United States Office of Air and Office of Research and
Environmental Protection Radiation Development
Agency (ANR-445) (RD-672)
August 1989 £P A/400/1-89/001A
Report to Congress on
Indoor Air Quality
Executive Summary
and Recommendations
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
Executive Summarv and Recommendations
Issued Under
Section 403(e), Title IV
of the
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization
Act (SARA) of 1986
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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
Concentrations and Exposures 1-1
Chapter 2. Significant Pollutants, Sources, and
Health Effects 2-1
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Chapter 3. Measuring and Modeling Indoor Air Pollution 3-1
Chapter 4. Health Impacts 4-1
Chapter 5. Economic Impacts of Indodr 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
IX. 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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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION AWD BEgQMMEWDATTOWg
Title IV of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986
(SARA) requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a research
program with respect to radon gas and indoor air quality and to disseminate
information on indoor air quality problems and solutions. EPA is specifically
required under Section 403(e) to submit a report to Congress describing the
activities carried out under SARA Title IV and making such recommendations as
appropriate.
This three volume report is designed to fulfill the reporting
requirement of Section 403(e) as well as to provide Congress and the public
with an up-to-date report on the status of efforts in the United States and
elsewhere to assess and control indoor air pollution problems. The three
volumes of the report include:
Volume I — Federal Programs Addressing Indoor Air Quality
Volume II — Assessment and Control of Indoor Air Pollution
Volume III — Indoor Air Pollution Research Needs Statement
At this time, indoor air research and policy programs have not
sufficiently characterized indoor air quality problems and solutions to be
able to define the appropriate long-term Federal role regarding the need for,
or appropriateness of, regulatory approaches to indoor air quality problems.
Nevertheless, sufficient evidence exists to conclude that indoor air pollution
represents a major portion of the public's exposure to air pollution and may
pose serious acute and chronic health risks. This evidence warrants an
expanded effort to characterize and mitigate this exposure. Consequently, EPA
makes the following recommendations:
1. Research to better characterize exposure and health effects of chemical
contaminants and pollutant mixtures commonly found indoors should be
significantly expanded.
Although EPA is beginning to devote greater effort to characterizing non-
cancer health effects from various exposure routes, information on exposure in
homes and buildings is limited to a very few pollutants and groups of
pollutants. In addition, virtually nothing is known about cancer and non-
cancer health effects due to low level respiratory exposures to multiple
chemical contaminants. An expanded research program in this field is needed
to help characterize causes and solutions to the "sick building syndrome" and
to investigate emerging health issues such as multiple chemical sensitivity.
2. A research program to characterize and develop mitigation strategies for
biological contaminants in indoor air should be developed.
EPA1s historical experience in addressing environmental hazards has been
predominantly focused on chemical contaminants. However, biological
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contaminants in indoor air are predominantly responsible for known building-
related illnesses, which include Legionnaires disease and hypersensitivity
pneumonitis, and have been increasingly associated with poor hygienic and
maintenance practices in buildings. While both the National Institutes for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) have active research underway, the lack of EPA participation
limits the scope and magnitude of the effort.
3. Research to identify and characterize significant indoor air pollution
sources and to evaluate appropriate mitigation strategies should be
significantly expanded.
Source control is the most effective control option when major sources
can be identified and characterized, and it may be the only viable option in
some situations. However, significant resources must be devoted to
identifying and characterizing sources to enable EPA and other Federal
agencies to take appropriate control actions under existing authorities or to
advise the public of the health risks from specific sources and actions they
can take to reduce risk. Furthermore, research into innovative control
technologies, and evaluation of technologies developed by the private sector,
including air cleaning technologies, should be significantly enhanced.
4. A program is needed to develop and promote,, in conjunction with
appropriate private sector organizations, guidelines covering ventilation, as
well as other building design,, operation, and maintenance practices for
ensuring that indoor air quality is protective of public health.
EPA believes that an effective national program to control indoor air
pollution will require the application of generic strategies involving
provisions for adequate ventilation, and provisions to avoid problems through
proper building design, operation and maintenance. This approach, combined
with programs targeted to specific individual high risk sources and pollutants
would provide a comprehensive, but feasible and cost effective, control
strategy. EPA does not believe that a pollutant-by-pollutant approach
encompassing target levels for individual pollutants would resolve the bulk of
indoor air quality problems.
5. A program of technical assistance, and information dissemination,
similar in scope to the Agency's radon program, is needed to inform the public
about risks and mitigation strategies, and to assist state and local
governments and the private sector in solving indoor air quality problems.
Such a program should include an indoor air quality clearinghouse.
While EPA has joined the ongoing Federal and private sector efforts to
disseminate information on indoor air quality, as our experience with radon
has demonstrated, a program is needed that can keep pace with the needs of
state and local governments, architects, building owners and managers,
researchers, the medical and health communities, building occupants and the
general public who are seeking reliable technical and non-technical
information. A program to transfer knowledge and develop capabilities in the
public and private sectors would include a variety of technical assistance and
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information dissemination activities comparable to those developed to address
the radon' problem. An indoor air information clearinghouse is needed to
enhance coordination and access to such information.
6. The Federal government should undertake an effort to characterize the
nature and pervasiveness of the health impacts associated with indoor air
quality problems in commercial and public buildings, schools, health care
facilities, and residences,, and develop and promote recommended guidelines for
diagnosing and controlling such problems.
The available literature suggests that indoor air quality problems are
pervasive in a wide spectrum of buildings, but the prevalence of such
problems, the nature of their sources, and the amount of human exposure
attributable to these sources remains virtually unknown. However, an
increasing number of complaints are being registered to government agencies,
and a growing number of private sector firms are attempting to respond to a
rapidly emerging market for diagnostic and mitigation services. A major study
is needed to determine the scope and character of such problems, and to
develop recommendations to guide and control the quality of diagnostic and
mitigation services in the private sector.
SUMMARY OF VOLUME I — FEDERAL PROGRAMS ADDRESSING INDOOR AIR
QUALITYj \
In Volume I, the history of EPA's involvement in indoor air quality
issues is briefly summarized, including early research initiatives, efforts to
deal with specific pollutants such as asbestos, formaldehyde, radon, and
pesticides, and EPA's relatively recent initiative to develop a comprehensive
approach for characterizing and addressing indoor air quality issues.
Specific actions such as the development of an indoor air quality policy and
program, dissemination of information on indoor air issues, and coordination
of the many activities underway within EPA, other Federal agencies, state and
local governments and the private sector are described. Volume I contains a
detailed status report on the Agency's Radon Action Program and other Agency
programs related to indoor air quality. Reports from other Federal agencies
involved in indoor air quality issues describe their historical, current, and
anticipated roles in carrying out indoor air quality research and both
regulatory and non-regulatory programs.
Indoor Air Procrram Development
Indoor air quality activities at EPA have expanded since 1986 and
passage of SARA Title IV. Ongoing programs addressing individual problem
pollutants continue under various legislative authorities and agency
organizational units. However, in early 1986, in recognition of the need to
establish a coordinated approach to addressing indoor air quality issues, a
small indoor air staff, now the Indoor Air Division, was established in the
Office of Air .and Radiation (OAR). The Indoor Air Division coordinates the
many indoor air quality issues being addressed by various EPA programs,
establishes Agency indoor air policy, identifies and fills unaddressed program
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needs, develops and disseminates information on indoor air quality, and
provides policy direction to the indoor air research program.
Major activities of this Division during the past 18 months include
initiatives to identify and analyze specific policy issues that will need to
be resolved with respect to the long term Federal role in indoor air quality
issues, development of mechanisms of coordination of government and private
sector indoor air programs and activities, and active development of a wide
spectrum of information on indoor air pollution problems and mitigation
strategies. Major activities of the Indoor Air Division since passage of SARA
Title IV include:
o Sponsorship of a National Policy Forum on Indoor Air Quality to
identify major policy issues and options with respect to the Federal
role in addressing indoor air quality issues;
o Initiation of a survey of private sector firms which offer indoor
air quality diagnostic and mitigation services to the public in order to
identify and evaluate the capability of the private sector to resolve
indoor air quality problems in commercial and public buildings,
residences, schools, hospitals, and day care facilities;
o Development of a comprehensive status report on assessment and
control of indoor air quality in the U.S., presented as Volume II of
this report;
o Participation in the Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality
(CIAQ), the primary coordination vehicle for Federal indoor air quality
activities;
o Development and distribution, in cooperation with the Consumer
Product Safety Commission, of a 32 page booklet for the general public
titled The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality which describes
residential and public building indoor air quality problems and
solutions;
o Publication of a 129 page Directory of State Indoor Air Contacts
compiled by the Public Health Foundation under a cooperative agreement
with EPA. The directory recognizes the decentralized nature of indoor
air issues in the states by providing the public with the state agency
contacts for various indoor air quality issues;
o Publication of a series of fact sheets on indoor air quality issues.
Fact sheets published in 1988 include Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality
in Offices and Sick Building/a;
o Preparation of a draft technical manual for building design
engineers and architects which details indoor air pollution prevention
and reviews diagnostic and mitigation considerations for new buildings;
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o Development, in cooperation with several Department of Health and
Human Services (DHHS) agencies, of a draft technical manual for policy
makers on environmental tobacco smoke which describes the technical
basis for smoking restrictions, as well as policy and technical options
for implementing restrictions;
o Initiation of work on a self-paced introductory training course for
state and local government personnel on indoor air quality, in
preparation by the National Environmental Health Association under an
interagency agreement between EPA and the Public Health Service.
Indoor Air Quality Research
Title IV of SARA mandates a comprehensive indoor air quality research
and development program at EPA in order to identify, characterize, and monitor
sources and levels of indoor air pollutants, to develop instruments for indoor
air quality data collection, and to identify high risk building types. This
research is performed by EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). 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 important part of the research
program, and information on some health risks is sufficient to notify the
public of the risks and mitigation procedures.
ORD's indoor air research program coordinates the research efforts of
four EPA laboratories: the Health Effects Research Laboratory (HERL), the
Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory (AREAL), the Air and
Energy Engineering Research Laboratory (AEERL) and the Environmental Criteria
and Assessment Office (ECAO). Major accomplishments of the research program
include:
o Completion of several major studies which were designed to assess
the exposure of individuals to major indoor air pollutants. The Total
Human Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) studies on carbon monoxide,
volatile organic compounds, and particulates utilized personal exposure
monitors and time use pattern questionnaires and other techniques to
directly measure total human exposure to air pollution and to apportion
individual exposure among different microenvironments. These studies
provided the first major evidence that indoor levels of many pollutants
frequently exceed outdoor levels;
o Completion of an information assessment identifying the hazards of
indoor environments which was submitted to Congress as part of EPA's
Indoor Air Quality Implementation Plan in 1987. The document provides a
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preliminary hazard identification of indoor pollutants and discusses
current monitoring methods and mitigation techniques.
o Establishment and maintenance of the Indoor Air Pollution
Reference Bibliography. This project is intended to be a complete list
of all published information which pertains to indoor air pollution.
Health effects, monitoring methods, exposure levels, and mitigation
techniques are some of the key word categories that can be searched.
o Recent research indicates the possibility of additional adverse
health effects from exposure to the emissions from kerosene and other
unvented space heaters. New data on the complex emissions from these
sources indicate that, in addition to elevated nitrogen dioxide and
carbon monoxide levels, indoor particle levels may exceed outdoor
standards, and these emissions include high sulfate and acidic ion
concentrations. Similar concentrations have been reported to cause
pulmonary irritancy in humans. Additional research will be conducted to
verify and expand on these preliminary findings.
o Research devoted to characterizing emissions from materials has
developed preliminary procedures for small chamber testing of emissions
from building materials and consumer products such as moth repellents,
particleboard, floor wax, dry cleaned fabrics, carpet, and office
partitions. These studies provide information on the emission rates and
composition of organic vapors over a wide range of conditions, and can
be used to develop standard methods for emission testing of indoor
materials by manufacturers.
o Research in a well-characterized test house has emphasized the study
of 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. The test
house is the validation step in indoor air pollution research. The
results achieved in chamber studies can be verified in test house
studies for use in generating a predictive model of indoor air pollution
scenarios.
o Indoor air control studies have examined the effectiveness of
activated carbon in air cleaning devices for the control of typical
indoor concentrations of volatile organic compounds. This research has
shown 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.
o A compendium of indoor air measurement methods is under development
to assist in the standardization of sampling and analysis methods for
VOCs, SVOCs (semi-volatile organic compounds), nicotine, carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, particles, air
exchange rates, and pesticides.
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o ORD has made advances in modelling indoor air pollutants, which
builds upon early work by the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. In
collaboration with DOE and CPSC, EPA/ORD has supported at the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formerly NBS) the
development of an advanced, mathematical multi-zonal model to predict
indoor air pollution concentrations in large complex buildings. ORD has
developed a more simplified indoor air quality model which has been
validated using a research test home and is currently available. The
effects of sources, sinks, and ventilation changes can be examined
through these models, and will help researchers evaluate problems and
solutions and aid in building design considerations.
o Indoor pollutant concentrations measured in ten public access
buildings, including schools, homes for the elderly, and office
buildings, indicate that newly constructed buildings may have levels of
some VOCs as much as 100 times normal levels. These levels diminish
rapidly during the first several months of the buildings' life. This
study is of importance because these buildings may contain populations
which are very sensitive to these pollutants (e.g. children and the
elderly).
o Along with NIOSH, NIST, and DOE, EPA has initiated an investigation
of complaints of indoor air pollution in the Library of Congress Madison
building as well as at EPA's own headquarters complex. This study will
include simultaneous measurement of both pollutant levels and
ventilation rates, and the administration of an occupant survey
questionnaire. ORD researchers have also provided ongoing support 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.
o Health effects research has demonstrated that cotinine 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.
o Research devoted to studying human responses to VOC mixtures has
begun which will validate 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 will
help to evaluate one of the suspected causes of sick building syndrome.
o EPA has conducted a major study of non-occupational exposure to
pesticides using the TEAM study approach. Preliminary data indicate
that indpor exposure to pesticides is widespread, with as many as 10
different pesticides being detected in a single home. This research is
of interest because these pesticides are used not only within the
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residence, but includes pesticides used outdoors which have also been
found to enter the home environment.
o As part of the Technology Transfer program, the Office of Research
and Development also sponsored the Consumer Federation of America's
Third National Indoor Air Quality Conference. This conference is held
annually to provide a forum for an exchange of information and a
discussion of the technical and policy implications of the causes and
consequences of indoor air pollution.
Aeti.ong TQ Addreaa Soeei-f ic Problem Pollutants
RAD OH
In addition to describing EPA's research and program development
activities on the broad indoor air quality front, Volume I of the report also
provides summary reports of the on-going efforts of EPA to address specific
problem pollutants. Most pertinent to SARA Title IV is the Radon Action
Program, which seeks to address the risks from indoor exposure to naturally
occurring radon. In 1985, EPA introduced this 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 major elements and accomplishments of the Radon Action Program include:
1. Problem Assessment to determine the distribution and levels of radon
• exposures and, in cooperation with the Department of Energy (DOE), the
associated health effects. Accomplishments include:
o Standardization of radon measurement methods
o National Survey of 2000-5000 homes
o Assistance with State surveys
o Development of geologic maps indicating potential high radon risk
areas
o Development of methods for predicting potential high risk areas
2. Mitigation and Prevention to develop methods for reducing radon levels
in existing structures and for preventing radon entry in new construction.
Accomplishments include:
o Development of techniques for reducing and preventing elevated radon
levels
o Transfer of mitigation technologies to states and the private sector
o Evaluation of the effectiveness of radon resistant construction
features in new construction
o Investigation of the incorporation of radon resistant construction
techniques into building codes
3. Capability Development to develop the capacity within the states and the
private sector to diagnose and remedy radon problems in homes. Accomplishments
include:
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o Establishment of diagnosis and mitigation training course
o Establishment of programs to evaluate radon measurement services
4. Public Information to inform the public about the health risks
associated with radon exposure and methods for reducing those risks.
Accomplishments include:
o Development of citizen action guidelines
o Preparation of numerous public information documents on radon
o Presentations on radon given to hundreds of organizations
o Education of health care workers
o Examination of the effectiveness of risk communication activities
EPA is also participating in a number of important activities related to
radon in addition to those conducted under the Radon Action Program. In
accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), EPA is working to develop
a set of enforceable standards for radon and other radionuclides in drinking
water. EPA is also working closely with a number of other Federal agencies to
address the radon problem. These activities include a cooperative agreement
with the Department of Energy (DOE) with respect to each agency's research
role and providing assistance to agencies like the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD), National Park Service (NPS), and the Department of
Defense (DOD) in developing their own radon programs. EPA and DOE also co-
chair the Radon Workgroup of the Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality
(CIAQ).
ASBESTOS
EPA's asbestos program predates SARA Title IV by several 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 exposure to asbestos. EPA's efforts to address asbestos
problems encompass the full range of regulatory, grant, and technical
assistance activities. While the primary focus of the asbestos program has
been in the Nation's schools, the program has also begun to address asbestos
problems in commercial and public buildings and homes.
The major activities of the asbestos program in reducing exposure to
asbestos-containing materials in schools, described in Volume I of this
report, include:
o Promulgation of the Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools Rule in
October 1987;
o Development of a model accreditation plan to provide for training
and accreditation of persons who inspect school buildings, develop
management plans or design or conduct response actions;
o Implementation of the asbestos loan and grant program to provide
financial assistance to schools with severe asbestos hazards and
financial need and the Asbestos Inspection and Management Planning
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Assistance Program (AIMPAP). These programs have provided more than
$175 million in school assistance since 1985;
o Development and distribution of guidance documents for building
owners and others responsible for carrying out asbestos abatement
activities;
o Development and funding of five university asbestos information and
training centers as well as four satellite training centers;
o Distribution of grants to States for certification, training and
accreditation programs.
Activities to reduce exposure to asbestos-containing materials in
commercial and public buildings include:
o Establishment of regional technical assistance outreach program,
involving EPA asbestos coordinators and technical support staff;
o Submission to Congress in February 1988 of a report on the Public
and Commercial Buildings Study, in which EPA estimated that 20 percent
of commercial and public buildings (at least 700,000 buildings) contain
friable asbestos;
o Completion of a major field study which compares airborne outdoor
asbestos levels with prevailing indoor levels in 43 Federal buildings
with asbestos-containing materials. An interim report on the results of
the study indicates very low prevailing levels in Federal buildings and
no statistical difference between indoor and outdoor levels, even in
buildings with damaged asbestos-containing materials;
o Sponsorship of the Federal Asbestos Task Force (FATF), a working
group of Federal agencies with asbestos control responsibilities; and
o Publication and distribution, in cooperation with CPSC, of the
booklet Asbestos in the Home.
Other asbestos regulatory activities include:
o Proposed revision of the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous
Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) for asbestos under Section 112 of the Clean Air
Act:
o Issuance of a worker protection rule under Section 6 of the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA);
o A proposal, also under Section 6 of TSCA, to ban certain asbestos
products and phase out others.
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ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE
Published reports of the Surgeon General and the National Research
Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences conclude that exposure to
environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) (i.e., passive smoking) is a cause of lung
cancer in healthy non-smokers and is responsible for both acute and chronic
respiratory and other health impacts in sensitive populations, including
children of smokers. Published risk estimates place ETS among the most
harmful indoor air pollutants, and higher in risk than many environmental
pollutants currently regulated by EPA.
Accordingly, EPA has established a research program on environmental
tobacco smoke as well as a risk assessment and information program. These
programs will enable EPA to provide the public with an understanding of the
hazards of ETS as well as reliable methods for risk mitigation (e.g.,
establishment of smoking restrictions such as separately ventilated smoking
areas). A number of EPA total exposure monitoring studies have shown that ETS
is the dominant source of particulate matter in buildings where smoking is
allowed, and that ETS contributes a significant fraction of carbon monoxide
and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — including benzene — exposures.
Health studies by EPA's Health Effects Research Lab show that ETS contributes
the bulk of mutagenic activity in indoor air. Among the activities currently
underway:
o Continued research into the use of cotinine, a metabolite of
nicotine, as a biological marker for ETS exposure so that an estimate of
the dose received from exposure to ETS can be made;
o Evaluation of mutagenicity as a biological marker for ETS exposure;
o Continued studies of the exposure of children to ETS as well as
participation in multi-agency ETS exposure studies;
o Development of a formal lung cancer risk assessment under EPA's
Cancer Risk Assessment Guidelines;
o Development of a policy-maker's handbook and supporting reference
manual on workplace smoking policies, in conjunction 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;
o Publication of a fact sheet on environmental tobacco smoke, as the
fifth in a series of short publications on indoor air pollution issues.
FORMALDEHYDE
In 1984, EPA designated formaldehyde for priority attention under the
provisions of Section 4(f) of TSCA. 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
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from urea-formaldehyde (UF) pressed wood products (particleboard, hardwood
plywood paneling, and medium density fiberboard). 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, product restrictions and labeling. This information will be used
to determine whether or not an "unreasonable risk" exists. A decision on
which actions EPA will take with respect to formaldehyde is likely to be made
in 1989.
CHLORINATED SOLVENTS
The Interagency Integrated Chlorinated Solvents Project is an
interagency work group chaired by EPA's Office of Toxic Substances with
participation by seven major EPA offices, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Project is addressing the risks from
four chlorinated solvents (methylene chloride, perchloroethylene,
trichlorethylene, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane) in four use categories (dry
cleaning, solvent cleaning, aerosols, and paint stripping). The Project is
tasked with determining appropriate control options and developing regulatory
options for use by the EPA Administrator. Options addressing risks from use of
consumer products containing methylene chloride and/or perchloroethylene are
expected to be presented to the EPA Administrator in mid-1989.
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
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.
In recent years, EPA has taken a number of actions to protect the public
from potentially unreasonable risks due to pesticide residues in indoor air.
These actions include:
o A variety of measures which have resulted in the removal of the
cyclodiene termiticides (aldrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, and chlordane)
from the marketplace;
o Cancellation of the indoor fumigation use of lindane in 1985;
o A ban on all indoor uses of two wood preservatives,
pentachlorophenol and creosote.
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In addition to these regulatory actions, a number of other activities
are being conducted under FIFRA with implications for indoor air quality. EPA
has become increasingly concerned about the potential effects of so called
"inert" ingredients which are frequently used in pesticide formulations as
solvents or baits. While inerts are not toxic to the target pest, as are the
active ingredients, some may cause health effects in humans. Accordingly, EPA
began in 1988 to request additional health and environmental data from the
registrants of 57 inerts known to have toxic effects. In 1987, EPA also
decided to request data from registrants on the chronic toxicity of
antimicrobials frequently used as cleaning and disinfecting agents —
pesticides which the agency heretofore only requested acute toxicity data.
Currently, EPA is reviewing existing pesticide labeling conventions to
determine if the Agency should modify its requirements in order to enhance the
clarity and utility of label information to the pesticide user. Finally, the
TEAM approach cited above under "Indoor Air Quality Research" is being
expanded to include pesticides (the Non-occupational Pesticide Exposure
Study).
Indoor Air Quality at EPA'8 Headcniarters CottlPX^^
In 1988, EPA1s concern over indoor air quality became somewhat more
immediate as a significant number of EPA employees began complaining of health
effects which many associated with an extensive renovation program at EPA's
Waterside Mall complex, including the installation of new carpeting and
partitions, as well as painting and other physical improvements. Volume I of
the report briefly describes EPA's own indoor air quality problems and the
steps that have been taken to characterize the quality of the indoor
environment, identify contaminants, and minimize or eliminate contaminant
sources.
Acfci.vi.fc lea of Other Federal Ayenelea
A number of Federal agencies are actively involved in indoor air quality
issues and participate with EPA on the Interagency Committee on Indoor Air
Quality (CIAQ). In order to provide Congress with a complete picture of the
Federal programs now addressing indoor air quality, Volume I contains program
descriptions provided by several of these agencies detailing their involvement
and activities in resolving indoor air quality problems. Many of the
activities described by various agencies, including EPA, are part of a broad-
based, coordinated Federal and private sector effort to address major aspects
of the indoor air quality problem.
The Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) and the Federal Hazardous
Substance Act provide the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
with regulatory authority over consumer products that may contribute to indoor
air pollution. Since many of the sources of indoor air pollution are
consumer products (e.g. household chemicals), CPSC plays a significant role in
addressing indoor air pollution.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has played a major role in indoor
air quality since the 1970s. The two primary DOE indoor air quality policy
13
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goals are: 1) elimination of 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 2) development of information
to ensure the maintenance of healthful indoor environments with continuing use
of energy conservation measures in buildings. DOE's interests in indoor air
quality are focused on research and development, the DOE Remedial Action
Program, health risk assessment, and participation on the Interagency
Committee on Indoor Air Quality. A significant portion of DOE's efforts in
indoor air are related to radon exposure and health effects research. Five
DOE organizations are involved in indoor air quality activities:
—Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy (CE)
—Office of Energy Research (ER)
—Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
—Office of Environment, Safety, and Health (EH)
—Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is a major
contributor to the identification and resolution of indoor air quality
problems through several of its organizational components. The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) serves as the
DHHS co-chair of the CIAQ and is the primary agency of the Federal government
with extensive experience in conducting building investigations. Since 1971,
NIOSH has conducted approximately 550 indoor air quality investigations under
its Health Hazard Evaluation Program.
The DHHS agencies that participate in indoor air quality research or
mitigation activities include:
o Centers for Disease Control:
—National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
—Center for Environmental Health and Injury Control (CEHIC)
—Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
(CCDPHP)
—National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
o National Institutes of Health (NIH):
—National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
—National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID)
—National Cancer Institute (NCI)
—National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
—National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR)
o Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
o Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registries (ATSDR)
Since the early 1980s, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has
implemented an integrated indoor air quality program to provide public
information and education, technical assistance to agencies and organizations,
14
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and research and demonstration projects supporting the evaluations of its
programs and policies.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), is
charged under the Occupational Safety and Health Act with protecting the
health of workers in the workplace. Recent interest in indoor air quality in
non-industrial settings has prompted OSHA to begin development of guidance for
its inspectors on identifying non-industrial indoor air quality problems.
The General Services Administration (GSA) is involved in a
variety of indoor air quality activities related to its responsibilities to
manage a significant portion of Federal buildings. GSA has implemented
regulations to control smoking in GSA-controlled space. Radon, asbestos, and
indoor air quality programs have also been developed and implemented.
A number of other government and quasi-government agencies conduct
research or other activities which have significant indoor air quality
implications. The National Institute of Standards and Technology
(HIST, formerly the National Bureau of Standards) has done extensive work
developing a comprehensive indoor air quality model and has contributed
significant resources and expertise to a number of multi-agency research
projects. The National Institute of Building Science (NIBS), a quasi-
governmental body created by Congress, works with the building industry to
integrate into the building sciences measures that promote indoor air quality.
StJMMARY OF VOLUME II — ASSESSMENT AMD CONTROL OF INDOOR AIR
POLLUTION
Volume II, Assessment and Control of Indoor Air Pollution
presents information on the nature and magnitude of indoor air quality
problems, on control methods, and on policies and programs in the public and
private sectors. This volume addresses indoor air pollution from two
perspectives. The first perspective examines indoor air pollution on a
pollutant-by-pollutant basis, identifying key pollutants, sources, exposures,
and risks. The second perspective is a broader building systems approach
addressing indoor air pollution as a whole. This perspective is based on
knowledge that the health, comfort and productivity of building occupants is
greatly influenced by the design, operation and maintenance of buildings, and
of the activity of building inhabitants.
Volume II is divided into two Parts. Part I, entitled Assessing Health
and Economic Impacts of Indoor Air Pollution, characterizes building systems
in the United States and their impact on indoor air pollutant levels, and
assesses the nature and magnitude of the potential health risks and costs
resulting from indoor air pollution. Part II, entitled Controlling Indoor Air
Pollution, covers controls in terms of engineering and operational methods, as
well as the legislative and policy instruments that are available and that may
be used in both the public and private sector.
Part I begins with information on the U.S. building stock, and outlines
those building factors that affect concentrations of indoor air pollutants.
15
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Factors addressed include source emissions from building materials and
appliances, the air exchange or ventilation rate, and various chemical and
physical removal mechanisms. Building system inadequacies commonly identified
in investigations of building air quality complaints are also discussed and
include inadequate ventilation, contamination from indoor sources,
reentrainment of indoor pollutants, contamination from exterior sources, and
microbial problems.
Chapters 2 through 5 characterize the health and economic impact from
indoor air pollution. In these chapters, major pollutants, sources, health
effects, exposures, and risks are identified. Populations which may be
particularly sensitive to indoor pollutants are addressed. The major
pollutants are: radon, environmental tobacco smoke, biological contaminants,
volatile organic compounds including formaldehyde and pesticides, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), asbestos, combustion gases including carbon
monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, and particles.
The health effects identified for these pollutants cover the range of
acute and chronic effects, and include eye, nose, and throat irritation and
respiratory effects, neurotoxicity, kidney and liver effects, heart functions,
allergic and infectious diseases, developmental effects, mutagenicity, and
carcinogenicity. In addition to individual pollutants and their effects,
recent findings on the effects of pollutant mixtures, as well as what is known
concerning-building related illnesses, sick building syndrome, and multiple
chemical sensitivities are also discussed. The major conclusions to be drawn
from this section of the report include:
o Biological contaminants are an important dimension of indoor air
quality, can be the principal problem in some buildings, and can result
in death, as in Legionnaire's disease, or serious infectious or allergic
diseases.
o Additive or synergistic effects from multiple chemical contaminants,
where the concentration of each individual compound is below its known
health effect threshold.
o Sick building syndrome, building related illnesses, and multiple
chemical sensitivity are issues of potentially great significance but
are poorly understood.
In addition, health risks and economic impacts of indoor air pollution
are quantified in chapters 3, 4 and 5 based on available literature. Several
important conclusions emerge from this presentation:
o Risk estimates are not available for most pollutants, but available
estimates for radon, ETS, and VOCs demonstrate that indoor air pollution
is among the nation's most important environmental health problems.
o Environmental tobacco smoke is particularly toxic, estimated to
account for a significant number of cancer and non-cancer mortality
cases per year.
16
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o The potential economic impact of indoor air pollution is quite high,
and is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars per year. Such
impacts include direct medical costs and lost earnings due to major
illness, as well as increased employee sick days and lost productivity
while on the job.
o Labor costs may be 10 to 100 times greater per square foot of office
space than energy and other environmental control costs. Thus, from a
profit and loss standpoint, remedial actions to improve indoor air
quality where productivity is a concern are likely to be cost effective
even if they require an expensive retrofit.
Part II of Volume II provides information on methods and strategies to
control indoor pollution. The engineering and operational methods covered
include source control, ventilation control, and air cleaning strategies.
These strategies are discussed within the context of their import in
developing the design, operation, and maintenance practices in buildings.
Diagnostic protocols to anticipate and trouble-shoot indoor air quality
problems are also discussed. Several important perspectives emerge from this
discussion:
o Source control is the most direct and dependable control option, and
may be the only effective control option when strong pollutant sources
are present. However, where problems result from multiple sources, or
where the sources or etiology of the problems are not known, source
control in existing buildings may not be economically or technically
feasible. In these cases, increased ventilation or air cleaning may be
more appropriate controls.
o Individuals can exercise a high degree of control over their own
indoor environment, particularly in residential settings, and thus
reduce their exposures to many indoor pollutants at little or no cost.
Control may be exercised through informed choices concerning the types
of products and materials purchased and their use, proper care and
maintenance of potential sources such as combustion devices, and
appropriate balancing of indoor air quality and energy concerns in
ventilation practices.
o Low outdoor air ventilation rates designed to conserve energy can
result in significant indoor air quality problems. Adequate outdoor air
ventilation is a necessary component to an effective air pollution
control strategy, but adequate ventilation does not guarantee adequate
indoor air quality.
o Air cleaning can complement but not replace the need for adequate
outdoor air ventilation. Air cleaning technology is most readily applied
to airborne particulates. Air cleaning devices are not designed to
effectively remove gaseous contaminants and proper maintenance of the
specialized devices designed to remove these pollutants may be cost-
prohibitive. Air cleaning is most effective when integrated into the
17
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central air circulation system. The effectiveness of different systems
can vary greatly. For example, some air cleaners can emit pollutants
(e.g. ozone), stand alone units can be ineffective, and some of the less
expensive models are almost worthless.
o Air cleaning and/or ventilation cannot be relied upon as a sole
control strategy for ETS.
o Control strategies involving source control, ventilation control,
and air cleaning should be integrated into the building design,
operation and maintenance procedures.
o Standardized protocols for investigating and solving indoor air
quality problems need to be developed and widely promulgated.
In addition to the engineering and operational control of indoor air,
Volume II discusses various administrative control options that are available,
considerations in choosing among those options, and the available legislative
authorities, policies and programs used to implement controls.
Chapter 7 presents available air quality and ventilation standards and
evaluates their applicability to indoor air problems.
Chapter 8 summarizes federal legislative authority of the major federal
agencies with responsibility for indoor air, and Chapter 9 summarizes
available control programs in the public and private sector. This material
suggests the following:
o The Clean Air Act cannot be used to regulate the quality of the air
indoors.
o Many Federal agencies have the explicit legal authority to regulate
products and/or activities that affect indoor air quality, or to
regulate the quality of the air in specific indoor environments.
Existing authority ranges from the ability to ban or restrict the use of
pesticides and consumer products to setting and enforcing occupational
indoor air quality standards in occupational settings. However, these
authorities are fragmented, are limited to specific products or
environments, and some address indoor air quality concerns secondarily
or only implicitly.
o Most legal authority related specifically to building systems rests
with the Department of Energy, and is directed toward energy
conservation, with indoor air as a secondary concern.
o SARA Title IV provides EPA with direct indoor air authority to
conduct a research, coordination, and information dissemination program,
but does not enhance EPA's regulatory authority with respect to indoor
air quality beyond existing authorities under TSCA, FIFRA, and the Safe
Drinking Water Act.
18
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o Significant potential exists for cooperative coordinated indoor air
control programs at the Federal, state and local governmental levels,
and in the private sector. Currently, coordination is achieved
informally through professional associations, voluntary standards
organizations, and the Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air
Quality. Current programs at all levels of government and the private
sector are generally fragmented and underfunded.
Chapter 10 discusses the type of policy options that might be considered
as indoor air programs in the Federal government are initiated and expanded.
Because of the variety of indoor air pollution sources and control measures
and the many types of indoor environments, many policy options are available.
Some of these options can be implemented either as enforceable regulations or
as recommended guidance. Some options focus on reducing levels of individual
pollutants and are thus often referred to as "pollutant-by-pollutant"
strategies; others focus on reducing levels of many pollutants simultaneously
and are thus often referred to as "multi-pollutant" strategies. The policy
options described in this chapter include:
o Developing public information and technical assistance programs
which assist the private sector, including homeowners and building
owners/operators, in achieving acceptable indoor air quality.
o Establishing pollutant-specific enforceable standards or voluntary
guidelines.
o Establishing enforceable ventilation standards or voluntary
ventilation guidelines.
o Stepping up development of voluntary or mandatory standards for
products or activities that affect indoor air quality.
o Providing guidance on identifying and correcting indoor air quality
problems in existing buildings.
o Providing guidance on preventing indoor air quality problems in new
buildings.
SUMMARY OF VOLUME III — INDOOR AIR RESEARCB KEEPS
Volume III of the report sets forth the research needs which must be
met through the combined efforts of the public and private sectors to
adequately characterize and develop effective mitigation strategies for
dealing with indoor air quality issues. Volume III was prepared by an
interagency workgroup of the CIAQ under the sponsorship of EPA's Office of
Research and Development. The major indoor air research needs are categorized
as follows:
o Risk assessment methods. This category includes health and hazard
identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk
characterization frameworks and methods.
19
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O Exposure assessment and modeling needs. This category includes
methods development and evaluation, measurement studies, development of
predictive models and the management of measurement data.
o Source-specific needs. This category includes research needed
regarding specific indoor air pollution sources. Indoor combustion
sources such as tobacco products and indoor combustion appliances,
building materials and furnishings, activity sources that emphasize
product use and storage, ambient sources of urban pollutants, and
biological contaminants are examples of the source category.
o Control techniques. This category includes evaluation of techniques
aimed at controlling specific sources of indoor pollutants and examining
the effectiveness of ventilation strategies.
O Building system needs. This category includes studies of
infiltration and ventilation in both large and small buildings; field
measurements in complaint and non-complaint buildings; and research
devoted to building system design.
o Technology transfer. This category includes programs to transfer
research results to users in the public and private sectors.
A Table summarizing the major indoor air research needs, including relative
priorities, is appended to this Executive Summary.
20
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SUMMARY OF MAJOR INDOOR AIR RESEARCH NEEDS1
RESEARCH AREA
AND STUDY DESCRIPTION
AGENCIES
AND ORGANIZATIONS
INVOLVED
PROJECT
TIME (YRS)
PRIORITY2
N!
A. RISK ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY FRAMEWORK
1. Risk Assessment Methods
* Develop risk methodology procedures and perform assessments for
major indoor air pollution scenarios, and conduct additional
toxicological research vis-a-vis evaluation of respiratory hazards
2. Special Reports and Hazard Identification
* Prepare special reports evaluating biological contaminants, odors
and annoyance levels, and the effects of cleaning and maintenance
on indoor air quality
3. Supporting Information for Risk Assessment
* Provide support for development and maintenance of data bases
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/
STATES/PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/
DOE/PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/OHHS/DOE/PRIVATE 5
SECTOR
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
B. EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT AND MODELING
1. Monitoring and Measurement
* Improve sampling and analytical techniques for volatile and semi-
volatile organic compounds
* Develop improved screening protocols, questionnaires, and measurement
methods for complaint-building studies
* Develop improved screening protocols, questionnaires, and measurement
methods for indoor air quality studies in residences
* Evaluate and validate new measurement methodologies under field
conditions for aerosols, organics, biological species, and air
i exchange rates
* Develop validation procedures to improve accuracy of information
collection (such as questionnaires and activity diaries)
2. Modeling
* Further develop and validate spatial/temporal models, source models,
receptor models, and exposure models for indoor environments including
transportation compartments
EPA/DHHS/DOE/NIST
EPA/DHHS/DOE/STATES
EPA/CPSC/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/DOE/
PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/DHHS/DOE/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/DOE/
STATES/PRIVATE SECTOR
4
4
4
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY
Research needs to be conducted by both the public and private sectors.
2Primary research projects are those projects that need to be initiated immediately to provide important information to protect public
health or to begin more in-depth research. Secondary status research projects are also necessary projects that will begin after an
evaluation of preliminary research results, or as soon as research facilities, staff and funding become available.
-------
SUMMARY OF MAJOR INDOOR AIR RESEARCH NEEDS1 (continued)
RESEARCH AREA
AND STUDY DESCRIPTION
AGENCIES
AND ORGANIZATIONS
INVOLVED
PROJECT
TIME (YRS)
PRIORITY2
3. Data Management and Quality Assurance
* Implement and maintain a source emissions data base incorporating
source characteristics associated with emission factors
* Develop standard reference materials for measurement of indoor
pollutants
* Implement and maintain an indoor air quality data repository
EPA/CPSC
NIST/EPA
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/DOE/
STATES/PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
C. SOURCE-SPECIFIC NEEDS
1. Combustion Sources
Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
* Characterize and model ETS exposure to children
* Develop ETS exposure dosimetry methods
* Evaluate cancer risks from ETS exposure
* Study the non-cancer effects from ETS exposure
Indoor Combustion Appliances
* Characterize emissions from kerosene heaters
* Prepare exposure assessment of kerosene heater, gas-
space heater, wood stove, and unvented gas stove emissions
* Dosimetry - Develop physiologically-based dose-response models
and biological markers
* Cancer risks - Conduct epidemiology feasibility study and
perform i_n vitro and in vivo genetic and carcinogenic
bioassays
* Non-cancer health risks - Prepare screening studies for hazard
identification, multidisciplinary assessments, and verify the
accuracy of the predictive exposure, dose, and health effects
models
2. Material Sources
* Measure emission rates of organic chemicals from building
materials, furnishings, and consumer products
* Conduct comparisons of emissions from selected materials in
small chambers, large chambers, and test houses
* Characterize the human response produced by emissions from selected
materials
* Evaluate health effects of substitute products and materials
DHHS/EPA
DHHS/EPA
DHHS/EPA
DHHS/EPA
CPSC/EPA/PRIVATE
SECTOR
CPSC/EPA/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/DHHS/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/DHHS/STATES
EPA/DHHS/STATES
PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DOE
EPA/CPSC/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/DHHS/STATES
EPA/DHHS
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
Research needs to be conducted by both the public and private sectors.
2Primary research projects are those projects that need to be initiated immediately to provide important information to protect public
health or to begin more in-depth research. Secondary status research projects are also necessary projects that will begin after an
evaluation of preliminary research results, or as soon as research facilities, staff and funding become available.
-------
SUMMARY OF MAJOR INDOOR AIR RESEARCH NEEDS1 (continued)
RESEARCH AREA
AND STUDY DESCRIPTION
AGENCIES
AND ORGANIZATIONS
INVOLVED
PROJECT
TIME (YRS)
PRIORITY2
ho
3. Activity Sources
* Develop measurement methods and generate emission factors for
activities associated with personal care, maintenance, office work,
leisure, and transportation
* Characterize electrical, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields
encountered in personal and work-related activities
* Determine the health effects and mechanisms of interaction with
electromagnetic fields
* Characterize indoor exposures to consumer-applied pesticides
(and other toxicants)
4. Ambient Sources
Outdoor Air
* Characterize indoor/outdoor concentration relationships for
input to exposure models (e.g., heavy metals, ozone, and
biological contaminants)
Soil
* Characterize the penetration of soil-related pollutants into the
indoor environment and perform a risk assessment
Water
* Characterize exposures to volatile organic compounds released
from water
* Investigate contribution of tap water in home humidifiers to indoor
pollutant levels
5. i Biological Contaminants
* Prepare report on health effects, state-of-the-art sampling
methods, and research needs
* Initiate development of standardized monitoring methods
* Hardware development for biological monitoring methods
* Identify and establish baseline concentrations of major classes of
biological contaminants
* Investigate contribution of HVAC equipment to indoor levels of
biologicals
EPA/CPSC/DHHS
OOE/DHHS/EPA/PRIVATE
SECTOR
DOE/DHHS/EPA/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/DHHS/STATES
EPA/STATES
EPA
EPA/CPSC
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/PRIVATE
SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/DOE/
STATES/PRIVATE SECTOR
3
3
2
3
2
4
4
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
Research needs to be conducted by both the public and private sectors.
2Primary research projects are those projects that need to be initiated immediately to provide important information to protect public
health or to begin more in-depth research. Secondary status research projects are also necessary projects that will begin after an
evaluation of preliminary research results, or as soon as research facilities, staff and funding become available.
-------
SUMMARY OF MAJOR INDOOR AIR RESEARCH NEEDS1 (continued)
RESEARCH AREA
AND STUDY DESCRIPTION
AGENCIES
AND ORGANIZATIONS
INVOLVED
PROJECT
TIME (YRS)
PRIORITY2
D. CONTROL TECHNIQUES
1. Source-Specific
* Evaluate effectiveness of source modifications, including changes
in product composition or use, conditioning of building materials
before use, and product substitution
2. Air Cleaning
* Conduct laboratory and field studies to determine the effectiveness
of air cleaners for the control of indoor pollutants
EPA/CPSC/DOE/STATES/ 5
PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DOE/NIST/ 3
PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
BUILDING SYSTEMS
1. Ventilation
* Continue research to refine tracer gas techniques for measuring
ventilation
* Develop ventilation measurements that can be widely applied
* Continue research devoted to laboratory measurements of ventilation
* Develop techniques and protocols to measure ventilation effectiveness
2. Field Measurements
* Measure ventilation rates and ventilation effectiveness in complaint-
building investigations and residences
3. The Total Building System
* Conduct prototype integrated assessments of the combined impacts of
source emissions, pollutant levels, ventilation rates, and energy
consumption in new building designs and perform follow-up measure-
ments
DOE/DHHS/EPA/NIST/
PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/OOE/DHHS/NIST/
PRIVATE SECTOR
DOE/EPA/PRIVATE
SECTOR
NIST/EPA/DOE/DHHS/
PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/DOE/
NIST/PRIVATE SECTOR
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/DOE/
NIST/PRIVATE SECTOR
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
PRIMARY
1Research needs to be conducted by both the public and private sectors.
2Primary research projects are those projects that need to be initiated immediately to provide important information to protect public
health or to begin more in-depth research. Secondary status research projects are also necessary projects that will begin after an
evaluation of preliminary research results, or as soon as research facilities, staff and funding become available.
-------
SUMMARY OF MAJOR INDOOR AIR RESEARCH NEEDS1 (continued)
RESEARCH AREA
AND STUDY DESCRIPTION
AGENCIES
AND ORGANIZATIONS
INVOLVED
PROJECT
TIME (YRS)
PRIORITY2
F. CROSSCUTTING RESEARCH
* Conduct an epidemiologic study of the impact of indoor air quality
on productivity
* Conduct studies regarding the prevalence of building-occupant
symptoms and indoor pollutant levels
* Conduct ergonomic and psychosocial research
EPA/CPSC/DHHS/DOE/
NIST/STATES/
PRIVATE SECTOR
DHHS/EPA/STATES/
PRIVATE SECTOR
DHHS/EPA/PRIVATE
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
SECONDARY
G. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
FEDERAL AGENCIES/STATES/
PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIMARY
Research needs to be conducted by both the public and private sectors.
2Primary research projects are those projects that need to be initiated immediately to provide important information to protect public
health or to begin more in-depth research. Secondary status research projects are also necessary projects that will begin after an
evaluation of preliminary research results, or as soon as research facilities, staff and funding become available.
------- |