AirqualityrptRegion4 Apr 2010

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INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SURVEY

Civil Service Employees Association

Region 4 Office

1 Lear Jet Lane

Latham, NY 12110

Report for:

Kathy Cahalan, CSEA Director of Human Resources

Christine Frankovic, CSEA UUE-NY

Prepared by:

John Van Raalte, MS, CIH

Director of Industrial Hygiene Services

Survey Date:

March 23, 2010

Report Date:

April 14, 2010

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SURVEY


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CSEA Region 4, Latham NY Page 2

March 23, 2010

CSEA Region 4

1 Lear Jet Lane

Latham NY 12110

CONTENTS

1. Summary/Recommendations............................................................Page 2

2. Background........................................................................................Page 10

3. Observations...................................................................................Page 104. Discussion........................................................................................Page 10

Table 1, IAQ Meter results................................................................Page 14

5. References.......................................................................................Page 15

Inspection date: 3/23/10

Report date: 4/14/10

Participants: Christine Frankovic, CSEA UUE; Diane Sheldon, CSEA Region 4 OfficeManager; Barbara Collen, CSEA; Tim Stevens Jr, The Beltrone Group; Dave Stevens,

Beltrone; Peter Gerkman Jr, Tougher Industries, Service Manager; John Van Raalte,

Director of Industrial Hygiene Services, OEHC, CIH certificate #5067 expiring 6/13.

1. SUMMARY/RECOMMENDATIONS

CSEA and the house staff union jointly hired John Van Raalte, CIH, of the Occupational and

Environmental Health Center of Eastern New York (OEHC) to survey indoor environmental

quality in the CSEA Region 4 Office in Latham, NY. This was a general survey of the site, there

had been few specific concerns, except for one location in the field office and one in the HealthBenefits area.

This survey was carried out with a walk-around inspection of areas of concern, discussions with

affected employees, and monitoring with a portable four-channel indoor air quality meter, which

measures temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. See Table 1 for

IAQ results, which indicated adequate ventilation on the day of the survey, and no carbon

monoxide, a toxic product of combustion.


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Occupants in two office spaces voiced health concerns. On the field office (north) side, a

wet ceiling tile was noted, the source of the small leak was presumed to be condensation ora seal in the roof above. This leak must be repaired and the damp ceiling tile replaced. In

addition, this office was more dusty than others, and also had more clutter. A deep

cleaning, involving the moving and HEPA vacuuming of all contents in the room, will help

reduce dust levels in the space. Normal dust contains numerous allergenic constituents

such as dust mite allergen, pollen, fungal spores, and others. Benefits of the personal

HEPA air cleaner may be increased by insuring the filtered (exhaust) air is directed

towards the breathing zone. Normal mechanical air ventilation will otherwise overwhelm

any benefits these smaller personal units can provide.

On the Health Benefits side of the floor, employee had sporadic symptoms including cough

and wheezing which apparently went away relatively quickly. Causes for these types ofsick building syndrome symptoms can be very difficult to pinpoint. These symptoms can be

allergic or irritant in nature, and both can be caused by numerous airborne contaminants.

In general, good ventilation, good filtration of the air, good custodial care, and preventing

leaks should protect air quality. There was not likely a chemical source for this concern,

given the lack of chemical use on the Health Benefits side. The private office space used by

this employee was quite clean, but HEPA vacuuming rather than regular vacuuming will

help remove finer, more health related particles which accumulate naturally in interior

spaces. A personal HEPA air cleaner may also help in removing fine particulate from the

office air.

1. VentilationVentilation levels and HVAC maintenance appeared good and outdoor air ventilation

levels indicated proper operation of the system.

Carbon dioxide levels monitored in the office indicated good fresh air ventilation and with the

exception of the copier room, there was no significant source of air contaminants due to

chemicals. Occupants voiced no odor complaints and no odors were noted. Low occupancy in

general and good custodial care helps to prevent air contamination.

2. Custodial care and maintenanceCustodial care was very good and the offices are clean and in good condition. One small


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moisture leak in an office where there were symptoms reported should be fixed as soon as

possible.

In most areas of the building, cleanliness levels were very good, and dust and dirt were not a

problem. Stairwells and hallways were clean, and the occupied spaces, floors, ceilings, and

ventilation grilles and diffusers were all clean. No water damage was noted with the exception

above and the roof and exterior walls and windows were in good condition. There were no odors

noted, and no significant use of chemical products, except for the copying supplies for the Canon

7200 unit.

3. Response to health concerns

Employees should always consult licensed medical providers for diagnosis and treatment of

occupational health concerns.

In most cases, family physicians will not be expert in the symptoms and effects of industrial and

environmental chemicals. Pulmonologists and ear, nose, throat physicians, allergists, and

occupational and environmental physicians may all have a role in diagnosing and treating typical

indoor environmental symptoms, not all of which may be due to the occupational environment.

For instance, employees very allergic to cat dander may not have cats at home, but co- workers

with cats may inevitably expose the workers to these allergens, even though they are at very low

levels in the typical office building. Finding the cause of symptoms, especially in the case of

allergens, can be especially helpful. In some cases though, such as sinus infections, there is no

well understood cause for the problem. Keeping the building clean, dry, and well ventilated will

almost always prevent sick building syndrome symptoms.

4. Temperature and Relative humidityNo problems were noted in the Regional Office and there were no concerns about comfort

due to temperature and humidity.

2. BACKGROUND

The CSEA Regional Office is located on the 2nd

floor of a suburban commercial structure owned

by CSEA. It was built in 1993, but is managed by The Beltrone Group and Tougher Industries isthe HVAC contractor. The Regional office is on the 2

ndfloor and contains approximately 30,000

square feet, and 45 employees. The 1st floor is leased space. There are several major roads

nearby but no significant industrial pollution sources in the area. The occupants are entirely

office workers in cubicle and small private office arrangements. There are 8 roof mounted

Carrier Weathermaker air handling units with economizer settings of up to 100% fresh air intake,

and a minimum of 10% fresh air intake, with 50 separate heating and cooling zones. Heat is

supplied by natural gas/hot air, and filters are serviced quarterly, and are 50% efficient.


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Condensers are cleaned once a year.

3. OBSERVATIONS

The roof was surveyed for water problems, cleanliness, and the location and condition of

ventilating units. The roof was clean and no problems were noted. Apparently at least one of the

air handling units has been replaced due to age.

Bathrooms and hallways were in good condition and did not have strong odors from custodial

products.

Reports of indoor air parameters at specific locations are in Table 1. Other specific observations

and concerns reported are as follows:

Regional office-

Library- clean, has continuous fan operation

Lunch room- microwave and stove, no odor complaints, no concerns

Back hallway, stairwell- clean, well lit, well ventilated

Regional Director office- Carpeted, clean, no one in office

Hallway- north side- well ventilated at low occupancy, clean

Other offices- Clean, neat, well ventilated

Copier room- slight odor, warmer, but no complaints, spacious, no employees assigned to area

Reception- most occupants in office, but well ventilated, clean, spacious

Health Benefits Area-

All offices visibly clean, well ventilated, no odors. Very low occupancy. Only area of concern

discussed above. 1 overwatered plant in area with water damage underneath- likely source of

microbiological growth


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4. DISCUSSIONFindings and recommendations are listed above. In general, the building and the HVAC system

are in good condition. There were few concerns and both ventilation and cleanliness were good.

In the one room where there was a ventilation concern, a deep cleaning, including the plenum

space, may reduce dust levels and help reduce symptoms. One water damaged area noted was

due to overwatering of indoor plants, this source of microbiological growth can be controlled

with larger saucers and care when watering.

Carbon dioxide as an indicator of building air quality

Carbon dioxide (CO2) may be used as a marker of fresh air supplied to occupied spaces, becauseit is generated by people and easily measured at low levels. CO2 itself is not toxic at the levels of

concern in indoor air, but if it is building up, thousands of other indoor air chemicals generated

by people, furnishings, office equipment, art supplies, maintenance products, etc. may also be

building up. These chemicals include solvents such as alcohols and styrene, toluene, and

benzene, formaldehyde, sulfides, and dust particles. A lack of adequate ventilation as reflected

by carbon dioxide results would also exacerbate bioaerosol levels, since dilution ventilation will

help to reduce the levels of suspended fine particles such as fungal spores and bacteria. High

levels may also indicate adequate ventilation, but poor air distribution in the space. As a

guideline, with full occupancy at steady state, CO2 levels should not exceed 700 parts per

million (ppm) plus outdoors ppm level. This level is typically about 1100 parts per million.

Insuring an adequate air supply of 20 cubic feet per minute per person occupying the space willgenerally insure that CO2 levels will remain below this amount, if the air is properly distributed.

20 cubic feet of air per person per minute is the ANSI/ASHRAE 62-2007 standard for office

ventilation. Ideally, CO2 levels should be as close to outdoor levels as possible. This was in fact

the case in the building, where no readings were above 760 ppm, and most were well below this

level.

Temperature control.

Temperature control was not a concern mentioned during the survey. Good quality thermometers

should be used to log the temperature where there are concerns. The thermometer must be read

correctly if analog (exactly perpendicular to the top of the indicator column) and it must be givenenough time (20-30 minutes) to stabilize at room temperature. Temperatures should be logged,

and if outside the range recommended by the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and

Air-Conditioning Engineers standard ANSI/ASHRAE 55-2004, Thermal Environmental

Conditions for Human Occupancy, the thermostat can be reset or other changes attempted. The

recommended range of temperature during the heating season is 68-74 degrees F., and 73-78

degrees F. during the summer. Clothing should be appropriate for the season. If the standard is

followed, 80% of occupants will be satisfied. Temperature control is more difficult in spring and


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fall when colder night temperatures may be followed by warm daytime temperatures, since the

control systems have significant time lag before being able to deliver cooler or warmer

conditions.

Relative Humidity

Relative humidity is important for several reasons. Expressed in percent, it will vary

dramatically relative to the temperature. The levels will always track outdoor conditions unless

equipment is used to change humidity levels. This is the case in offices, homes, vehicles, and

outdoors. To prevent fungal growth, relative humidity should be kept below 60-70%. This is

generally a problem in the summer; only dehumidifiers or air conditioning can remove humidity

from the air. In winter, relative humidity can be high if the building temperature is reduced

dramatically, such as during vacations when energy is saved. This can permit fungal growth and

odors after vacations and weekends. High humidity was not a problem in the building and nofungal growth was noted.

Low indoor humidity during winter conditions would be expected due to the heating of cooler,

drier outdoor air. In the winter, relative humidity remains low, in the range of 20-30%, or very

low, on the order of 10%, if the air is very clear and cold. Humidity levels below 30% can cause

several symptoms in sensitive persons, including nasal irritation, eye irritation, and sinus

symptoms, skin symptoms such as rashes and itching, and irritated throats and voices. Infections

can occur if skin in the respiratory tract is compromised and irritated. Nosebleeds can also

happen.

TABLE 1.Carbon dioxide measurements, March 23, 2010.

Readings taken with a TSI Model 8551 nondispersive infrared direct reading carbon dioxide

meter. Serial #51706. No carbon monoxide was detected indoors.


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Location Carbon Dioxide

level, parts per

million

Temperature,

degrees F.

Relative

Humidity, %

Comments

Outside

background,

parking lot

390 42 66 10:45AM

Lunch room 730 9AM

Library 470 67 37 No occupants

Hallway, north

side

490 Low occupancy

in area

Charles B office 760 71.6 33 4 visitors, door

open

Copier area 533 73 30 No odors

Reception 600 73 30 9 people in area2nd floor foyer 550 74 29

Health Benefits,

hallway entry

740 73 30 South side,

10AM

HB- Tim 730 74 29

HB- Liz 595 74 29

cc: OEHC files, CSEA Region 4 IEQ 2010

5. REFERENCES

1. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62-2007, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, American

Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc., Atlanta, GA, 2007.


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2. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2004, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human

Occupancy, ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA, 2004.

3. Building Air Quality, A guide for building owners and facility managers, U.S. EPA,

NIOSH Publication No. 91-114, 1991.

4. Office Equipment: Design Indoor Air Emissions, and Pollution Prevention Opportunities,

Robert Hetes and Mary Moore, Research Triangle Institute, March 1995, EPA.

5. Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, U. S. EPA, March 2001, available

in full text on the web at www.epa.gov.

AirqualityrptRegion4 Apr 2010

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