C. Robbins, Veritox Inc., Redmond, WA.
In addition to workplace exposures, industrial hygienists must be aware of the exposure potential in homes for workers and other household members who may be exposed via dusts that are transported home adhered to clothing. In 1992, Congress passed the Workers’ Family Protection Act, in response to concern that family members of workers are being exposed to hazardous chemicals. In 1995, NIOSH reported on available data at that time. For asbestos workers, there was suggestive evidence (case reports) that family members were at risk of developing asbestos related diseases, presumably from exposure from the workers’ clothes. However, for these cases, occupations of the workers were typically insulation, shipyard, manufacturing, or milling. No exposure measurements were reported; however, the asbestos exposure is assumed from occupational and residential histories. Since epidemiologic and exposure data indicate that auto mechanics are not at increased risk of mesothelioma, it follows that family members would not have increased risk of mesothelioma. However, current releases from OSHA (Safety and Health Information Bulletin of July 26, 2006) and EPA (40 CFR Part 763, II[5]) suggest that auto mechanics may be taking home asbestos fibers on their clothing. In this study, available data and literature concerning take-home exposures and potential exposure from clothing were examined to assess the risk of potential secondary exposure and risk of mesothelioma among persons living with an auto mechanic. For those highly exposed workers in the insulation, shipyard, and manufacturing industries, an increased risk of mesothelioma in family members was suggested. Available exposure data and literature to date do not support an association between family members of an auto mechanic and increased risk of mesothelioma.
C. Roelofs, T. Do, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA; T. Truong, Viet AID, Boston, MA.
Nail salon services have exploded in popularity in the past 10 years. While we know that many nail salon products contain ingredients with hazard potential, the small quantities involved and the documented low exposure levels suggest a limited likelihood of health effects. Key to this conclusion is the assumption of appropriate ventilation in salons. This study documented indoor air parameters in 20 Boston-area Vietnamese-owned salons. Salons were assessed for their ventilation practices and devices, carbon dioxide levels, temperature and humidity, and exposure parameters such as volume of artificial nail liquid used. These results will be presented. This assessment was conducted within the framework of a university-community partnership where the community partner is a Vietnamese-American economic development organization. In addition to the assessment results, we will discuss issues related to community-based occupational health research, such as strategies for gaining access to small immigrant-owned businesses.
M. Phillips, F. Smith, R. Lynch, R. Clinkenbeard, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK.
The OSHA requirement for chemical manufacturers and importers to provide a material safety data sheet (MSDS) for all hazardous chemicals present in the workplace does not typically apply to consumer products. Nevertheless, the MSDS for a consumer product, if available, can be a valuable source of information for emergency medical providers, scientists studying sources of residential indoor air pollution, and consumers who have been trained in the use of an MSDS. The purpose of this study was to determine the accessibility of MSDSs for consumer product chemicals. Chemical inventories were conducted in five volunteer households to determine typical consumer product chemicals kept in households. In the inventory, each container was screened for information such as general chemical uses, child resistant packaging, language, contact information, precaution information, and ingredient information. Attempts to acquire an MSDS were made successively via website, phone, or mail address as provided on the product label. The accessibility of MSDSs for each household chemical was determined ultimately by acquisition of an MSDS. Seventy-five of 168 (45%) product containers had label information informative enough to acquire an MSDS. The most effective contact method for obtaining an MSDS was via telephone, with a 43% acquisition rate when the telephone number was included on the label and an MSDS was not previously acquired via website. MSDSs were accessible for 71% of products labeled “flammable” but only 40% of products not labeled “flammable” — a statistically significant difference. No significant difference was found in MSDS acquisition for volatile household chemicals labeled “vapor harmful,” compared with products not so labeled. The difficulty of obtaining MSDSs to supplement warning labels on potentially hazardous consumer products may be of concern both to consumers and to industrial users of these products.
D. Nye, RMEC Environmental Inc., Salt Lake City, UT; S. Collingwood, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
State legislatures and local health departments across the United States are in the process of developing regulations for clandestine drug lab assessment and decontamination. Industrial hygienists (IHs) are often consulted to assess the health hazards associated with clandestine drug labs, commonly known as methamphetamine (meth) labs. State and local regulations governing meth labs can be used to guide the hygienist’s actions, but these regulations do not consistently define the IH’s role. The IH‘s role is presented through practical experiences and a review of select state regulations. This presentation will focus on the IH’s role in meth lab site assessment, decontamination oversight, and decontamination verification. Discussions will be included of emerging issues such as the local health department interface, contamination resulting from drug use vs. manufacturing, and the potential impacts of risk-based cleanup level research. IH consultants can play an integral role in meth lab decontamination activities when that role is properly defined.
J. Dennison, Century Environmental, Fort Collins, CO.
Colorado recently adopted regulations regarding the cleanup of clandestine methamphetamine (meth) labs that were based on a newly derived health based cleanup standard. Several field projects were undertaken by the author to evaluate potentially meth contaminated properties and the success of cleanup efforts. Several important issues that deserve regulatory modification emerged during the course of these investigations. The application of a single cleanup limit to all parts of a structure raises significant cost issues and may not be founded on uniform exposure potential. Numerous sample data collected from one site underscored the large inherent spatial variability in contamination levels in meth structures. A strategy to cope with this variability is to conduct composite sampling rather than discrete sampling. However, Colorado implemented a hot-spot rule that triggers more stringent cleanup standards when composite samples are collected, and this may not be concordant with the type of risk presented by dermal exposure risks. Finally, an assessment was made of the effectiveness of wipe samples to efficiently collect the surface available meth. Results suggested that the prevailing methodology does not consistently extract a large percentage of the contamination into a sample. Case examples of other challenges associated with Colorado’s meth cleanup regulation will be presented, including experience with the largest meth cleanup undertaken since the regulation took effect and experience with a variety of property owners and litigants.
M. Trask, D. Durst, J. Bucklin, NES Inc., Folsom, CA.
In the last 10 years, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) El Paso Intelligence Center’s National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System database has reported 96,626 methamphetamine labs seized in the United States. The actual number of meth labs or clandestine drug labs operated in the United States may be up to 10´ greater, according to sources close to the DEA. Given the number of properties that are being used to manufacture illegal drugs and that are becoming chemically contaminated in the process, the failure to properly identify and clean up these illegal drug lab properties will result in a chemical and drug residue exposure to the general public: tenants, hotel guests, and properties occupied after a purchase. The effective identification, assessment, and remediation of a drug lab contaminated property is necessary to mitigate the risks to the general public. Network Environmental Systems Inc. has examined meth lab contamination data collected over the past 10 years in Northern California for various meth lab occupancies — residences, hotels and motels, apartments — which show that regulatory reoccupancy levels may not clearly identify all meth lab chemical hazards remaining in a contaminated property. This brings into question the currently adopted regulatory cleanup levels and cleanup techniques.
C. Keil, J. Haney, J. Zoffel, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.
A systems model of environmental health (EH) has been developed as a tool for teaching EH and guiding inquiry into EH topics. Initially intended for use by children in the middle grades and their teachers, the EXCITE (Environmental health science eXplorations through Cross-disciplinary and Investigative Team Experiences) EHS model is being modified for use with a more diverse audience of community members and environmental health stakeholders. The EH model has been used by over 2000 students and their teachers in northwest Ohio schools as a tool to investigate such diverse topics as indoor air quality, household chemical use, mosquito control, food safety, and drinking water supplies. Qualitative evaluation of student and teacher performance in using the tool demonstrates strength in such areas as identifying types and sources of environmental agents as well as potential health effects and community responses to risks. Thematic areas of weakness include understanding pollutant transport and an appreciation of the broad range of environmental controls that are available to address problems. A quantitative rubric has been developed for grading performance on the general EH model. Testing of the rubric revealed that the general rubric must be customized for a specific EH issue or topic. When this is done, scorer agreement is high (>80%). Models completed by teachers were scored quantitatively using customized rubrics. The results support the qualitative assessment of the effectiveness of the tool. These results support the further development and dissemination of the EH model for use in schools as well as for community awareness.
S. Roda, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
Although many environmental toxicants and hazards that pose serious health risks have been identified, the continual occurrences of related health disorders have not effectively nor completely been reduced. Helping families and communities learn how to identify and test for environmental toxicants and hazards not only provides education in prevention but also allows these groups to actively participate in learning about potential exposures from their environment. We evaluated whether families, if given the proper tools, could assess environmental contamination, lead, and pesticides, in their own homes. In addition, we evaluated the predictive validity of home sampling kits (when used by community participants) for lead-contaminated floor dust, to identify children who have blood lead levels of 10 μg/dl or higher, when compared with repeat samples taken by trained community workers. A cross-sectional, stratified study design was used for this study. All children were younger than 5 years old and had a venipuncture blood sample result for lead. Stratification attempted to enroll about 33% of the sample with blood lead concentrations of below 5 μg/dl; 33% between 5 to 10 μg/dl; and 33% of 10 μg/dl or higher. Once families were approved for participation, they were randomized into either a video or nonvideo group. Families assigned to the video group received both written instructions and a video, while the control group received only written instructions. Correlations will be presented (1) of the participant dust sample lead result to the technician dust sample lead result; (2) for dust lead to blood lead; (3) of the family dust lead with the child’s blood lead; and (4) of the technician dust lead to the child’s blood lead. The range of blood leads in the study was 1 to 38 µg/dl.
D. Jacobs, National Center for Healthy Housing, Washington, DC; A. Mucha, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL; N. Stites, P. MacRoy, Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago, IL; A. Evens, Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago, IL; P. Rafferty, Rafferty and James Inc., Baltimore, MD; J. Phoenix, Coalition for Environmentally Safe Communities, Falls Church, VA; V. Persky, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL.
We compared the levels of lead particulate dust fall deposition generated by housing demolition in Chicago, Ill., and Baltimore, Md. The Chicago site consisted of 11 scattered-site single family housing units where minimal or nonexistent dust suppression methods were primarily used. The Baltimore site consisted of approximately 900 multifamily row homes in a defined geographic area where use of barriers, water spraying, containment, deconstruction, and other extensive dust suppression methods were used. Both cities included houses likely to have significant amounts of lead-based paint. Lead dust fall at both sites was measured by the American Public Health Association method, which consisted of elevated containers with a defined surface area filled with 1 L of deionized water and opened to the atmosphere for a measured period of time. Laboratory analysis was performed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The laboratories used in the study are recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency and AIHA. In Baltimore, airborne lead particulate levels were all below reporting detection limits, but lead dust fall levels were typically above detection reporting limits. Baseline lead dust fall levels in both cities were collected in areas away from the active demolition sites and were significantly higher in Chicago (p<0.01). The results from the two cities show that lead dust fall is significantly lower when the extensive dust suppression methods specified in Baltimore are used (p<0.01). In Chicago and Baltimore, the geometric mean lead dust fall during demolition was approximately 59 μg Pb/m2/hr (range: 1-3902 μg Pb/m2/hr) and 9.2 μg Pb/m2/hr (range: 4.7 to 258 μg Pb/m2/hr), respectively. The results have important implications for how lead-contaminated dust generated from housing demolition can be assessed and controlled to protect the public health. Further research is needed to establish health-based lead dust fall exposure standards and dust suppression to protect both workers and community members.
A. Wagner, Golder Associates Ltd., Mississauga, ON, Canada.
Following a large-scale flooding event in May 2006, an entire native community located in northern Ontario, Canada, had to be temporarily evacuated. Assessments for water damage and microbial contamination were conducted in order to restore the buildings and homes to preflood conditions. This presentation details how mold and sewage bacteria assessments and post-remediation inspections were completed for 39 of the affected houses. The scope of work included conducting visual assessments; surveying building materials for moisture content levels; and collecting microbial samples (bulk, tape, air, and swab samples) for mold and bacteria analysis — prior to, during, and following remediation activities at all 39 houses. The project had a unique challenge: Analysis results were required immediately, to give the restoration contractors information regarding whether additional cleanup or removal of microbial-contaminated building materials was required. Due to the remote location of the site, it was not possible to send samples to a laboratory; instead, on-site mold analysis was conducted. The project was further complicated by the fact that the houses all had significant preexisting water infiltration problems related to poor design and lifestyle issues of the occupants. This presentation will summarize a number of lessons learned for the industrial hygiene community, including (1) what can be done in the case of flooding, which tends to necessitate large-scale restoration work, mold remediation, and verification; (2) the challenges posed by the remote locations, and improvements in technology that make assessments quick but still reliable; and (3) ways that all stakeholders involved (adjuster, carrier, engineering firm, contractors, and community leaders) worked together to help move people back into their homes quickly and safely.
R. Lee, G. Bowman, D. Van Orden, K. Allison, RJLee Group Inc., Monroeville, PA.
The circumstances in Libby, Mont., underscore the need to refine current analytical protocols and develop a coherent public policy as it applies to mixed-mineral dust environments. The regulatory language is clear and concise with regard to the six minerals regulated as asbestos. Federally approved laboratory protocols for asbestos identification and federal statutory language regarding asbestos exposure are geared toward ore-grade minerals found in commercial products.
Mining conducted near Libby (within the Rainy Creek igneous complex) presents an opportunity for studying air and soil samples from an area of historic industrial activity. Vermiculite ore was mined from this formation for 67 years, from 1923 to 1990. The vermiculite ore was found to coexist with amphibole minerals that were naturally occurring at low concentrations. Exposure to vermiculite, a hydrated mica mineral, is not known to have any adverse health effects. However, there is an ongoing debate about the origin and significance of low-level amphibole mineral exposure. The amphiboles in question have been described by some as “Libby amphibole” and equated to asbestiform tremolite. A considerable body of scientific research and analytical data has evolved that challenges this assertion. This presentation will illustrate the complexities involved with mixed-mineral dust analysis and exposure within the context of historical industrial activity, resident concerns in the Libby community, and related public policy issues.