Green buildings can contribute to poor IAQ: Report

A new Institute of Medicine report says that the recent green building boom may have a negative impact on the average new construction's indoor air quality.

Untested new materials, airtight construction for energy efficiency and other building retrofits could either limit or alter the air flow inside buildings and it could lead to the accumulation of indoor air pollutants such as chemical emissions. Prolonged exposure may cause Sick Building Syndrome and other health effects.

Among the problems outlined in the report were indoor dampness which can lead to active mold growth, poor ventilation, excessive temperatures and emissions from building materials and equipment such as improperly placed back-up power generators.

Government agencies and other organizations are developing and promoting protocols to evaluate emissions from furnishings, building materials, and appliances, but more needs to be done to make prevention of health problems a priority, the report says.

"America is in the midst of a large experiment in which weatherization efforts, retrofits, and other initiatives that affect air exchange between the indoor and outdoor environments are taking place and new building materials and consumer products are being introduced indoors with relatively little consideration as to how they might affect the health of occupants," said committee chair John D. Spengler, from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston.

"An upfront investment to consider the consequences of these actions before they play out and to avoid problems where they can be anticipated will yield benefits in health and in averted costs of medical care, remediation, and lost productivity."

The report calls for updated building codes and standards for ventilation as well as regular testing.

Worried about IAQ, lost productivity and employee health and safety?

Electrocorp designs portable and HVAC-compatible air filtration systems to improve indoor air quality in office buildings, schools and universities, bars and restaurants and any buildings or businesses where odors, chemicals and particles are a concern.

Contact one of Electrocorp’s air quality experts to find out more about the most complete air cleaners with large activated carbon plus HEPA filters for commercial and industrial uses.

View the original article here

Wildfires lead to busier ERs: Report

Wildfires can lead to poor air
quality and health complaints.People who are exposed to wildfire smoke – particularly that from smoldering peat – are at risk of suffering from cardiac and respiratory illness, according to new research led by EPA.

The health complaints associated with wildfire smoke dramatically increased the number of emergency room visits, says the study, which examined the 2008 peat bog fire along the North Carolina coast.

ERs saw a 66 percent increase in people complaining about heart and lung conditions such as asthma, heart failure, heart attacks and others while the wildfires were burning and for several days afterwards.

Toxic chemicals released by wildfires 

Peat bog fires such as the 2008 fire the team studied release more irritating chemicals than normal forest fires, Cascio says, although scientists don’t yet fully understand how those chemicals affect the body.

Peat bog fires are different from more typical forest fires because the soil burns along with the vegetation, according to Chris Meggs of the N.C. Forestry Service.

The burning soil lends a different smell to the smoke and is the reason that these fires release more irritating chemicals.

There were at least two such fires burning in North Carolina this spring, and many more continue to rage across North America.

Officials, employers urged to act during wildfires

Researchers involved in the study hope to help public health officials manage wildfire events.

These types of studies have provided valuable insights to affected communities in the past and prompted officials to evacuate some schools and advise businesses to close during raging wildfires.

Another important goal of the EPA study, according to the article, was to shed light on which people are most sensitive to wildfire smoke.

It’s not just asthmatics who need to beware of smoke, researchers say, but also “patients with heart failure, (who) should be particularly aware.”

Source: News & Observer

Industrial-strength air cleaners for better indoor air

AllerAir and its industrial division Electrocorp offer air filtration systems with high efficiency particle filters and deep-bed activated carbon filters to help remove harmful chemicals, particles and odors associated with tobacco and wildfire smoke.

Clients can choose from powerful air purifiers for the home and office to industrial-strength units for use in various commercial and industrial applications, for spaces ranging in size from 500 sq. ft to 500,000 sq. ft.

Contact Electrocorp air quality experts at 1-866-667-0297 for more information.

Related Posts

  

View the original article here