United States
                    Environmental Protection
                    Agency
Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
                    Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-93/198   January 1994
&EPA      Project Summary

                    Proceedings:  EPA/AEERL's
                    Indoor Air Quality/Pollution
                    Prevention Workshop
                   Chris Sarsony
                     U.S. EPA/AEERL's Indoor Air Branch
                   is researching the application of pollu-
                   tion prevention  (P2) techniques in or-
                   der to eliminate and/or reduce sources
                   of indoor air pollution. AEERL's indoor
                   air/pollution prevention research is fo-
                   cused on the development of low emit-
                   ting materials (LEMs). A LEM is a ma-
                   terial which, when used in the same
                   manner and in the same space as an
                   alternative material, has reduced emis-
                   sions.
                     To assist AEERL in prioritizing po-
                   tential areas of research for applying
                   P2 to indoor air quality (IAQ), a work-
                   shop was held March 9 and 10,1993, in
                   Raleigh,  NC, to  bring  together techni-
                   cal experts in the fields of IAQ, P2, and
                   selected  industries.  The workshop
                   goals  were to identify major IAQ is-
                   sues and their P2 opportunities, and to
                   suggest  research strategies for IAQ/
                   P2.  The  proceedings summarize the
                   findings of the workshop.
                     This Project Summary was developed
                   by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering
                   Research Laboratory, Research  Tri-
                   angle Park, NC,  to announce key find-
                   ings of the research project that is fully
                   documented in a separate report of the
                   same title (see Project Report ordering
                   information at back).

                   Overview
                     The  first part of the 2-day workshop
                   covered background information on IAQ,
                   P2, and AEERL's strategy to combine the
                   two. The 64 participants were then placed
                   into workgroups to focus on P2 research
                   in six topic areas:  adhesives and seal-
                   ants, building materials, consumer prod-
ucts, furniture, office equipment, and tex-
tiles.  On the second day, an ad hoc
workgroup on biocontaminants was added
because of participants' interest.
  Each workgroup was asked to address
two questions. (1) Within each topic area,
what materials/products are candidates for
IAQ/P2 research? The following selection
criteria were suggested: emissions and
usage  patterns, potential for applying P2,
and technical knowledge of the manufac-
turing process. (2) What should AEERL's
P2 research strategy be in each recom-
mended area?  The  strategies were to
focus on technical approaches to P2, not
policy or regulatory issues.
  Major themes from the workshop were:
  •  There is a desire  for EPA  to identify
    the major IAQ problems.  Many par-
    ticipants focussed  discussions on the
    relative  importance of different IAQ
    sources.
  •  Linking IAQ and P2 was much  more
    difficult  for participants  than  antici-
    pated.  More specific examples ap-
    plying P2 to IAQ would be  helpful in
    making this link.
  •  The workgroups consistently identi-
    fied a need for more emissions test-
    ing, methods development, modelling,
    consumer education, and source rank-
    ing.
  •  The issue of proprietary information
    must  be considered in developing a
    P2 research strategy.
  •  Participants felt that research directed
    at  preventing biocontaminant growth
    is important.
                                                                   Printed on Recycled Paper

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                    United States
                    Environmental Protection
                    Agency
Air and Energy Engineering
Research  Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
                    Research and Development
EPA/600/SR-93/198   January 1994
&EPA      Project Summary

                    Proceedings:  EPA/AEERL's
                    Indoor Air Quality/Pollution
                    Prevention Workshop
                   Chris Sarsony
                     U.S. EPA/AEERL's Indoor Air Branch
                   is researching the application of pollu-
                   tion prevention  (P2) techniques in or-
                   der to eliminate and/or reduce sources
                   of indoor air pollution. AEERL's indoor
                   air/pollution prevention research is fo-
                   cused on the development of low emit-
                   ting materials (LEMs). A LEM is a ma-
                   terial which, when used in the same
                   manner and in the same space as an
                   alternative material, has reduced emis-
                   sions.
                     To assist AEERL in prioritizing po-
                   tential areas of research for applying
                   P2 to indoor air quality (IAQ), a work-
                   shop was held March 9 and 10,1993, in
                   Raleigh,  NC, to  bring  together techni-
                   cal experts in the fields of IAQ, P2, and
                   selected industries.  The workshop
                   goals  were to identify major IAQ is-
                   sues and their P2 opportunities, and to
                   suggest  research strategies for IAQ/
                   P2.  The  proceedings summarize the
                   findings of the workshop.
                     This Project Summary was developed
                   by EPA's Air and Energy Engineering
                   Research Laboratory, Research  Tri-
                   angle Park, NC,  to announce key find-
                   ings of the research project that is fully
                   documented in a separate report of the
                   same title (see Project Report ordering
                   information at back).

                   Overview
                     The  first part of the 2-day workshop
                   covered background information on IAQ,
                   P2, and AEERL's strategy to combine the
                   two. The 64 participants were then placed
                   into workgroups to focus on P2 research
                   in six topic  areas:  adhesives and seal-
                   ants, building materials, consumer prod-
ucts, furniture, office equipment, and tex-
tiles.  On the second day, an ad hoc
workgroup on biocontaminants was added
because of participants' interest.
  Each workgroup was asked to address
two questions. (1) Within each topic area,
what materials/products are candidates for
IAQ/P2 research? The following selection
criteria were suggested: emissions and
usage  patterns, potential for applying P2,
and technical knowledge of the manufac-
turing process. (2) What should AEERL's
P2 research strategy be in each recom-
mended area?  The  strategies were to
focus on technical approaches to P2, not
policy or regulatory issues.
  Major themes from the workshop were:
  •  There is a desire  for EPA  to identify
    the major IAQ problems. Many par-
    ticipants focussed  discussions on the
    relative  importance of different IAQ
    sources.
  •  Linking IAQ and P2 was much  more
    difficult  for participants than  antici-
    pated.  More specific examples ap-
    plying P2 to IAQ would be  helpful in
    making this link.
  •  The workgroups consistently identi-
    fied a need for more emissions test-
    ing, methods development, modelling,
    consumer education, and source rank-
    ing.

  •  The issue of proprietary information
    must  be considered in developing a
    P2 research strategy.
  •  Participants felt that research directed
    at  preventing biocontaminant growth
    is important.
                                                                   Printed on Recycled Paper

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