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TOOLS OF THE TRADE FOR EVALUATING INDOOR AIR

TOOLS OF THE TRADE FOR EVALUATING INDOOR AIR . WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON DATA INTERPRETATION. INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ). A Global Concern in: Workplaces Homes Schools Commercial Buildings. FACTORS AFFECTING IAQ. Building materials and furnishings Chemicals used in the building

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE FOR EVALUATING INDOOR AIR

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  1. TOOLS OF THE TRADE FOR EVALUATING INDOOR AIR WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON DATA INTERPRETATION

  2. INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ) A Global Concern in: • Workplaces • Homes • Schools • Commercial Buildings

  3. FACTORS AFFECTING IAQ • Building materials and furnishings • Chemicals used in the building • Activities done inside • Hobbies and work • Equipment used inside the building • Level of housekeeping, maintenance, and ventilation • Contaminants underground that may permeate into the overlying structure

  4. SPOTLIGHT ON: RECOGNITION AND EVALUATION OF INDOOR AIR CONTAMINANTS

  5. SPOTLIGHT ON:MOLD

  6. MOLD: A MOISTURE PROBLEM • Mold can grow on any substance including wood, paper, carpet, and foods providing moisture is present. • Most microorganisms can thrive in the temperature range and on the nutrient sources in buildings.

  7. MOISTURE INDICATORS • Water marks on ceiling tiles and other surfaces • Visual presence of mold • Musty smell of microbial VOCs • White, powdery, or crystalline substance on the surface of concrete, plaster, and masonry which are soluble salts dissolved from the building materials

  8. TOOLS OF THE TRADE FOR MOLD INVESTIGATIONS

  9. Used to survey moisture in any non-conductive porous material to which the probes can be applied Ceiling Tiles Gypsum Board Carpeting Wood Plaster Concrete (special meter required) MOISTURE METERS

  10. MOISTURE METERS ECONOMY MODEL • Operates by measuring the electrical conductance between two probes inserted into the test material SKC Cat. No. 753-006

  11. MOISTURE METERS PINLESS MODELS • Measures resistance between two low-frequency signals transmitted from conductive pads without the need for insertion into the test material • Several models are available. SKC Cat. No. 759-101

  12. DATA INTERPRETATIONMOISTURE METERS • Moisture in lumber may contribute to mold growth even while the building is being constructed. • The best protection against mold growth is to keep the moisture content of lumber low. • The Western Wood Products Association recommends that moisture in lumber be kept below20%. • See www.wwpa.org/moldff2.htmfor a Fact Sheet on this subject.

  13. DATA INTERPRETATIONMOISTURE METERS • Moisture levels can be compared from wall to wall to determine where moisture intrusion is occurring. • Once the location of the moisture is found, an investigation can be made as to the cause and a control strategy can be developed.

  14. SAMPLING FOR MOLD • A more thorough evaluation will be necessary to positively confirm the presence of mold, to identify the genus/species of the spores, and to confirm the absence of mold following decontamination. • This evaluation will involve the collection of bulk, surface, or air samples followed by analysis at a qualified environmental microbiology laboratory. • See a list of commercial labs at www.skcinc.com/links.asp#labs.

  15. SURFACE SAMPLING TYPICAL APPLICATIONS: • To confirm the presence or absence of mold on test surfaces • To determine whether fungal levels in test areas are greater than background levels • To identify the types of mold present • To determine possible sources of fungal contaminants

  16. SURFACE SAMPLING ON CARPET MICROVACUUM CASSETTES • Carpeting can serve as a reservoir for fungal spores and be a source of exposure for crawling infants. • To sample fungal spores in carpeting, a vacuum-style cassette is available with a 0.45 µm polycarbonate filter loaded into a 3-piece styrene cassette with 2-inch tubing nozzle. Sample at flows up to 16 L/min. • Work the inlet tube as deep as possible into the carpeting to collect a good sample of the dust.

  17. CARPET SAMPLING KIT SKC Cat. No. 225-9540

  18. DATA INTERPRETATIONCARPET SAMPLES A 2003 AIHCE paper by MidWest Microbiology gave some numerical guidelines for fungal spores in settled dust from porous surfaces, like carpet, using microvacuum cassettes: • Normal - < 5000/1000 cm2 or < 50,000/g • Borderline - 25,000/1000 cm2 or 200,000/g • Elevated - 75,000/1000 cm2 or 1,000,000/g

  19. SURFACE SAMPLING STERILE WIPES • A swab or filter wetted with sterile water or wash solution is used to wipe a specified area. • Typically, the swab is then used to inoculate a culture plate. SKC Cat. No. 225-2402

  20. DATA INTERPRETATIONSWAB SAMPLES The November 2001 AIHA Synergist guidelines for fungal spores in swab samples: • Normal: < 10,000 cfu/in2 or < 1500 cfu/cm2 • Probable Contamination: > 10,000 cfu/in2 or > 1500 cfu/cm2

  21. SURFACE SAMPLING LIFT TAPE • Collected by placing clear adhesive or packing tape or commercially available sampling strips onto a surface and removing it with slow, steady force • Following collection, the tape is attached to glass slides and examined using light microscopy.

  22. SURFACE SAMPLING LIFT TAPE ON A SLIDE • Flexible plastic microscopic slides with a sticky adhesive sample area can be used like lift tape. • Press on the test surface, place the slide in the provided mailer, and send to a qualified laboratory. Stick-to-it Slides SKC Cat. Nos. 225-9808/9

  23. DATA INTERPRETATIONLIFTTAPE SAMPLES The November 2001 AIHA Synergist guidelines for fungal spores in tape samples: • Normal: No significant fungal material or biomass; 1 to 5% spores • Probable Contamination: 25 to 100% spores

  24. SURVEY METERS TOTAL MOLD (VIABLE + NON-VIABLE) LASER PARTICLE COUNTERS • The instrument reads in particles/ft3 or particles/m3 of air. • The particle counter can be used like a Geiger counter to guide the user closer to the source of mold contamination. SKC Cat. No. 745-3886

  25. DATA INTERPRETATIONPARTICLE COUNTERS • Particle counters sold by SKC have 5 channels, which mean they count 5 sizes of particles. • If the particle count is high in the 2 to 10micron range, mold contamination is often present. • Data interpretation is done by comparing the particle counts inside, outside, and in various test zones.

  26. AIR SAMPLING TOTAL MOLD (VIABLE + NON-VIABLE) SPORE TRAP CASSETTES • Easy, inexpensive screening device • Use with a pump at 15-30 L/min for up to 10 minutes. • Spores impact onto a microscopic slide with a sticky surface. • Slide is stained and analyzed microscopically.

  27. VERSATRAP® CASSETTES SKC Cat. Nos. 225-9820/1

  28. At 15 L/min, the performance of VersaTrap is equivalent to other spore traps. The size of spore that is collected with a 50% efficiency is 2.3 µm. The VersaTrap offers users the advantage of minimal particle bounce at flows from 25 to 30 L/min. Smaller spores can be collected at these higher flows: -1.7 µmat 25 L/min -1.5 µmat 30 L/min SKC VERSATRAP CASSETTES

  29. AIR SAMPLING PUMPSFOR USE WITH SPORETRAPS • Constant flows from 10 to 30 L/min • User selectable sampling times • Lithium-ion battery powered up to 4 hours • Indefinite run time from AC adapter • Optional sampling wand SKC Cat. No. 228-9530

  30. Spore trap analysis will provide the total number of spores and the genus of the spores found. This information can be used to compare the test area to control areas of the building and to the outdoors. The genus of the spores should be similar inside and out. The numbers, however, should be lower inside. DATA INTERPRETATIONSPORE TRAPS

  31. DATA INTERPRETATIONSPORE TRAPS November 2001 AIHA Synergist guidelines for air samples: Residential Buildings: Normal: < 5000 spores/m3 Probable Contamination: > 10,000 spores/m3 Commercial Buildings: Normal: < 2500 spores/m3 Probable Contamination: > 10,000 spores/m3

  32. AIR SAMPLINGVIABLE MOLD VIABLE CASCADE IMPACTOR • Specified in NIOSH Methods 0800 and 0801 • Used with a pump at 28.3 L/min for typical sample times of 2 to 5 minutes • Mold impacts onto growth medium (agar). • Agar plates are shipped to a microbiological laboratory for growth and culture.

  33. SKC BIOSTAGE®SURELOCK DESIGN SKC Cat. Nos. 225-9610/11 STANDARD MODEL at 28.3 L/MIN BIOSTAGE 200 MODEL at 14.15 L/MIN

  34. BIOSTAGE SAMPLER PREPARATION

  35. SKC BIOSTAGE WITH QUICKTAKE® 30 PUMP SKC Cat. No. 228-9530K

  36. AIR SAMPLINGVIABLE MOLD STERILE FILTERS • Air is passed through a membrane filter such as a polycarbonate or mixed cellulose ester filter to collect the fungal spores. • Gelatinfilters(SKC Cat. Nos. 225-9551/2) will help to maintain viability by minimizing dehydration of the spores. • Samples are collected with a portable pump at 1 to 4 L/min for 5 to 30 minutes.

  37. AIR SAMPLING VIABLE MOLD COLLECTION INTO LIQUID • Pumps are used to pull mold spores into glass impingers filled with a liquid collection medium, typically a dilute buffer solution or mineral oil. • Portions of the collection liquid can be placed onto nutrient agar and incubated. The resulting colonies can be evaluated. • Alternatively, analyses for viable or total mold can be done on liquid samples using biochemical, immunological, and biological assays.

  38. AIR SAMPLING VIABLE MOLD BIOSAMPLER® • Resembles an all glass impinger • Design modifications to maintain viability of collected organisms • Vacuum pump at sonic flow is used to pull air through the inlet and into the collection liquid for sample times up to 8 hours • Developed by researchers at University of Cincinnati; manufactured by SKC (SKC Cat. No. 225-9595)

  39. DATA INTERPRETATIONVIABLE AIR SAMPLES November 2001 AIHA Synergist guidelines: Residential Buildings: Normal: < 500 cfu/m3 Probable Contamination: > 1000 cfu/m3 Commercial Buildings: Normal: < 250 cfu/m3 Probable Contamination: > 1000 cfu/m3

  40. SPOTLIGHT ON:FORMALDEHYDE

  41. RECOGNITION OF FORMALDEHYDE • Formaldehyde is frequently used as a preservative and adhesive. • Formaldehyde gas can be released indoors from particle board, veneered or laminated furniture and cabinets, furniture and floor finishes, paneling, permanent press fabrics, and drapes. • Formaldehyde is a strong irritant that can cause burning in the eyes, nose, and throat. • In a June 2004 press release, the IARC classified formaldehyde as carcinogenic.

  42. AIR SAMPLINGPASSIVE SAMPLERS SKC UMEx 100 • Based on 2,4-DNPH chemistry • Indoor air sampling up to 24 hours • Measures from 5 ppb to 5 ppm • HPLC laboratory analysis • ISO Standard Method 16000-4 • OSHA Method 1007 SKC Cat. No. 500-100

  43. AIR SAMPLINGPASSIVE SAMPLERS SKC Indoor Air Formaldehyde Sampler • 5 to 7 day sampling • Colorimetric laboratory analysis based on NIOSH Method 3500 • Detection limit of 0.01 ppm • Includes ribbon to hang the sampler in the test area SKC Cat. No. 526-100

  44. AIR SAMPLING SORBENT TUBES SORBENT TUBES • Sorbent tube with 2,4- DNPH-treated silica gel for EPA Method TO-11A • Sorbent tube with HMP-treated XAD®-2 for OSHA/NIOSH Methods • Laboratory analysis using HPLC (EPA) or GC (NIOSH/OSHA) SKC Cat. Nos. 226-117/118/119

  45. DATA INTERPRETATIONFORMALDEHYDE The Indoor Air Quality Association, Inc. (IAQA) has published recommended guidelines for physical, chemical, and biological parameters in indoor environments. The U.S. Green Building Council has specified formaldehyde limits in their LEED rating system. IAQA Formaldehyde Limit = 50 ppb LEED Green Building Limit = 27 ppb

  46. SPOTLIGHT ON: PESTICIDES

  47. RECOGNITION OF PESTICIDES • Indoor pesticide exposures may result from pesticides applied indoors or from pesticides inadvertently brought in from the outdoors on shoes. • Pesticides may accumulate on carpeting and other flooring materials and become an exposure source for children who spend considerable time in close proximity to the floor.

  48. AIR SAMPLINGSORBENT TUBES OVS TUBES • Sorbent tubes with an internal pre-filter and 2 layers of XAD-2 sorbent • Simultaneously collect pesticide vapors and aerosols • GC or HPLC analysis following NIOSH/OSHA methods SKC Cat. Nos. 226-30-16/226-58

  49. AIR SAMPLINGSORBENT TUBES LOW VOLUME PUF TUBES • EPA and ASTM specify the use of polyurethane foam sorbent contained in a glass tube with flows from 1-5 L/min for 4-24 hours for pesticide measurements in indoor air. SKC Cat. No. 226-92

  50. DATA INTERPRETATIONPESTICIDES Government agencies have published exposure limits for individual pesticides in various environments. Ex. Chlordane • 7 µg/m3-Minnesota Health Department’s Health Risk Values (HRVs) • 0.2 µg/m3 for exposures from 14 to 364 days-Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Minimal Risk Level (MRLs)

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