«>EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Offi0 of Air and
Radiation
(ANR-445)
Office of Research and
Development
(RD-6721
August 1989
EPA/400/1-89/001 B
Report to Congress on
Indoor Air Quality
Volume I:
Federal Programs
Addressing Indoor
Air Quality
Issued under Section 403(e), Title IV of the Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA)
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Report to Congress
on
Indoor Air Quality
Volume I: Federal Programs Addressing
Indoor Air Quality
Issued Under
Section 403(e), Title IV
of the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization
Act (SARA) of 1986
Prepared By:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Indoor Air Division
Office of Atmospheric and Indoor Air Programs
Office of Air and Radiation
and
Office of Research and Development
Washington, DC 20460
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
VOLUME I: FEDERAL PROGRAMS ADDRESSING INDOOR AIR QUALITY
I . Introduction
A. Purpose 1
B. Organization 1
C. Background 1
II. EPA Indoor Air Activities
A. Policy and Program Development Activities under Title IV. . 3
1. Policy Development
2. Information Dissemination
3. Coordination
B. Research and Development Activities under Title IV 16
C. EPA Regional Office Activities 22
D. Addressing Indoor Air Quality at EPA's Headquarters
Complex 22
E. Actions to Address Specific Problem Pollutants 25
1. Radon 25
2 . Asbestos 37
3. Environmental Tobacco Smoke 42
4 . Formaldehyde 44
5. Chlorinated Solvents 45
6 . Pesticides 46
III. Activities Conducted by other Federal Agencies
A. Consumer Product Safety Commission 48
B. Department of Energy 53
C. Department of Health and Human Services 61
D. General Services Administration 68
E. Tennessee Valley Authority 69
F. Occupational Safety and Health Administration 73
G. Department of Transportation 74
Appendix
VOLUME II: ASSESSMENT AND CONTROL OF INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
I . Assessing the Health and Economic Impacts of Indoor Air
Pollution
Chapter 1. Building Systems & Factors Affecting
Indoor Air Quality 1-1
Chapter 2. Significant Pollutants, Sources, and
Health Effects 2-1
Chapter 3. Measuring and Modeling Indoor Air Pollution 3-1
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Chapter 4. Health Impacts 4-1
Chapter 5. Economic Impacts of Indoor Air Pollution 5-1
II. Controlling Indoor Air Pollution
Chapter 6. Methods and Strategies of Control 6-1
Chapter 7. Existing Indoor Air Quality Standards 7-1
Chapter 8. Federal Authorities Applicable to Indoor Air
Quality 8-1
Chapter 9. Indoor Air Pollution Control Programs 9-1
Chapter 10 . Indoor Air Quality Policy Issues 10-1
VOLUME III: INDOOR AIR POLLUTION RESEARCH NEEDS STATEMENT
I . Overview of Indoor Air Pollution Research Needs
A. Purpose of the Indoor Air Research Program 1
B. The Indoor Air Research Setting 2
C. Radon 4
D . Summary of Research Needs 5
II. Research Needs
A. Risk Assessment 11
B. Exposure Assessment and Modeling Needs 15
C. Source-Specific Needs 18
D. Control Techniques 35
E. Building System Needs 38
F . Crosscutting Research 40
G. Technology Transfer 41
III. Additional Reading 43
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VOLUME I: FEDERAL PROGRAMS ADDRESSING INDOOR AIR QUALITY
I. INTRODUCTION
A. PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to fulfill the retirement of Section
403 (e) of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) that
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submit a report to Congress within
two years of enactment describing the activities carried out under Title IV
and making appropriate recommendations.
B. ORGANIZATION
The Report consists of several components. This component, Volume I,
is a description of the activities which have been conducted by various EPA
offices within the past two years to address indoor air quality issues as well
as similar descriptions from other Federal agencies. This material reflects
both those activities explictly mandated by Title IV as well as ongoing
activities which impact indoor air quality. Volume II of the report
describes the current situation with respect to assessment and control of
indoor air pollution in the United States, including information pertaining to
the risks of indoor air pollution, the economic impacts of indoor air
pollution control methods, a description of current legislative authorities
that can be brought to bear on the problem, and State and local government and
private sector programs addressing various facets of the indoor air issue.
The volume concludes with a discussion of the policy issues to consider in
fashioning a comprehensive Federal response to indoor air quality.
Volume III reflects interagency perceptions of the near and long term
research needs which exist to better characterize the range of indoor air
quality concerns and identify technologically sound mitigation strategies.
C. BACKGROUND
In 1970, when the Clean Air Act was passed to address the problems of
urbanization, industrial development and the increasing use of automobiles,
the Act was interpreted as applying only to the air external to structures.
As a result, most Federal programs concerned with reducing exposure in
enclosed spaces (for example, residences, public or commercial buildings, or
transportation vehicles) have singled out only a handful of individual
pollutants for action or control under various Federal statutes. To date, no
comprehensive legislation to address many of the issues raised by indoor air
pollution has been enacted.
In the early 70's, formaldehyde was identified by the Consumer Product
Safety Commission as the source of acute irritant reactions and a cancer
hazard in individuals whose homes were insulated with urea-formaldehyde foam
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insulation (UFFI) or constructed of large amounts of particleboard and/or
plywood. Programs to address another major indoor air pollutant -- asbestos
have been in operation for some time and two major laws have been enacted by
Congress to provide loans and grants to schools with severe asbestos hazards
and financial need, and to provide a regulatory framework for asbestos control
in schools. To date, the primary focus of the asbestos program has been in
schools, because the respiratory systems of young children are particularly
vulnerable, because of the common use of asbestos materials in schools, and
because the long anticipated lives of the student population may provide the
20-40 year latency period in which asbestos-related diseases develop. In the
late 1970's and early 1980's, concern over naturally occurring radon began to
rise and in 1984, when extremely high levels of radon were found in homes in
the Reading Prong geological formation in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New
York, radon became a major indoor air pollution program.
In the early 1980's, however, research by EPA and others began to
demonstrate that for many pollutants, indoor levels were often higher than
outdoor levels and that coupled with the extremely high percentage of time
spent indoors (approximately 90% for most people), gave rise to increased
concern that indoor air pollution may pose higher risks to the population than
previously thought.
In 1984, Congress began appropriating approximately $2 million a year
for EPA to conduct indoor air research. However, considerable debate and
uncertainty continued among the various federal agencies over the appropriate
government role in the indoor air arena.
In 1986, following years of increasing concern over the potential risks
to human health of pollutants in indoor environments, Congress enacted Title
IV of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) to establish an
effective research effort aimed at characterizing the extent of the indoor air
pollution problem and to begin to take steps to enhance the quality of the
indoor air. Title IV, the Radon Gas and Indoor Air Quality Research Act, for
the first time gave EPA clear authority to begin to address indoor air quality
problems on a more comprehensive basis. SARA Title IV directs EPA to: 1)
conduct research on all facets of the indoor air quality issue; 2) to
disseminate information on indoor air quality problems and solutions; 3) to
establish two advisory committees to assist EPA in carrying out the mandate of
Title IV; and 4) to submit two reports to Congress describing in the first
report EPA's plans for implementing Title IV and in the second report,
describing the activities carried out under Title IV and making whatever
recommendations the Agency deems appropriate.
In June 1987, EPA submitted to Congress the EPA Indoor Air Quality
Implementation Plan describing its plans for fulfilling the mandate of SARA
Title IV. In that report, EPA described two overall goals in addressing
indoor air quality problems: to adequately characterize and understand the
risks to human health which pollutants pose in indoor environments and to
reduce those risks by reducing exposure to indoor pollutants. The Agency said
that it would pursue those goals through the implementation of the following
policy objectives:
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1. The Agency will conduct research and analysis to further refine its
assessment of the nature and magnitude of the health and welfare problems
posed by individual air pollutants as well as pollutant mixtures indoors.
2. The Agency will identify and assess the full range of mitigation
strategies available to address high priority indoor air problems.
3. For identified high risk, high priority problems, the Agency will
adopt and execute appropriate mitigation strategies. These strategies may
involve one or more of the following:
-- issuing regulations (under existing regulatory authorities
(e.g.TSCA, FIFRA, Safe Drinking Water Act);
-- building State and local government and private sector capability
to address indoor air quality problems through non-regulatory
programs of information dissemination, technical assistance,
guidance, and training;
referring problems to other Federal agencies with appropriate
statutory authority (e.g. CPSC, HUD);
-requesting separate indoor air regulatory authority from Congress
if deemed necessary.
This Report to Congress describes the progress made as EPA seeks to
fulfill its obligations under Title IV of SARA.
II. EPA INDOOR AIR ACTIVITIES
As described in the June 1987 Implementation Plan, EPA has for several
years been actively involved in pursuing indoor air problems under a variety
of statutes, utilizing both regulatory and non-regulatory tools. Many
different EPA offices have played and will continue to play significant roles
as EPA continues to develop an effective indoor air quality program.
This section of the report describes EPA's efforts to develop an effective,
coordinated response to indoor air quality issues.
A. POLICY AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES UNDER TITLE IV
1. Policy Development
Indoor Air Division
In early 1986, the Office of Air and Radiation established a small
three person indoor air quality staff to begin to identify and fill the gaps
in the Agency's response to human exposures to air pollutants indoors. Since
that time, additional staff and financial resources have been allocated to
indoor air issues and in September 1988, the indoor air staff was elevated to
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Division status as part of an office-wide reorganization. The Indoor Air
Division is currently comprised of 6 full time employees whose functions are
to:
Evaluate various policy options and develop a national indoor air
quality policy and program;
Assist in setting the research agenda to ensure that research
conducted is policy-relevant;
Coordinate the indoor air quality activities of the various EPA
program offices and to stay abreast of other Federal agencies,
State, local and private sector activities addressing various
facets of the indoor air quality problem; and
Develop and disseminate information to the general public,
building owners and managers, architects, health care
professionals, state and local government agencies, industry, the
public interest community, and other interested groups.
Indoor Air Policy Forum
In September 1987, EPA and the National Council for Clean Indoor Air
(NCCIA) convened a conference designed to assist EPA in identifying and
assessing appropriate options for the Federal government in preventing and
abating indoor air pollution. The Forum was attended by over 100
representatives from industry, consumer and health groups, State and Federal
agencies, legislators and Congressional staff. The Forum addressed the
relative roles of the public and private sectors on five specific issues:
(1) sick building syndrome; (2) information and services for homeowners and
consumers; (3) ventilation and ventilation efficiency; (4) commercial and
consumer product emissions; and (5) indoor air quality standards. A brief
summary of the issues and options identified follows.
(1) Policy Options to Address the Problems of "Sick Buildings"
Indoor air quality problems caused at least in part by the way in which
buildings are designed and operated pose far more signficant problems than had
been previously recognized by various levels of government. To date most
programs have been directed toward protecting public health from the effects
of particular pollutants such as radon, asbestos, or formaldehyde. The
effects of building related indoor air quality problems may be felt by both
employees and employers. For employees, there is the increased risks of
health problems; for the employer, there is the possibility of reduced
employee productivity. While no reliable quantification of the incidence of
Sick Building Syndrome in the U.S. exists, a committee of the World Health
Organization has suggested that up to 30% of new and remodelled buildings may
experience indoor air quality problems. These problems may be caused by a
number of factors including poor building design, inadequate ventilation, or
pollutants emitted from sources inside or originating outside the building.
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Conference participants noted that some companies and individuals in the
private sector have developed considerable expertise in diagnosing and abating
indoor air quality problems in buildings. The challenge for both government
and industry, however, is to improve the tools and develop commonly-accepted
methods for undertaking these tasks. Some specific needs that were mentioned
include better occupant health survey tools, less-expensive monitoring
devices, and standardized building investigation procedures. Efforts to
improve and standardize these techniques are already underway in many places,
including private research facilities, standard-setting organizations, and
individual companies, but the task is large and needs active leadership from
the Federal government.
Less attention has been paid to preventing indoor air quality problems
before buildings are built than has been given to remediating problems after
they have occurred in existing buildings. To date attention has therefore
generally been directed at identifying design features in existing buildings
which may be the cause of indoor air problems. Forum participants noted that
while these past efforts can be helpful to architects and builders of new
buildings, a systematic method of identifying building design features that
can promote indoor air quality is needed.
Options to address "sick buildings" included the following:
Developing techniques for diagnosing and remediating "sick
building syndrome" in existing buildings.
Identifying building design features which prevent indoor air
problems from occurring in new or remodelled buildings.
Encouraging the development of programs to disseminate information
on "sick buildings" to the public.
Developing model building codes for designing buildings for
healthful indoor air quality.
Developing training programs and model accreditation programs for
contractors who do indoor air quality building investigations.
Using Federal buildings as models for developing and demonstrating
techniques that prevent and abate indoor air quality problems.
(2) Policy Options for Providing Information Concerning Indoor Air Quality
to Homeowners and Consumers
While limited to only one pollutant and focusing only on residential
development to date, EPA's information dissemination program to homeowners
concerning risks of radon and the benefits of remediation techniques was
widely viewed as evidence of the potential effectiveness of a broader indoor
air public information program. Such an information program can stand alone,
as it has in the radon case, or it can become part of a regulatory program.
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Participants identified three potential information dissemination actions,
which are to:
Establish an indoor air information clearinghouse.
Develop information to disseminate directly to the public and to
others in the public and private sector who also interact with the
public.
Increase the capacity of States to respond to public inquiries and
offer indoor air quality services.
(3) Policy Options for Improving Ventilation and Ventilation Efficiency
There was wide agreement among participants at the policy forum that
altering ventilation standards and practices should be central to the strategy
for controlling and preventing indoor air pollution. Consideration of health
should become at least equal, and perhaps paramount, to energy conservation in
setting ventilation standards. Ventilation standards could become an effective
means of controlling multiple pollutants simultaneously as well as cost
effectively.
Forum participants noted that professional standard setting
organizations such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air
Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have played a valuable role in initiating
actions to improve ventilation practices in new and existing buildings. In
addition, state and local governments have traditionally controlled building
practices through building codes. A significant aspect of any program to
improve ventilation practices would include expanded technical assistance to
these public and private sector organizations.
The federal government can provide leadership by setting an example in
its own buildings. A federal commitment to require improved standards and
practices in federally owned or leased buildings would facilitate their
adoption in the private sector.
The following options for federal action were identified:
Encouraging development of protocols for the design, operation,
and maintenance of ventilation systems.
Providing training and technical assistance for building owners
and managers on best operating procedures for ventilation systems.
Working with states to develop certification, licensing, or
competency testing procedures for building owners and managers.
Expanded research to improve ventilation methods and equipment.
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(4) Policy Options for Controlling Emissions from Commercial and Consumer
Products
Some commercial and consumer products that can cause indoor air
pollution are already subject to Federal regulation under a variety of
statutes including the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), the Federal
Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA), and other health and environmental statutes. A number of
potential Federal policy options to reduce human exposure to emissions from
commercial and consumer products were identified by Forum participants. These
included:
Developing standard methods for characterizing emissions from
commercial and consumer products and assessing their risk.
Developing voluntary or mandatory product standards for products
that pose risks to public public health.
Developing materials and methods for disseminating information to
the public about particular products.
(5) Policy Options Related to Establishment of Indoor Air Pollutant Standards
To protect outdoor air quality, EPA sets and then enforces air quality
standards that limit the level of certain pollutants in the air. Conference
participants noted that one way to construct an indoor air program is to
replicate this process for indoor air. There was some support for following
this procedure, at least for a limited number of pollutants.
Some conference participants noted, however, that there are many
differences between the problem of achieving healthful air outdoors and
indoors which would make an indoor air program that depends on setting
regulatory standards for individual pollutants both cumbersome and wasteful.
For example, except for the half dozen or so indoor air pollutants for which
there are already existing government programs, there is little information
about which of the hundreds of pollutants indoors may pose the most serious
potential health problems. A program to set and enforce standards for
individual pollutants would take years to set up and implement. Finally,
remediation techniques such as improved ventilation may provide across-the-
board relief against a whole soup of pollutants. Factoring indoor air
considerations into building design and operation practices, ventilation
standards, and state and local building codes may be a more cost-effective and
timely approach to mitigating indoor air health risks than would a pollutant-
by-pollutant regulatory program. Such an approach would need to be
complemented by regulation of specific known high risk sources and pollutants.
There was a fairly strong consensus among policy forum participants that
if indoor air quality standards were set, the government would have to
recognize the distinction between private homes and other spaces such as
offices and public areas. There was strong opposition to governmental
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regulation of activities within private homes. Even in the rare cases where
government has retired homeowners to take specific actions, such as
installing smoke detectors, action is rarely taken to enforce such statutes in
cases of noncompliance. There is a long tradition, on the other hand, of
health and safety regulation in commercial and public buildings.
Despite the drawbacks of setting up an indoor program that consisted
wholly, or in part, of regulatory indoor air quality standards, there was
general agreement that the Federal government, through EPA, could play a
useful role in informing the public and state and local government policy-
makers about the risks of various indoor air pollutants. Given the need for
information about individual pollutants, conference participants pointed out
the need for information on the health effects that individual pollutants can
cause at various concentrations. Some participants also argued that the
government should set "target" concentrations, based on health or
technological considerations, that would not be standards but would provide
goals for prevention and mitigation actions.
Thus, the two options identified were:
Setting pollutant-by-pollutant regulatory standards.
Developing guidance on health effects of individual pollutants
that the public and private sectors can use as they wish.
Report on Assessment and Control of Indoor Air Pollution
As an appendix to the June 1987 EPA Indoor Air Quality Implementation
Plan, the Office of Research and Development prepared a detailed Information
Assessment of the available knowledge about the primary sources of indoor air
pollution. This document is an important tool for understanding the current
state of scientific knowledge about indoor air pollutants and in identifying
research gaps and needs. In order to place the information on specific
sources and pollutants into context, the Indoor Air Staff initiated an effort
to develop a broader review of the indoor air issue from a policy perspective.
Volume II of this Report to Congress attempts to provide this overview of the
indoor air issue by summarizing the current state of knowledge with respect
to:
The role of building systems in determining indoor air quality;
The significant indoor air pollution sources, pollutants, and
their associated health effects;
The tools available to measure and model indoor air pollution;
The risks to health posed by major indoor air pollutants;
The economic effects of indoor air pollution;
The methods and strategies available for controlling indoor air
quality;
The existing standards available to address indoor air
quality problems;
The various federal, state, and local government and private
sector programs in place to address indoor air quality
problems; and
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A description of existing Federal legislation that can be brought
to bear on various aspects of indoor air quality.
Survey of Private Sector Diagnostic and Mitigation Services
As recognition of the indoor air pollution issue has increased in the
general public, the demand for assistance in diagnosing and mitigating indoor
air quality problems in specific residences and buildings has risen. At this
juncture, the only Federal agency with extensive experience in investigating
problem buildings is the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) of the Department of Health and Human Services. Although NIOSH has
investigated more than 550 buildings, they are unable to provide services to
the vast majority of building owners and managers and have little or no
experience in homes, schools, or other special use buildings. State and local
governments also have extremely limited capability to respond to requests for
assistance from the public. As a result, the private sector is the only
practical source of assistance for the public in most situations.
In order to begin to assess the adequacy of the private sector response
to indoor air quality problems, EPA recently undertook a survey designed to
identify the types of indoor air quality diagnostic and mitigation services
available to the public. The voluntary survey was approved by OMB and
commenced in August 1988. Through a combination of direct mail to several
thousand firms potentially involved in indoor air quality work as well as
advertisements in several key newsletters and journals, EPA hopes to develop a
comprehensive database of firms that provide these services. A report on the
survey effort analyzing the scope of private sector services is under
development.
Policy Chapter for Total Exposure Research Strategy
In 1987, a Total Exposure Research Council was formed in response to the
Science Advisory Board's recommendation that total exposure research be more
fully integrated in the agency's environmental management. The Council was
comprised of individuals across the Agency and developed a total human
exposure research strategic plan covering both short and long term research
needs. Since indoor air pollution constitutes a major element of total human
exposure to environmental contaminants, the indoor air program has actively
participated in the development of the research strategy.
2 . Information Dissemination Activities
As a non-regulatory program, the most critical element of an effective
response to indoor air quality problems is the aggressive development and
dissemination of information to appropriate audiences on the risks, prevention
and mitigation of indoor air problems. EPA's indoor air program has begun to
develop a wide range of information materials for both general audiences as
well as targeted, more technically-oriented groups. Short descriptions of the
information dissemination activities completed or underway by the Indoor Air
Division are provided below.
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Booklet for the General Public
In an effort to raise public understanding of indoor air quality risks
and risk reduction strategies, EPA, in cooperation with the Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC) developed The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air
Quality, a 32 page booklet on indoor air quality in residences. The booklet,
which is now being distributed nationwide, describes the pollutants most
commonly found in homes and suggests practical steps which the public can take
to reduce their exposure to indoor air pollutants. The booklet also briefly
describes indoor air quality problems and solutions in office settings. The
booklet's initial print run of approximately 75 thousand copies is being
distributed through a variety of channels, including a number of non-profit
organizations and trade and industry associations as well as the Consumer
Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado.
Directory of State Indoor Air Contacts
At the State level, as in the federal government, responsibility for
indoor air quality issues is divided among many different state agencies,
including air pollution control boards, health departments and state
agriculture, labor, and consumer protection agencies among others. As a
result, it is frequently difficult, if not impossible, for the public or
others to find the appropriate state contact. The Public Health Foundation
(PHF), as part of a cooperative agreement with EPA, was asked to undertake an
effort to identify the key state contacts for 16 different issues related to
indoor air quality. With the cooperation of a substantial number of
organizations and individuals, a Directory of State Indoor Air Contacts was
compiled by the PHF and published by EPA to assist the public and individuals
in federal, state, and local agencies as well as researchers and others in the
private sector.
Indoor Air Fact Sheet Series
In an effort to provide timely information to the public on issues of
particular interest, OAR initiated a series of short publications designed to
provide readers with a basic understanding of indoor air issues. To date,
four such fact sheets have been produced and distributed on the following
topics:
EPA and Indoor Air Quality
EPA's Indoor Air Quality Implementation Plan
Ventilation and Air Quality in Offices
Sick Buildings
OAR intends to continue this series and contemplates future fact sheets
on issues such as indoor air quality impacts of combustion devices, the
phenomenon of chemical sensitivity, and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
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Chart of Federal Indoor Air Quality Activities
In March 1988, EPA published a compilation of the indoor air quality
projects and activities underway across the Federal government. The
publication is called Current Federal Indoor Air Quality Activities.
Prepared with the close cooperation of several EPA offices and all of the
members of the Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ), the
publication provides a brief description of each of the projects underway in
those agencies, along with the project's status, estimated completion date and
the name and telephone number of an appropriate contact. The purpose of the
publication is to enhance coordination across the federal establishment,
reduce duplication, and provide a directory of federal indoor air quality
contacts for interested members of the general public. EPA intends to update
the publication at least yearly, and perhaps more frequently, if resources
allow.
Indoor Air Quality Training Manual
EPA's Indoor Air Quality Implementation Plan stressed the need to begin
to develop state and local government capacity to respond to indoor air
quality problems effectively. While the Directory of State Indoor Air
Contacts will help facilitate coordination across state agency lines, there is
a major need to begin to educate personnel in state and local government
agencies on the comprehensive nature of indoor air quality issues. EPA's
indoor air program has entered into an interagency agreement with the Public
Health Service (PHS) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA),
to produce a self-paced training manual on indoor air quality for state and
local personnel. The training manual will include a companion reference guide
and will be designed to introduce state and local personnel to the basic
concepts of indoor air quality and begin to prepare them to respond to
requests for assistance from the public. The introductory course should be
available for distribution in late FY 1989.
Manual on Prevention of Indoor Air Problems in Commercial and
Public Buildings
Indoor air quality problems in private residences can often be
ameliorated by the actions and choices of the occupants themselves. In
contrast, people in the U.S. workforce who spend substantial portions of each
day in modern office buildings have far less control over their environments.
These environments are controlled in the pre-occupancy phase by the design
engineer, architect, and interior designer who design the HVAC and other
systems that influence indoor air quality in a structure. The building owner
and/or manager plays the major role in the operation and maintenance of the
building. As a result, design professionals and building owners and managers
are the most critical influences on air quality in public and commercial
buildings. A major program is needed to educate these professionals on the
implications of various design and operational actions on indoor air quality
in terms of occupant health, comfort and productivity.
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EPA has begun work on a comprehensive technical manual on the prevention
of indoor air quality problems in commercial and public buildings. The manual
is being written by a number of indoor air quality experts, including an
architect who specializes in indoor air quality issues, a representative of a
private sector firm that provides indoor air quality diagnostic services, and
an occupational medicine physician. The manual will undergo thorough
technical review by a variety of organizations and should be available in
1989.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke Handbook on Workplace Smoking Policies
Both the Surgeon General and the National Research Council (NRC) of the
National Academy of Science (NAS) issued reports in 1986 that concluded that
exposure of nonsmokers to the second hand smoke from burning tobacco products
was a cause of lung cancer in healthy non-smokers and increased the incidence
of respiratory illness in the children of smokers. There is a need to provide
policy-makers in both government and the private sector with an understanding
of both the technical basis for these conclusions as well as a complete
understanding of the technical and policy options available for reducing or
eliminating the exposures of non-smokers to environmental tobacco smoke in the
workplace or public settings.
EPA, in cooperation with the key smoking related agencies of the
Department of Health and Human Services, including the Surgeon General's
office, the Office of Smoking and Health (OSH), the National Cancer Institute
(NCI), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute (NHLBI) has undertaken an effort to develop a manual on the
mitigation of environmental tobacco smoke exposures. Technical material has
been prepared by approximately a dozen experts on various aspects of
environmental tobacco smoke issues. This material will be edited and
consolidated into a concise handbook for use by the public and private sectors
in making informed choices about the environmental tobacco smoke issue.
3. Coordination
SARA Title IV also mandates a comprehensive effort to coordinate the
indoor air activities of various levels of government and the private sector.
Both the Office of Research and Development (ORD), which has primary
responsibility for implementing the research provisions of SARA Title IV, and
the Indoor Air Division conduct a broad range of activities designed to
enhance coordination among the diverse government, academic, and private
sector interests involved in characterizing indoor air quality problems and
identifying and implementing solutions.
Within EPA
EPA has limited authority under several statutes to address indoor air
pollution, and several offices within EPA have indoor air related programs and
responsibilities. Programs to address specific problem pollutants such as
radon and asbestos are located in separate EPA offices as are other programs
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with responsibility for regulating toxic chemicals and pesticides, including
indoor air exposures. Some of the EPA offices, in addition to the Indoor Air
Division and the Office of Research and Development, that administer programs
with the most implications for indoor air quality include:
the Office of Radiation Programs which runs the radon action
program;
the Office of Toxic Substances which runs the asbestos program and
which regulates new and commercial substances;
the Office of Pesticide Programs which regulates pesticides; and
the Office of Drinking Water which regulates pollutants in
drinking water.
One of the responsibilities of the Indoor Air Division within the Office
of Air and Radiation is to coordinate the programs within EPA that make
policies which affect indoor air quality. The Indoor Air Division implements
this coordination function in several ways.
First, materials developed by the Indoor Air Division integrate the
multiple pollutants and programs affecting indoor air quality to reflect the
multi-pollutant and multi-dimensional nature of the problem. For example,
The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality, describes all of the major
indoor air pollutants found in homes, including radon and asbestos.
Participation in the preparation, review and clearance of materials is
requested and received from appropriate offices.
Second, indoor air staff members participate on all Agency workgroups
with indoor air exposure implications, including the Radon Management Work
Groups and the Integrated Chlorinated Solvents Work Group. This participation
led, in the case of the work on chlorinated solvents, to a study evaluating
ways for consumers to reduce their exposure to perchloroethylene from dry
cleaned clothes. The study was conducted by the Office of Research and
Development in its test chambers and test house.
Third, the Indoor Air Division seeks opportunities to add components to
ongoing indoor air projects or programs that will yield information on other
pollutants and efficiently utilize scarce resources. For example, an 8-home
study of radon mitigation techniques that was being conducted by the Office of
Research and Development was expanded at the instigation of the Indoor Air
Division to assist the Office of Pesticide Programs in obtaining some data on
whether or not radon reduction techniques are effective at reducing chlordane
levels.
Within the Federal Government
SARA Title IV Section 403 (c) charges EPA with the responsibility for
coordinating Federal indoor air activities and specifically requires EPA to
set up an advisory committee comprised of Federal agencies. The Interagency
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Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ), created by Congress in 1983, serves as
that advisory committee. When the CIAQ was established, it was given the
responsibility to: coordinate Federal indoor air quality research; provide
liaison and the exchange of information among Federal agencies, with State and
local governments, the private sector, the general public, and the research
community; and to develop Federal responses to indoor air quality issues.
In 1987, EPA and the other co-chair organizations (the Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS) undertook an effort to reevaluate the role
and function of the CIAQ and prepared options on a number of structure and
operational issues facing the interagency committee. The CIAQ approved an
operating paper entitled Structure and Operation of the Interagency Committee
on Indoor Air Quality at its January 1988 meeting.
This paper states that EPA, CPSC, DOE, and DHHS will continue to be co-
chair agencies and that EPA will take the lead in organizing the CIAQ
meetings; that membership is open to all Federal agencies; that there will be
four meetings each year; and that CIAQ decisions will be made by consensus of
all members, whenever possible, or by voting where consensus is impossible.
Between quarterly meetings, the co-chairs are empowered with decision-making
authority. Individual agencies reserve full autonomy in decisions about
participating in interagency activities and in the use of their own resources.
This paper also established a more clearly defined method for creating ad hoc
and standing work groups and for disbanding those groups when their work is
done.
Some recent CIAQ accomplishments include: 1) the preparation of the
publication, Current Federal Indoor Air Quality Activities, 2) the creation
of a radon subcommittee that now operates under its own charter; 3) the
inclusion of questions in the National Health Assessment and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES-III) that may provide important information on the
effect of some indoor air sources on health; and 4) interagency participation
in the development of the research needs document (presented as Volume III of
this Report). In addition, the CIAQ has provided a forum for presentations
about current activities by such organizations as the Electric Power Research
Institute, the Gas Research Institute, the National Institute of Building
Sciences, the Kennedy Institute (in Baltimore), and the EPA Office of
Research and Development.
In addition to working through the CIAQ, EPA works with other Federal
agencies on specific projects. For example, The Inside Story: A Guide to
Indoor Air Quality is the product of a cooperative effort between EPA and
CPSC. In addition, EPA and CPSC are now jointly planning a major kerosene
heater research study.
EPA also provides assistance to other Federal agencies with indoor air
related issues. For example, EPA staff participated on the Department of
Transportation committee overseeing an ETS airliner cabin study and commented
on GSA's proposed indoor air quality guidelines.
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Within the Scientific and Technical Communities
SARA Title IV Section 403 (c) also mandates that EPA form an advisory
committee comprised of individuals from the scientific and technical
communities, as well as other interested groups. The Indoor Air and Total
Human Exposure Panel of the EPA Science Advisory Board serves this advisory
function. The panel submitted comments to Congress in November 1988 on EPA's
1987 Indoor Air Quality Implementation Plan.
Another important set of contacts with the scientific and research
community consists of EPA participation in the work of various technical
organizations. EPA staff serve on the working committees of many
organizations, including the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the American Society for Testing
Materials (ASTM), the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), and the
Air Pollution Control Association (APCA). Frequently, they also serve on
committees that organize technical sessions, such as the annual IAQ
conferences sponsored by ASHRAE or the indoor air sessions sponsored by APCA.
Staff has also advised several committees of the National Research Council of
the National Academy of Sciences and has served on a World Health Organization
committee.
Finally, EPA staff members speak at conferences or submit papers to
journals. Over the past few years, EPA staff members have had papers accepted
in peer-reviewed journals on many topics, including environmental tobacco
smoke and methodologies for measuring human exposure to pollutants. EPA has
also been actively involved in risk assessment activities carried on outside
the Agency. For example, staff participated in a risk assessment forum
sponsored by the Harvard School of Public Health in December 1988.
ffith State and Local Governments
EPA has worked primarily with organizations that represent air pollution
control and health agencies, since these are the agencies most likely to have
or to develop broad indoor air responsibilities in state and local
governments. Materials developed under the information dissemination program
are routinely sent to selected state and local officials for review. Indoor
Air Division staff consulted with the Association of Local Air Pollution
Control Officials (ALAPCO) as it developed its indoor air policy statement.
In addition, EPA staff wrote articles on the EPA indoor air program and the
research program for a newsletter produced by the Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials.
The most important cooperative effort to date with State and local
agencies was the development of the Directory of State Indoor Air Contacts.
The Public Health Foundation, founded by the Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials, produced the directory under a cooperative
agreement with EPA. The directory is the first attempt to identify contacts
with many types of indoor air related responsibilities in a diverse number of
State and local agencies.
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Organizations representing state and local officials that assisted the
Public Health Foundation in the development of the directory include: the
State and Territorial Air Pollution Program Administrators, the Association of
Local Air Pollution Control Officials, the National Governors Association, the
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, the Conference of
Radiation Control Program Directors, the Association of American Pesticide
Control Officials, the National Conference of States on Building Codes and
Standards, the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, and the
National Association of State Energy Officials.
With the Private Sector
EPA has undertaken several efforts to involve private sector
organizations in the Agency's work on indoor air quality and to support
related activities sponsored by private sector organizations. Drafts of
publications such as the Indoor Air Fact Sheets and The Inside Story: A Guide
to Indoor Air Quality are sent to people in the private sector with expertise
for review.
Over the past three years, EPA has cosponsored three indoor air quality
conferences with the Consumer Federation of America. These conferences have
drawn together hundreds of people with widely different interests and
backgrounds. In 1987, EPA cosponsored an indoor air quality Policy Forum with
the National Council on Clean Indoor Air (see the section on Policy
Development). In 1988, EPA participated in a symposium on the health impacts
of indoor air pollution sponsored by the American Lung Association. EPA also
provides speakers to dozens of indoor air related conferences and meetings
each year.
As these brief descriptions of EPA's coordination and liaison activities
indicate, the Indoor Air Division puts a high priority on its responsibility
to maintain open communication with other organizations and to support efforts
of common interest, where appropriate opportunities and sufficient financial
resources exist.
B. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES UNDER TITLE IV
Under SARA Title IV, EPA is directed to undertake a comprehensive effort
of research and development, including the coordination of government and
private efforts, and to disseminate information to the public regarding indoor
air control techniques and mitigation measures. The primary objective of
ORD's indoor air pollution research program is to gain information in order to
reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants known to cause health risks. The
first step in achieving this goal is the identification and characterization
of the health risks in the indoor environment. Once the risks have been
evaluated, exposure reduction techniques must then be evaluated on the basis
of their practicality, cost, and effectiveness. In order to reduce indoor air
pollutant exposures that pose adverse health risks, EPA must also encourage
the active participation of the public, industry, professional associations,
and federal, state, and local governments. Technology transfer is an
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important part of the research program, and information on some health risks
is sufficient to notify the public of the risks and mitigation procedures.
1 . Research Management and Coordination
EPA's indoor air research program is a coordinated effort among the four
EPA laboratories: the Health Effects Research Laboratory, the Atmospheric
Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory, the Air and Energy Engineering
Research Laboratory, and the Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office. In
October 1986, EPA established a matrix-managed research program which
emphasizes risk assessment for indoor environments; development of indoor
pollutant sampling and analysis methodologies; indoor air quality models;
materials testing methods; research test house experiments; and investigations
of special complaint buildings. The programs current health related research
focuses on the effects on children exposed to environmental tobacco smoke;
human exposure to emissions from unvented heaters; the neurotoxic effects of
mixtures of VOC's often associated with sick building syndrome, risk
assessment methodology development, and the effects of biological contaminant
exposure.
EPA's indoor air research program supports both the policy needs of
EPA's indoor air program division and the technical needs of state and local
governments. EPA's researchers also work with other Federal agencies to
identify the most important indoor air research needs and to develop a
research strategy to address these needs. In a recent meeting sponsored by
the National Governors' Association, the following research needs were
identified:
Information on biological contaminants and their effects.
Protocols for assessment and standardized analysis.
Guidelines and standards for indoor air quality.
Assessment of carcinogenicity of pollutants found indoors.
Evaluation of risks of newly built homes and office buildings.
Evaluation of the effectiveness of building "bakeout" procedures.
Information on the maintenance of air handling systems.
Establishment of a "clearing house" for the receipt and dissemination
of information.
Assessment of the effects of environmental tobacco smoke.
Much of this work is already underway and will be the focus of EPA research in
the next few years.
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2 . Research Activities and Accomplishments to Date
Major accomplishments of EPA's indoor air research program include:
Exposure Assessment and Risk Characterization
Information and Risk Assessment
An information assessment identifying the hazards of indoor environments
was completed in 1987 and submitted to Congress as part of EPA's Indoor Air
Quality Implementation Plan. The document serves as the first step in a risk
assessment in that it provides a preliminary hazard identification of indoor
pollutants. The assessment also discusses current monitoring methods and
mitigation techniques.
A comprehensive bibliographic database for indoor air pollution has
been established by EPA at Research Triangle Park, NC. The citations of all
indoor air research publications known to EPA are published twice yearly. The
reference bibliography is an ongoing project and is intended to be a complete
list of all published information which pertains to indoor air pollution.
Health effects, monitoring methods, exposure levels, mitigation techniques,
office buildings, and specific individual pollutants are some of the key word
categories which can be searched in the bibliography. This project is useful
to federal, state, and local agencies; the private sector; and indoor air
quality researchers.
A risk assessment methodology is currently being developed to determine
the risks of common indoor air pollution scenarios, such as human exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke, radon, and the emissions of unvented heaters.
Special Reports
Special reports are currently being prepared on specific indoor air
pollution topics. One report, to be completed in the upcoming year, will
summarize the current state of knowledge on the prevalence, sources, and
effects of biological contaminants (molds, mold spores, mildew, bacteria,
viruses, and insect and animal parts and excreta) in the indoor environment.
The health effects to be studied include the pathogenicity, allergenic
potential, and toxicity of these pollutants. This report will also discuss
current sampling methods and review the research needed in this area, such as
standardized measurement protocols. The allergenic potential of these
pollutants will also be quantified so that a correlation can be made between
concentration and disease potential.
Other reports are currently being prepared which address subjects such
as odors and the stress and annoyance of odorous compounds and the health
consequences of cleaning and maintenance practices in the indoor environment.
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Source Characterization and Mitigation
Kerosene Heaters
Recent research, which builds upon previous kerosene heater work by
CPSC, has indicated the possibility of adverse health effects from exposure to
emissions, in addition to carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2>,
from kerosene and other unvented space heaters. This research has shown that
kerosene space heaters are a significant source of indoor fine particles.
Modeled emissions data from these sources indicate that indoor particle levels
may exceed outdoor standards. In addition, these emissions include high
sulfate and acidic ion concentrations. Similar concentrations have been
reported to cause pulmonary irritancy in humans. Finally, high concentrations
of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, some of which appear to be
volatilized kerosene fuel, have also been identified. Some of these are
highly mutagenic nitro-aromatic compounds. Additional research will be
conducted to verify and expand on these preliminary findings.
Small Chambers
Research devoted to characterizing emissions from materials has
developed procedures for small chamber testing of emissions from building
materials and consumer products. These studies can be used to develop
emission characteristics and to provide information on the emission rates and
composition of organic vapors over a range of environmental conditions
(temperature, humidity, and air exchange rates). In addition, this research
will enable the evaluation of different indoor air quality control strategies,
e.g., increasing ventilation rates and temperatures during unoccupied periods
to increase the off-gassing of pollutants. Materials studied to date have
included caulking, floor adhesive, moth repellant, particleboard, wood stain,
wood floor wax, polyurethane, dry cleaned fabrics, carpet, and office
partitions.
This information has been included in an indoor air source emissions
data base maintained by EPA. The data base provides information on different
indoor air pollutant sources and their emission characteristics.
Currently EPA is in the process of developing guidelines for the use of
small chamber emission testing. It is envisioned that such testing may become
a standard method for manufacturers to characterize the emissions from
different materials, thereby enabling manufacturers to develop and market
low-emitting products.
Test House
Through research in a well-characterized test house, EPA has studied
pollutant sources, sinks, and transport in field settings. The research test
house has been used to study indoor pollutant concentrations originating from
moth crystals, caulking compounds, kerosene heaters, and cleaning solvents
from dry cleaning. Future research test house experiments are planned which
will make use of the provisions of the Federal Technology Transfer Act to
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facilitate cooperation with private industry in the testing of products and
indoor air quality control strategies.
Indoor Air Pollutant Control Techniques
Indoor air pollutant control studies have examined the effectiveness of
activated carbon for the control of typical indoor concentrations of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) and the generation of ozone from various
electrostatic devices. This research indicates that activated carbon devices
are ineffective in removing VOCs. The prediction of ozone generation from a
wide range of electrostatic air cleaners is the subject of a second study.
This study is needed to provide homeowners and building managers the
information they need to compare the relative merits of different indoor air
control techniques.
Another control study underway evaluates the effectiveness of air
cleaners in the removal of indoor particles. Particles arise from many
sources and activities, including smoking, cooking, combustion appliances,
decay of building materials, and outdoor soil infiltration. Respirable
particles can have serious health consequences, including irritation and
chronic lung disease. The current study is examining the effectiveness of
filters and electrostatic air cleaners to remove small particles.
Monitoring and Models
Measurement Methods
A compendium of indoor air measurement methods has been compiled to
assist in the standardization of monitoring methods for indoor pollutants.
The methods described include techniques for measuring pollutants in both home
and office settings. Monitoring methods have been recommended for VOCs,
nicotine, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde,
particles, air exchange rates, and pesticides.
Passive samplers and personal monitoring devices have also been a focus
of EPA research. Passive samplers are used to make time-integrated
measurements of pollutant levels in different indoor environments. Passive
samplers are available for radon, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, nicotine,
and VOCs. A passive sampler for carbon monoxide is under development.
Personal monitors are usually worn by individuals as they go about their daily
activities, and are used to measure time-integrated personal exposures. EPA
research has emphasized the development of personal monitors for volatile
organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, nicotine, respirable
particles, and acid aerosols.
Semi-volatile organic compound measurement research has been initiated
to develop sampling methods and analysis techniques for these compounds
(SVOCs). These compounds are emitted from building materials and are also
products of combustion. Some of these compounds are known to be carcinogenic
and cause neurotoxic effects. In addition, a sampling method has been
developed to measure exposures of VOCs which may result from personal
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activities, such as cleaning, painting, and refinishing; combustion sources;
and automotive fuels and evaporative emissions.
Indoor Air Quality Modeling
Advances in indoor air quality models have been made through EPA
research which built upon work conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
In collaboration with DOE and CPSC, EPA has supported the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly NBS) on the development of an
advanced mathematical model to predict indoor air pollution concentrations in
large complex buildings. During FY 1989, researchers will enhance the model
so that it can be used by building professionals such as architects,
engineers, and building managers. EPA has also developed a more simplified
indoor air quality model. This model has been validated for a limited range
of conditions using the research test home. Both models can evaluate the
effects of indoor air pollutant sources, sinks, interzonal air flows, and HVAC
systems on indoor air quality, and aid in the development of effective control
strategies.
Building Studies and Special Investigations
EPA has undertaken a long-term series of studies of human exposure known
generically as the TEAM (Total Exposure Assessment Methodology) Studies. The
goal of these studies is to determine the actual exposure of people to
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticides during their normal daily
activities. The major finding from the study of VOCs was that in every city
studied (both rural and urban), personal exposures and indoor air
concentrations exceeded outdoor air concentrations for essentially all of the
15 or so prevalent organics. Although the analysis of the pesticides study
has not yet been completed, it is anticipated that one major finding will be
that exposure to many of the pesticides are mainly through the indoor
environment. Exposures to other pesticides occurs mainly through food intake.
EPA has also measured indoor pollutant concentrations in ten public
access buildings, including schools, homes for the elderly, and office
buildings. The buildings were not ones in which occupants have complained
about indoor air quality and are therefore likely to be fairly representative
of other buildings of their type. The results of this research showed that
new buildings may have levels of some VOCs that start out as much as 100 times
outdoor levels and gradually decrease to 2 to 4 times outdoor levels. Related
studies show that building materials including surface coating such as paints
and adhesives, vinyl and hard rubber moldings, carpet, and particle board emit
in large quantities the same chemicals found at elevated levels in the new
buildings. Thus it appears that building materials can cause high
concentrations of a number of organic chemicals in new buildings for a period
of months.
In addition, along with DOE, NIST, and NIOSH, EPA has initiated an
investigation of complaints of indoor air pollution in the Library of Congress
Madison building. This study will include a survey of occupants and
simultaneous measurements of both pollutant levels and ventilation rates. EPA
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will work with the other Federal agencies to characterize the indoor
environment of the Madison building and attempt to determine the causes of the
occupant complaints.
EPA researchers also responded to the immediate needs of their own
agency in the investigation of occupant complaints at the EPA Headquarters
building (Washington, DC). This support has included taking air samples,
testing the off-gassing of materials (carpeting and partitions), and reporting
on the results from these studies to EPA management and employees. As part of
this research effort, EPA researchers enhanced measurement protocols for SVOCs
(e.g., 4-phenylcyclohexene, which has been characterized as "the essence of
new carpet.")
Health Effects Research
EPA health effects research has demonstrated that cotinine, a metabolite
of nicotine, can be used as a biological marker of exposure to nicotine from
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), especially in children. A laboratory
chamber study will soon be initiated to evaluate cotinine for ETS dosimetry.
This study will provide information on the uptake and clearance of nicotine
from ETS for non-smokers of different ages, sex, and genetic background. An
estimate of the dose received from exposure to ETS can be made by measuring
nicotine and cotinine in body fluids.
Human responses to VOC mixtures are also a subject of current research.
This research is a replication and extension of a study conducted in Denmark
which demonstrated that exposures to mixtures of VOCs can produce behavioral
and sensory irritant effects, even though each individual compound is below
the known threshold for neurological effects. This study is needed to
evaluate one of the suspected causes of sick building syndrome, and to provide
state and local governments with information on the effects of VOC exposures
on health and productivity.
C. EPA REGIONAL OFFICES
The EPA regional offices have been involved in the Agency's indoor air
program. Three FTE's from the total regional office workforce have been
allocated for indoor air activities and a staff person has been designated in
each regional office to act as the indoor air contact. The responsibilities
of the regional offices are to: 1) attempt to respond to public inquiries; 2)
distribute EPA information materials; and 3) provide assistance to state and
local governments in the region. In addition, some regional offices have
undertaken special indoor air projects.
Region I has sponsored indoor air conferences in 1986 and 1988. The
purpose of both conferences was to facilitate discussion among EPA and state
officials about state and regional concerns regarding indoor air problems.
EPA headquarters staff were invited to both conferences to describe the
national indoor air program and current projects. Starting in 1989, Region I
will hold meetings on a regular basis with appropriate state agencies. The
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Regional Administrator recently sent a letter to each of the governors of the
New England states requesting that appropriate state agency representatives be
designated to participate on the workgroup. The purpose of the workgroup will
be to transfer information and to discuss major indoor air quality issues in
the region. Region I also participates in the Massachusetts Special
Legislative Commission on Indoor Air Pollution.
Region X has proposed, and headquarters intends to support, a pilot
regional indoor air program. The program will be conducted from the regional
office and will focus on information dissemination activities and on
supporting state efforts to address indoor air quality.
D . ADDRESSING INDOOR AIR QUALITY AT EPA HEADQUARTERS FACILITIES
During 1988, EPA headquarters became a case study of indoor air quality
problems in modern office buildings as it became the subject of significant
occupant complaints of inadequate ventilation and poor indoor air quality.
While non-specific complaints had been prevalent in the building for many
years, the increase in complaints coincided with a major renovation effort
being undertaken to upgrade the headquarters facility with new carpeting,
partitions, paint and other improvements to the physical environment.
Approximately six EPA employees have been advised by their physicians
not to reenter the building. Some of these employees exhibit signs of a
heightened sensitivity to the air pollutants present in the complex. A
significantly larger number of employees have complained of symptoms which
most associate with the renovation work. Other employees have expressed
concerns that pre-date the current episode and which raise the issue of long-
term problems.
The General Services Administration (GSA) has delegated authority to
manage the EPA headquarters facility at Waterside Mall Complex to the EPA
Office of Administration (OA). EPA must work in concert with the owner and
manager of the building, Town Center Management, in carrying out this
responsibility. In April 1988, OA requested assistance from the Indoor Air
Staff of the Office of Air and Radiation as well as the Office of Research and
Development. Since that time, both offices have been heavily involved in
efforts to address EPA's own indoor air quality problems and have provided
detailed advice both on appropriate steps to take and experts to consult, as
well as providing technical support through ORD's laboratory facilities. In
April, the Agency also instituted a moratorium on the installation of new
carpeting pending an investigation of the potential sources of the problem(s).
Initial air testing early in the year for 98 chemicals, many of which
were volatile organic compounds (VOCs), was undertaken by EPA's Environmental
Response Team (ERT) from Edison, New Jersey. These compounds were identified
for testing based on available information on compounds which are typically
found in indoor air. This initial round of testing found approximately thirty
compounds in the low parts per billion (ppb) range. These levels were below
thresholds which have been found to pose significant risks to health for
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individual compounds.
Subsequent to this testing, the National Federation of Federal Employees
(NFFE) brought to management's attention work conducted by a researcher at the
University of Arizona which identified a previously unknown compound, 4-
phenylcyclohexene (or 4-PC for short), as an unintentional by-product of the
reaction of 1,3, butadiene and styrene used in latex-backed carpeting. This
study had been submitted to the Office of Toxic Substances (OTS) under the OTS
Chemical Screening Program. The toxicological propoerties of 4-PC and its
potential to produce health effects have not been adequately studied. A
second and third round of chemical air testing for chemicals was conducted by
ERT and by the Office of Research and Development (ORD), this time with 4-PC
identified as a target compound, among others. Levels of 4-PC were found in
several renovated spaces. The highest reading measured was 5 ppb. At the
same time, ORD conducted emission chamber tests on both the carpeting and the
wall partitions to identify the content and rate of off-gassing from these
materials. No 4-PC or significant levels of formaldehyde or other pollutants
were found to be off-gassing from the partitions. The study also indicated
that the emission rate of 4-PC from the carpeting decreased over time. ORD
modeling results indicated, assuming an air exchange rate of one air change
per hour (ACH), room concentrations of 4-PC would be at or below about 1 ppb
after approximately 60 days after installation. These results are in general
agreement with both the monitoring data from the EPA building as well as the
Arizona study.
At the same time, EPA hired an engineer to conduct an in-depth analysis
of 6 of the approximately 40 air handling units in the complex to assess their
operating parameters and determine the amount of outside vs. recirculated air
entering the building. The ventilation engineer also looked at several
individual rooms to try to assess the effectiveness of the distribution of air
in these spaces. The evaluation determined that the air handling units are
generally meeting the lease requirements of 10% outside air. However, there
are a number of problems related to the air handling equipment (e.g., higher
than normal chiller temperatures, poorly designed supply air diffusers) as
well as our high per-office occupancy rates and increased thermal loading from
the computer equipment which adversely impact the ability of the ventilation
system to provide adequately conditioned air to all spaces all of the time.
Similar engineering analyses are to be performed on the remaining air
handlers in the complex to evaluate their effectiveness. These analyses
should be completed by spring 1989. In conjunction with this evaluation, the
outside air intake in cubic feet per minute (cfm) per occupant, a standard
unit of measure for ventilation will also be calculated. This should provide
information on whether and where there are air handling units which are
serving overcrowded spaces or where air distribution to individual spaces is
not sufficient.
EPA management also took other steps to try to improve the quality and
efficiency of the ventilation systems at the WSM complex. First, in an effort
to improve the air quality on Monday mornings, when many people complained of
stuffy and uncomfortable thermal conditions, EPA arranged with Town Center
Management for extended hours of operation of the air handling system to
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increase the intake of outside air and to condition that air. Second, the
Agency invested approximately $100,000 in hardware improvements to the
ventilation system, and an additional $300,000 in improvements have been
funded. These include raising the stacks on exhaust pipes which are too close
to air intakes, reconnecting duct work, modifying air diffusers, and
installing additional air conditioners, dehumidifiers and other needed
equipment. New and more effective air diffusers will be installed in all
future spaces which undergo renovation.
The Office of Administration provided assistance to the individuals who
have filed Workers' Compensation claims and the Agency also retained the
services of an occupational medicine specialist to provide free medical
consultations, including lab tests, for employees who are experiencing
problems which they believe to be related to the building environment.
A number of employees and union representatives requested that a health
survey be conducted of EPA employees and that a full scale epidemiology study
be conducted to study potential patterns of illness or unusual symptoms over
time. A scientifically designed survey instrument has been developed in a
joint effort by the J.B. Pierce Foundation associated with Yale University,
the National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and EPA's
Office of Research and Development. While this survey was originally designed
to be used as a pilot in a study of the Library of Congress building, the
survey instrument has been modified and the study expanded to include EPA's
headquarters complex. The questionnaire is designed to ensure strict
respondent confidentiality. Since the survey must be conducted during peak
heating or cooling seasons ("worst case" conditions) and to allow time for
needed modifications, the survey will be conducted in the Winter of 1989.
Other key decisions which have been made by management include:
Not to use in the headquarters facility any additional yardage of
the carpeting now in stock and to take steps to ensure that floor
covering materials used in future renovations do not contain 4-
phenylcyclohexene (4-PC) or any other compound that could lead to
pollutant levels that are known to pose health problems.
To leave the carpeting which has already been laid undisturbed
since levels of 4-PC have decreased to approximately 1 part per
billion (ppb) or below and to avoid increasing the levels of 4-PC
and other pollutants (e.g., dust) in the air in the removal
process.
To conduct a survey of other sources of indoor air pollution that
may be present in the complex (including biological contaminants)
and to identify source reduction strategies.
To develop a long range plan for improving and maintaining indoor
air quality at all EPA Headquarters sites. The outline for this
plan was developed by the Indoor Air Staff in OAR.
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To hire an indoor air quality oriented architect to draft a major
indoor air component to be incorporated into the technical
facility requirements for the new EPA Headquarters building.
E . ACTIONS TO ADDRESS SPECIFIC PROBLEM POLLUTANTS
1 . Indoor Radon
Following the discovery of extremely high levels of indoor radon and the
recognition of a potentially widespread threat to human health, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated a variety of activities
devoted to determining the extent of the radon problem and reducing the
potential for exposure. In 1987, the Agency prepared a status report required
under Title IV of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986.
The status report described activities of the Radon Action Program formulated
by EPA to address the issue of radon. The current report briefly summarizes
the history, content, progress, accomplishments, and future directions of
EPA's Radon Action Program and describes some of EPA's other radon-related
activities.
History of the Radon Problem
Isolated incidents of elevated indoor radon levels were reported in the
1960s and 1970s in houses built with materials contaminated with uranium mine
tailings and in several houses built on reclaimed phosphate lands. It was not
until early 1985 that naturally occurring indoor radon problems were reported.
At that time, extremely high radon levels were discovered in houses located
along a geological formation known as the Reading Prong which extends from
Pennsylvania, through New Jersey, and into New York. Numerous homes were
found with levels of radon as high as 130 times the Federal occupational
exposure standard for underground uranium miners. Of 20,000 samples taken by
the State of Pennsylvania in the Reading Prong area, more than 60% reported
levels above 4 pCi/L, the action level recommended by EPA. More than 20% were
over 20 pCi/L and some were as high as 2000 pCi/L. In terms of cancer risk,
regular exposure to 4 pCi/L is the equivalent of smoking about one half of a
pack of cigarettes a day, or enough to cause cancer in 13 to 50 of every 1000
persons exposed to that level for a lifetime; exposure to 20 pCi/L is
equivalent to smoking about one and one half packs of cigarettes per day or
enough to cause cancer in 60 to 210 of every 1000 persons exposed.
Since the findings in the Reading Prong, radon problems have been
identified in nearly every state. In 17 states surveyed under the EPA State
Survey Program, one out of every four homes tested had elevated screening
levels of radon. Available data suggest that up to 10% of the approximately
85 million homes in the United States may have radon levels reaching or
exceeding 4 pCi/L.
In 1986, EPA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRG) engaged the
National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the currently available health data
related to radon. A report summarizing this examination was published in 1988
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(NRC 1988). The results of this study confirmed EPA's risk estimates and
indicated that radon exposure presents a real and substantial lifetime risk of
fatal lung cancer at levels found in many homes. Another equally important
finding by the NAS, is that reducing radon levels in homes will reduce the
risks of fatal lung cancer associated with previous radon exposure. The
reduction in risk is analogous to the reduction in risk which is experienced
by a smoker who quits smoking.
Reducing radon levels and, thereby, the risks associated with exposure
requires identifying and remediating buildings with radon problems. Radon
problems in buildings depend upon factors such as the characteristics of the
soil on which the structures are built and on the construction features of the
buildings. Concentrations of radon may vary significantly from building to
building even in the same area. The location of individual buildings with
possible radon problems is best accomplished through programs managed at the
state and local levels. EPA, therefore, is targetting its radon efforts to
ensure that information and expert technical assistance is available to States
and homeowners to enable them to assess the risks and choose appropriate
actions for their specific situations.
Development of the Radon Action Program
In 1985, EPA established the Radon Action Program to develop and
disseminate, information and expertise related to radon and encourage the
development of State programs and private sector capabilities in these areas.
The Program is divided into 4 major elements:
1. Problem Assessment -- to determine the distribution and levels of
radon exposure and the associated health effects;
2. Mitigation and Prevention to develop methods for reducing radon
levels in existing structures and for preventing radon entry in
new construction;
3. Capability Development to develop the capacity within the
States and the private sector to diagnose and remedy radon
problems in homes; and
4. Public Information to provide information to the public
regarding the risks associated with exposure to radon and methods
for reducing those risks.
Accomplishments of the Radon Action Program
EPA initiated several activities to accomplish the objectives of the
Radon Action Program and presented these activities in detail in the Title IV
Report to Congress. The sections below briefly describe the progress and
accomplishments of the Agency since that report. Each section corresponds to
one of the four Program elements.
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Problem Assessment
EPA initiated activities in the area of Problem Assessment to gather
information regarding the extent of the radon problem. These activities
include identifying homes with high radon levels, identifying geographic areas
with high radon exposure potential, and determining human health risks
associated with radon exposure. Several specific activities are described
below.
Standardization of radon measurement methods. A number of devices are
currently available for measuring radon concentrations. In order to promote
consistency and ensure accuracy, EPA has evaluated numerous measuring devices
and has prepared standardized measurement procedures for nine different
measuring devices considered acceptable for making radon measurements.
Standardized procedures for seven of these devices were issued in 1986, along
with a document EPA prepared to provide guidance for placement of the devices
within the home. Currently, EPA is revising these procedures to include new
developments in radon measurement technology and is producing additional
standardized procedures for new measuring devices. The new procedures are
expected to be released in the near future.
National survey. In order to determine the distribution of annual
average radon concentrations and exposures in houses across the country, EPA
has undertaken a national survey of radon in residences. In this survey,
radon measuring devices will be placed in 5,000 to 7,000 randomly selected
residences throughout the U.S. and will remain in place for one year. EPA
has prepared the questionnaire to be used in the survey and has submitted an
information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget. A
pretest study will be completed in early 1989, the full survey will begin in
March 1989, and the results should be available in FY 91. In addition to the
residential survey and in accordance with SARA, EPA is planning to conduct a
survey of schools and workplaces. The development of interim guidance for
measuring radon levels in schools is nearing completion.
State surveys. Information from the national survey is useful for
determining the annual average radon concentration across the U.S. but is not
sufficiently detailed to identify particular areas of high risk within states.
Therefore, upon request, EPA is assisting states in developing their own
surveys to identify high risk areas. In the State surveys, the measurements
generally are taken for much shorter periods of time. However, some homes in
each state receive long-term detectors to help EPA determine correlations
between the two measurement techniques.
To date, EPA has assisted 17 states and the Indian Nations in EPA's
Region V in conducting statistically valid radon surveys. Results from the
first ten states surveyed were released in August 1987 and indicate that in
each state surveyed, homes were found that had radon levels exceeding 4 pCi/L.
One out of every five homes surveyed that year had elevated radon levels.
Some of the highest readings were found in states reporting the lowest overall
occurrence of radon problems. Results of the surveys from seven additional
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states and the Indian Nations were released this year. One of three homes
surveyed had elevated radon levels.
The results of these surveys confirm the need for the states to
thoroughly test their own regions because areas of high risks may exist even
in states in which the frequency of radon problems is very low. Based on
these findings, EPA and the Public Health Service have recommended that most
homes be tested. EPA will continue to aid States in the survey effort and is
assisting a new group of 8 states and Indian Nations in Regions 6, 7, and 8 in
its 1989 Survey program.
Development of geological maps indicating potential high radon risk
areas. EPA is cooperating with the United States Geologic Survey (USGS) to
develop geological maps that indicate areas of potential radon problems in
specific regions and throughout the nation. These maps are based on
geological data, modifications of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation
data, and some indoor radon measurement data. The most recent version of the
national map includes information obtained from the 10-State survey and from
some commercial measurement companies. Additionally, EPA is working with the
USGS to conduct land evaluation studies to identify more precisely those
geological features which are most useful as indicators of high radon levels.
Development of methods for predicting potential high risk areas. As a
means of determining the radon potential of a specific parcel of land, such as
a plot being considered for development, EPA is investigating new methods for
measuring soil gases as an indicator of potential radon problems.
Mitigation and Prevention
In the areas of Mitigation and Prevention, EPA is developing cost-
effective methods for reducing radon levels in existing structures and for
preventing radon entry in new construction. EPA has established programs for
transferring these new technologies to the states and the private sector. EPA
is working with the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) and nationwide
building standard and code organizations to have radon resistant construction
practices incorporated into model building codes.
Development of techniques for reducing and preventing elevated radon
levels. EPA is working closely with the states and private sector
organizations to develop and demonstrate techniques for reducing indoor radon
levels. EPA has completed demonstration projects in Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
and New York; mitigation techniques were successfully demonstrated in over 70
homes. Post-mitigation monitoring results indicate that the levels in most of
the demonstration homes were reduced by more than 90 percent. In many cases,
mitigation techniques reduced radon levels by more than 98 percent. EPA
currently is demonstrating mitigation techniques for existing homes in
Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. Future programs are being
planned for the mid-Western and Western regions of the country.
In addition to improving mitigation techniques for residences, EPA is
developing techniques that will be useful for remediating radon problems found
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in schools and other types of structures. Protocols are being developed to
aid researchers and state and private contractors in evaluating the
effectiveness of different mitigation approaches.
Transfer of mitigation technologies to the states and private sector.
EPA initiated the House Evaluation Program (HEP) to provide training to state
and private sector personnel in radon diagnosis and mitigation and to
encourage states to develop their own programs in these areas. As part of
this program, state personnel, in cooperation with EPA, evaluate houses with
known radon problems and determine the source of the problem. Once the source
of the problem is identified, the homeowner is provided with several
mitigation designs. The homeowner decides whether or not to undertake the
mitigation work, selects the contractor to do the work, and pays for the work
to be done. Through these activities, the states and the private sector
receive experience in radon diagnosis and mitigation methods. In addition,
data from the remediated houses are used to determine the effectiveness and
average cost of different mitigation procedures. Over 80 State and local
officials received training in diagnosis and mitigation design under the
traditional HEP. The program evaluated over 160 houses in Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, and through the National Park and
Indian Health Services.
In 1988, EPA offered states the option of participating in the
traditional version of the HEP or a new and expanded version of the program.
The new program offers training in not only house diagnosis and mitigation,
but also in the installation of mitigation technologies. Over the next year,
the new HEP program will offer complete diagnosic, mitigation design, and
mitigation installation training to about 70 people in each of the eight new
states.
The evaluation of the effectiveness of radon resistant features in new
construction. To reduce the risks from radon exposure, EPA has emphasized
preventing radon entry in newly constructed homes. To this end, EPA is
developing radon resistant construction features for use in new homes and has
issued interim guidance for new home builders. EPA also established the New
House Construction Evaluation Program to evaluate the effectiveness of these
and other features being adopted by homebuilders.
Cooperation with NAHB and building standard and code organizations to
incorporate radon resistant construction techniques in building codes. EPA is
working closely with the housing industry, particularly the NAHB, to encourage
home builders to include radon resistant techniques in new construction
activities. However, to ensure a permanent and wide-reaching effect, EPA is
working with the national standard and model building code organizations to
incorporate radon resistant construction techniques into national building
codes.
Capability Development
EPA operates a number of programs to train radon professionals and to
evaluate the capabilities of state and private sector companies dealing with
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radon problems. The Radon Diagnosis and Mitigation Training and the National
Radon Measurement Proficiency programs develop and evaluate radon assessment
and mitigation capabilities. During 1989, EPA will develop the Contractor
Proficiency Program to evaluate private sector mitigation services, and will
establish three Regional Radon Training Centers.
Training in radon diagnosis and mitigation. To provide training in
assessment and mitigation, EPA, in conjunction with the State of New York,
created the diagnosis and mitigation training course entitled "Reducing Radon
in Structures". This course has been offered to over 2,000 Federal and State
officials and private contractors from across the country. EPA recently
revised and expanded the content of the course to reflect new technologies
produced by current research programs. The new course includes information
concerning new ways to evaluate and mitigate different kinds of structures.
EPA has made videotapes of the course available to the states and several
states have used the materials to conduct their own courses. EPA has also
conducted a course to train new instructors.
A new FY 90 initiative will establish three Regional Training Centers.
The Centers will provide a variety of courses in radon health effects,
measurement, and mitigation. The Centers will be located at universities.
Establishment of programs to evaluate radon measurement services. As
the number of companies providing measurement services increases, it is
important to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the test results. At the
request of the States, EPA established the Radon Measurement Proficiency
Program (RMP) to assess the capabilities of private radon measurement
companies and non-commercial laboratories. Under this program, companies
offering measurement services voluntarily demonstrate their measurement
capabilities. EPA provides lists of successful participants to the States who
distribute them to homeowners upon request. The latest Cumulative Proficiency
Report was issued in October 1988.
The RMP Program has grown substantially since it began in 1986. In
1986, 35 companies were on the list, in 1987, 250, and for the latest test
round, the report lists over 800 companies. Lists of successful participants
are currently distributed by all 50 states. Participation in the program
remains voluntary; however, several states use the proficiency evaluations as
a basis for regulating measurement companies. Other states are considering
similar programs.
EPA will develop a Mitigation Contractor Proficiency Program (CPP)
during 1989. This program also will be voluntary and will test the
proficiency of mitigation companies constructing and implementing measures to
reduce radon levels. The program should be operational in 1990. EPA will
send states lists of proficient companies for distribution to the public.
States also may base mitigator certification programs on the CPP.
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Public Information
Although public concern about the health risks associated with indoor
radon has increased over the last few years, relatively few homeowners (2%)
have acted to identify or correct radon problems. As a result, EPA views the
development and dissemination of public information as a high priority. EPA
is committed to providing the States and the public with current information
regarding the risks associated with radon exposure and available methods for
reducing those exposures.
EPA is using numerous approaches to disseminate information to the
public. Action guidelines for measurement and mitigation have been developed
to assist citizens in determining if there is a problem in their home and to
present possible courses of action available. EPA has developed, published,
and distributed public information documents covering a wide range of radon
related problems. Presentations on radon have been given to hundreds of
national organizations, Congressional members, civic groups and others. Radon-
related outreach activities have been conducted in coordination with other
national organizations, and risk communication research projects have been
initiated to evaluate the effectiveness of some of these communication
activities.
One principal way EPA is educating the public on radon and the health
risks associated with exposure is by providing documents summarizing a wide
array of information. Since 1986, EPA has developed and distributed several
publications, including:
"A Citizen's Guide to Radon" published in August 1986 in
cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control. This pamphlet
provides information on radon such as where it is found, what
adverse health effects are associated with exposure, and how to
reduce the risk of these effects. It provides information to
homeowners to aid in detecting problems and determining if further
action is necessary.
"Radon Reduction Methods: A Homeowner's Guide" originally
published in 1986, this booklet has been revised to include the
latest information concerning successful mitigation methods. This
booklet discusses ten methods successfully tested by EPA or other
groups and presents information regarding their cost,
installation, limitations, and reduction efficiencies.
"Radon Reference Manual" published in 1987. This manual is
intended to assist public officials in responding to questions
about EPA's pamphlet, "A Citizen's Guide to Radon." Each section
in this manual corresponds to a section in the pamphlet and
presents material that is more technical and detailed.
"Removal of Radon From Household Water" published in 1987.
This pamphlet discusses the various methods which can be used to
prevent radon trapped in water from being released into the air
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where there is a much greater potential for adverse health
effects. Numerous control methods are mentioned, and the Granular
Active Carbon Tank is discussed in detail. This method of
removing radon gas from water has been found to be the least
costly and is the most extensively tested.
"Radon Reduction in New Construction" -- published in 1987 in
cooperation with the National Association of Home Builders
Research Foundation, Inc. This pamphlet introduces several
methods that can be used during the construction process to
decrease the amount of radon that enters the house and to
facilitate easy removal of radon after construction is complete.
Various methods for reducing the number of radon entry pathways
and the vacuum effects are discussed. This booklet has been
provided to the states and their homebuilders associations for
distribution to the public.
"Summary of State Radon Programs" -- published in 1987. This
booklet, which examines the development of state programs, was
compiled to promote communication between the states regarding the
organization and administration of their specific programs and to
assist any states that are currently attempting to develop their
own program. Program activities are summarized in the text and a
detailed description of each State's program is provided in the
appendix.
"Radon Reduction Techniques for Detached Houses: A Technical
Guidance" Second Edition. This detailed technical manual is
for professional mitigators, researchers, State and local
officials, and do-it-yourselfers. The manual is based largely on
the results of EPA research findings and is regarded as "state-of-
the-art" information regarding radon mitigation.
"Key Elements of a State Radon Program" published in 1988.
This report describes "Key Elements" of state radon programs and
illustrates the implementation of the key elements using examples
from existing state radon programs.
In addition to providing these publications, EPA is working with the
American Medical Association to educate health care professionals on the risks
associated with indoor radon. AMA and EPA are developing a brochure and will
be conducting a series of six workshops for health care professionals. Also,
EPA and the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) will conduct two
regional workshops on radon for State legislators in February 1989.
EPA also has initiated several risk communication studies to examine the
effectiveness of the Agency's communication activities. Studies are underway
in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. These studies are
examining alternative ways of presenting radon risk information, community
reaction to radon risk, and the effectiveness of intensive information
campaigns.
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EPA recently was accepted by the Advertising Council for an advertising
campaign. The Agency will work closely with the Council to develop a national
campaign to increase public awareness of radon.
Other Accomplishments
EPA is actively participating in several important activities related to
radon in addition to those under the Radon Action Program. Some of these
activities are described below.
Radon in Water
In addition to soil, radon may also be found in groundwater and can
enter the home through the water supply. In accordance with the Safe Drinking
Drinking Act, EPA is working to develop a set of enforceable drinking water
standards for radon and other radionuclides. Information regarding the risks
of exposure and the methods and costs for detecting and treating radon in
water was compiled and presented in an advance notice of proposed rulemaking
published in September of 1986. A proposed rule is anticipated in
approximately a year. The rule will identify requirements for acceptable
analytical methods to measure radon in water and features enabling states to
determine when water systems are in compliance. Treatment techniques that
will effectively remove radon and that can be used to meet the standard or
that must be installed to obtain a variance will be listed.
In preparation for the proposed drinking water regulations for radon,
the Office of Drinking Water surveyed 1,000 public water systems for radon.
This survey, the National Inorganics and Radionuclides Survey (NIRS), found
levels of radon from 100 to 25,700 pCi/L in the water (i.e. about 0.01 to 2.5
pCi/L air), with a median of 289 pCi/L (water) and a mean of 881 pCi/L
(water). It is the Agency's estimation that over 20,000 of the 45,000
community ground water systems have radon levels above 200 pCi/L in their
water.
Federal Cooperation
EPA is working closely with several federal agencies in dealing with the
radon problem. EPA, with the Department of Energy, co-chairs the Radon
Workgroup of the Committee on Indoor Air Quality. The Workgroup is actively
coordinating Federal programs related to indoor radon. Workgroup members
currently are compiling an inventory of all Federal projects involving radon
that will be published in January 1989. Participation of all Federal Agencies
in the Workgroup is encouraged and over 20 agencies are represented.
The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 requires that
EPA form an advisory group composed of Federal agencies. To accomplish this,
EPA chose the existing Radon Workgroup of the CIAQ. This approach allows EPA
to draw on specific expertise among the member agencies and keeps the agencies
coordinated in the radon effort. Several of the cooperating agencies are
listed below.
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Department of Energy (DOE). In 1987, EPA finalized a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with DOE. Under this MOU, DOE assumes responsibility for
conducting basic research related to radon, focusing on issues related to
public health. EPA coordinates applied research, technical studies, and
operational programs involving the states and the private sector.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD). EPA has furnished HUD with
information related to radon and has provided radon diagnostic and mitigation
training to HUD personnel. HUD requested technical assistance from EPA on a
project in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and reviewed two EPA publications, "The
Citizen's Guide to Radon" and "Radon Reduction in New Construction."
National Park Service (NFS). EPA is assisting the National Park Service
in assessing and remediating radon problems in NPS buildings. To date, 3600
dwellings have been surveyed. One hundred and ten of the dwellings needing
mitigation are being remediated this year. The remainder will be addressed
next year.
Department of Defense (POD). EPA has assisted DOD in conducting radon
surveys and has provided diagnosis and mitigation training for DOD personnel.
EPA also worked with DOD to develop their Radon Assessment and Mitigation
Policy. Currently, all three services and the Coast Guard have radon programs
in place.
General Services Administration (GSA). EPA and GSA are currently
cooperating in the development of protocols for measuring radon in workplaces.
Under this project, GSA's buildings are serving as test sites. The resulting
protocols will be available to other agencies wishing to conduct a workplace
survey. Sampling is expected to begin in FY 89.
Conclusions
Summary
Since the severity of the potential health hazards associated with
exposure to indoor radon were first identified in 1984, EPA has made great
strides toward understanding and addressing the radon issue. From the outset,
EPA recognized that states, through state and local agencies, are best able to
address many of the radon-related problems of their citizens. EPA developed
the Radon Action Program and works closely in partnership with the states to
provide necessary assistance.
Through the Radon Action Program, EPA and the states have informed the
public of the dangers associated with radon exposure. Over two million homes
have been measured. EPA has worked to develop national and state surveys to
establish the extent of the radon problem in homes and is now focusing on
schools and workplaces. The federal government has taken the lead in
developing needed assessment and mitigation techniques to be used in all the
states. EPA has researched ways of eliminating and preventing radon problems
and has developed training programs for passing this new information on to
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state and local officials and contractors, enabling them to assist homeowners.
The states are responding by taking the lead in assessing local situations and
assisting citizens with mitigation when necessary.
Future Goals
Congress recently enacted the Indoor Radon Abatement Act of 1988
(PL100-550) which enhances EPA's existing program and adds important new
responsibilities. For the first time, EPA is authorized to provide funds to
help States develop self-sufficient radon programs. The Act includes eight
major provisions. These provisions are listed below.
National Goal. The Act establishes a long-term goal that indoor air be
as free from radon as the ambient outdoor air. This provision is intended to
encourage the development of technology that will enable radon reductions
significantly below EPA's current 4 pCi/L guideline.
State Program Development Grants. The Act authorizes $10,000,000
annually for three years for EPA to administer grants to help States establish
radon programs. Eligible activities include radon surveys, development of
public information materials, and demonstration and mitigation projects. The
Act requires a declining Federal share in the program over three years from
75% in the first year to 60% in the second and 50% in the third and final
year.
Study of Radon in Schools. The Act authorizes $1,500,000 for EPA to
study radon in the nation's schools and demonstrate mitigation techniques in
school buildings.
Proficiency Programs. The Act authorizes $1,500,000 for EPA to
establish and operate proficiency programs for radon measurement and
mitigation firms. The program would be funded through a user-fee system.
Regional Training Centers. The Act authorizes $1,000,000 a year for
three years for EPA administered grants to colleges and universities for the
development of three regional radon training centers. The centers would
provide training to Federal and State officials, professional and private
firms, and the general public regarding radon risks, measurement, and
mitigation.
Model Construction Standards. The Act requires EPA to develop draft
model construction standards and techniques by June 1, 1990. The standards
and techniques should take into account geographic differences in construction
type, geology, weather, and other variables affecting new buildings.
Technical Assistance. The Act authorizes $3,000,000 a year over three
years for EPA to provide continued technical assistance in a variety of areas
including measurement, mitigation, training, and public information.
Federal Building Studies. The Act requires that all Federal agencies
that own buildings must conduct a study of those buildings to determine the
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extent of radon contamination. The agencies are to coordinate with and
provide their findings to EPA.
EPA has made much progress since 1986 but much remains to be done. The
bill creates new opportunities for State program development and recognizes
that a cooperative relationship between Federal and State efforts is the best
way to effectively deal with this issue. State and local governments are in
the best position to assume primary responsibility for assisting the public.
However, there is also a unique and necessary Federal role, particularly with
regard to questions of national problem assessment and technical assistance.
EPA will continue to fulfill its leadership role in this area.
2. Asbestos
In the years since 1979, when EPA first instituted an asbestos technical
assistance program, the asbestos program has grown into a major national
program to reduce the risks to public health from asbestos. The severity of
asbestos as a human health hazard is well established in occupational
settings, although exposure and risk is less certain at prevailing or
environmental levels. Studies of both laboratory animals and of asbestos
workers and their families have clearly demonstrated that several life-
threatening diseases, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma, can
be caused by exposure to airborne asbestos.
EPA efforts to address asbestos problems encompass the full range of
regulatory, grant, and technical assistance activities. The primary focus has
been in the Nation's schools because of the vulnerability of young children
and their long expected life span. Congress has encouraged this focus by
passing two asbestos laws for schools since 1984. Measures have also been
taken to address the problem of asbestos in other settings including public
and commercial buildings and homes. EPA has also promulgated several
regulations limiting certain uses of asbestos, governing the demolition or
renovation of buildings containing asbestos, and protecting abatement workers
from unsafe asbestos exposures. A more detailed description of these actions
follows.
Reducing Exposure to Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools
Three laws give EPA authority to control asbestos in schools: the
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), the Asbestos School Hazard
Abatement Act (ASHAA), and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Together
these laws direct EPA to establish a comprehensive program to control asbestos-
containing materials in schools and a loan and grant program to assist
eligible school districts in abating asbestos problems in their schools.
These laws are administered within EPA by the Hazard Abatement Assistance
Branch (formerly the Asbestos Action Program), located within the Office of
Toxic Substances. The principal actions taken by EPA to reduce risks from
asbestos exposure in schools include:
Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools Rule. AHERA requires EPA to
establish a framework of regulatory standards for managing asbestos in
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schools. In October 1987, EPA published the AHERA schools rule on proper
asbestos inspection, management planning and appropriate response actions.
This rule now represents the "state of the art" in asbestos management and may
serve in part as a voluntary model for public and commercial building owners,
as well as a regulatory standard for schools.
Model Accreditation Plan. AHERA required that EPA issue a model
accreditation plan to provide for training and accrediattion of persons who
inspect school buildings, develop management plans, or design or conduct
response actions. EPA published the model plan on April 30, 1987. At least
18 states have passed legislation for contractor accreditation programs
similar to the EPA model.
Asbestos Loan and Grant Program. Congress passed the Asbestos School
Hazard Abatement Act (ASHAA) in 1984. This law established an EPA-managed
program of loans and grants to schools with severe asbestos hazards and
financial need. Since 1985, EPA has awarded nearly $160 million to
approximately 640 school districts and private schools for about 1,800
individual asbestos abatement projects, mostly removals. This program has
eliminated more than 13 million exposure hours to students, teachers, and
school workers each week.
Asbestos Inspection and Management Planning: Assistance Program
(AIMPAP). Under the 1987 ASHAA appropriation, EPA was authorized to provide
up to $5 million to states to be used by financially needy local school
districts and private schools for inspections and development of management
plans. In 1988, Congress authorized an additional $15 million for this
purpose. EPA established AIMPAP to provide these funds to schools through
approved state programs. Unlike other EPA grants to States, this money is not
to be used for State administrative purposes; it must be passed on for school
inspections and management planning. In two years, $20 million has been
awards to 31 recipients.
Guidance Documents. EPA has developed several technical assistance
materials on asbestos. The most widely circulated of these publications,
entitled Guidance for Controlling Asbestos-Containing Materials in Buildings,
outlines a systematic approach for building owners to follow in identifying
asbestos hazards and controlling exposure. (The current version is known as
"the Purple Book;" earlier versions were known as the "Blue Book.") Within
the past two years, EPA has also published guidance documents on respiratory
protection with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and
on preventing asbestos disease among auto mechanics because asbestos is
frequently found in brake linings. Another document, currently in draft,
gives guidance on establishing a special asbestos-control operations and
maintenance program. In addition, EPA serves as a clearinghouse for a variety
of other important guidance documents on asbestos.
Asbestos Information and Training Centers. EPA has funded the opening
of five asbestos information and training centers located at Tufts University
near Boston, Georgia Tech in Atlanta, the University of Kansas in Kansas City,
the University of Illinois School of Public Health in Chicago, and the
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University of California at Berkeley. These centers were provided Federal
funds in decreasing amounts over a three-year period, after which they became
financially self-sufficient from course fees' and other marketable program
activities. The centers sponsor technical symposia, conferences and offer EPA-
approved training courses for AHERA accreditation of building managers,
asbestos abatement contractors, school officials, architects, maintenance
personnel and abatement workers.
In addition, a few satellite training centers were given smaller grants
for one or two years to provide training only. These satellite centers are
located at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, the University of Texas
at Arlington, Rutgers Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey, Drexel
University and Temple University in Philadelphia. Although center funds
expired in 1988, EPA is discussing unfunded agreements with university centers
and satellites to sustain AHERA-accredited training. More than 25,000 persons
have taken courses at EPA-funded centers since the first one opened in 1985.
Accreditation Training. EPA centers do not offer the only available
training courses. Several other universities offer accreditation programs, as
do some private organizations such as the American Wall and Ceiling Institute
and the Illinois Laborers' Training Center. Course materials presented by
these programs for AHERA accreditation purposes must be designed in accordance
with the EPA Asbestos Plan and receive EPA approval, usually after a course
audit.
As of January 13, 1989, EPA has approved 330 public and private
training providers nationwide for 722 individual asbestos management or
abatement courses. These approved courses include 250 courses for abatement
workers, 169 for abatement contractors or supervisors, 121 for asbestos
inspectors and management planners, as well as 161 "refresher courses". To
become accredited, individuals must attend the two- to five-day sessions and
pass an examination. To remain accredited, annual attendence is required in
an approved "refresher" course.
Grants to States for Certification, Training and Accreditation
Programs. In 1985, EPA began to give grants to states to encourage the
passage of legislation which would establish qualifications for contractors
and standardize training requirements for abatement workers and supervisors.
In a related activity, EPA gave grants to both the Maryland Department of
Health and Hygiene and the National Conference of State legislators (NCSL) to
develop model state legislation on asbestos contractor certification and
accreditation. From 1985 to 1987, about $2.5 million was provided to nearly
40 States to establish contractor certification programs. Due in part to
EPA's efforts, at least 30 States currently have some type of contractor
licensing and certification programs in effect. (Not all of these programs,
however, meet the new AHERA accreditation standards which they are required to
do over the next couple of years.)
EPA is now focusing on the need for developing the competency of
professionals other than contractors who are involved in asbestos work. Under
the AHERA Model Accreditation Plan, all States must over the next couple of
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years establish accreditation programs for persons who conduct inspections,
develop management plans, and design or conduct response actions in schools.
In 1988, EPA distributed about $1 million to 17 States for the purpose of
initiating inspector training and accreditation programs.
Reducing Exposure to Asbestos-Containing Materials in Public and
Commercial Buildings
Many of the technical assistance projects described above will also be
of help to those concerned with exposure to asbestos in commercial and public
buildings. Other activities which EPA has undertaken and which are aimed
directly at reducing risks from exposure to asbestos-containing materials in
commercial and public buildings include:
Public and Commercial Buildings Study. In addition to its
requirements concerning schools, AHERA mandated that EPA conduct a study to
determine the extent of danger to human health posed by asbestos in public and
commercial buildings and to make recommendations about appropriate means to
respond to any such danger. Among other things, the study was to address
specifically whether public and commercial buildings should be subject to the
same inspection and response actions that AHERA required for school buildings.
In the study, which EPA submitted to Congress in February 1988, EPA
estimates that 20 percent of the total number of public and commercial
buildings in our country today, or some 700,000 buildings, contain friable
asbestos-containing material. Of the buildings with friable asbestos, three-
fourths have some damaged material and half have significantly damaged
material.
The report made four recommendations with respect to public buildings:
1) to enhance the nation's technical capability by increasing the number of
trained and accredited professionals qualified to perform inspections and
abatement work and by helping building managers to make the right control and
abatement choices; 2) to focus attention on thermal system insulation asbestos
which is more prevalent and more often deteriorated than other types of
friable asbestos; 3) to better coordinate Federal and State asbestos efforts
to avoid high peak exposures associated with improper or poorly timed asbestos
removal actions; and 4) to objectively assess the effectiveness of the AHERA
school rule and current activities. EPA has advised Congress that additional
Federal regulation of public and commercial buildings should be addressed in
about three years, after EPA and building owners have had more experience with
the AHERA school rule, after there is an assessment of the supply of trained
professions, and after further study of the problem of asbestos management in
public and commercial buildings is completed.
Air Monitoring Study. EPA has conducted a field study to compare
airborne asbestos fiber concentrations in outdoor ambient air with those
prevailing in Federal buildings which contain asbestos materials. The study,
which involved about 43 Federal buildings in six cities across the country,
presented results which indicate very low prevailing levels (.00073 f/cc mean)
in those buildings with asbestos, even with damaged asbestos-containing
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materials. Further, no statistically significant difference was generally
found between levels in these asbestos-containing Federal buildings and levels
taken outdoors. Study results, however, cannot be considered representative
of prevailing levels in all public and commercials buildings, or even Federal
buildings, due to study design limitations.
Federal Asbestos Program. For some time, EPA has sponsored the Federal
Asbestos Task Force (FATF), a working group of Federal agencies, such as the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC), with asbestos control program responsibilities.
Several joint Federal agency asbestos projects have resulted from this
coordination effort. For example, EPA and CPSC have jointly developed an
Asbestos in Homes booklet. EPA and the General Services Administration (GSA)
have begun a program to better control asbestos in Federal buildings and some
GSA buildings have employed operations and maintenance programs which were
developed in conjunction with EPA.
Other Asbestos Regulatory Activities
National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) for
Asbestos. Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act which authorizes EPA to set
set standards to reduce risks from hazardous air pollutants, EPA has issued
several asbestos-related regulations. One set of regulations prohibits the
manufacture of some asbestos-containing spray-on insulation and molded pipe
insulation. Another set of regulations specifies workplace procedures to use
in demolitions and renovations where asbestos is present. EPA has proposed
revisions to these regulations that will more clearly define the
responsibilities of those involved in demolitions and renovations and that
will increase EPA's ability to enforce the asbestos NESHAPs regulations.
Worker Protection Rule. Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA) authorizes EPA to prohibit the commercial use of substances found to be
hazardous. Under TSCA Section 6, EPA has issued a rule extending the coverage
of the worker protection rule issued by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration to State and local employees who perform asbestos abatement
activities and who are not covered by state programs.
Ban and Phase Out Rule. Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA) also authorizes EPA to prohibit the manufacture, processing, or
distribution of substances found to be hazardous. Under this section, EPA has
issued a proposed rule to ban certain asbestos products and phase out others.
Comments have been received on the proposed rule and the final rule is being
considered.
3. Environmental Tobacco Smoke
In 1986, in coordination with the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) of
the Department of Health and Human Services, EPA requested the National
Research Council (NRC) to evaluate methods for assessing exposure to ETS, and
to review the literature on the health consequences of such exposures. In
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response, the NRC Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology established an
independent Committee on Passive Smoking composed of 11 scientists. The
Committee was charged with reviewing the existing scientific literature and to
identify the current state of knowledge with respect to established facts, and
to make recommendations for future research to remove areas of uncertainty.
The NRC reported to EPA that there were both acute and chronic health
effects from ETS, leading to serious respiratory conditions in sensitive
populations, and to lung cancer in healthy adults. Concurrently, the Surgeon
General independently reported identical scientific conclusions in his 1986
Report on Involuntary Smoking. The Surgeon General also concluded that "a
substantial number of the lung cancer deaths that occur among nonsmokers can
be attributed to involuntary smoking." In addition, he made several public
policy recommendations regarding the necessity for restrictions on smoking in
public, including the workplace. At the same time, but independently of the
other two efforts, the Task Force on Environmental Cancer and Heart and Lung
Disease, an interagency group established by Congress via the Clean Air Act
Amendments of 1977, held a Workshop on the Contribution of Airborne Pollutants
to Respiratory Cancer. The Task Force Report also considered indoor air
pollutants, and particularly, ETS. The Task Force report concluded that data
indicate that the greater number of lung cancers in nonsmoking women is
probably related to environmental tobacco smoke."
Accordingly, EPA moved to establish a research program to remove the
scientific uncertainties identified by the NRC, and a risk assessment and
information program to provide the public with an understanding of the hazards
and reliable methods for risk mitigation. EPA has no regulatory authority in
this area. However, in its own facilities, under the GSA Guidelines on
Smoking in Federal Buildings, EPA adopted a policy which restricted all
smoking to a only a few separately ventilated rest rooms with one-pass
ventilation, and made available smoking-cessation clinics.
Risk Assessment and Information Dissemination Efforts on ETS
ETS Fact Sheet The 5th in a series of brief summaries of indoor air
facts designed to inform the general public about the causes of indoor air
pollution and its remedies, this fact sheet discusses the fact that ETS is one
of the most significant indoor air pollutants, presents the current scientific
consensus about the carcinogenic effects of ETS in adults and respiratory
effects in children, describes what ETS is, places ETS in perspective as the
predominant source of respirable particle air pollution indoors, describes the
presence of certain tobacco combustion products commonly found in nonsmokers'
body fluids, discusses how difficult it is to remove ETS by ventilation, and
how easy by source control, and supports the policy recommendations on ETS
promulgated by the Surgeon General.
ETS Handbook on Workplace Smoking Policies -- In cooperation with the
National Cancer Institute, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the
Office on Smoking and Health, and the Office of Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion of the Public Health Service, EPA is producing a 100 page Handbook
for Understanding, Assessing, and Mitigation of Exposure to ETS, directed
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primarily at the non-industrial workplace. It will be an authoritative easy-
to-read summary of what is known about the health effects and mitigation of
ETS exposures in commercial buildings at the'present time.
ETS Reference Manual Similar in concept to the ETS Handbook, the
Reference Manual will consist of more lengthy and more technical expositions
of the nature of ETS, its transport indoors, its health effects and its
mitigation, designed for individuals who must make technical judgments
concerning ETS in buildings, such as industrial hygienists, architects,
ventilation engineers, occupational health physicians, and the like.
ETS Lung Cancer Risk Assessment EPA has undertaken a formal risk
assessment of lung cancer from ETS according to EPA's Cancer Risk Assessment
Guidelines as published in the Federal Register. The Indoor Air Program, in
cooperation with the Office of Research and Development's Carcinogen
Assessment Group (CAG) is performing a hazard assessment of passive smoking
epidemiology and biochemical nature of ETS; exposure assessment of nonsmokers
exposures; including factors affecting transport in occupied structures; dose-
response assessment, in order to develop an exposure response relationship and
unit risk; and risk characterization of ETS, which will yield projected U.S.
mortality from lung cancer from passive smoking. The 9 currently published
risk assessments of ETS, which average 3000 ± 1800 lung cancer deaths per
year, will be reviewed and evaluated.
ETS and Radon It has been established that the risks of radon gas to
smokers is 10-fold as high as to nonsmokers. Accordingly, the inter-
relationship of ETS and radon gas will be explored to determine whether there
is a synergy between lung cancers in nonsmokers who are co-exposed to radon
and ETS.
ETS Non-cancer Risk Assessment -- The Task Force on Environmental Cancer
and Heart and Lung Disease report on Passive Smoking stated the "effects of
environmental tobacco smoke on the cardiovascular system, especially among
high risk individuals, may be of greater concern than that of cancer."
Accordingly, the studies linking ETS and heart disease mortality and
respiratory disease mortality in nonsmokers will be reviewed, and a risk
assessment performed where possible.
4 . Forma lhyde
In 1984 EPA designated formaldehyde for priority attention under the
provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 4(f). Agency
concern was for widespread, potentially-significant cancer risk that was posed
to two large, indoor populations: occupants of homes containing significant
amounts of urea-formaldehyde (UF) pressed wood products and garment workers
exposed because of off-gassing from durable press textile finishes. These two
concerns became the subject of a May, 1984 Advance Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (ANPR) which initiated an EPA regulatory investigation.
In 1986, EPA terminated its investigation of garment workers because
OSHA had by that time undertaken efforts to revise its formaldehyde workplace
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standard. In 1987, OSHA issued a final occupational standard that: (1)
regulates formaldehyde as a potential carcinogen (previously, it was regulated
only as irritant), (2) lowers the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) from 3 to 1
ppm (8 hour, Time Weighted Average), and (3) contains hazard communications
provisions.
In 1985, EPA'S Science Advisory Board (SAB) reviewed the risk assessment
document used by EPA to support its TSCA section 4(f) decision; the Office of
Toxic Substances (OTS) subsequently refined the assessment and augmented it
with new results obtained from epidemiological studies and from an expert
panel's review of pharmacokinetics data. EPA issued its Agency-consensus risk
assessment of formaldehyde in April 1987 that formally classified formaldehyde
as a "probable human carcinogen."
EPA's investigation is currently focused on developing the technical
basis for decision making on the need for, and nature of, additional Federal
regulations affecting formaldehyde emissions from UF pressed wood
(particleboard, hardwood plywood paneling and medium density fiberboard).
These products are probably the most significant sources of formaldehyde
present in indoor settings. (Controllable indoor emissions from textiles, for
example, are believed to be much less significant.) EPA has been studying the
potential costs and residential air quality impacts of a range of possible
controls on pressed wood products, including product emission standards, use
limitations, production restrictions, and labeling. This information will be
used to determine whether or not an "unreasonable risk" exists. If so, EPA
can refer the issue to other Federal agencies or take action itself under
TSCA. A decision on which actions EPA will take with respect to formaldehyde
is likely to be made in 1989.
In 1985, HUD set emission standards for particleboard and hardwood
plywood used in mobile (manufactured) home construction. HUD's rule although
applicable only to wood used in building mobile homes, is thought to have
resulted in lowered emissions from these types of building products, as they
are generally produced and sold today.
In 1986, CPSC denied a petition by the Consumer Federation of America to
regulate formaldehyde emissions from all pressed wood products. Instead, the
commission directed its staff to pursue the revision of voluntary, national
consensus standards (ANSI) for pressed woods to include formaldehyde emission
provisions.
5. Chlorinated Solvents
The Interagency Integrated Chlorinated Solvents Project was formed in
1985, at the time that an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (ANPR) was
announced for methylene chloride. This interagency committee is chaired by
the EPA Office of Toxic,Substances and includes representatives of seven major
EPA offices (OPTS, OAR, OGC, ORAD, OPPE, OW, OSWER), CPSC, OSHA, and the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA). The Project is addressing the risks from four
chlorinated solvents, including methylene chloride, perchloroethylene,
trichlorethylene, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. Currently, four use categories
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for chlorinated solvents are being analyzed: dry cleaning, solvent cleaning,
aerosols, and paint stripping. Preliminary risk assessments and economic
analyses are being performed for each category to determine the most
appropriate control options available to these agencies. Regulatory options
selection papers are being developed for use by the EPA Administrator in
determining the most appropriate direction for EPA to take in reducing risks
from these chemicals; the analyses are also available for decision-making in
other Federal agencies. Factors evaluated in determining the merits of the
options under considerations are risk reduction, intermedia and interpersonal
risk transfer, costs and efficiency, the validity and uncertainty of the data
used and the need to develop further data, and the extent to which the options
provide an integrated approach to risk management.
Consumer risks, and resulting indoor air risks, are being evaluated for
three of the categories under the Chlorinated Solvents Project (i.e. dry
cleaning, aerosols, and paint stripping). For the dry cleaning category, a
concern is the possible carcinogenic risks resulting from emissions of
perchloroethylene from dry-cleaned clothing. Although limited data are
available, preliminary data from studies done in chambers and a test home by
the EPA Office of Research and Development substantiate previous data by PEDCo
Environmental, Inc. showing that elevated levels of perchloroethylene are
present in indoor air after dry-cleaned clothing is introduced into the home.
Additional studies are needed to more adequately evaluate the risks to
consumers from this scenario and the methods which may be used to reduced
these risks. The Chlorinated Solvents Project is currently working with the
dry cleaning industry on a design for industry studies to evaluate what
actions the drycleaning industry can take to decrease the residual levels of
perchloroethylene in dry-cleaned clothing before consumers pick it up. The
Integrated Chlorinated Solvents Project will wait for the completion of these
industry studies before formalizing options to reduce consumer exposure to
perchloroethylene.
Under the aerosols and paint stripping categories, the Integrated
Chlorinated Solvents Project is evaluating the possible carcinogenic risks
from use of consumer products containing methylene chloride and/or
perchloroethylene in the home. The options being evaluated are advisories to
consumers, labeling of products containing perchloroethylene, or prohibition
of the use of certain products containing chlorinated solvents. The
Integrated Chlorinated Solvents Project expects to present these options to
the EPA Administrator in mid-1989. (For a discussion of the CPSC labeling
requirements for methylene chloride-containing products, see the section
describing CPSC activities in Volume I.)
6. Pesticides
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Insecticide Act (FIFRA) provides
EPA with the authority to control pesticide exposure by requiring that any
pesticide must be registered with EPA before it may be sold, distributed or
used in this country. As a pre-condition for registration, an applicant must
be able to demonstrate that the pesticide in question will not cause
"unreasonable adverse effects" (as defined by the Act) to people or the
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environment. When evidence arises that indicates that a registered pesticide
product might cause unreasonable adverse effects, EPA may initiate a review
process to determine if cancellation or some other regulatory action is
warranted, based on a consideration of both the risks and benefits of the
pesticide in question.
Whenever deemed necessary by EPA, the Agency may require supplementary
data to support an existing registration under FIFRA Section 3(c) (2) (B) .
Failure by the registrant to fulfill such requirement may result in the
suspension of the product's registration by EPA. It is under this authority
that the Agency requires indoor air monitoring data for those pesticides found
to hit "triggers" for acute or chronic toxicity.
Within EPA, the office which administers FIFRA is the Office of
Pesticide Programs (OPP). Some of the more important chemical-specific
actions taken by OPP in recent years with implications for indoor air quality
are the following:
Cyclodiene Termiticides EPA has taken a series of actions which have
led to the withdrawal from the marketplace of a family of termiticides known
as the "cyclodienes" (chlordane, heptachlor, aldrin, and dieldrin).
Short-term effects to high levels of these pesticides are associated
with such symptoms as headaches, dizziness, muscle twitching, weakness,
tingling sensations, and nausea. Potential long-term effects include damage
to the liver and the central nervous system, as well as increased risk of
cancer. For a long time it was thought that these chemicals, when correctly
applied to the soils surrounding homes or into the house foundations, would
not cause significant exposure to the household occupants. However, recent
studies demonstrate that air samples taken even in homes where chlordane is
properly applied may contain measurable chlordane residues.
In 1987, EPA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Velsicol,
the only manufacturer of chlordane and heptachlor, which banned their sale
until an application method is demonstrated that will not result in any
measurable exposure to household occupants. To comply with a 1988 court order
(National Campaign Against the Misuse of Pesticides v. EPA), EPA has issued an
order halting the sales and uses of existing stocks of chlordane and
heptachlor after April 15, 1988. Manufacturers of aldrin and dieldrin ended
all sales voluntarily. Alternative termiticides are on the market.
Lindane -- Lindane was formerly used as a general purpose insecticide
against indoor pests. Because of concerns over the potential long-term risks
of cancer, EPA cancelled the registrations of all indoor fumigating devices
containing lindane, effective May 1986.
Wood Preservatives In 1984, EPA took several actions to protect the
public from unsafe exposures to the three common wood preservatives. The
Agency banned all indoor uses of pentachlorophenol and creosote with certain
limited exceptions; it prohibited the use of pentachlorophenol on logs used
in log home construction; and it required that sealers be applied to wood used
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indoors that had previously been treated with these chemicals. In 1986, the
manufacturers of wood preservatives signed a voluntary agreement with EPA
setting up a consumer awareness program.
Other Indoor Use Pesticides On an as-needed basis, EPA requires
registrants of indoor use pesticides to submit exposure data. Toxicity
triggers include high acute toxicity, developmental toxicity, carcinogenicity,
etc. Recent examples include the insecticides DDVP and propoxur.
Inerts Policy Pesticide formulations often include one or more
"inert" ingredients, as well as an active ingredient intended to control
certain targeted pests. Typically, the inert serves as a solvent or as a
carrier for the active ingredient; and in other cases as an attractant for the
target pest. Unlike the active ingredient, the inert is not toxic to the
target pest, but nonetheless may cause health effects in humans. For example,
while methylene chloride is used as an inert ingredient in some pesticides,
CPSC is issuing special labeling requirements for some consumer products
containing this chemical due to its potential to cause a variety of health
effects.
In 1987, EPA identified 57 inerts which have known toxic effects
(including methylene chloride), or which are structurally similar to other
compounds with known toxicity. EPA is in the process of requesting additional
health and environmental effects data from the registrants. The first round
of these requests was issued in 1988 for 8 chemicals, and the remainder will
be sent out in early 1989.
Anti-Microbials Program -- In order to better assess the potential
health hazards associated with the use of anti-microbials, EPA decided to
begin calling in chronic toxicity data for these chemicals. On the premise
that exposure to these chemicals is episodic and brief at most, the Agency
heretofore only required data on acute toxicity. Since many anti-microbials
are used as cleaning and disinfecting agents inside buildings, however, the
potential for indoor air to be a significant route of exposure must be
considered. The first round of data is expected to be submitted by the end of
1988.
Review of Pesticide Labeling Requirements EPA is engaged in a review
of current pesticide labeling practices to determine whether the Agency should
revise its labeling requirements. The review began with a look at
agricultural chemicals, but the need to extend the review to pesticides sold
directly to consumers became apparent soon after the project started. The
goal of better labeling is to reduce the risks to human health from
unnecessary exposures. A report on this project, which will identify ways in
which labels could be reformatted to convey essential information in a manner
most likely to be read and understood by the user, is in preparation.
Public Information Activities EPA has recently issued two
publications about pesticides, Termiticides: Consumer Information and A
Citizen's Guide to Pesticides for the public. In addition, EPA maintains a
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national toll-free hotline to answer questions about pesticides. The number
of this hotline is (800) 858-PEST; in Texas, it is (806) 743-3091.
III. ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES
Although EPA was given primary responsibility for implementation of SARA
Title IV, a variety of Federal agencies have been actively involved, and have
made major contributions, in the indoor air quality field for several years.
While the missions and activities of some of these agencies may appear
duplicative, many of the activities conducted by these agencies are carried
out as cooperative efforts which involve several agencies. Currently,
considerable effort is being expended be Federal agencies to minimize
duplication of effort and to maximize cooperative and joint efforts which make
appropriate use of each agencys' relative strengths and expertise.
A. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION (CPSC1
Authority for Indoor Air Quality Activities
Many of the sources of indoor air pollution fall under the jurisdiction
of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The Consumer Product Safety
Act (CPSA) and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA) provide the
Commission with ample regulatory authority to allow for the regulation of the
products that may contribute to unhealthy indoor air. However, the CPSC does
not establish requirements or standards for the air in homes or other
buildings.
CPSC has jurisdiction over the products and appliances and many of the
building materials contributing to indoor air pollution. The provisions of
the CPSA and the FHSA provide the authority for the Commission, in appropriate
cases, to: (1) ban a product, (2) establish mandatory safety standards for
products, (3) recall products for repair, replacement, or refund, (4) mandate
warning labels for products, and (5) cooperate in the development of voluntary
product standards in order to address indoor air quality hazards.
The CPSA established the CPSC as an independent regulatory agency and
authorizes the Commission to eliminate or reduce unreasonable risks of injury
associated with consumer products. The CPSA defines the term "consumer
product" to mean any article which is produced or distributed for sale to a
consumer or for the personal use of a consumer in or around the home, in
schools, recreation, or otherwise, with certain specified exceptions. The
CPSA also gives the Commission responsibility for the administration of four
other statutes, including the FHSA.
The FHSA specifies labeling requirements for household products that are
"hazardous substances", as that term is defined in the FHSA. The FHSA defines
the "hazardous substances" as including certain household substances or
mixtures of substances which are toxic, corrosive, flammable, combustible,
irritants, strong sensitizers, or substances that generate pressure through
decomposition, heat, or other means. The FHSA requires labeling for hazardous
substances and also bans the sale of any toy or children's article that
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contains or consists of a hazardous substance. Additionally, the FHSA
authorizes the Commission to establish specific labeling requirements for
household products containing hazardous substances if no labeling which could
be required under the FHSA would adequately protect the public health and
safety.
History of CPSC Involvement in Indoor Air
The Consumer Product Safety Commission activities in the area of indoor
air quality have involved the determination and reduction of health risks
posed by the use of structural materials, combustion sources (vented and
unvented), consumer products, and chemicals used in the home and in schools.
Thus, a major emphasis of CPSC's efforts has been to conduct applied research
to provide the technical basis for the development of voluntary standards and
to disseminate information to the public.
Indoor Air Quality was a Commission priority project from FY 82-84.
Initial work included understanding the health risks associated with:
formaldehyde foam building materials and insulation; carbon monoxide, nitrogen
dioxide, and other pollutants from unvented combustion appliances, such as
unvented gas space heaters, kerosene heaters, and woodstoves; and asbestos
released form consumer products. More recent efforts have emphasized
methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, and other organic chemicals from
consumer products. In 1986, the Commission also began investigating health
hazards associated with airborne biological contaminants, both allergens and
pathogens, form products such as humidifiers, vaporizers, and air
conditioners. Current examples of voluntary standards include efforts to
ensure reduction of emissions of potentially hazardous pollutants from
kerosene heaters, as well as from pressed wood products.
The ability to characterize empirically source emissions and to predict
in-home pollutant levels through modeling has been developed. Source
emissions for given appliances have been studied but not the mechanisms and
factors which would guide the design of "clean" appliances. Predictive models
appear accurate enough for health assessments but do not address specific
individual residences. The development of emission measurement and modeling
techniques and the concurrent refinements in the scientific understanding of
the levels at which the combustion pollutants and formaldehyde can cause
adverse health effects will enable completion of voluntary standards efforts
in these areas during FY 1988. Public information efforts include a fact
sheet on kerosene heaters and a safety alert and video news feature on
methylene chloride.
Major Accomplishments
The Commission has:
o Conducted an evaluation of the health risks associated with
formaldehyde which served as the basis for regulatory activity concerning Urea-
Formaldehyde Foam Insulation and for a voluntary standards effort to limit
formaldehyde emissions from building materials.
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o Evaluated the health effects associated with carbon monoxide and
nitrogen dioxide and initiated a voluntary standard effort to limit the
emission of these pollutants from unvented combustion appliances such as gas
space heaters and kerosene heaters.
o Banned asbestos-containing patching compounds and artificial
emberizing material in 1978, and began an evaluation of other asbestos-
containing materials for their contribution to indoor air pollution. In
cooperation with industry, voluntary standards were established to eliminate
asbestos in consumer products. In 1982, the Commission published the
"Asbestos in Homes" booklet in cooperation with EPA. In 1986, an enforcement
policy was issued requiring labeling on all remaining asbestos-containing
products. In addition, a pilot study of 45 homes was initiated to determine
if deteriorating in-place asbestos products may cause a health risk.
Completion of the study is scheduled for early 1989.
o Initiated, in FY 1986, chamber and field studies to determine the
levels and types of airborne microbes released during normal use of specific
consumer products such as humidifiers and vaporizers. The chamber studies are
being conducted at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in two phases. The first
phase will determine the growth and dispersion of biological pollutants form a
variety of humidifiers. The second phase will correlate levels of pollutants
in the reservoir of humidifiers with levels measured in the room. These
studies will be completed during FY 1989. The majority of the field studies
are being conducted by Dr. Harriet Burge of the University of Michigan in
cooperation with Harvard School of Public Health's Six-City Study. In-home
measurements of biological pollutants and their possible correlation with
health effects will be completed in FY 1989.
o A cooperative effort with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the
National Kerosene Heaters Association was initiated in FY 1985to establish a
standard test method to measure emissions from kerosene heaters. UL conducted
tests comparing the hood and probe methods, and the CPSC's engineering
laboratory compared the hood and chamber methods. In FY 1987, CPSC
established a hood testing methodology which has been proposed to the task
group as an appropriate method for measuring emissions from kerosene heaters.
An amendment to a voluntary standard to limit NC>2 emissions from kerosene
heaters should be proposed in FY 1989.
o Sponsored a portion of a study, beginning in FY 1986, at Oak Ridge
National Laboratories to measure nitrogen dioxide levels in 50 homes that use
kerosene heaters. These monitoring data will be correlated with any observed
health effects in children living in the homes by researchers from the Harvard
School of Public Health, sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental
Health and Safety. A final report on the results of these correlations is
expected by the spring of FY 1989.
o Completed an in-home field study to determine pollutant levels in 25
homes using unvented gas space heaters. Staff is currently evaluating the
data. The final hazard analysis for unvented gas space heaters based upon
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these data and data from previous chamber tests will be made in FY 1989. This
information will be discussed with industry, and efforts will continue to
develop voluntary standards to reduce health' risks from pollutant emissions
form unvented gas space heaters.
o Evaluated data on emissions from coal and wood-burning stoves and gas
stoves.
o Evaluated control strategies for carbon monoxide deaths from gas
heating systems.
o Tested carbon monoxide detectors and fuel gas detectors to determine
their reliability as new safety devices for consumer use.
o Developed a voluntary standard, which became effective in FY 1987,
requiring an automatic shut-off device for new central furnaces that is
triggered when products of combustion are not properly vented to the outside.
o Completed studies, in 1986, on emissions from pressed wood products
under a variety of conditions. Although the assessment is limited in that it
does not include formaldehyde contributions from furniture, shelving, and
cabinetry, it was the most comprehensive work at that time to estimate the
health risks to consumers from formaldehyde emitted from pressed wood. The
consumer exposure assessment reveals that an estimated 24 percent of new
single-family detached houses use some urea formaldehyde pressed wood material
in their construction. Based on a number of limiting assumptions, the
Commission staff estimates that the excess cancer risk (based on 95 percent
upper confidence limit) due to formaldehyde emitted from U.F. pressed wood,
ranges from 19 to 143 per million people exposed, depending on the type and
amount of pressed wood used to construct a home. Based on the average number
of single-family detached housing starts in 1983 and 1984 (about 900,000), we
estimate that up to 34 excess cancers may occur annually from the use of
pressed wood in home construction. Further, the Commission staff estimates
that about 9.2 percent of all new single-family detached houses would have an
initial formaldehyde level in excess of 0.1 ppm, and 6.6 percent would have 5-
year averages above 0.1 ppm. A voluntary standards effort is underway with
the National Particleboard Association and the Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers
Association to develop adequate national consensus standard to limit
formaldehyde release from pressed wood.
o Conducted, in FY 1986 and FY 1987, chamber and model house exposure
studies and an evaluation of consumer use surveys describing exposure to
household products that contain methylene chloride. An assessment of the
indoor air exposure from product use was made. The staff estimated that over
176 excess cancers will be caused by the use of methylene chloride in products
under CPSC jurisdiction. The Commission voted on July 31, 1987, to issue a
"Statement of Enforcement Policy" concerning products containing methylene
chloride. The enforcement policy states that methylene chloride is considered
to be a hazardous substance under the FHSA and that such products are
therefore required to be properly labeled to indicate that these products may
pose a carcinogenic risk to humans.
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o Initiated the development and validation of a computer model that
will allow estimates, on a national basis, of pollutant exposure from consumer
product sources (joint effort with DOE) .
o Conducted a preliminary laboratory evaluation of whether any home air
cleaning devices use technologies that will effectively remove gaseous indoor
air pollutants.
FY 89 Plans
In 1989, Congress appropriated $400,000 for the Commission to use on
indoor air quality issues. The major aspects of the project will be two-fold.
One aspect will deal with information for use by consumers in dealing with
indoor air problems in the home. The other will be the pursuit of specific
research goals. Information will be provided to consumers on asbestos
abatement, biological pollutants, combustion sources, and specific organic
chemicals in the home environment. Research will be pursued in order to
complete investigations on the contributions of kerosene heaters and
humidifiers to indoor air pollution and to begin to understand the
contribution of carpeting to chemical sensitivity and allergic reactions.
Staff will use the technical information developed during both the
consumer guidance and the research aspects, to identify hazards associated
with pollution sources and collaborate with voluntary standards organizations
to address these hazards. The details of the 1989 activities are as follows:
1. Asbestos
The Commission's interest in dealing with asbestos in residences has
been a long-term commitment. In 1982, the "Asbestos in Homes" booklet was
published, which provides information on prior uses of asbestos in residential
building materials and products, as well as guidance on what actions to take
to in dealing with in-home asbestos. In 1986, the Commission issued an
enforcement policy requiring warning labeling and use instructions on all
remaining asbestos-containing products. A pilot study of homes completed in
1986 identified common asbestos-containing materials and their condition. Air
monitoring in 45 homes with deteriorating in-place asbestos products was
completed in 1987. No significant levels of asbestos were found. Based upon
these findings and the expertise of people currently working in the field of
asbestos abatement and removal, the staff, in 1989, plans to revise the
"Asbestos-in-Homes" booklet and develop a checklist for consumers on asbestos
product maintenance and abatement procedures. In 1989, $65,000 will be used
to develop and print these materials.
2. Biological Pollutants
In 1986, staff identified biological contaminants as a potential health
concern in the home environment. Probable sources associated with the growth
and airborne dissemination of these pollutants were consumer products such as
humidifiers, vaporizers, air conditioners, and carpeting. CPSC, therefore,
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initiated the first major research efforts to determine the number and types
of airborne microbes present in homes, to evaluate their release from
consumer products, their mechanism of release, and to correlate health effects
with measured levels of in-home biological pollutants. The first phase of
testing conducted in homes in Kingston-Harriman, Tennessee, Portage,
Wisconsin, and Steubenville, Ohio have been completed and the reports were
scheduled for completion by the end of December 1988. The second phase of
testing will be reported on in the fall of 1989.
A laboratory study conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratories looking
specifically at humidifiers and vaporizers has also been completed, and the
final report is expected in February 1989. The results of both the in-home
and laboratory studies will form, in part, a booklet for consumers which
identifies "homes-at-risk" and recommends possible action to help reduce
exposure to the contaminants in their homes. Sixty-five thousand dollars
will be used to develop and print this "homes-at-risk" booklet.
In the process of investigating the contribution of humidifiers to
airborne biological pollutants in indoor air, additional Questions on proper
decontamination procedures, effects of new technology on pollutant release,
and the release of non-biological particulates have become apparent.
Seventy-five thousand dollars will be used to conduct research to resolve
these questions. Economics will use $7,000 to update their market
information.
3. Unvented Combustion Appliances
Two unvented combustion appliances were identified in 1983 as major
contributors to indoor air pollution, unvented gas space heaters (UVGSH) and
kerosene heaters. It is estimated that over 14 million units of UVGSH and
kerosene heaters are currently in use, meaning a possible 42 million people
are exposed. The combustion products from both appliances are similar, and
efforts to address the hazards associated with these products are
often applicable to both. The 1983 research efforts resulted in
recommendations to develop voluntary standards to reduce nitrogen (NO2)
emissions for both UVGSH and kerosene heaters. The approach to achieving this
objective has included developing a test method that could be used for
measuring emissions for certification testing, refining the method of
modeling laboratory measured emissions to in-home concentrations, and
determining actual in-home concentrations of pollutants from UVGSH. A pilot
study conducted by EPA in 1987 raised an additional emissions issue related to
the production of particulate and acid aerosols from kerosene heaters and
quite possibly UVSGHs. Both appliances use fuels which could produce elevated
levels of these pollutants.
As a result of all the prior research on unvented appliances, the
efforts in 1989 should serve to resolve some remaining issues in this area.
Staff will develop, based upon their extensive expertise in this area,
information materials on typical problem scenarios when using combustion
appliances in the home, proper use and maintenance procedures, and health
consequences associated with malfunctioning or misused appliances .
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Approximately $10,000 will be used for graphics and printing costs associated
with these materials.
Testing will be conducted in the CPSC Engineering Sciences Laboratory in
cooperation with the Directorate for Health Sciences (HS) to complete the
remaining necessary work for development of an N02 emission standard. This
testing will also address the newly emerging concern over acid aerosol
emissions. Efforts on acid aerosols emissions will also be coordinated with
EPA. These efforts are expected to result in modification of the UL 647
voluntary standard on kerosene heaters. This work will also be used to
approach American National Standards Institute to modify the voluntary
standard on UVGSH to address NC>2 emissions. Funding of $125,000 has been
allocated to resolve these questions regarding combustion appliances.
4. Nitrogen Dioxide Health Effects
The staff position on the health effects associated with exposure to NC>2
is based upon review of the literature and support of that position by the
expert review of this literature by the EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory
Committee(1986). The health effects are based to a large extent on animal
studies, controlled human studies and epidemiological studies that have used
the presence of gas ranges as a surrogate measure for NC>2. Many of these
controlled human and epidemiological studies have produced inconsistent
evidence regarding the health effects of such exposures, in part due to
limited or no actual measurement of N02 levels during the studies.
During 1986, CPSC funded a study at EPA/University of North Carolina
using a small controlled human exposure group of adult asthmatics and
children, populations potentially sensitive to effects of NO2, to determine if
there were any biological indicators which could be used to demonstrate
exposure to NO2 . The results of these studies did not provide verification of
a biological indicator that could be used in human epidemiological studies.
Staff is proposing using limited funding, of $20,000 as seed money to cooperate
with industry and other government agencies to fund a monitoring and
epidemiological study on the health effect of N02 . A sensitivity analysis has
been conducted for an industry group, which identified a population exposed to
levels of N02, form the use of UVGSH in their homes, that are expected to
cause health effects. This study help to resolve the questions
on the correlation of N02 concentrations with human health effects.
5. Carpets
A long-suspected indoor air quality problem is being given increased
attention in regard to the potential chemical sensitization and allergic
reactions from carpet emissions. Staff is proposing that CPSC begin to
develop a capability to identify these emissions. The Directorate for
Economic Analysis will use $20,000 to conduct a market survey to identify
materials being used in carpeting and adhesives. HS will conduct a pilot
study to screen and identify potential chemical emissions form carpeting and
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adhesives through extraction techniques and some chamber work. A chamber will
be purchased for $10,000 to conduct these emission characterizations. The
Directorate for Epidemiology will obtain information on consumer complaints
associated with carpeting using their IDI system and $3,000 for follow-up
telephone interviews. Based upon the results of these activities further
efforts will be recommended for FY90.
Long-Term Role
CPSC staff believes that the long-term indoor air quality role of the
Commission is to address identified indoor air hazards through the development
of voluntary and mandatory product standards and through public information
efforts. The Commission is not a primary research agency. Therefore, it
looks to major research agencies and institutions to develop information to
define the hazards of pollutant exposures and to provide at least preliminary
information on sources of these pollutants. When consumer products are
identified as potential contributors to indoor air hazards, CPSC will consider
undertaking research necessary to define the extent of consumer exposure and
to assess the extent of risk presented by consumer use of such products. If
appropriate, mandatory or voluntary standards development activities will be
undertaken to reduce or eliminate the identified hazard. Product bans and
other regulatory alternatives may be implemented, as necessary. Action to
address indoor air quality hazards will be taken in the context of applicable
standards and other product related hazards. In addition, it is expected that
the Commission will play a major role in conveying information to consumers on
products which affect indoor air quality through a variety of public
information avenues.
B. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY fDOEl
Authority for Indoor Air Activities
The Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (P.L. 79-585) provided the initial charter
for a comprehensive program of applied and basic radiobiological research.
This Act authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct research and
development related to the utilization of fissionable and radioactive
materials for medical, biological and health purposes. It also provided for
the protection of health during the same research and development activities.
The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (P.L. 83-703), as amended, authorized the Atomic
Energy Commission "... to conduct and support research and development
activities, including authority to conduct research on the biologic effects of
ionizing radiation..." for "... the protection of health and the promotion of
safety during research and production activities..." and for "... the
preservation and enhancement of a viable environment..-"
The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (P.L. 93-438) specifically
provided that the responsibilities of the Administrator of the Energy Research
and Development Administration (ERDA- DOE's predecessor), shall include "...
engaging in and supporting environmental, biomedical, physical, and safety
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research related to the development of energy sources and utilization
technologies ..."
The Federal Nonnuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974 (PL
93-577) authorized the vigorous conduct of a comprehensive, national program
of basic and applied research and development of all potentially beneficial
energy sources and utilization technologies within ERDA. In this Act,
Congress authorized and directed ERDA to design and analyze research to
consider the environmental and social consequences of a proposed program.
The Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-91)
authorized DOE to provide for the functions of ERDA. One of the stated
purposes of the Act was to "assure incorporation of national environmental
protection goals in the formulation and implementation of energy programs, and
to advance the goals of restoring, protecting, and enhancing environmental
quality, and assuring public health and safety." Another section of the Act
directed DOE to conduct "... a comprehensive program of research and
development on the environmental effects of energy technologies and programs."
History of Involvement in Indoor Air
The U.S. DOE has had major involvement in the indoor air quality field.
DOE has historically been the major contributor to radiation research, and
provided the information upon which most international occupational radiation
standards are based. The Department has unique interdisciplinary strengths at
its laboratories, combining engineering, environmental and health studies.
This radiation expertise has been utilized in the conduct of indoor radon
research since 1977. The objectives of this research are to: (1) understand
the mechanisms and determine the rates at which radon enters building; (2)
develop predictive techniques to identify regions of the country and building
characteristics which would likely result in high indoor radon concentrations;
(3) assess the health effects associated with radon exposures; and (4) develop
and evaluate methods to measure and reduce indoor radon concentrations. In
addition, DOE's Remedial Action Program monitors and applies corrective
actions at former uranium mill tailing sites and certain government-owned or
government-utilized facilities. The second reason for DOE's involvement in
the indoor air quality field is to conduct research to understand the
relationships between energy conservation and the build-up of indoor
pollutants. Monitoring results have shown that, while there is no direct
correlation across homes between air exchange rates and indoor pollutant
levels, energy conservation measures can elevate existing indoor air quality
problems.
DOE has two major policies with respect to indoor air quality:
o To eliminate potential hazards to the public and environment from
radioactive contamination remaining at facilities and sites
previously used in the nation's atomic energy programs; and
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o To develop information to ensure the maintenance of healthful
indoor environments with continuing use of energy conservation
measures in buildings.
The Department's interests in indoor air quality can be divided into
four areas:
o Research and development;
o The DOE Remedial Action Program;
o Health risk assessment; and
o Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ) participation.
DOE research is conducted in the areas of source characterization, measurement
methods, field studies, health effects, and controls. The primary focus of
this work is on radon, organics, and combustion-related pollutants.
The DOE Remedial Action Program has helped advance the state of
knowledge regarding radon control, mitigation methods, and measurement
techniques. Through continued basic research and the conduct of remedial
activities, DOE will help to better define the extent of radon exposure and
associated risks in residences across the U.S. and to develop means to
minimize this exposure.
The continuing assessment of the nature and extent of the potential
health risk to the nation posed by exposure to indoor air pollutants is the
third program area. An important goal of this DOE program is to provide
health effects information to aid in public policy decisions.
Finally, the efficient conduct of the first three programs requires
coordination with other organizations involved in indoor air quality
activities. The principal purposes of the CIAQ are to develop a national
policy on IAQ, to coordinate IAQ research, and to assist Federal, State and
local agencies in defining and alleviating lAQ-associated problems. As a co-
chair of the CIAQ, DOE research plans and results are coordinated with those
of the other federal agencies.
Major Accomplishments
There are five DOE organizations involved in indoor air quality (IAQ)
activities:
o Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy (CE);
o Office of Energy Research (ER);
o Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) ;
o Office of Environment, Safety and Health (EH) ; and
o Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
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;Q of Conservation and R^n&wabl& En^rcrv
CE research focuses on the relationship between air exchange and
indoor air quality (IAQ), the impacts of outdoor sources (e.g., radon from
soil) , indoor activities and building materials in IAQ, and development of
control techniques and measurement methods. Major accomplishments of CE
include developing a computerized data base of indoor air quality field
measurement results in the U.S. and Canada (co-funded with the Electric Power
Research Institute and the Gas Research Institute) , and support in the design
of a national multipollutant field survey to determine the effects of present
and future efforts to conserve energy through reduced ventilation or air
leakage. Research efforts devoted to infiltration and ventilation studies in
residential buildings have contributed significantly to the development of
infiltration measurement techniques, air leakage characterization of
buildings, and infiltration modeling to assess the impact of reduced
infiltration rates on energy requirements and indoor air quality. Research in
commercial buildings has involved investigations of "sick building syndrome"
and the development of techniques to assess both ventilation rates and
ventilation effectiveness in commercial buildings. CE ' s indoor radon research
projects have aided in the furthering of the understanding of geologic/
geographic radon source potential, radon entry mechanisms, radon progeny
behavior within buildings, and radon source potential of soils. The lead
office with respect to the CIAQ is CE .
ce of Energy Research fER)
Health effects and exposure studies to determine the risk associated
with exposures to indoor radon are the focus of ER's IAQ research program.
Reducing the major uncertainties attendant to this issue will be a significant
contribution to public health and policy.
Because of the increasing public concern over the potential health
effects of exposures to radon and radon progeny in homes and other buildings,
ER substantially expanded its radon-related research program beginning in
1987. The program now includes 60 research projects carried out at university
and contractor operated laboratories. A part of the ER effort continues at
the DOE Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) in New York City. This
laboratory has played a special role as a primary reference laboratory for
radon and radon progeny measurements, both nationally and internationally for
many years.
Overall, ER-supported studies on radon are part of a much larger
research program that deals with all types of ionizing radiation. The total
research program involves several hundred scientists and facilities for
conducting radiation-related research and has been the primary radiation
effects program in the world. This program supports basic research into the
means by which radiation exposures occur in work places and the general
environment, factors that affect interactions of ionizing radiation with
matter, radiation dosimetry, and the biological effects of ionizing radiation.
Unique capabilities have also been developed to conduct studies on the effects
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of combined exposures to radiation and chemically toxic substances such as
cigarette smoke.
Office of NuGlear Ener
The DOE Remedial Action Program is one of the responsibilities of NE .
The Remedial Action Program has been organized into four separate subprograms.
The Grand Junction Remedial Action Program (GJRAP) is responsible for
correction of elevated indoor radon levels associated with the disposition of
uranium mill tailings in the Grand Junction, Colorado area. Cleanup of an
estimated 600 structures was completed in 1988. The Uranium Mill Tailings
Remedial Action Program (UMTRAP) is responsible for stabilizing 24 designated
uranium mill tailings sites in 9 western states and one at Canonsburg,
Pennsylvania, as well as clean-up of an estimated 5,000-6,000 contaminated
properties in the vicinity of processing sites. Cleanup at the Canonsburg and
Shiprock, New Mexico, sites is complete. Cleanup is also near completion at
the Salt Lake City, Utah, and Lakeview, Oregon, sites, and cleanup has been
started at the Durango, Colorado site. In addition, cleanup is complete at
1,000 of the contaminated properties. The Formerly Utilized Manhattan
Engineering District/AEC Sites Remedial Action Project (FUSRAP) is responsible
for the identification and disposition of facilities that were formerly used
in government nuclear programs and then released for unrestricted use, but
which have radioactive contamination above current limits. There are
currently 29 designated sites, 9 of which have been completed. The Surplus
Facilities Management Program (SFMP) is responsible for disposition of
facilities radioactively contaminated by the DOE. There are 33 active
civilian projects at 17 sites currently in inventory to be decommissioned.
The mobile gamma scanning capabilities of NE were used to identify areas with
elevated gamma radiation levels in the Reading Prong region of Pennsylvania.
Offj.ee of Environment. Safety and Health fEH}
Within EH there are several areas of indoor air accomplishments: 1)
aerial radiation surveillance; 2) ,IAQ information dissemination 3) policy
support; and 4) support of IAQ research. The Aerial Measuring System (AMS)
has been extensively used to prepare background radiometric maps of most
nuclear facilities in the U.S. In addition to radiation monitoring, AMS has
aerial photography and infrared sensing capabilities. On occasion, aerial
radiation surveillance has been conducted to assist public health officials in
identifying areas having gamma radiation readings above background levels .
This information is then used to conduct more detailed surveys with ground-
based equipment .
Another accomplishment within EH is the synthesis of information on
specific indoor air quality topics and development of information handbooks
for use by state and local public health officials, policy analysts, concerned
tradespeople such as builders and architects, and homeowners and consumers.
Handbooks on the subject of combustion sources, indoor radon, and building
system characteristics have been completed. These reports provide a
comprehensive . review and reference source on pollutant emissions, indoor
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concentrations (and factors influencing those concentrations), health effects,
monitoring methods, and mitigation/control techniques.
EH has assisted in the review of lAQ-related environmental impact
statements, research programs and plans, proposed Congressional legislation,
etc., in order to develop a DOE response.
Responding to the need for more comprehensive indoor pollutant exposure
data, EH has co-funded a project to design a combustion sources concentration
model which will attempt to determine the nature of the distribution of indoor
concentrations of combustion pollutants in single family dwellings. Of
particular interest are the factors which are dominant in high concentration
homes. In addition, EH completed a review of current data on emission rates
resulting from the use of kerosene heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces. EH
has also co-funded research of indoor air quality control techniques which
examined pollutant-specific control strategies.
In addition, EH provides policy support through: participating in the
CIAQ; representing DOE on the Policy Subpanel of the Committee on Interagency
Radiation Research and Policy Coordination (CIRRPC); and conducting analyses
of regulatory/legislative initiatives related to indoor air.
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
BPA has been involved in IAQ issues since 1980. IAQ became an issue of
concern for BPA when it began to evaluate the potential environmental effects
of a proposed regionwide residential weatherization program. Since that time
BPA has conducted several millions of dollars of research related to the
implementation of its energy conservation programs.
In 1982 BPA prepared an Environmental Assessment on the potential IAQ
effects of implementing an energy conservation program in the commercial and
institutional buildings sector. Several studies were conducted to gain better
knowledge of the effects on IAQ from installing conservation measures,
including changes in the operation of the HVAC system. In 1984 BPA completed
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on retrofit weatherization of
residential structures in the Pacific Northwest. The EIS was supported by
numerous IAQ studies on radon, formaldehyde, combustion by-products, and other
common pollutants introduced by occupants of the homes. A second EIS is being
prepared on energy conservation in new home construction. IAQ is the major
focus of the analysis and incorporates many of the new studies completed for
BPA.
Ongoing IAQ research related to BPA's energy conservation programs will
continue. The focus of the research has changed direction from an emphasis on
characterizing pollutants and their related health effects to developing
better mitigation techniques to alleviate or minimize adverse IAQ effects.
To date BPA has done radon monitoring on 26,849 homes as part of the
Bonneville residential weatherization retrofit program. A quarterly report is
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published to provide an update on the radon monitoring results. The report
includes a map and listing of the data.
Specific actions being taken by BPA related to IAQ are:
o Providing IAQ information to residential homeowners, builders, and
utilities;
o Requiring the offering of radon monitoring to residential
homeowners;
o Established a 5 pCi/1 action level for radon in homes built under
BPA's programs with shared cost on mitigation for homes over the
action level;
o Controlling radon pollutant sources by requiring radon monitoring
and mitigation or radon mitigation preparation in new residential
structures;
o Controlling formaldehyde pollutant source by requiring use of low-
formaldehyde structural products in residential construction;
o Requiring whole-house mechanical ventilation in new residential
structures to control moisture, odors, and provide overall
comfort;
o Investigating radon mitigation systems; and
o Conducting other radon related research on monitoring procedures
and geological correlations.
FY 89 Plans
Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy (CE^
In FY 89 CE plans to:
o Continue to quantify indoor radon entry rates and the factors
which affect them; assess the variability of ambient radon levels;
and develop and evaluate energy-efficient radon mitigation
technologies for both new and existing structures.
o Continue to develop and evaluate energy-efficient and cost
effective source control and ventilation techniques to maintain
acceptable indoor air quality, including laboratory and field
measurements of ventilation effectiveness.
o Continue to conduct measurements of indoor air quality,
infiltration, and ventilation performance in two large office
buildings, including volatile organic compound measurements.
o Complete field evaluation of multi-tracer gas techniques for
measuring the impact of multizonal air flows on IAQ.
o Continue participating in collaborative efforts to issue voluntary
industry consensus standards related to
IAQ, infiltration, and ventilation, and continue participation in
the interagency CIAQ.
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Office of Energy Research (EIO
The Radon Research Program, significantly expanded in 1988 in response
to increased national concern, will continue in FY 89. This program, in
accordance with the DOE/EPA Memorandum of Understanding, will emphasize the
basic scientific research needed to establish risk from exposure to indoor
radon. Research will include identification of critical cells in the lung,
improved dosimetry, and modeling of radon in soils and the studies of
interactions between radon and smoking in lung cancer development.
Office of Nuclear Eneryy fNE^
GJRAP- In FY 89 it is expected that site remedial actions will continue
to be conducted, vicinity properties surveys will be completed, and vicinity
property remedial actions will continue to be conducted.
UMTRAP- In FY 89 it is expected that cleanup at Ambrosia Lake, NM will
be 70% complete and 95% complete at Durango, Co. In addition, it is expected
that 600 inclusion radiological surveys and 800 remedial actions will be
completed at vicinity properties.
FUSRAP- In FY 89 it is expected that at 10 sites data collection and
evaluation, and design work for site cleanup will be well underway. In
addition it is expected that cleanup efforts at 2 sites will be certified
complete. Also, efforts to identify disposal sites for remedial action wastes
will continue through this period.
SFMP- In FY 89, remedial action will be initiated at 2 sites, continue
at 14 sites, and be completed at one site. Work will be completed on the
final two of the originally designated 48 Monticello vicinity properties. The
Monticello vicinity properties project is the only SFMP project which
addresses reduction of radon concentrations of indoor air.
Office of Environment. Safety and Health (EH)
In FY 89 EH plans to:
o Continue work in the area of indoor exposure modeling, including:
1) expansion of the combustion exposure model to include SO2 and
organic pollutants/mutagens; 2) development of a radon exposure
model; 3) identification of information gaps needed to develop an
organics exposure model; and 4) designing cost-effective field
studies to fill in the identified information gaps.
o Update the 1985 publication, Indoor Air Quality Environmental
Information Handbook: Combustion Sources.
o Continue to provide on an as needed basis, aerial radiation
surveillance capabilities.
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o Continue to provide policy support for indoor air quality issues
relevant to DOE, as well as participation in the CIAQ and CIRRPC.
Bonneville Power Rdtn-i nia'hration fBPAl
In FY 89 BPA plans to:
o Continue to investigate ventilation rates in homes (PFT and blower
door); effects on moisture control, and innovative whole-house
systems;
o Examine methods for testing and demonstrating mechanical systems
in cooperation with other organizations;
o Radon monitoring and mitigation; and
o Radon vs house tightening investigations.
Long Term Role
The Department of Energy supports the continued efforts of the CIAQ to
coordinate and provide direction regarding indoor air quality research.
Within budget constraints, a major goal of DOE research is to provide improved
understanding of potential health effects and to identify the factors which
influence pollutant concentration in structures and to develop continuing
monitoring and control methods which enable the construction of energy
conserving homes without sacrificing indoor air quality. Similarly, the
Department's Remedial Action Program will continue to address potential
hazards from radioactive contamination remaining at facilities and sites
previously used in the development of the nation's atomic energy program.
C . DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES fDHHS}
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL (CDC)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
NIOSH's authority for indoor air quality investigations is mandated in
Section 20 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the accompanying
right-of-entry provisions of the Act. Sections 20 (a) (2) and (a) (3) provide
NIOSH the authority to develop criteria for toxic substances which are to be
used by OSHA to formulate safety and health standards. Section 20 (a) (6)
provides NIOSH the authority to conduct health hazard evaluations at the
request of authorized representatives of employees or employers. Sections
20(a)(1), (a)(4), and (a)(7) provide NIOSH the authority to conduct research,
experiments and demonstrations relating to occupational safety and health.
Most of the activities in NIOSH that directly relate to indoor air
quality involve requests for assistance from workers and employers. The NIOSH
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response to their requests is accomplished, as mentioned above, through
NIOSH's Health Hazard Evaluation Program. Since 1971, the NIOSH Health Hazard
Evaluation Program has conducted approximately 550 indoor air quality
investigations in a variety of office building environments. (In FY'88, there
were approximately 40 health hazard evaluations/field studies completed in
office buildings.) Generally, the major problems that have been found are
contamination from inside the building, contamination from outside the
building, contamination from the building fabric, microbial contamination, and
inadequate ventilation. Also, it has been found that although it is not
uncommon for more than one type of problem to exist in a single building,
inadequacies in ventilation systems, or their operation, are the major
contributor to indoor air quality problems.
As part of the health hazard evaluations, considerable data have been
collected such that a guidance document "Guidance for Indoor Air Quality
Investigations" has been published. This document is disseminated to
employers and employees to help them in directly evaluating their indoor air
quality problems.
In FY'89, it is expected that NIOSH will respond to a similar number of
requests (as FY'88) from employers and employees to evaluate indoor air
quality problems.
In regard to technical assistance, NIOSH also provides an 800 number for
individuals or groups to contact in regard to occupational safety and health
issues. In FY'88, NIOSH, via this mechanism, responded, with written
material, to approximately 300 requests for information on indoor air quality.
It is expected that in FY'89 this activity will continue at the same level.
In regard to NIOSH research and criteria development, there are numerous
current and past projects (epidemiologic research, toxicologic research,
analytical methods development, control technology/ventilation research,
personal protective equipment research, psychological job stress research and
criteria recommendations) that indirectly relate to indoor air quality issues.
For example, these projects deal with substances and issues such as aldehydes,
methyl alcohol, ammonia, acetic acid, microbials, fibrous glass, asbestos,
various organic solvents, polychlorinated biphenyls, carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide, sulfur oxides, oxides of nitrogen, metals, pesticides, lighting
problems, noise, other physical/work station problems, psychological responses
to air contaminants, psychological responses to organizational factors, video
display terminals, et al.
In FY'89, general research activities that cut across into indoor air
quality issues will continue. Also, in FY'89, a new research initiative is
being considered that, when completed, would be used to improve the tools for
conducting indoor air quality investigations. Aspects of this research
involve (1) developing improved analytical techniques for monitoring volatile
organic compounds and more sensitive direct reading instruments, and (2)
developing specific investigative techniques for evaluating (a) ventilation
problems; (b) clinical and psychosocial parameters, via a well designed
questionnaire; and (c) physical, chemical and biological exposures. Also in
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FY'89, an add-on to NIOSH's training activities is being considered that would
add indoor air quality educational materials into continuing education courses
conducted by NIOSH training grantees and SHAPE/MINERVA participants.
Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control (CEHIC)
The Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects (EHHE), Center
for Environmental Health and Injury Control (CEHIC), CDC, has authority for
indoor air quality activities under its mandate to assist State and local
health departments with preventing needless mortality and morbidity. EHHE and
its organizational predecessors have been involved in indoor air quality
issues for the past 10 years. The major accomplishments to date have been a
national study of radon levels in National Park Service housing,
investigations of asthma and other respiratory illness outbreaks associates
with environmental exposures, and studies of cotinine as a biochemical marker
of tobacco (passive) smoke in a variety of settings. FY'89 plans include
continuing projects on passive smoking, radon, and environmental respiratory
illness. EHHE's long-term role in indoor air quality is to continue to
conduct studies that will more accurately determine the levels of indoor air
pollutants and any associated adverse health effects, and to assist State and
local health departments in appropriate settings.
EHHE is also actively participating in the cotinine measurements to be
conducted by NHANES III.
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
(CCDPHP)
The Office on Smoking and Health (OSH), CCDPHP, is the focal point for
tobacco and health related activities in the Department of Health and Human
Services. The mission of OSH is to prevent death, disease, and disability
caused by tobacco use, and to coordinate a national program to reduce the
prevalence of tobacco use in the overall population as well as in specific
target groups. The OSH has long been active in the area of environmental
tobacco smoke.
Major Accomplishments
Decision Makers Guide - A guide for setting up non-smoking policies at the
worksite was produced in conjunction with the Office of Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion, DHHS.
Secretarial Initiative - In 1985, OSH, under the aegis of Secretary Heckler,
undertook a major effort to inform mothers of the risks of smoking during
pregnancy. Two years later, with Secretary Bowen's endorsement, a second
effort was made, with the additional message that babies should not be exposed
to tobacco smoke. This latest initiative distributed public service
announcements to television stations and over 2 million pieces of information
to hospitals, the WIC and other maternal and child clinics, and the public.
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Mortality Morbidity Weekly Report (MMWR) - In 1987, the OSH produced a major
article on passive smoking for CDC's MMWR.
National Advisory Committee Meeting - The Interagency Committee on Smoking and
Health (National Advisory Committee) which is chaired by the Surgeon General,
and staffed by OSH, held a meeting to examine the progress made by Federal
agencies in adopting the new GSA Regulations on smoking in Federal buildings.
Surgeon General's Report on Involuntary Smoking - In December 1986, DHHS
released the Surgeon General's Report on Involuntary Smoking. This report,
which was produced by OSH, is the most comprehensive scientific review of this
subject ever undertaken. The report concluded that involuntary smoking is a
cause of disease, including lung cancer, in healthy nonsmokers; the children
of parents who smoke compared with the children of nonsmoking parents have an
increased frecjuency of respiratory infection, increased respiratory symptoms,
and slightly smaller rates of increases in lung function as the lung matures;
and the simple separation of smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space
may reduce, but does not eliminate, the exposure of nonsmokers, to
environmental tobacco smoke.
During FY'89, the OSH anticipates that involuntary smoking activities will
continue at the present level.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS1
The National Center for Health Statistics is the Federal government's
principal health statistics organization. The legislative mandate for the
Center is to collect, analyze, and disseminate health data for the United
States population pertaining to all aspects of health and health behavior,
including environmental, social, and other health hazards. Information is
obtained from surveys, including population surveys (both interview and
examination) and record based surveys (including vital records, hospital
discharge records, and physician-based ambulatory care records).
Special emphasis in specific health areas are developed through
interagency agreements. In the past, NCHS has had interagency collaborations
with the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of
Environmental Health Sciences, the National Cancer Institute, and the Office
on Smoking and Health, CDC, to collect data related to environmental health
issues.
In 1987, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) supplement included
questions on workplace exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. The
interviews were completed in January, 1988 and the data edits have been
progressing. This study was conducted in collaboration with the National
Cancer Institute. The 1988 NHIS includes information on general exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke. This supplement was developed in collaboration
with the Office on Smoking and Health.
In FY 1988, the Environmental Protection Agency and NCHS evaluated the
feasibility of including radon tests in the home interview portion of the
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National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) scheduled to begin
in the fall of 1988. These assessments were determined to be unreliable and
the equipment too cumbersome given the many other components of the survey.
The public use tapes for NHIS, 1987 will be finished and made available
during the first quarter of FY 1989. The collection of the 1988 NHIS
supplement will be completed in January, 1989 and editing of the tapes will
proceed.
NCHS will continue to encourage interagency collaborations to assess
issues of health related to indoor air quality. The extent to which these can
be incorporated in the surveys conducted by NCHS depends on the balance of the
time required to fulfill the mandated survey objectives and the respondent
burden.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)
NIH supports and conducts a wide range of work that provides the
biomedical research tools needed to address the health aspects of the indoor
quality issue, including long standing study of lung, allergy and infectious
disorders and diseases and the toxicology of environmental and industrial
pollutants. Specific indoor air health concerns receiving increasing
attention include: radon in households, exposure to passive smoking, the
combustion by-products of heating and cooking, and the pollutants derived from
building materials and furnishings. Most indoor air exposures are to complex
mixtures of possibly hazardous substances at rather low concentrations, over
long periods of time, to people of varying susceptibilities. The answers to
these questions require significant advances in basic biomedical research.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
A significant body of data has emerged in the past several years that
has given rise to concern about air quality indoors. The quality of air in
factories and industrial buildings has long been recognized as a potential
health hazard. Now, reports of illness caused by contaminants found in homes
and offices, particularly those that have been "tightened" for energy
efficiency, create concern that the places where people spend most of their
time may be unhealthy. NIEHS has traditionally provided the basic and applied
health related research necessary to identify and understand such
environmental health hazards. The Institute has expertise in pulmonary
pathobiology, inhalation toxicology and the epidemiology of environmental
health risks that it is applying to study of the indoor air problem. Since
its inception, NIEHS has devoted significant scientific and fiscal resources
to study of the relationship between physical and chemical factors in the
environment and pulmonary disease. To a large degree, this work provides the
research tools essential to understanding the problem of indoor air
contamination.
Among its relevant epidemiology studies, NIEHS has supported, since
1974, a continuing major air pollution study at Harvard University (the so
called Six City Survey), which has developed the largest data base of indoor
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air quality and respiratory health data ever collected. Studies also are
underway investigating the health risks of radon exposure and passive smoking.
A contract is about to be awarded focusing on the relationship between active
and passive smoking and radon pollution in the etiology of lung cancer and
other potential cancer sites.
NIEHS conducts toxicological studies on a number of chemicals or classes
of compounds considered to be of particular concern in the indoor environment.
Among them are: sulfur oxides; nitrogen oxides; asbestos and other fibers;
metals, including lead, nickel and copper; solvents; and pesticides.
National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID)
NIAID has had a long standing interest in the study of indoor air
pollution, particularly the involvement or organic materials. One of NIAID's
grants is in its 17th year. However, the involvement of allergists in the
problem long precedes that date.
Methodologies designed for both indoor and outdoor allergens have made
possible precise identification and g_uantification of several relevant
allergens, including house dust, mite particles and indoor mold spores. With
mites, for example, an association to asthma has been demonstrated. Asthmatic
hyper-reactivity has been shown to be diminished in asthmatic patients
maintained in mite-free environments.
Goals for future work in this area are to: make allergen sampling
techniques generally available (such information will facilitate treatment
regimens and the monitoring of decontamination efforts); elucidate the role of
mites and cockroaches in the pathogenesis of asthma; and determine the role of
immunotherapy in treatment of mite allergic asthmatics.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
NCI has a number of studies relevant to indoor air. The following are
highlights of these activities.
NCI is emphasizing the assessment of the role of indoor radon exposure
in lung cancer risk. Based on newly-developed risk models, using data from
earlier NCI studies of underground miners, it is estimated that radon may
contribute to up to 10% of all lung cancers in the U.S. More precise
estimates will be made based on data from ongoing case control studies of lung
cancer in New Jersey, Missouri, Sweden, and China. These studies include
detailed measurements of indoor radon levels.
A study in Shenyang, China is investigating the risk of lung cancer from
indoor air pollution. Jnitial data suggests a rising risk associated with
duration of exposure to coal burning stoves, which generate high levels of
polycyclic hydrocarbons. Exposures to volatile from high temperature wok
cooking were implicated in the high risk of cancer among non-smoking women in
Shangai.
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Several case control studies have evaluated the possible association of
lung cancer with passive smoking. In Shanghai the risks among non-smoking
women tend to rise with increasing years of living with a smoking husband.
These findings resemble earlier studies of lung cancer among non-smoking women
in the U.S. and Japan, whose risk increased in proportion to the number of
cigarettes their husbands smoked.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
A major focus of research on indoor air quality supported by the
Division of Lung Diseases, NHLBI, is concerned with the health effects of
passive cigarette smoking on the respiratory health of children. Several
ongoing prospective epidemiological studies are assessing the effects of
parental smoking on lung growth and occurrence of respiratory illness among
children in random population samples in East Boston, Massachusetts and
Tucson, Arizona. Investigators also are studying the effects of maternal
smoking on neonatal lung function by means of recently developed infant lung
function testing methods.
A demonstration and education project in North Carolina seeks to
determine whether or not a health education program will reduce the frequency
and severity of lower respiratory illness in the first year of life by
decreasing infants' exposures to passive smoking.
National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR)
The dental community is concerned with the potential health risk of
exposure to nitrous oxide, a commonly used dental anesthetic gas. Although
the effects of this gas on the quality of the air indoors has been
established, questions remain about possible reproductive health effects.
NIDR is supporting a study investigating the hypothesis that nitrous oxide
affects ovulation of occupationally exposed females.
HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION (HRSA)
The Division of Federal Occupational and Beneficiary Health Services is
involved in developing asbestos protocols for medical tracking procedures,
environmental tracking procedures, education strategies, respirator approval,
computerizing clinical and environmental data, epidemiological data
assessment, and analytical contracts for asbestos analysis. In addition, HRSA
provides technical assistance to Federal agencies on asbestos issues and
conducts workplace radon monitoring.
AGENCY FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND DISEASE REGISTRIES (ATSDR)
ATSDR activities concerning indoor air quality are limited to the
investigation of causes of contamination if they are related to hazardous
wastes in the environment. This activity is ongoing.
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D . GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Authorization
The General Services Administration is charged with providing workspace
for 955,000 Federal employees housed in 232 millions square feet of space in
1,700 government-owned and 4,700 government-leased buildings. In addition to
acquiring the space, GSA has regulations governing the management of the
workspace. GSA is also authorized to delegate to other agencies real property
management responsibilities in single-tenant facilities.
History of Involvement in Indoor Air
GSA re-emphasized its efforts to provide safe and healthful indoor air
quality in Federal buildings with programs that addressed specific pollutants.
In 1979 GSA began to implement an asbestos program and in 1987 the Agency
implemented a policy for controlling smoking. In 1988 GSA developed a broad
indoor air program and a radon gas program. These policies apply to all GSA-
controlled space, which includes owned, operated, leased and delegated
buildings. Because GSA is not a health or regulatory agency, its programs are
designed to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines issued by
regulatory and standard-setting agencies. GSA issues consensus regulations
with respect to Federal property management based upon guidance and
regulations issued by other agencies.
Major Accomplishments
The GSA asbestos program calls for inspecting all buildings for asbestos-
containing materials, implementing building operation and maintenance plans
for such materials, and controlling and abating asbestos-containing materials
which are damaged, subject to damage, or affecting other repair or renovation
work. In addition, no new space with asbestos-containing material is to be
introduced into the inventory of government-owned property through purchase,
transfer, exchange, or construction. GSA will also avoid leasing space with
asbestos-containing materials and, if asbestos-free space is unavailable,
control or abatement actions are required prior to the signing of the lease.
GSA issued regulations to control smoking in GSA-controlled space. The
program identifies areas of GSA buildings where smoking is prohibited and
areas and areas which may be designated as smoking areas by agency heads.
Individual tenant agencies are responsible for implementation of the smoking
regulations which govern the GSA-controlled space they occupy.
The GSA radon program requires that all GSA controlled space will be
assessed for radon on a one-time basis. The radon measurements will be
performed over a 3 month time period to identify those buildings which require
response actions. Response actions will be initiated in buildings, or
portions thereof, where radon measurements exceed the EPA radon action level
for homes of 4 picocuries per liter.
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The GSA indoor air program has two components to address indoor air
quality concerns. The first component is an on-going program, conducted from
the GSA field offices. Under this component, the GSA field staff is charged
with providing prompt response to occupant complaints. Controls are to be
implemented as necessary to correct problems that are identified. If
corrective actions are not apparent, indoor air quality studies may be
conducted by GSA or the tenant agency to fulfill the Federal government's OSHA
responsibilities as an employer. GSA field staff must report any findings
from these studies to the field office manager.
The second component is a pro-active program, starting in 1989, that
requires all GSA-controlled space to be assessed for indoor air quality
concerns during the Safety and Environmental Management surveys which are
conducted on a four year cycle. As part of its indoor air quality policy, GSA
issued specifications for these indoor air quality assessments. All buildings
are to be operated in accordance with FPMR requirements, but exceptions to
address indoor air quality inadequacies are permitted. Elements of the
assessments include the following actions:
o reviewing the building operation and occupant activities records;
o evaluating occupant complaints;
o walking through the building to identify contamination sources;
o sampling for key indicator contaminants (i.e., carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide, and formaldehyde, when necessary);
o taking corrective actions if samples indicate poor indoor air quality,
with an emphasis on eliminating the source of the problem;
o evaluating the effectiveness of corrective actions.
In addition, special assessments will be made in relation to new construction
and repairs and alterations to existing buildings and as part of pre-lease
surveys when leasing space from the private sector.
E. TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
Authorization
The authorization for TVA to pursue indoor air quality activities is
principally derived from its responsibilities for promoting the general
welfare of Valley citizens as defined in the TVA Act, its obligations under
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related executive orders to
incorporate environmental decision making into the agency's programs and
operations, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act to provide a safe work
environment for its employees.
Individual offices are responsible for authorizing and conducting their
indoor air activities. The agency indoor air program manager coordinates and
reviews these activities with the assistance of the Interoffice Indoor Air
Quality advisory committee.
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History of Involvement in Indoor Air
Aside from its traditional industrial hygiene activities, the agency's
first indoor air quality investigations examined how building materials having
elevated level of radium influenced indoor radon concentrations. A field
study of 40 homes conducted in 1979 found no significant difference in
structures that had radium-enhanced building materials and those that did not,
primarily because the variability of background radiation was so large. This
finding is consistent with later investigations that found a broad range of
indoor radon levels throughout the TVA region. TVA assessments have also
determined that radium-enhanced building materials result in insignificant
risks because the radioactive portion of these materials is a small proportion
of the totals, and because radiation releases are reduced since the
radioactive portion is encapsulated.
TVA's activities in indoor air quality expanded during the early 1980's
because of is need to evaluate the indoor environmental management aspects of
the agency's conservation and utilization programs, and because of its
responsibilities as a natural resource management agency, to protect and
enhance the resource and the general welfare of the citizens of the region.
TVA'S indoor air quality program has also focused on the development of
multidisciplinary cooperation studies. The agency's investigations are
designed to address questions related to occupancy, building and equipment,
and/or air resource effects. Virtually all of TVA's major studies have been
undertaken in cooperation with local, state, or federal agencies, or private
sector organizations.
Major Accomplishments
TVA has implemented an integrated air quality program to provide for
public information and education; technical assistance to agencies and
organizations; and research and demonstration projects supporting the
evaluations of its programs and operations. The following describes major
accomplishments realized for these programmatic components.
Public Outreach TVA provides information on indoor air quality to the
public through its Citizens Action Line, the publication and distribution of
booklets and brochures, and through public meetings and lectures. Since 1985
TVA's toll-free Citizen Actions Lines have been serving as a hot line for
Valley residents to obtain general literature on indoor air quality.
Inquiries of a highly technical nature are referred to TVA's professional
staff by the Citizen Action Lines personnel. TVA has also published three
consumer-oriented booklets that deal with indoor air quality concerns related
to weatherization, sources, health effects and control. Also general
informational sections-on indoor air have been incorporated into several of
its energy conservation brochures. Educational materials have also been
developed by TVA for used by teachers in the Valley. Staff have made numerous
presentations to civic and community groups on indoor air over the last
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several years to promote awareness and understanding of potential indoor
environmental risks and ways to avoid or control them.
Technical Assistance As part of its initial 1979 indoor air quality field
study, TVA organized one of the first regional groups of state radiological
health agencies specifically to address indoor radon. As a consequence of
this initiative the agency provided free radon detectors in 1985 to four
states in the region to conduct preliminary radon surveys. Since then the
agency has also helped organize meetings of local and state officials to
examine a variety of indoor air quality concerns. A good example of this
control and housing agencies in Chattanooga, Tennessee to help address health
complaints of residents in low income housing projects. To date two field
studies have been completed with TVA assistance to examine indoor VOC
concentrations and to determine the distribution of indoor nitrogen dioxide
levels in five public housing projects. Currently, an intervention study is
underway to evaluate the effectiveness of improved gas equipment maintenance
to reduce the high indoor nitrogen dioxide levels observed in these low income
housing units during the previous study. Also, technical assistance and
support was provided to local minority business to develop and test radon
detection and control equipment. In general, the agency's technical
assistance efforts on indoor air quality are a component of its Regional Air
Quality Management Program.
Research and Prop-ram Evaluation Most of the indoor air quality research and
development activities sponsored by the agency are related to the evaluation
of operational questions relate to TVA's energy conservation and utilization
program, chemical development activities, and occupational health and safety
program. The following field studies and test and development activities have
been implemented to provide new information for environmental decision making
on various aspects of the agency's operations, assess emerging regional
concerns, and evaluate and develop control technology options.
Wood Heating Indoor Air Evaluations: At TVA's Energy Use Test Facility
studies were conducted between 1983 and 1985 to assess the influence of
woodstove design and operation on indoor emissions. These studies were co-
sponsored by BPA and CPSC. Also, field studies have been undertaken in areas
with high wood heating use to examine ambient and indoor pollution from
woodstove use. A small computer model has been developed to evaluate control
options for indoor air pollution form woodstoves.
Multi-pollutant Field Studies: To examine indoor air quality questions
associated with the agency's chemical development and energy conservation
activities, several multi-pollutant field studies were implemented in
cooperation with CPSC, EPA, and the Electric Power Research Institute and
Alabama Power Company. A 70-home study was initially developed by TVA to
assess the background and seasonal variability of indoor radon levels. This
was expanded by TVA and its co-sponsors to provide for the measurement of
other pollutants, the evaluation of passive monitors, measurement of air
infiltration rates, and an assessment of home weatherization measures. A
similar expansion was developed for a study involving over 30-homes in East
Tennessee which was part of the Harvard Six Cities Study. This expansion
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provided new information to the researchers on pollutant exposures in these
homes for their health effects evaluations as well as yielding additional
information on the influence of building characteristics and energy use on
indoor air quality. This study included the first characterization of
microbial distributions in noncompliant residential dwellings.
Office Indoor Air Quality Assessment: TVA has developed and initiated a
Building Risk Management Program which is designed to identify, evaluate, and
correct conditions int he agency's facilities contributing to poor indoor
environmental conditions that may affect employee health and safety. This
program includes the investigations of complaints, collection of building
ventilation and design criteria, evaluation of employee survey data, and
monitoring of physical, chemical, and biological parameters. TVA is also in
the process of quantifying the potential radiological risk form indoor radon
in a number of different work environments.
Public Housing Indoor Air Studies: As previously mentioned in the Technical
Assistance section, TVA in cooperation with local and state officials has
conducted studies to quantify volatile and semi-volatile organic chemicals,
and indoor nitrogen dioxide levels in five Chattanooga public housing
developments. In FY 88 an indoor nitrogen dioxide intervention study as
implemented to evaluate the effect of improved gas equipment maintenance on
indoor nitrogen dioxide levels.
Indoor Environmental Control Technology Testing: TVA's Energy Use Test
Facility has been conducting studies on indoor air cleaning technologies for
residential housing. A room-sized test chamber is used to evaluate the
performance of the systems to remove tobacco smoke and other gaseous indoor
pollutants. Nine commercially available systems have been tested to-date,
including heat recovery ventilators, HEPA filters, and electronic air
cleaners.
Integrated Energy and Environmental Management System: In FY88 TVA started a
research project to develop and test a microprocessor control system for
managing energy use and indoor air quality in buildings. Development of
prototype and field testing is planned for FY 89.
Radon Diagnostics and Control: In cooperation with DOE and EPA, the agency
has embarked on a year long study to assess techniques for determining and
controlling radon entry into residential structures. Two different building
types are being evaluated in this study, at sites in Huntsville, Alabama and
Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
F. Occupational Safety and Health AHminlatration fOSHA>
U.S. Department of Labor
Authority for Indoor Air Activities
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created
under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct). The Act
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authorizes representatives of the Secretary of Labor to promulgate safety and
health standards and inspect workplaces for compliance with the standards.
OSHA's jurisdiction covers situations involving exposure of employees to
harmful conditions in workplaces. Most public buildings, since they are
workplaces, would be covered by OSHA standards.
History of Involvement in Indoor Air Quality Activities
OSHA became a member of the Interagency Committee on Indoor Air
Quality in 1983. OSHA has no research program specifically designed to
discover or resolve indoor air quality problems since OSHA is not a research
organization. OSHA, however, is concerned with worker's exposure to
pollutants regardless of the type of workplace, including public and
commercial buildings.
Major Accomplishments
OSHA has promulgated occupational health standards limiting employees'
occupational exposure to over 600 toxic substances and conducts health
inspections in both factory and office environments to ensure compliance with
the standards. OSHA has established a health Data File which contains the
information found during the health inspections. This file is a part of the
OSHA Integrated Management Information System (IMIS). The data are made
available to the committee upon request.
OSHA has completed a draft guideline for evaluating indoor air quality
in workplaces other than industrial facilities. The guidelines will be made
available to OSHA compliance officers and state consultants for evaluating
indoor air quality problems in commercial office buildings in light of the
current OSHA standards. It will include information on major health
contaminants and their sources, health effects, sampling instruments, sampling
methods, evaluation procedure, and recommended actions.
FY 89 Plans
No research projects on indoor air quality are planned for FY 1989.
However, OSHA will issue a guideline of evaluating indoor air quality in
workplaces other than industrial facilities.
Long Term Role
OSHA will continue to participate in the CIAQ, update the Health Data
File of the IMIS, and promulgate standards as necessary.
G. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION fDOTl
Authorization
Indoor air quality responsibilities of the Department of
Transportation relate largely to types of enclosed spaces such as airliner
cabins, merchant ships, Coast Guard vessels, buses, and highway tunnels. With
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one exception, airliner cabins, there are no statutory requirements for this
Department to take specific regulatory actions. However, DOT is involved to a
limited degree in air quality control of its own facilities and transportation
related interiors. Following is a brief overview of these activities.
Major Accomplishments
Coast Guard
The Coast Guard has funded a variety of research projects to study
overall occupational health problems in the marine industry. One project was
concerned with the control of exposure of personnel to hazardous materials
transported by ship. Use of asbestos in Coast Guard vessels has been banned
for several years. Removal of asbestos from merchant ships is being closely
monitored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Removal of
asbestos from Coast Guard vessels takes place at the Curtis Bay facility and
is monitored by the Coast Guard. Currently, the Coast Guard is looking for
alternatives for use in applications such as fire prevention where asbestos
was formerly required.
Maritime Administration (MARAD)
The Maritime Administration has developed an action plan for the
control of asbestos in MARAD facilities or vessels for which MARAD is
responsible such as the ready Reserve Fleet, where personnel exposure to
airborne asbestos fibers is a potential health hazard. MARA technical, legal
and administrative personnel determined how exposure to airborne asbestos
fibers may occur in MARAD programs, the level of exposures encountered, and
the appropriate methods to eliminate such exposures. As a result of this
three year study, in both living and working quarters and provides for careful
monitoring.
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration has monitored and issued a series
of reports on air quality related to highway facilities. These studies have
included air quality in cut-and-cover tunnels, air quality in bus terminals,
air quality in truck cabs, and air quality in air-rights buildings above
depressed highways. An evaluation of tunnel ventilation is currently
underway.
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued rules to control air
quality in airplane cabins. Existing Federal Airworthiness regulations (FARS)
require that each passenger and crew compartment must be ventilated and must
have enough fresh air (not less 10 cu.ft. per minute per crew member) so that
the crew can perform its duties without undue discomfort or fatigue; crew and
passengers compartment air must be free from harmful or hazardous
concentrations of gases of vapors; carbon monoxide concentrations may not
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exceed three percent by volume. Cabin ozone concentration is limited both for
instantaneous levels and 3-hour, time-weighted average levels. The
regulations further provide that hazardous contamination of cabin air systems
may not result from failures of the engine lubricating systems; and that the
ventilation requirements for crew members must be met after reasonably
probable failures or malfunctioning of the ventilating, heating,
pressurization, or other systems or equipment.
Office of the Secretary
Public Law 98-466, enacted in 1984, directed the Secretary of
Transportation to commission the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an
independent study which has as its objective the determination of the adequacy
of current policies and standards for providing suitable air quality in the
cabins of civil commercial aircraft. Among other areas, the study focused
on:
o the quality of fresh air per occupant and overall quality of air
onboard;
o the quantity and quality of humidification;
o onboard environmental conditions and contaminating limits.
A report to Congress dated December 1986 summarizes the Academy's
findings and the Departments comments and recommendations. As a follow-up of
that study a contractor will soon begin monitoring the air quality within
airliner cabins, assess any health risk to the cabin crew and passengers, and
analyze potential mitigation strategies.
DOT Facilities
In addition to the industrial setting, DOT'S internal occupational
safety and health program is tasked with monitoring and controlling indoor DOT
environments suspected of having a detrimental effect on the quality of life.
Specific projects have included the identification, evaluation and control of:
o airborne mold at the Coast Guard headquarters building caused by a
water leak. The mold was being distributed through the building's
ventilation system;
o pesticide contamination within Coast Guard government housing caused
by the inadvertent injection of to the termite control pesticide
choloradane into the ventilation system;
o diesel exhaust gases within office space of the DOT headquarters
building caused by the building design and the positioning of a
truck loading ramp;
o asbestos contamination within the FAA headquarters building caused
by various remodeling and renovation projects;
77
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pesticide contamination within all DOT headquarters building caused
by improper pesticide application and or employee hypersensitivity.
78
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APPENDIX
INDOOR AIR AND RADON RESOURCE HISTORY
79
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RESOURCE CHART FOR INDOOR AIR
(in millions)
en
o
FY 1986
ACTUALS
FY 1987 FY 1988 FY 1989 FY 1990
ACTUALS ACTUALS OPERATING PRESIDENT'S
PLAN BUDGET
Office of Air and Radiation (OAR)*
Extramural$
Total$
FTE
Office of Research
Extramural$
Total$
FTE
Total
Bxtramural$
Total$
FTE
$0.05
$0.20
3.0
$0.20
$0.40
5.0
$0.35
$0.88
10.8
$0.36
$0.98
10.7
$1.36
$2.24
14.7
and Development (ORD)
$2.02
$2.26
4.6
$2.07
$2.46
7.6
$2.22
$2.85
10.7
$2.42
$3.25
15.7
$2.56
$3.42
17.1
$2.91
$4.30
27.9
$2.75
$3.71
15.0
$3.11
$4.69
25.7
$2.68
$4.06
15.0
$4.04
$6.30
29.7
* includes EPA Regional Office programs
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RESOURCE CHART FOR RADON
(in millions)
FY 1986
ACTUALS
FY 1987 FY1988 FY 1989 FY 1990
ACTUALS ACTUALS OPERATING PRESIDENT'S
PLAN BUDGET
office of Air and Radiation (OAR)*
Extramural$
Total$
FTE
Office of Research
Extramural$
Total?
FTE
Total
Extramural?
Total?
FTE
$2.40
$3.96
29.5
$2.86
$5.00
42.0
$4.90
$7.13
37.9
$7.40
$10.56
62.0
$15.40
$18.66
62.0
and Development (ORD)
$1.50
$1.97
9.0
$3.90
$5.93
38.5
$1.52
$2.48
18.2
$4.38
$7.48
60.2
$1.51
$2.56
16.7
$6.41
$9.69
54.6
$2.26
$3.42
17.9
$9.66
$13.98
79.9
$2.56
$3.95
17.9
$17.96
$22.61
79.9
includes EPA Regional Office programs
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