Smoking ban improves air quality for bar and restaurant employees

Restaurants and bars often have to
deal with bad odors and stale tobacco.When it comes to indoor air quality and bars and restaurants, a decrease in secondhand smoke exposure has a positive effect on the people working there.

A study of 40 Michigan bar employees revealed their exposure to secondhand smoke was nearly nonexistent 10 weeks after the smoke-free air law took effect in May 2010, according to a report in the Holland Sentinel.

The Michigan Department of Community Health study measured participants’ levels of cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, found in urine after tobacco exposure.

Four to six weeks before the smoke-free law took effect, the same bar employees’ cotinine levels were similar to levels seen in smokers.

As the study shows, their cotinine level was nearly undetectable six to 10 weeks after the law was implemented.

Though cotinine levels are the best indicators of secondhand smoke exposure, the study also measured participants’ levels of creatinine and NNAL, two chemicals also found in urine of those who have been exposed to secondhand smoke.

In the statewide study, creatinine levels remained about the same in the participants before and after the law took effect. NNAL mean levels went from .086 picomoles per milliliter to .034 picomoles per milliliter before and after the law took effect.

Workers also reported better overall general health and fewer respiratory symptoms after the law.

Source: Holland Sentinel

Indoor air quality in bars and restaurants

Even after a smoking ban comes into effect, bars and restaurants often have to deal with stale, lingering odors that are a normal byproduct from years of smoking.

Electrocorp offers a range of air filtration systems for bars and restaurants that can remove airborne, chemicals, odors and particles and improve the overall indoor air quality in the space.

Contact us to find out more.

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OSHA warns of poor indoor air quality in commercial buildings

IAQ in office buildings and public institutions
should become a priority, report says.In a new guidance document for building managers, owners and employers,  the Occupational Safety and Health Administration calls indoor air quality (IAQ) “a major concern” because it can impact the health, comfort, well-being and productivity of building occupants and employees.

For many office workers, city high-rises and large offices that accommodate many workers have become the norm.

Workers typically spend 40 hours or more a week in these office buildings.

The indoor air quality in commercial and institutional buildings is dependent on the following factors:

The building’s original designLocationRenovationsVentilation (HVAC system)Maintenance of the building envelope and HVAC systems
While the reasons for poor IAQ may vary, but the OSHA document names overcrowding, dampness (mold), and internally generated pollutants from building materials, cleaning products and mechanical equipment such as office printers as common sources.

Health effects of poor indoor air quality

Many workers can be affected by poor IAQ, depending on their immune system and levels of exposure.

Symptoms may include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, headaches, dizziness, rashes, muscle pain, fatigue, aggravated asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Bad IAQ has also been linked to respiratory disease, heart disease and cancer.

Apart from short-term and long-term health effects, poor indoor air quality can also affect worker productivity and lead to costly repairs or other expenses.

That is why OSHA recommends a proactive approach to address IAQ concerns and to put measures in place that will prevent problems or make it easier to deal with problems if and when they occur. This may help employers save costs, increase operating efficiency and improve worker productivity.

For a complete guide to proactive IAQ management in commercial buildings and institutions, read the OSHA report.

Improve IAQ instantly with portable air cleaners
Ink fumes from office printers may irritate
workers and contribute to poor IAQ.
While it is important to maintain existing HVAC systems, often they simply do not provide enough ventilation and airflow, especially in large or overcrowded offices. In addition, the fumes from printers and electronic equipment may affect workers nearby.

Electrocorp offers specialized air cleaners to improve the indoor air quality in offices and commercial buildings quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.

Electrocorp’s product line includes portable air cleaners such as the RAP and RSU Series, the Numerical Series for smaller offices, the PrintSafe air purifier with source capture for printers, the I-6500 Series for larger spaces and a variety of other products to provide cleaner air instantly.
Electrocorp's PrintSafe
for office printers.
The reliable air cleaners are designed to work around-the-clock and require very little maintenance.

Electrocorp’s air filters are so effective because they incorporate a deep-bed activated carbon filter as well as a HEPA filter for the removal of chemicals, particles, mold mycotoxins, odors and other irritants.

Many Electrocorp air filters can also accommodate a UV lamp to neutralize biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and mold spores (mycotoxins).

Contact one of Electrocorp’s air quality experts for more information: 1-866-667-0297.

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EPA’s goals to curb coal plant pollution – will they improve air quality?

Air pollution - a valid concern
outdoors and indoors.Air pollution has always been a hot topic -- especially for people living close to industrial complexes and in urban environments -- and if the turnout at a recent public comment session is anything to go by, then it will be an important issue for many years to come.

Several hundred people came together in Philadelphia last week to share their expertise, opinions, experiences and concerns about coal plant pollution in a meeting with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The people who testified included environmentalists, physicians, mothers and fishermen, among others. Worried about emissions of mercury, arsenic, nickel, chromium and acid gases, they urged EPA to update the standards that limit the amount of air pollution that coal-fired plants can release into the atmosphere.

Mercury, for example, builds up in ocean and freshwater fish and can be highly toxic for people who eat them.

"Young children are uniquely vulnerable to the toxic effects of environmental poisons such as mercury and arsenic," said Dr. Kevin Osterhoudt, medical director of the poison control center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, in an article  from AP. "These compounds are especially dangerous to the developing brain and nervous system."

Opponents to new standards argue that the costs would force some plants to shut down and electricity prices to rise.

According to the article, the regulations would require power plants to install technologies that would limit the emissions, resulting in what the EPA said would be a 91 percent reduction of the mercury in burned coal from being released into the air.

The rules would also further limit other pollutants, including particles such as dust, dirt and other fragments associated with a variety of respiratory ailments.

EPA researchers estimate that the proposed emission limits would annually prevent up to 17,000 premature deaths, 11,000 nonfatal heart attacks, 12,200 hospital and emergency room visits and 120,000 asthma attacks. The updated standards would give coal-fired facilities up to four years to reach compliance.

If you are concerned about this subject, you can voice your opinion in writing. The EPA will accept written comments from the public until July 5.

Source: Associated Press

Take control of your indoor air quality

While industrial pollution is still being debated, businesses and workers can take simple steps to make sure they breathe the purest air possible indoors - after all, we spend more than 90 percent of our time in enclosed spaces.

These steps include controlling sources of indoor air pollution (for example, chemical cleaners, contaminated ventilation systems, etc), regular maintenance and using an air cleaner to purify the air and avoid sick building syndrome.

Electrocorp air filtration systems remove a wide range of airborne pollutants with a deep bed of activated carbon for chemicals, gases and odors as well as particle filters (pre-filters, medical-grade HEPA or Super-HEPA), the safest and most effective filtration technologies on the market today.

Contact one of our air quality experts for more information.

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