Indoor Air Quality Presented by Katherine Cavanaugh, CSP Manager, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Indoor Air Quality Presented by Katherine Cavanaugh, CSP Manager, Occupational Safety and Health & Loss Control University of Maryland Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk

Objectives  Indoor air quality introduction  Discuss primary concerns typically associated with indoor air quality (IAQ)  Case studies of indoor air quality surveys  Current IAQ initiatives at UMD

Indoor Air Quality Can Impact  Heath  Well-being  Productivity

What is indoor air quality?  What is “good indoor air quality”?  What are some challenges for staff when investigating IAQ concerns?

“Good indoor air quality”  Indoor air with acceptable ventilation (according to ASHRAE standards).  Sources of indoor air contaminants are minimized.  75% or more of building occupants are comfortable at work.

General IAQ Pollutants  Chemical  Particles (non-biological)  Biological

Chemical  Products used in the building  Chemical spills  Pesticides  Construction supplies  Products of combustion (CO and Formaldehyde)

Particles (non-biological)

Chemical and Particulate Health Effects  Particulate health effects vary  Silica  Total dust  Depends on chemical  Consult SDS

Biological  Bacteria  Viruses  Mold/fungi  Dust mites  Animal dander  Pollen

Biological Health Effects  Allergenic  Respiratory system irritation  Asthma  Molds can cause localized skin or mucosal infections.  Some may be more susceptible than others.

Mold Facts  Mold can be found almost anywhere.  Mold requires moisture to grow.  All molds have the potential to cause health effects.  Health effects vary and are dependent on the individual.

https://www.inspq.qc.ca/en/moulds/fact-sheets/ulocladium-chartarum https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/aspergillosis/index.html https://mycology.adelaide.edu.au/descriptions/hyphomycetes/penicillium/ https://mycology.adelaide.edu.au/descriptions/hyphomycetes/cladosporium/

Mycotoxins  Molds can produce mycotoxins  What we know is limited to effects after ingestion.  Mycotoxins are not always present when mold is in a building.  More research is needed on this topic.

Primary sources of IAQ problems (500 IAQ investigations by NIOSH)  Inadequate ventilation – 52%  Contamination from inside the building – 16%  Contamination from outside the building – 10%  Microbial colonization – 5%  Contamination from building fabric – 4%  Unknown sources – 13%

Encouraging Good IAQ Office Behaviors  Purchasing furniture with low VOC/Formaldehyde  Keeping HVAC in mind during renovations  Exclude the use of air fresheners/ionizing air cleaners  Reporting floods/water-intrusion promptly  MOISTURE CONTROL is the key to MOLD CONTROL

Proactive IAQ Practices  Building is under slight positive pressure (air comes out of the building when exterior doors are opened.)  Monitor carbon dioxide, temperature and relative humidity  Regularly maintain HVAC system  Regularly conduct inspections  Roof  Walls  Foundation  Windows

Conducting an IAQ Survey Interviews and Investigation

Challenges with IAQ Surveys  Building history.  Sometimes are called in months or years after the issue was first observed.  The source(s) of the concern can be hidden.  Coordination with personnel.

What do you do first?  Interview employees  Interview building personnel  Visual inspection  Data/Sample collection (if warranted)

Building Personnel Interviews  What is the configuration of the HVAC system?  What preventative maintenance is performed on the system?  Any recent floods/moisture intrusion?  If so, what was the cleanup response?  More questions  cleaning chemicals  furniture purchased  recent alterations

IAQ Survey Tools

Air Sampling for Mold  Air samples run for 2-10 minutes  Dependent on time of day and weather  Can cause false alarm or assurance

Mold Regulations – Where are they?  Currently there are no federal or state regulations for mold remediation.  Developing regulations is difficult because there are no typical buildings.  Accepted industry guidelines have been developed by the EPA, AIHA, and IICRC.

EPA and Air Sampling for Mold  There are no federal limits for mold in building air.  This includes standards or threshold limit values (TLV).  The EPA states if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary.  Surface samples may occasionally be obtained to determine if an area has been adequately cleaned or remediated.

CDC and Air Sampling for Mold  Current evidence indicates allergies are the diseases most associated with mold.  The susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold.  Sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining an individual’s health risk.  If an individual is susceptible to mold, and mold is seen or smelled, there is a potential health risk, and it should be removed.  Standards for judging acceptable or tolerable quantities have not been established.

Visible mold growth on materials indoors is not an acceptable condition and should be corrected

Questions Before Remediating  Are there hazardous materials present?  Are there existing moisture problems in the building?  Have building materials been wet more than 48 hours?  Are there hidden sources of water or is the humidity too high (high enough to cause condensation)?  Are building materials or furnishings visibly damaged?  What is the area (SF) of materials affected?

Mold Remediation Plan Area LESS than 10 square feet  Can be performed in-house  Enrolled in University Respiratory Protection Program  Departmental involvement varies  Requires specialized training for front line staff and supervisors  Recommends repairing the sources of moisture.  Remove or clean affected materials.  Repair as necessary.

Mold Remediation Plan Area GREATER than 10 square feet  Performed by an outside contractor.  Repair source(s) of moisture.  Containment (environmental controls) and personal protective equipment in use.  Remove and/or clean affected materials.  Reconstruct as necessary.

Verification Inspection  Performed by qualified personnel  No visible dust/debris  No moisture-affected materials  No visible mold growth

Case Studies McKeldin Library HJ Patterson

Flood Response  Respond to clean water within 24-48 hours  UMD FM has an incident response unit on call 24 hours  Specialized training for area maintenance personnel in FM  Residential Facilities has trained housekeeping staff in mold remediation for <10SF.  Refer to EPA “Mold in Schools and Commercial Buildings”  Check subfloor under carpeting or other flooring.  Remove cove base from walls if carpeting is affected  If drywall is wet, remove it.  REMEMBER: ALWAYS CHECK ASBESTOS INVENTORY  SOP developed to address ACM in emergencies

HJ Patterson Renovation IAQ concerns during construction

Diesel Fumes  Occupants in offices near the elevator closest to the construction were observing diesel fumes intermittently.  Odors were strongest when generators and diesel powered equipment was operated next to the adjacent wing.

Why were they observing the fumes indoors?

Observations  Offices were directly adjacent to the elevator and the stairwell.  Both the elevator and stairwell entrances were next to areas where equipment was in operation.  Air moved from the elevator shaft/stairwell into the hallway towards the offices as the return was down the hall.

Contractor and FM Responses  The contractor installed plastic sheeting over the stairwell and elevator entrances. This would allow for easy egress in emergencies, but would block diesel fumes from being entrained indoors.  FM switched the outdoor air intake for the space to the opposite side of the building.

Observations  Brick dust was observed in the hallway  The partition was no longer effective  Dust suppression methods were not in use during drilling activities

MacGyver was wrong. Duct tape does not fix everything.

ESSR and FM Responses  Foreman who responded by cleaning up the brick dust using wet methods.  Contractors built new barrier.  FM reported they would inform the contractor wet methods or HEPA vacuum attachments should be used when performing masonry work.  Response would be a bit different in 2019 with the new Silica regulation.

McKeldin Library – What We Knew  Mold growth on books during the cooling seasons.  Several studies had been performed (with air testing)  HVAC upgrades were installed  Dehumidifiers and fans were in use  Problem continued

Responses  Books were inspected and sequestered (cleaned by a specialty contractor)  Several supply registers were redirected

Conditions Observed  Data showed relative humidity levels above 70-80%  Supply air blows directly onto books  Construction dust from recent activities was not being controlled