A charter meeting was held August 29, 2007 at the CDPH Richmond Campus. Notes from the meeting are available online (http://www.cal-iaq.org/CIWG/IEQ_Roundtable_20070829.pdf). For information on further meetings, contact:

Jan D. Stensland or Toni Stein

Inside Matters CA Department of Public Health-IAQ Section

510.525.6447 (510) 620-2861

Jan@InsideMatters.com Toni.Stein@cdph.ca.gov

CHPS Greentools for Healthy Schools

The first CHPS conference was held in San Francisco on September 27, 2007. The conference agenda, program and workshop information is available on-line: http://chps.net/greentools.htm.

2007 IAQ Bills in California Legislature

o SB 7 (Oropeza) was signed into law by the Governor; it makes it an infraction for a person to smoke in any car with a child younger than the age of 18 in it, even if the car was parked or on private property (see CDPH-TCS).

o AB 1467 (DeSaulnier) passed the legislature, but vetoed by the Governor; it would have eliminate exemptions from the statewide smoke-free workplace law for specified bars, warehouse facilities, employee break rooms, hotel lobbies, and meeting and banquet rooms.

o Three bills on Sustainable (or Green) Building practices within California, AB 35 (Ruskin), AB 888 (Lieu) and AB 1058 (Laird), were passed by the Legislation in September. However, all three were vetoed by the Governor.

Search for bill information at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html

New Report Supports Improved Standard Setting for Workplace Cancer and Reproductive Hazards. Many California environmental regulations are based on scientific “risk assessments” performed by the Cal/EPA Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), and CDPH’s Occupational Health Branch (OHB) commissioned OEHHA to assess the feasibility of using the same scientific methods to develop recommendations for health-protective exposure limits in the workplace. The project focused on evaluating chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm (i.e., chemicals on California’s “Proposition 65” list).

In December 2007, OEHHA released a new report, Occupational Health Hazard Risk Assessment Project for California. The report identifies many chemicals of concern that are either not currently regulated in the workplace or are regulated, but have Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) that allow a significant cancer risk over a working lifetime. This information is intended to assist OHB in more effectively recommending protective occupational standards as part of its legislative mandate. The major results of the project include:

§ Forty-four workplace chemicals that are listed by Proposition 65 (Title 22, California Code of Regulations, Section 12000, dated December 2006) as known to the state to cause cancer do not have a permissible exposure limit (PEL) established in California. Five workplace chemicals listed under Proposition 65 as known to cause reproductive and/or developmental toxicity do not have a PEL established in California.

§ Sixty-two workplace chemicals listed under Proposition 65 have PELs but are not regulated specifically as occupational carcinogens in California. Cancer risks of more than 100 in 1,000 were estimated for six of the 38 chemicals assuming exposure at the PEL. Fourteen workplace chemicals listed as known to cause reproductive and/or developmental toxicity have a PEL in California that does not explicitly account for those effects.

§ About 60% of the workplace chemicals identified as of concern in this report are used as chemical or dye intermediates, typically used in closed systems with relatively limited potential for worker exposure. However, exposure can still occur with closed systems (e.g., from fugitive emissions and during repair and maintenance), and about half of these intermediates have other industrial uses that may pose a higher exposure concern. About 20% of the workplace chemicals of concern are used as solvents, which generally pose higher concern for worker exposure. About 40% of the workplace chemicals of concern have been identified as being skin absorbable and could pose cancer, reproductive and/or developmental risks via the dermal route in addition to the inhalation route of exposure.

§ About 60% of the workplace chemicals of concern are high production volume chemicals (>1 million pounds produced in and/or imported into the U.S., based on data from 2002).

Accessible on-line at:

http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb/HESIS/risksummary.pdf (executive summary)

http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb/HESIS/riskreport.pdf (full report)

http://www.dhs.ca.gov/ohb/HESIS/standards.htm (background)

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Semi-volatile Organic Chemicals (SVOCs) in Indoor Environments

by Dr. Myrto Petreas, Chief, Environmental Chemistry Branch

California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

Slides available on-line

(http://www.cal-iaq.org/CIWG/Petreas_2007-12-12_SVOC_6.pdf)

AGENCY REPORTS ON CURRENT IAQ ACTIVITIES

American Lung Association of California http://www.californialung.org/

-- Bonnie Holmes-Gen (bhgen@alac.org)

Check their web site (above).

Bay Area Air Quality Management District http://www.baaqmd.gov/

-- Saffet Tanrikulu, STanrikulu@baaqmd.gov

Check their web site (above).

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)

Indoor Air Cleaner Regulation Approved Without Sell-Through Period. At the September Board meeting in Diamond Bar, the Air Resources Board (ARB) approved a regulation to limit the ozone emissions from indoor air cleaning devices to a 0.05 ppm emission concentration. The Board considered staff’s presentation, numerous public comments, and oral testimony from approximately 40 individuals. Ultimately, because of their deep concern that intentional ozone generators would continue to be sold during both the proposed certification and sell-through periods, and their concern over the appalling claims made by ozone generator manufacturers about the supposed health benefits of ozone, the Board unanimously approved the proposed regulation but eliminated the proposed 9-month sell-through period. Board approval of the regulation comes more than a year ahead of the December 31, 2008 deadline for adoption of such a regulation established by Assembly Bill 2276. Contact: Peggy mjenkins@arb.ca.gov or Chris Jakober, cjakobe@arb.ca.gov. For more information, see http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/aircleaners/aircleaners.htm. The ARB Staff Technical Report, Evaluation of Ozone Emissions From Portable Indoor “Air Cleaners” That Intentionally Generate Ozone, May 5, 2006, is available online at

http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/o3g-rpt.pdf

New Home Ventilation and Indoor Air Study. The contractor, Indoor Environmental Engineering (IEE), is preparing a draft report of the results of the study of ventilation and indoor air quality in 108 new California homes (see previous minutes). The report will be reviewed at the March meeting of ARB’s Research Screening Committee, and the final report should be available later in 2008. Preliminary analyses indicate that indoor formaldehyde levels often exceeded health based guidelines, and that ventilation was inadequate in a portion of the homes. Contact Tom Phillips, tphillips@arb.ca.gov

Review of Draft Building Standards. Staff commented on draft green building standards that are being developed by the Department of Housing and Community Development and the State Building Standards Commission, who are proposing a mixture of voluntary and mandatory standards. The standards are expected to be out for public review in January 2008. Staff also commented on the draft Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards, which are being updated by the California Energy Commission. Major changes to ventilation requirements in these standards include requirements for mechanical ventilation systems for new homes and expanded demand control ventilation systems for nonresidential buildings. Contact Tom Phillips, tphillips@arb.ca.gov

Presentation at Legislative Informational Hearing on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. On November 27, 2007, Peggy Jenkins presented information on the health effects of carbon monoxide (CO) and sources of CO poisoning at a joint informational hearing of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee (Chair: Lowenthal) and the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee (Chair: Saldana). The hearing was convened to provide information on the dangers and prevalence of CO poisoning in California, and to explore prevention solutions and discuss whether or not CO detectors should be required in dwellings. Each year, accidental CO poisonings account for 30-40 deaths, 175-700 emergency room visits or hospitalizations, and hundreds to thousands of illnesses. Indoor combustion appliances and vehicles account for the majority of poisonings. Poor maintenance and misuse of appliances indoors are the primary causes of poisoning. At the hearing, one family told of the success of their CO detector in saving their lives, while another told of the unfortunate death of a sister due to CO poisoning in a pool house. Representatives from Kidde CO alarm indicated that CO sensor technology has improved substantially over the years, and a representative from the California Coalition for Children’s Safety and Health emphasized that children are at additional risk of poisoning and that CO alarms are relatively inexpensive, starting at $20 per unit. Solutions such as requiring installation of CO alarms in new and existing housing, public education campaigns, requiring maintenance and/or routine inspection of combustion appliances, and installation of sensors on appliances were discussed. Legislation is likely to be proposed by the chairs of the committees. Contact: Peggy Jenkins, mjenkins@arb.ca.gov

CEC PEIR Contractors Meeting. On November 8, 2007, ARB’s contractors on indoor air quality projects funded by CEC’s PIER program gave presentations via Webex on the status and results of their projects.

§ Bud Offermann of Indoor Environmental Engineering showed that formaldehyde levels were elevated and air exchange rates too low in many new California homes in his study of ventilation and indoor air quality in new homes. His draft final report is scheduled to be considered at the March 2008 Research Screening Committee meeting, and a final report should be available by summer 2008.

§ Randy Maddelena from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory presented early results from an office equipment emissions study, and Ash Lashgari of Research Division presented the goals and objectives of the small and medium commercial buildings survey and field study that he is managing; those studies are just getting underway.

Contacts: Peggy Jenkins, mjenkins@arb.ca.gov,

Tom Phillips, tphillips@arb.ca.gov,

Ash Lashgari, klashgar@arb.ca.gov

Cleaning Products Outreach Program. ARB has launched an outreach program to spread the word about the possible health impacts that may result from frequent use of cleaning products that contain terpenes, in the presence of ozone. Terpenes are compounds such as pinene and limonene that give products their pine and citrus scent, respectively. When ozone is present, reactions occur that produce formaldehyde and ultrafine particles. Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen and respiratory irritant, and ultrafine particles are believed to impact the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Letters and copies of ARB’s fact sheet entitled “Cleaning Products and Indoor Air Quality: Actions You Can Take to Reduce Exposures” (see http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/cleaning.htm), along with a suggested newsletter article, were sent to about 200 organizations including professional janitorial and cleaning associations, various housekeeping and janitorial companies, building management organizations, environmental and health groups, and others. Staff will follow up with calls in December and January to answer questions and encourage these organizations to share the information with their members, clients, and associates.

Contact: Peggy Jenkins, mjenkins@arb.ca.gov.

Indoor Surface Chemistry: A New Frontier. ARB co-funded and staff participated in a two-day Workshop on Interfacial (Surface) Chemistry in Indoor Environments in Berkeley on July 17-18. Participants included nationally known university and government scientists with expertise in indoor chemistry, physics, health effects, and exposure assessment. The workshop focused on chemical reactions and interactions on indoor surfaces, such as at the interface between indoor air and wall surfaces. Key findings of studies to date indicate that, while surface ozone interactions can greatly reduce ozone levels indoors, concentrations of oxidation products of indoor ozone surface chemistry can be substantial. These reactions contribute to increased exposure to carcinogens such as formaldehyde and acrolein, irritants such as aldehydes, ketones, and acids, free radicals, and various other chemicals of concern. Studies also have shown that ozone reacts quickly with squalene, a component of human skin oils, to form several particularly irritating compounds. The scientists identified a number of research priorities in indoor surface chemistry. Contacts: Peggy mjenkins@arb.ca.gov, Tom Phillips, tphillips@arb.ca.gov. A brief report on the workshop is posted on the indoor research website at http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/apr/past/indoor.htm.

Other Conferences & Presentations.

· International Society of Exposure Analysis (ISEA) Annual 2007 Conference. At the annual meeting of the ISEA in Raleigh, NC, October 14-18, 2007, Peggy Jenkins presented results of ARB’s tests of ozone emissions from indoor air cleaning devices that intentionally emit ozone (ozone generators), and Dane Westerdahl presented results of a vehicle cabin particle filtration study. ARB’s ozone generator tests showed very high ozone emissions: room concentrations typically reached 1-5 times the state ambient air quality standard levels within 30-120 minutes. Peggy’s presentation is available at IAQ_Roundtable_20070829.pdf .

· Results on the effectiveness of in-cabin particle filtration as a means to reduce ultrafine particle exposures showed that the modern, high-efficiency filters included in some new cars may reduce ultrafine PM counts by 80-90%; however, the carbon dioxide levels originating from the exhaled breath of occupants were shown to reach very high levels  at least 5000 ppm, the Cal-OSHA 8-hour Personal Exposure Limit for workplace exposures. Contacts: Peggy mjenkins@arb.ca.gov and Dane Westerdahl, fwesterd@arb.ca.gov

· Graduate Course in Communications and Careers in Environmental Fields. Peggy participated by conference call as a guest speaker for a course in technical communications and careers in environmental fields for the University of Texas at Austin. The course is part of the NSF-funded program of Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeships (IGERT) at the University. She discussed the history of careers in indoor air quality, the development of ARB’s program, and career opportunities today. The ability to make a difference in the field and to positively affect indoor air and public health were highlighted.

· Talk to Long Beach Pulmonary Group. Jim Behrmann presented an overview of indoor air quality problems and their related health impacts to the August 23 meeting of “Inspirations,” a pulmonary rehabilitation support group sponsored by the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. The talk covered how indoor air quality can affect their health, examples of indoor sources and how to reduce or prevent emissions, and finally a discussion about indoor air cleaners, and specifically about intentional ozone generators. Ownership and usage of air cleaners was higher among attendees as compared to the ARB survey conducted in 2006, but only one had an intentional ozone generator. Contact: Jim Behrmann, jbehrman@arb.ca.gov

· 2007 Workshop for State Indoor Air Quality Program Managers. At a national workshop for indoor air quality program officials held in Washington, DC, October 12-13, 2007, Peggy gave a presentation on ARB’s new composite wood and indoor air cleaner regulations and led a session on emerging issues in indoor air quality (IAQ). The workshop was the seventh such workshop sponsored by U.S. EPA’s Indoor Environments Division and organized by the Environmental Law Institute since 1998.

As in the past, the 2007 workshop served as a forum for health and environmental officials from federal, state and local governments to discuss current IAQ issues and share strategies for developing effective programs in this area. Primary areas addressed by IAQ programs continue to be mold/moisture problems, IAQ in schools, and, increasingly, public inquiries relating to residential rental properties.

The years 2006 and 2007 saw the development of new state policy approaches, including ARB’s two new regulations governing formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products and ozone emissions from air cleaning devices, and New Jersey’s law requiring that child care centers and educational facilities meet IAQ standards if they are sited in certain locations.

State programs of interest included a demonstration project by Minnesota’s Asthma Program involving 64 families that included home visits and intervention materials, which showed statistically significant declines in unscheduled medical office visits, use of oral prednisone, and number of school days missed; costs averages $468 per family, but were estimated to save $1960 per child in medical and related costs. Similar results were found in a study conducted by the Seattle-King County Health Department in the state of Washington among 274 low income households, even after just a single visit with limited resources allocated to the intervention. Other states reported successful “green cleaning” programs. Vermont developed a green cleaning program for its schools, and New York enacted a law requiring the state to develop – and schools to use – guidelines on the purchase and use of environmentally-sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in schools. New York also has helped sponsor the revision of the Green Seal GS-37 standard for cleaning products, which is currently out for public review.

Participants also discussed a number of emerging issues that may seriously impact the indoor environment, including:

o Global climate (energy efficiency fall-out)

o Nanotechnology (changes in products)

o Green chemistry (reaction products)

o Multi-family dwellings, rentals, condos (ETS, mold, etc.)

o FEMA trailers and formaldehyde (re-use and re-sale)

o Mercury (thermometers, light bulbs)

o Rubber pellet surfaces/tire-derived flooring (indoor emissions)

o Carbon monoxide from indoor appliances (need for policies, education) and CO alarms (need alarms for more products; labeling re: longevity of sensors)

o Green buildings (need for adequate maintenance and operation)

o Asbestos in vermiculite insulation (adequacy of best practices)

o Antimicrobials in materials and furnishings

o Indoor chlorine (and ozone) from water purification in spas, indoor pools, etc.

o Safe return criteria for residences after nearby fire or toxic chemical (methamphetamine) releases

o Semi-volatiles (phthalates, PBDEs, etc.)

o Mechanical ventilation in new homes (need for appropriate maintenance & instruction)

Contact: Peggy Jenkins, mjenkins@arb.ca.gov

California Department of Education / School Facility and Planning Division

– Michael O’Neil (MOneill@cde.ca.gov) http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/

Check their web site (above).

California Department of Public Health / Environmental Health Investigations Branch http://www.cdph.ca.gov/ehib/

http://ww.californiabreathing.org.

– Sandra McNeel (Sandy.McNeel@cdph.ca.gov)

The Burden of Asthma in California. California Breathing (CB) has released a comprehensive data source book on asthma entitled, The Burden of Asthma in California: A Surveillance Report. This report presents a comprehensive picture of the burden of asthma in the state and is the first major compilation of all available asthma surveillance data in a single source. It serves to provide a framework for asthma education, interventions, and policy in California. The report provides asthma rates by ethnicity, age, and county, and demonstrates how California compares to national goals. It also presents data on quality of life factors associated with asthma, the impact of asthma on school children, asthma in the workplace, and the presence of asthma risk factors including obesity and exposure to tobacco smoke.

Key Findings in The Burden of Asthma in California: A Surveillance Report:

· Blacks have the most striking disparities in asthma. They are two to three times more likely than whites to visit the emergency department for asthma, to be hospitalized for asthma, and to die from asthma.

· The rate of asthma hospitalizations is three times higher in areas where the median income is less then $20,000 compared to where it is greater than $50,000.

· Charges for asthma hospitalizations in 2005 alone totaled $763 million.

· In 2004, there were about 450 deaths due to asthma.

To view the report, use this link- http://tinyurl.com/2cpcpz (or visit the CB website).

Strategic Plan for Asthma in California (SPAC) Implementation Grants. Several grantees have been funded to work on IAQ-related activities:

· SF Department of the Environment: Funded to do assessment of toxic chemicals found in drugstores near housing development; working with CBO on train-the trainer program targeting residents in a public housing development in Bay View Hunter’s Point; education will focus on toxic-free home cleaning methods.

· EarthTeam: Funded to implement Something’s in the Air curriculum in 15 schools; curriculum educates students on connection between air quality and health; students also assess their school’s indoor air quality and post findings on website.

For additional information on these or other California Breathing activities, please contact Sara Hicks, CB Director (sara.hicks@cdph.ca.gov).

Asthma and Housing. CB has initiated a new housing component to its program. The buildings and circumstances in which people with asthma live can present serious health challenges. This is especially true in multi-unit rental housing, with the most dramatic consequences frequently occurring in low income areas with a larger amount of substandard housing. While residents may have some control over the level of exposure to certain asthma triggers in their home (i.e: dust mites and pet dander), other issues can be more systemic, expensive to repair and outside the scope of the individual resident’s responsibility (i.e.: building-wide pest infestation, moisture intrusion, mold, poor heating and ventilation). CB’s first priority for housing is to implement a Strategic Implementation Grant (SIG) focused on housing and asthma. CB is requesting proposals aimed at reducing the impact of home-based asthma triggers in multi-unit rental housing. The program is especially focused on approaches that build or reinforce effective alliances among a variety of local stakeholders. These stakeholder groups include representation from the health care, housing rights, property management and code enforcement arenas. In this first round of funding California Breathing will be awarding four grants of up to $10,000 each. CB plans to increase the number and amount of awards for future grant cycles. Technical assistance, training, and statewide strategy sessions will also be part of the grant package for this program. Contact: Janet Tobacman, Janet.Tobacman@cdph.ca.gov

California Environmental Contaminant Biomonitoring Program. In September 2006 Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 1379 and establishing the CECBP, also called the California Biomonitoring Program. See www.oehha.ca.gov/multimedia/biomon/index.html

When fully implemented, the Program will collect and analyze human biological specimens, such as blood and urine, from a sample of California’s population every two years. Some of these specimens will be stored for future research. Results from this program will summarize the concentrations of some environmental chemicals in Californians’ bodies, and the extent to which there are differences related to age, gender, race, ethnicity, geographical area, and economic status. Findings from the program will also be used to:

· Determine baseline levels of environmental chemicals in Californians’ blood and other biological samples; that is, levels representative of California’s general population;

· Establish trends in the levels of these chemicals in people over time; and

· Assess the effectiveness of public health efforts and regulatory programs to reduce Californians’ exposures to specific chemicals.

The Program is a collaborative effort of three State government departments:

· California Department Public Health (the lead department for the program),

· Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and

· Department of Toxic Substances Control.

In addition to the website, a listserv have been established to disseminate current information about the program; sign up at www.oehha.ca.gov/multimedia/biomon/index.html, under the “More Resources” section. Contact: Sandy McNeel, sandy.mcneel@cdph.ca.gov

California Department of Public Health / Indoor Air Quality Section

– Toni Stein (Toni.Stein @cdph.ca.gov)

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

AGENCY REPORTS ON CURRENT IAQ ACTIVITIES

CONTACT FOR CIWG-IAQ: Dr. Jed Waldman, Chair

California Department of Public Health - Indoor Air Quality Program,

Phone: 510-620-2864; fax: 916-440-5855; e-mail: Jed.Waldman@cdph.ca.govGENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

2007 IAQ Bills in California Legislature

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

American Lung Association of California http://www.californialung.org/

Bay Area Air Quality Management District http://www.baaqmd.gov/

California Department of Education / School Facility and Planning Division

California Department of Public Health / Indoor Air Quality Section

Phone: 510-620-2864; fax: 916-440-5855; e-mail: Jed.Waldman@cdph.ca.gov
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS