail.co.uk)
• Study Shows That Pesticides Make Women Sick (food.change.org)

EPA Calls Formaldehyde a Carcinogen

Image via WikipediaIn the July 2010 issue of Indoor Environment Connections, Mr. Tom Scarlett writes about the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issuing a draft report that concludes that inhaling formaldehyde is definitely a human carcinogen.  Formaldehyde is widely used in products and can be found in many indoor environments, like the temporary trailers that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) bought.  It has been widely published that those temporary trailers had such significant levels of formaldehyde in the indoor air they could not use them as temporary housing for the Hurricane Katrina victims.  In addition, the new study also linked increased incidence of asthma to formaldehyde exposure.  Needless to say EPA's determination will cause increased regulation of formaldehyde in air.  The next steps for this report is for it to be reviewed by an expert panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences.  EPA will then use the review and any comments from the public to complete the Health Assessment for Formaldehyde.

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Doing an Indoor Air Quality Assessments

On the ride down from the PACNY conference, we caught up on reading an article written by Dr. Robert C. Brandys in Indoor Environment Connections. The title of the article was “Assessing the Cancer Risk of Indoor Environments.” We thought it was an interesting and informative article. We also note the coincidence that we were recently having a conversation, with one of our clients, regarding this very issue. The article is an excellent reference for the various chemical risk assessment standards that are available and goes into an excellent discussion of the pros and cons of conducting a chemical risk assessment. We strongly recommend those of you who are struggling with indoor air quality testing and interpreting the results of volatile organic compounds and such, read this article and incorporate the references into your indoor air quality investigations and reports.

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• EPA to Update Elmira Residents about Toxic Sampling (gloucestercitynews.net)

Keeping Your Family Safe Program - Sustainable Homes

Monday, February 9, 2009, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Marilyn Black, founder of the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) for our internet radio program “Keeping Your Family Safe” (find it at http://www.voiceamerica.com/ on the Green Talk Network). The Greenguard Environmental Institute (visit there website at http://www.greenguard.org/) is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that oversees the Greenguard Certification Program. Dr. Black discussed Greenguard Certification Program and its impact on building materials and furnishings. In our program, we also covered the following points:

• The Greenguard Certification Program allows manufacturers to voluntarily certify their products, with a third party organization, as emitting low levels of various contaminants. Some contaminants cannot be present at all, while others have to meet recognized federal, state, local, or in some cases industry standards.
• There are no regulations requiring products to be tested, or for that matter what contaminants to test for or for the levels to test at.
• In developing an environmental footprint, you can find the best calculators on the internet.
• We discussed the impact that energy efficiency can have on indoor air quality.
• We discussed indoor air quality concerns with phthalates, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, mercury, and multi-chemical exposures.
• Concerns in sustainable homes with bamboo products and compact fluorescents.

This Monday, February 23, 2009, we will be discussing “Home Safety – Not Just Ramps and Grab Bars” with Fritzi Gros-Daillon founder of Transitions USA.