Image via WikipediaQuebec government announced that it was providing conditional support of the reopening of the Jeffrey Mine Inc in the town of Asbestos through a $58 million loan guarantee. Economic development minister Clément Gignac also suggested that chrysotile asbestos from that mine could help save lives in India. Gignac said, the relaunched mine would create 425 full-time jobs in the region plus provide millions of dollars in taxes and royalties to Quebec which in turn will create a $7.5 million economic diversification fund for the region.
To justify the decision, Gignac told reporters that millions of people in India die of cholera every year because they lack access to potable water and proper sanitary infrastructure. "Excuse me, but the fact is that chrysotile asbestos cement can be used to make many more kilometres of infrastructure because it is less expensive and is a durable material and we can improve the quality of life of citizens in India," he said.
Future Environment Designs Training Center specializes in asbestos, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, and occupational safety training programs. We offer New York State asbestos and mold certification courses. We design, develop, and maintain the various indoor air quality, asbestos, and safety programs that are Keeping Your Employees Safe.
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
NIOSH Study Designates Bisphenol A as a Skin Sensitizer
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On April 12, 2011, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a skin notation profile for Bisphenol A (BPA). This profile found enough evidence to classify BPA as causing skin sensitization. Sensitization is a specific immune-mediated response (responses mediated by the immune system, including allergic responses) that develops following exposure to a chemical, which, upon re-exposure, can lead to allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) or other immune-mediated diseases such as asthma, depending on the site and route of re-exposure. BPA is a high-production-volume (HPV) chemical used in the manufacturing of epoxy resins, plastics, and flame retardants. NIOSH evaluated several case reports and predictive animal studies that indicated BPA as being a skin sensitizer and can cause photoallergy. Hence, NIOSH has assigned a SK:SEN notation (skin:sensitizer) for BPA. With BPA used as a flame retardant avoiding coming into skin contact with it could be very difficult.
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- Does the NIOSH Science Blog Improve Communication? (cdc.gov)
- Portfolio Management at NIOSH (cdc.gov)
- Risks Associated with Bisphenol A in Baby Bottles (education.com)
- Skin...Exposed! (cdc.gov)
- Making the Business Case for Prevention through Design (cdc.gov)
- Rapid reduction in Bisphenol-A body levels by using fresh foods (amanwithaphd.wordpress.com)
- Bisphenol A exposures lower in Canadians compared to Americans (eurekalert.org)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Inspectors Discover Asbestos at East Hampton Middle School
Mold behind sheet rock (asbestos joint compound?). |
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- New York State Releases FAQ on Asbestos Analysis (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- How to cover your Asbestos insulated plumbing pipes.. (sellinghighpoint.com)
- Dollar Tree Store in Newport fined for asbestos violations; repairs scheduled (newdayunderwriting.wordpress.com)
- All clear for asbestos-affected classroom (news.theage.com.au)
- Asbestos Article in Indoor Environment Discusses Cross Issues with Radon (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- Popcorn ceilings no treat to get rid of (sfgate.com)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Asbestos Article in Indoor Environment Discusses Cross Issues with Radon
In the March 2011 issue of Indoor Environment Connections, Douglas Kladder the Director of the Center for Environmental Research & Training in Colorado Springs, Colorado wrote an excellant article regarding asbestos. Being on the asbestos side of the fence, it is interesting how sometimes we get tunnel vision in dealing with indoor air quality/environmental issues. Mr. Kladder article "Asbestos? What Asbestos? I'm a Radon Guy!" discusses the dangers of tunnel vision. Mr. Kladder discusses that their are few activities involved in radon mitigation that would not impact asbestos containing materials. He then provides several war stories of issues related to this topic. In many ways the same statement can be made to those of us in the asbestos field. We tend to get tunnel vision regarding asbestos and forget that lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or, even for that matter, radon may also be a concern. For example, lead paint could be on asbestos siding or asbestos spackles/joint compounds, and window caulk, in addition to containing asbestos, may also contain lead and/or PCBs. It is important for indoor air quality/environmental professional to keep abreast of the field and to consider the potential possibilities of various environmental hazards being present.
Related articles
- New York State Releases FAQ on Asbestos Analysis (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- Indoor Air Pollution and how it affects your Long-term health (easyayurveda.com)
- Board Member of Queens Cooperative Has An Asbestos Question (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- Charted Average Levels of Radon Exposure in the Home (digitalnewsgathering.wordpress.com)
- Radon (7thstreetannarbor.wordpress.com)
- Invisible and Odorless, Radon Poses Risks to Lungs (nlm.nih.gov)
Monday, April 11, 2011
New York State Releases FAQ on Asbestos Analysis
Image via WikipediaLate last week we received a FAQ from New York State Department of Health. The FAQ is focused on analyzing asbestos samples and the environmental laboratory accreditation program. The FAQ has several interesting piece of information. Those of you who attend my classes, have heard me discuss the problems with analyzing vermiculite and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) statement that asbestos inspectors should not sample the material but should assume the material is asbestos. Well Question 10 in this document states "Since there is currently no approved analytical methodology to reliably confirm vermiculite as non-asbestos containing it is best to assume vermiculite is contaminated with asbestos and proceed accordingly." We will add this document to all our course manuals, and/or you can access the document at: http://futureenvironmentdesigns.com/Media/NYS%20Asbestos%20FAQ%20%20April%208-2011%20(2).pdf.
Related articles
- Condo Covered In Asbestos Dust in Virginia Beach, VA (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- CDC's NIOSH says WHAT about asbestos??? (scienceblogs.com)
- Air has high asbestos levels at Que. worksites: study (cbc.ca)
- Building owner guilty in asbestos case (newdayunderwriting.wordpress.com)
- Board Member of Queens Cooperative Has An Asbestos Question (futureenv.blogspot.com)
- Libby, Mont., asbestos victims consider $43M deal (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Asbestos Expert Demands Canada Retract "Safe Use" Statement (futureenv.blogspot.com)
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