GENERAL
ANNOUNCEMENTS
On December 10th – the day of the next CIWG-IAQ meeting – the DHS Indoor Air Quality Program will host an open house at our new laboratory at the Richmond Laboratory Campus. The CIWG-IAQ will be held at 10 am to noon, then we will host a lunch and give tours of our new facilities. Security at the RLC is even more strict than at our old facility, so those planning to attend need to RSVP. Plan to arrive early (10-15 min) to get through the gate and security checkpoints. RSVP to jwaldman@dhs.ca.gov.
The 131st Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA) will be held in San Francisco on in November 15-19, 2003. This year’s theme is “Behavior, Lifestyle, and Social Determinants of Health”. Several CIWG-IAQ members are planning presentations and/or participating on panels on IAQ-related topics at the conference. For more details, see http://www.apha.org/meetings/.
AGENCY REPORTS ON CURRENT IAQ ACTIVITIES
American
Lung Association of California http://www.californialung.org/
-- Bonnie Holmes-Gen (bhgen@alac.org)
No report this period.
California Air Resources Board / Indoor Air Quality & Personal
Exposure Assessment Program
http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/indoor.htm
-- Peggy Jenkins (mjenkins@arb.ca.gov)
Web-site update. Visit our website! We have made some changes that have improved accessibility and function. There are also two listserv’s you should join if you have not already done so: one is for the Portable Classrooms Study, which is nearing completion, and the other is for our AB 1173 report to the Legislature on indoor air quality, which is just getting underway. If you have any problems with the listserv’s, please contact Susan Lum, slum@arb.ca.gov
Portable Classrooms Study Report Approved by Board: The California Air Resources Board (ARB) approved the joint ARB-DHS report to the Legislature on the California Portable Classrooms Study in July. This is the first large, comprehensive study on environmental quality in classrooms in California. The study found that both portable and traditional classrooms had a variety of environmental problems including inadequate ventilation, elevated formaldehyde levels, excessive noise, multiple pesticides and other contaminants in floor dust, and moisture and mold problems. A small percentage of the classrooms had severe problems. The report recommends a number of solutions to these problems, including compliance with health and safety regulations, self-inspections, improved training for school maintenance staff, stable funding for school operation and maintenance, and others. The draft report and staff presentation to the Board are at http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/pcs/pcs.htm. Contact Tom Phillips ( or Peggy Jenkins (
Workgroup
for Interagency School Health (WISH) Focuses on Environment: Staff presented key results and
recommendations from the California Portable Classrooms Study. Attendees were interested in the findings of
the study, and like many, were not aware of the extent of some problems such as
excessive noise and inadequate lighting. Contact Peggy Jenkins ().
Briefing
Teachers’ Union on the Portable Classrooms Study : In
conjunction with IWMB, staff met with and briefed a staff person of the
California Federation of Teachers (CFT) on the results and
recommendations of the California Portable Classrooms Study (PCS). CFT is the second largest
union for school employees in California, representing over 120,000 teachers
and classified employees; the California Teachers Association (CTA) is the
largest such union. The Report to the Legislature on the PCS includes as its
first recommendation that schools comply with existing worker health and safety
regulations for providing adequate building ventilation and preventing moisture
intrusion. The CFT staff person was interested in the findings of the report,
and expressed interest in working with the State to include the topic of indoor
environmental quality in their newsletters and training programs. Contact Tom Phillips ()
Relocatables
Working Group Comments : Staff reviewed and commented on a White Paper
entitled “Improving Learning Environments in California’s Portable Classrooms,”
prepared by the Relocatables Working Group (RWG), a subgroup of the Sustainable
Building Task Force, and also attended the recent meetings of the group.
Contact Peggy Jenkins ()
Workshop on Providing Good Acoustics in
the Classroom: Staff
participated in a workshop on acoustics in the classroom, sponsored by the
Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). The workshop provided background on the development of the
national industry standard for designing classrooms with good acoustical
properties. The results of the
California Portable Classrooms Study (PCS) by the ARB and California Department of Health Services (CDHS) confirmed
that excessive noise from ventilation systems often lead teachers to shut off
the systems, especially in portable classrooms. Some key recommendations in the
Report to the Legislature on the PCS were to achieve an interim noise
standard of no more than 45 decibels from the ventilation system, and to
convene a task force to assess the need for the more stringent level of 35
decibels in the classroom, the new industry standard level. The workshop was
well attended by school architects, acoustics experts, and school facility
managers. Contact Tom Phillips, tphillip@arb.ca.gov.
Exposure Estimates For Environmental
Tobacco Smoke: Staff contributed to the ARB Technical Support Document
for the “Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air
Contaminant”, Part A. Staff developed exposure estimates for low, medium, and
high exposure to ETS in California, using data from an ARB outdoor monitoring
study, data from the literature, and different sets of assumptions. Preliminary
results indicate non-smoking individuals who live in non-smoking homes and have
only brief encounters with ETS have low 24-hour time-integrated exposures to
nicotine of 1 µg-hr/m3 or less. A child living in a home with
smokers and traveling in vehicles with smokers could have a 24-hour
time-integrated exposure of approximately 80 µg-hr/m3 of nicotine.
Such exposures are of concern for young children who may be accompanying a
smoking parent or caretaker for most of the day. Staff concluded exposures are
highest when smoking occurs in the home. However, for those in non-smoking
homes, outdoor smoking contributes most to their exposure. When completed, the draft report will
undergo review ARB’s Scientific Review Panel and be released for public review
as well. Contact: Dorothy Shimer, dshimer@arb.ca.gov or Susan Lum, slum@arb.ca.gov.
Expert Review off Draft Report for PM Exposure Study: ARB convened an expert review panel comment on a preliminary draft report on the ARB-USEPA funded study of PM exposure. Harvard University is conducting this study, which includes measurements of real-time and integrated PM2.5 and its components for indoor, outdoor, and personal exposures of healthy subjects in the Los Angeles region. The study objectives include quantifying the relationships among outdoor, indoor, and personal PM and its components, and the effects of building characteristics and human activities. This study is part of a series of multi-day, multi-season panel studies on healthy and sensitive subjects in Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, and Raleigh. The contractor will conduct additional analyses, revise the draft final report, and submit it to ARB and it’s Research Screening Committee for approval in late 2003. Contact: Tom Phillips, tphillip@arb.ca.gov or Peggy Jenkins, mjenkins@arb.ca.gov.
Contract for refinement of nitrogen dioxide monitors is completed. Portable, real-time nitrogen dioxide monitors based on an electrochemical sensor were developed and improved under contract with Battelle. Under this contract, the investigators modified some of the monitor electronics to make them more sensitive and simplify data reduction. Investigators also developed some simple software to streamline data reduction. ARB has five monitors that were built under this contract. Data indicate that the monitors track results from a reference NOx monitor and are sensitive at 15 ppb. During a field test, nitrogen dioxide levels near an operating gas stove and range reached 800 ppb and higher. (California has a 1-hour NO2 standard of 250 ppb). Contact: Dorothy Shimer, dshimer@arb.ca.gov
Report to the Legislature on indoor air
quality, as required by AB 1173. ARB held a public workshop on April 4,
2003, which was attended by 35 people, primarily industry representatives. Staff presented the outline for the report,
then received comments from attendees.
Comments covered a broad range of categories from biological pollutants,
costs of adverse indoor air quality, prioritization of pollutants, report
timeline, and government regulations.
Staff are conducting an extensive literature review of indoor air
quality articles published since 1997.
Contact: Dorothy Shimer, dshimer@arb.ca.gov
World Asthma Day 2003: Indoor Program staff sponsored an information booth on asthma on World Asthma Day, May 6, 2003, in the main lobby of the Cal-EPA headquarters building The booth provided fact sheets and brochures on a range of asthma-related topics, and included the showing of a short video, “Health at Home – Controlling Asthma” from the US EPA. In addition to visitors to the booth, many emails requesting information were received from employees who were located outside of the Sacramento area. A list of websites with asthma information is available on request. Contact: Susan Lum, slum@arb.ca.gov
California Department of Education / School Facility and Planning Division
-- Tony Hesch (thesch@cde.ca.gov) http://goldmine.cde.ca.gov/facilities/
CDE-SFPD Relocation to new East End Building. We have just completed our relocation to out new building. Please note that all of our contact information has remained the same except our mailing address. The new information is:
School Facilities Planning Division
1430 N St., Suite 3207
(PO Box 944272)
Sacramento CA 94244-2720
Portable Classroom Study. The CDE, SFPD provided comments for the soon to be released Portable Classroom IAQ study. This study provides a significant amount of data that should be very useful for future school planning. I look forward to it’s release and of course the anticipated public reaction and questions. I anticipate the study information will be outline in the DHS and/or the ARB report. I was surprised at the levels of pesticides found in virtually all of the classrooms. We are concerned that the items that are the easiest to fix are the same ones that will be taking the biggest budget hits when the new state budget is released.
State Budget Impacts on Schools. The state budget crisis is having its negative effect on school. The budget cuts will and to a large extent already has reduced staffing in both maintenance and custodial staffing. Many districts are not filling any vacancies that develop in their M and O staff, subject to seeing an actual budget. If the past budget hardship years are any indication we can expect that the reduction in staffing of maintenance and custodial staff will be the first areas to be eliminated. The significance to us who monitor the IAQ is schools is that the first line workers who contribute the most to better IAQ by maintaining HVAC, health and even safety issues in schools are being reduced. Differed maintenance funding is being targeted both at the state level and at most local level budget planning. This comes at a time when more and more required IAQ reporting and monitoring is required. We should expect the school maintenance budgets to be bad this year and get worse next year.
California Department of Health Service /
Environmental Health Investigations Branch http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ehib/
-- Sandra McNeel (SMcNeel@dhs.ca.gov)
Michael Lipsett, MD joins EHIB. The Environmental Health Investigations Branch is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Lipsett, previously with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) Air Toxics group, has joined DHS to lead our Exposure Assessment Section. Dr. Lipsett brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of air quality topics from his many years of service with both the Department of Health Services and the California Environmental Protection Agency. Dr. Lipsett’s work includes studies of criteria air pollutants and their respiratory effects, especially asthma.
Asthma. The first issue of California Asthma Facts Newsletter, an electronic source of asthma information from the Department of Health Services, was published in May 2003. This issue focusing on asthma hospitalization rates by county is available at http://www.ehib.org/cma/links/CaliforniaAsthmaFacts010503.pdf. For additional information, please contact Jamila Stockman, jstockma@dhs.ca.gov.
A 76% increase in prevalence of asthma in California adults between 1984 and 2002 was documented in a fact sheet using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (a telephone survey that annually interviews several thousand Californians about health topics). This fact sheet is available at http://www.surveyresearchgroup.com/UserFiles/SRG9.pdf. For additional information, please contact Julie Von Behren, jvonbehr@dhs.ca.gov.
Toxic Mold Protection Act (SB 732). SB 732 requires DHS to provide a report to the California Legislature describing the implementation status of the bill’s requirements. This report is in final draft and is undergoing administrative review. When it is approved for public release it will be added to the DHS Indoor Air Quality website at www.dhs.ca.gov/iaq/ in the Mold section. Contact: Sandy McNeel, smcneel@dhs.ca.gov.
California Environmental Health Tracking Program (SB 702). The expert working group that was called as a result of SB 702 is finalizing their report detailing recommendations for ongoing systematic collection, integration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data about environmental hazards, exposure to environmental hazards, and health effects potentially related to exposure to environmental hazards. The report is expected to be available in early October for public comment, and will be published on the California Environmental Health Tracking Program website, www.catracking.com. Contact: Mimi Johnson, mjohnson@dhs.ca.gov
Presentations:
§ April 11 Sandy McNeel delivered a presentation, What’s making us sick? A look at Indoor Molds in California at the California Academy of Family Physicians Annual Scientific Assembly in Los Angeles.
§
In May Sandy McNeel presented information on health
effects of indoor mold exposure at an all-day mold training for Los Angeles
County Environmental Health inspectors.
§
July 2-3, Sandy
McNeel presented Indoor Mold Health Effects: Are your patients at risk? at
Grand Rounds for hospital staff in the Humboldt and Del Norte County region.
California Department of Health Service /
Indoor Air Quality Section
-- Jed Waldman (JWaldman@dhs.ca.gov) http://www.cal‑iaq.org
Relocation to Richmond. With a mixture of regret and excited anticipation, the DHS-IAQS moved to the new Richmond Laboratory Campus in early September 2003. On the downside, we are no longer walking distance from UC Berkeley campus, BART, and dozens of restaurants and services, and many staff who had offices now are in cubicles. But, on the brighter side, we have much larger, better functioning laboratories, more office space, and, for some, an easier commute. Even those of us who bicycle to work have found a lovely bayside bicycle path from Berkeley to Richmond. See ANNOUNCEMENTS regarding our Open House on December 10th.
Building Materials Emissions Study. The Study final report was approved by a vote of the Integrated Waste Board at their June 17th meeting. The report is available online at: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/greenbuilding/Specs/Section01350/METStudy.htm. Although IWMB funding has ended, limited additional material testing is continuing with in-house resources. Discussions have begun regarding a follow-up study on tire-derived rubber flooring, possibly funded by CIWMB.
IAQ Study of East End Buildings. A 12-month study was funded by U.S.EPA to measure VOC concentrations, as well as ventilation, at the 5 buildings of the East End Complex. The objective is to acquire more complete information on how selection of low-emitting building materials affect the indoor air quality of the built environment during initial occupancy and during the first year of occupancy.
Dialog with Carpet Industry. To forward a dialog on material testing among State and industry stakeholders, representatives of the carpet industry met with DHS and IWMB staff at the DHS Laboratory in Berkeley on August 6, 2003. The informal meeting was set up to discuss findings of the recently-released Building Material Emissions Study and the State’s Section 01350 emissions testing specification. Among manufacturers of building materials, the carpet industry is likely the most sophisticated with respect to VOC emission testing. The Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) has developed a set of programs for testing and labeling carpets, adhesives and cushion materials. The CRI’s Green Label criteria are based on maximum emission factors (mg/m² ∙hr) for formaldehyde, styrene, 4-Phenylcyclohexene (4-PC), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). CRI has expressed concern about the California Specification 01350, because the two programs have differences in methodologies and criteria. Information on CRI is available on-line at http://www.carpet-rug.com/
BASE Study. We are continuing to collaborate with the LBNL-IED group to link airborne moisture-indicating microorganisms (AMIMOs) with symptoms and descriptive evidence of microbial contamination. A joint report was issued by LBNL (Report 53908). Derek Shendell (Dr. Shendell, as of August) presented on BASE research at the Sarasota Springs’ Bioaerosol Conference in September. An additional presentation on BASE results is scheduled for the American Public Health Association (APHA) conference in SF in mid-November. Janet Macher et al. were invited to expand their Indoor Air 2002 paper for a special issue of the journal INDOOR AIR.
ETools on Legionnaires’ Disease. Janet Macher (with Rick Danielson of BioVir
Laboratories) has been providing technical assistance to the U.S. OSHA on their
on-line “eTools” resource relating to Legionnaires’ Disease. eTools are
"stand-alone," interactive, Web-based training tools on occupational
safety and health topics. They are highly illustrated and utilize graphical
menus. Some also use expert system modules,
which enable the user to answer questions, and receive reliable advice on how
OSHA regulations apply to their work site.
The Legionnaires’ Disease eTools is designed to assist industrial hygienists in the
assessment of worksites for potential Legionnaires' disease and provides
information on disease recognition, investigation procedures to identify
probable water sources, and control strategies. Refer to http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/legionnaires/index.html.
Portable Classroom Study. See ARB notes.
California Department of Health Service / Occupational Health Branch
-- Liz Katz (Ekatz@dhs.ca.gov) http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb/
Substitute Drycleaning Solvent -- Evidence of Uterine Cancer. D5, aka Green EarthI™ (Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane) has been promoted as a substitute for perchloroethylene, and some Air Districts have been offering financial incentives to drycleaners who switch to it. HESIS toxicologists evaluated preliminary data submitted by Dow Corning Corporation under the TSCA 8(e) Notification of Substantial Risk, and concluded that available evidence (animal studies, biologic plausibility, and a similar effect from D4, a closely related siloxane) points to D5 as a cause of uterine cancer.
California Department of Health Service / Tobacco Control
Section
-- Joanne Wellman-Benson (JWellman@dhs.ca.gov)
No report this period
California Department of
Industrial Relations (Cal/OSHA)
--Bob Nakamura (bnakamura@hq.dir.ca.gov) http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/
IAQ Advisory Committee. The Division is continuing to review IAQ issues raised during the two advisory meetings involving enforcement of the regulations that apply to indoor air quality situations, especially Section 5142. The second meeting was held on March 6, 2003. Attendees discussed the current proposal for the use of DCV, modified since the first meeting, that the CEC submitted for rulemaking during the summer. Attendees also discussed changing Section 5142 to address problems in identifying the entity that can make changes to a HVAC system in a workplace. Another meeting will be held later this year. For more information contact Bob Nakamura at 415-703-5160 or Deborah Gold at 415-703-5115. For information about the proposed changes to the California Energy Code, contact the CEC via www.energy.ca.gov or 1-800-772-3300.
Airborne Contaminants: 8CCR §5155. The Division is continuing to review Threshold Limit Value changes proposed by the ACGIH. The first meeting of the advisory committee was on May 4, 2001. The most recent meeting was held on June 6th and another meeting is scheduled for September 12th. The Division coordinator is Bruce Wallace who can be reached at 415-703-5165.
Laboratory Fume Hoods: 8CCR §5154.1. The Division has convened five advisory committee meetings to evaluate two different petitions requesting the Standards Board to reduce ventilation rate requirements and establish a performance standard in place of the existing regulation that relies on face velocity measurements. A draft proposal was discussed by the Standards Board at their public hearing on May 22nd. The Board requested that the Division convene another advisory meeting. This is scheduled for September 17th in Oakland. The Division coordinator is Bruce Wallace who can be reached at 415-703-5165.
Heat Stress Standard. The Division has held three advisory committee meetings to review the need and issues involved in proposing a standard for heat stress. The last meeting was on February 15, 2002 in Oakland. A draft proposal was reviewed at the meeting, and revisions will be forthcoming based on the outcome of the meeting. For more information, contact Bob Barish at 415-703-5100.
-- Obed Odoemelam (Oodoemel@energy.state.ca.us)
AB 1173 Report Planning. The
Commission staff attended the April 4, 2003 ARB public workshop on
the requirement of AB1173 for a report on indoor air quality. The staff noted
to ARB that most requests by the Legislature for specific reports are
driven by new concerns about the environmental problem at issue. We
recommended that the report be prepared to reflect the history of the concern
over indoor air quality to better inform the legislature of the main reasons
for the present heightened concern. We also noted that the Legislature had
required the Commission through AB4655 in 1988 to prepare a similar
report to address the concern over the impacts of
the Commission's energy conservation standards on indoor air
quality. We published the related report in December 1994. Staff further recommended that the new
ARB report be prepared to allow for specific recommendations on
the problem.
Research Funding. The
Commission staff also completed the last phase of its review of the
research proposals submitted for the development and commercialization of
a low-cost, easy-to-use monitors for indoor and outdoor air
quality.
Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory / Indoor Environments Program http://eetd.lbl.gov/iep/iep.html
-- Mike Apte (MGApte@lbl.gov)
Pending
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment / Indoor Air Risk Assessment Group http://www.oehha.org/
-- Richard Lam (RLam@oehha.ca.gov)
Environmental
Protection Indicators for California (EPIC). OEHHA is the lead agency
for the EPIC Project, which is a collaborative effort of Cal/EPA, the
California Resources Agency, the California Department of Health Services and a
variety of stakeholders. The Project is responsible for establishing and
maintaining environmental indicators to characterize the state of California's
environment.
Environmental indicators present
scientifically-based information on the status of, and trends in, environmental
conditions over time. These indicators are intended to assist environmental
programs in evaluating the outcomes of their efforts and in identifying areas
that require more attention. In addition, the indicators serve as a useful tool
in communicating environmental information. Guidelines and criteria for identifying and selecting indicators
and an initial set of indicators for environmental issues that are important
for California to track are presented in an April 2002 report: Environmental
Protection Indicators for California. The EPIC report and a synthesis
document can be downloaded from: www.oehha.ca.gov/multimedia/epic/2002epicreport.html.
The report discusses more than 80 environmental indicators reflecting the
status of, and trends in air quality, water, land, waste and materials
management, pesticides, transboundary issues (including global climate change
and California-Baja California border issues), human and ecosystem health.
The EPIC Project plans to
continually evaluate, improve and expand this initial set of indicators to
ensure that they provide meaningful information about key environmental issues
and contribute to the decision-making processes in environmental programs.
Chapter 4 of the EPIC Report discusses ways by which the Project intends to
improve the indicators (www.oehha.ca.gov/multimedia/epic/2002reptpdf/Chapter4.pdf).
OEHHA welcomes input from all
interested parties throughout this process. We are seeking public comment on
various environmental indicators including that for indoor air quality. More
information available at: www.oehha.ca.gov/multimedia/epic/epiccall.html
Chronic Toxicity – Silica
(Crystalline, Respirable). OEHHA has released a draft
document, Chronic Toxicity Summary for Silica (Crystalline, Respirable)
to solicit public comment. This draft document has been developed by OEHHA for
use in implementing the Air Toxics Hot Spots Program (Health and Safety Code
Section 44300 et seq.). The present document presents a toxicity summary and
chronic REL for crystalline silica, particularly when this material is composed
of particles of respirable size (≤10
µm). People are exposed to crystalline silica inside building as it is used in
construction materials. OEHHA is
seeking comments on the Chronic Toxicity Summary for Silica (Crystalline,
Respirable), including its clarity, and the appropriateness of the
methodology and data on which the REL derivation is based. Following this
public comment period, the document and any comments received, along with
OEHHA's response to these comments, will undergo review by the state's Scientific
Review Panel on Toxic Air Contaminants. The Chronic Toxicity Summary for Silica
is available on the OEHHA Home Page at http://www.oehha.ca.gov
Request for a Safe Use
Determination for Crystalline Silica in Interior Latex Paints. OEHHA
is the lead agency for the implementation of the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic
Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65). Crystalline silica (airborne
particles of respirable size) has been listed as a substance known to the state
to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.
OEHHA has received a request from the California Paint Council on behalf
of the National Paint and Coatings Association (NPCA) that OEHHA grant a safe
use determination for the use of interior latex paints used to cover or
decorate the interior of buildings and the potential exposure to airborne
particles of crystalline silica of respirable size that may result during the
course of painting activities (e.g., painting and sanding). The request is made
pursuant to Section 12204 (formerly Section 12104) of Title 22 of the
California Code of Regulations (22 CCR). In accordance with the process set
forth in Section 12204(f) of 22 CCR, a public hearing was convened on April 28,
2003 to solicit public comment. A decision on this request will be made later.
Proposition 65 – Intent to
List.
a.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP). On
April
11, 2003, OEHHA published a notice in the California Regulatory Notice
Register (Register 03, No. 15-Z) announcing its intent to list di(2-ethylhexyl)
phthalate (DEHP) under Proposition 65 in accordance with the regulatory
criteria in Sections 12306 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
The public comment period has been extended to June 11, 2003. DEHP is
used in numerous products used indoors and is of special concern in children.
b.
Catechol. OEHHA intends to list catechol as known to the State to
cause cancer, pursuant to this administrative mechanism as provided in Health
and Safety Code Section 25249.8(b) and 22 CCR, Section 12306. Anyone objecting
to the listing of catechol as causing cancer on the basis that there is no
substantial evidence that the criteria for sufficiency of evidence as causing
cancer specified in 22 CCR, Section 12306 have been satisfied should provide
written comments by Monday, June 16, 2003. Information can be obtained from the
OEHHA Web site at: http://www.oehha.ca.gov/
. Catechol is found in some products used indoors such as insecticides,
perfumes, dyestuffs, inks, and photography.
East Bay Children’s Respiratory Health Study.
Two manuscripts are prepared for publications: one on the East Bay Children's Respiratory
Health Study and the second on the statewide assessment of school proximity to
busy roads.
Results of the
East Bay Children's Respiratory Health Study were presented at a poster
discussion session of the 2003 International Conference of the American
Thoracic Society in Seattle, WA, May 16-21, 2003. Abstract: JJ Kim, S
Smorodinsky et al.
"Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Children's Respiratory
Health." Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2003 April; 167(7):A34. Contact person: Janice Kim, www.Jkim@oehha.ca.gov
Results of the
second study were presented at the 2003 International Society of Environmental
Epidemiology meeting. The abstract of the presentation is provided below. Contact person: www.Sgreen@oehha.ca.gov
Proximity of California
public schools to busy roads
Rochelle Green1, Svetlana
Smorodinsky1, Bob McLaughlin2 and Janice Kim1. 1Office of Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment, Cal EPA. 2Environmental
Health Investigations Branch, CDHS
Residential proximity to busy
roadways has been associated with adverse health outcomes. Since children spend so much of their time
at school, school location may be an important determinant of exposure to
traffic-related pollutants. There are
over 8,000 public schools in California, but to date no one has assessed the
spatial distribution of schools in relation to busy roads and freeways. The goal of this study was to examine the
number and demographic profile of public schools in California by proximity to
major roadways. We obtained statewide
information on public schools from the California Department of Education 2000
database and selected all active public schools grades K – 12, excluding
alternative and special education.
Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) we were able to geocode
7,460 of 7,515 eligible schools based on school address. We determined distances to nearby roads and
average annual daily traffic counts using a statewide road network from the
California Department of Transportation and a GIS. The Department of Transportation does not collect traffic flow
data on minor residential and rural streets.
For each school, we calculated exposure to nearby traffic as the maximum
daily traffic count for all road segments with traffic flow data within 150
meters of the school. High exposure to
nearby traffic was defined as 50,000 or more vehicles per day on any road
segment within 150 meters of the school; medium exposure was 25,000 to 49,999
vehicles; low exposure was less than 25,000 vehicles within 150 meters; and
very low exposure was defined as all street segments with traffic flow data
more than 150 meters from the school.
Statewide, 173 schools (2.3%) with a total enrollment of 150,323 had
high exposure to nearby traffic, 536 (7.2%) had medium exposure, 4484 (60.1%)
had low exposure, and 2267 (30.4%) had very low exposure. The median percentage of children on
CalWorks (aid for families and welfare-to-work program) increased steadily from
8.9% in schools with very low exposure to 15.5% in schools with high exposure. Similarly, the median percentage of children
enrolled in free or reduced meal programs increased from 40.7% in the group
with very low exposure to 60.5% in the highest exposure group. Race/ethnicity was also related to traffic
exposure. The percentage of non-white
students was highest at the schools near roads with the highest traffic counts
(84%) and lowest in the schools with very low exposure (54.8%). The percentage of Hispanic children at the
schools with high traffic exposure was twice as high as that at schools with
very low exposure. In summary, a
substantial number of children in California attend schools that are close to
major roads with very high traffic counts, and a disproportionate number of
those students are economically disadvantaged and minority. Future exposure monitoring and health studies
should target children from those highly exposed schools.
-- Andrea Hricko (scehsc@usc.edu)
Children’s
Health Study Video. The Centers
have produced a new documentary video on the results of the Children's Health
Study entitled: "A Breath of Air: What Pollution is Doing to Our
Children." To obtain ordering information, please send an email to
Andrea Hricko (Executive Producer) at: scehsc@usc.edu.
The cost is $8.00.
New Studies. Several new
studies by Center investigators relate to the indoor environment. See
"Asthma risk rises with exposure to chemicals, pollutants in
infancy," in the HSC Weekly published by USC. http://uscnews2.usc.edu/hscweekly/
(When you get there, type in Gilliland for the May 23, 2003
article). When you do this search, you will find other articles on Center
research (e.g., maternal smoking during pregnancy, etc.).
Stanford University
--Wayne Ott (wott1@stanford.edu)
ETS and IAQ modeling. A paper by Wayne Ott, Neil Klepeis, and Paul Switzer on compartmental indoor models was accepted for publication in June-July 2003 in the Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association. The paper is entitled, “Analytical Solutions to Compartmental Indoor Air Quality Models with Application to Environmental Tobacco Smoke Concentrations Measured in a House,” and it derives analytical solutions to the 1- and 2-compartment models for several important indoor source emission time functions. The paper includes analytical solutions for the impulse, step (Heaviside), and rectangular source emission time functions. The model uses Laplace transform methods to solve the mass balance equations for two interconnected compartments, obtaining analytical expressions that can be applied without the need for a computer. The experiments in the paper showed good agreement between the concentration time series solutions predicted by the model and continuous measurements of carbon monoxide (CO), respirable suspended particles (RSP), and particulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PPAH) in a 672-square foot home in Menlo Park, CA. The experimental data also showed that the door and window positions in each room of the home had considerable effect on the pollutant concentrations measured in the home. Because of the small volumes and low air exchange rates of most homes, pollutant concentrations from cigarette smoking in a home can be very high and can persist at measurable levels indoors for many hours.
Carbon Monoxide Roadway Exposures. A paper by Peter Flachsbart, Wayne Ott, and Paul Switzer was accepted for presentation at this year's Annual Meeting of the Air and Waste Management Association in June 2003 in San Diego, CA. The paper is entitled “Long-Term Trends in Exposure to Carbon Monoxide on a California Arterial Highway,” and it uses exposure measurements made on a California arterial highway in 1980-81, 1991-92, and 2001-2002. A published emissions model developed at Stanford for this roadway was combined with statistical rollback theory to predict both the mean and the variance of the frequency distribution of exposures for each of these year-long experimental exposure studies. The mean net CO exposure (1.7 ppm) for 2001-02 was 34.5% of the corresponding value (4.8 ppm) for 1991-92 and was 17.5% of that (9.7 ppm) for 1980-81, showing an 82.5% decline in highway exposures over 20 years. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that the coefficient of variation of the distribution of trip means over the entire year was the same each year, even though the measurement field studies were made approximately 10 years apart. The findings also support the hypothesis that the expected value of the distribution of exposures was proportional to the average annual roadway emissions, as predicted by the emissions model. The successful performance of the statistical model suggests that a similar exposure model can be used to make long-term predictions of the frequency distribution of exposures for other pollutants in traffic on roadways.
UC Berkeley – Labor Occupational Health Program
--Robin
Dewey, (rdewey@uclink4.berkeley.edu) http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~lohp/
No report this period
UC Environmental Health & Safety Program
-- Debbie Decker (dmdecker@ucdavis.edu)
Health & safety program staff for 9 UC campuses and 3 national labs (LBNL, LLNL and LANL) within the University of California collaborate as part of the UC Industrial Hygiene and Safety Committee. The IAQ Work Group of the Committee has updating a document, “Indoor Air Quality Tools: Education, Prevention, and Investigation”, last revised in 1999. This earlier draft is still posted on-line (look for it at http://ehs.ucsc.edu/Ih/IAQC/iaq/IAQC.html), though the IAQ-WG is planning to release their revision in the next week(s). Check at the UCDavis web site, http://ehs.ucdavis.edu/ehs/ucih/, under “Documents”.
U.S. EPA Region IX / Indoor Environment Team http://www.epa.gov/iaq/
-- Barbara Spark (spark.barbara@epamail.epa.gov)
-- Bill Jones (jones.bill@epamail.epa.gov)
-- Shelly Rosenblum (rosenblum.shelly@epa.gov)
New HQ Division Director: Tom Kelly is the new Director of the Indoor Environments Division in OAR/ORIA. He’s served EPA in a variety of executive positions since 1978, including Director of the Office of Regulatory Management and Information and, most recently, as EPA’s Small Business Advocacy Chair.
The 4th Annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National
Symposium will be held on October 26-28, 2003, in Washington
DC. Unexpectedly, registration filled
up (500 people) two weeks before the application deadline, indicating the great
national interest in the program. Materials from the Symposium will be posted
one the web page http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/symposium.html. Materials from last year’s Symposium remain
posted at that site.
Shelly Rosenblum receives award: Shelly Rosenblum was surprised to receive the HQ / Indoor Environments Division Director's Award this year at the IED National Strategy Meeting in Washington, DC in March. The award reads, "Shelly continues to demonstrate outstanding leadership and serves as a tireless champion for implementing the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program. He has constructed an exemplary program including training, one-on-one assistance, and recognition for schools. Shelly and his colleagues in Region 9 have been innovators in actively demonstrating how to forge collaborative relationships, resulting in a program that can serve as a national model."
California legislative resolution endorsing IAQ
Tools for Schools - “Assembly Concurrent Resolution No.
75---Relative to Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program," -
introduced by Majority Leader Wilma Chan, was accepted on May 5, 2003, with 68
coauthors, and chaptered on June 24.
Chan's office distributed IAQ Tools for Schools "Kits"
and supporting materials to every member of the legislature. The ACR 75 text
recognizes the EPA program as “helping schools and school districts prevent,
identify, and remedy indoor air problems, often by using commonsense activities
at minimal or no cost...” “The Legislature of the State of California commends
each agency, organization, and school district working to implement the Indoor
Air Quality Tools for Schools Program in California Schools,” and “encourages
California school districts to implement the Indoor Air Quality Tools for
Schools Program for the benefit of asthmatic children and for the health,
well-being, learning, and productivity of the entire school population.” The full text can be viewed at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=acr_75&sess=CUR&house=B&author=chan
Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of
California School Administrators (ACSA). An MOU outlining joint
activities to raise awareness of “IAQ Tools for Schools” and encourage its
implementation has been signed by Wayne Nastri, EPA Region 9 Regional
Administrator, and Bob Wells, Executive Director of ACSA. ACSA is a 16,000
member organization formed out of the consolidation of seven pre-existing
associations of school decision-makers, such as District and County
Superintendents, School Principals, Personnel and Curriculum Development. This
EPA/ACSA new partnership illustrates a growing understanding that at this time
of budget crisis, the “Tools for Schools” program is needed “now, more than
ever.”
Student-led IAQ Tools for Schools Project: Shelly Rosenblum has developed a template
for student-led Tools for Schools
implementations, to be used by Middle and HS students wishing to take on Tools
for Schools as a semester project. This approach to IAQ Tools for Schools holds
exceptional promise, given its appeal to teachers and school principals. The Environmental Club at Northgate High
School in Walnut Creek is piloting this activity. With mentoring by Shelly Rosenblum, the Club made a presentation
on the Program to teachers at a faculty meeting; distributed checklists;
collected and plotted results on a floor plan; and participated in a
walk-through with Shelly and district HVAC staff. A similar project is underway
in Visalia USD. “Boilerplate” for this project is available to all
interested. Contact: Shelly Rosenblum
IAQ Tools for Schools "Class Project" - We’ve relaunched the USEPA Region 9 “CLASS (CLean Air for SchoolS) Project, in which EPA staff members “mentor” (hand-hold) their child’s or a neighborhood school through the process of implementing the IAQ Tools for Schools program.. The project is being sponsored by our Regional Administrator, Wayne Nastri. We feel that it’s more important than ever that schools be coached to understand the simple steps which can be taken in every classroom, now that already Spartan school custodial and maintenance budgets have been further cut due to the California budget crisis. We’ve created a number of step-by-step guidance for this project, which we would be delighted to share with IWG members who’d like to participate in this process. Contact: Barbara Spark
IAQ Tools for Schools / Risk Communication & Public Involvement: Alvin Chun and Shelly Rosenblum provided a half-day workshop for schools, "Working With The Community: How to build trust & credibility and how to keep it" in San Ramon June 18. The workshop has been modeled on the 3-day “Risk Communication & Public Involvement Workshop” that Arnold Den and Alvin Chun have been teaching for many years, but tailored to better fit school officials’ schedules and concerns. As a result of this workshop, the Moraga School District became interested in IAQ Tools for Schools. Shelly will be providing training for them in November. The California Association of School Business Officials (CASBO), in keeping with the MOU we've recently established with them, expects to co-sponsor future workshops.
IAQ Tools for Schools Training and Outreach - Shelly Rosenblum remains much in demand to provide Tools for Schools training, including presentations at the CASH and CASBO annual meetings. He provided a special half-day workshop on April 8 in conjunction with the "Healthy Indoor Environments 2003" conference in Anaheim.. Thanks to collaboration with ASCIP, the largest nonprofit school insurer in California, the workshop attracted the largest percentage of school managers and administrators (as opposed to maintenance technicians) ever to attend one of our trainings. The workshop included a segment on building trust within the school community, which clearly was a big draw.
“New”
IAQ Design Tools for Schools.
The U.S. EPA announced the launch of their new web-based resource (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schooldesign). The web site contains recommendations and
tools to help communities and design professionals integrate good indoor air
quality practices into the design, construction, renovation, and operation and
maintenance of K-12 school facilities.
Practical, cost-effective actions ranging from walk-off entry mats to
advanced ventilation systems can reduce contaminants in schools and help
protect the health of children and staff..
The contact at the U.S. EPA’s Indoor Environments Division is Bob Axelrad,
(202) 564-9315; axelrad.bob@epa.gov.
IAQ Tools for Schools - Documents
- IAQ
Tools for Schools (TfS) Communications Guide [EPA 402-K-02-008,
January 2003] has been created to help the school indoor air quality (IAQ)
team develop and carry out activities that communicate the benefits of
participating in an IAQ management plan; and raise awareness of good IAQ
practices among administrators, school board members, the community, and
the local media. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/images/communication_guide.pdf
- IAQ
Tools for Schools Program: Benefits of Improving Air Quality in the Indoor
Environment - a 20-page
brochure, is now in print and can be ordered from IAQ INFO (800)438-4318.
You can preview it at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/images/tfsprogram_brochure.pdf
- IAQ
Tools for Schools Action Kits are back in print. The Kit can also
be viewed and downloaded at http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pubs.html. A CD-Rom also is available.
Environmental Hazards in Preschools - Barbara Spark discussed IAQ Tools for Schools and the relevance of its underlying