You are here:
INSIDE IAQ (SPRING/SUMMER 2001)
Citation:
Krebs*, K A. INSIDE IAQ (SPRING/SUMMER 2001). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/N-01/002, 2001.
Description:
The newsletter discusses results of research on volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from photocopier toners, hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) emitted by shower curtains, asthma intervention in Boston public housing, air pollution from burning candles, and the impact of ozone on indoor air quality. Toner research indicates that different toner cartridges manufactured for the same copier can have significantly different emissions of individual VOCs, but total VOC emissions are nearly the same. An increase in a particular VOC is offset by a decline in another. Shower curtain research shows that a typical shower curtain will emit measurable quantities of 14 compounds including the HAPs methanol, methylene chloride, toluene, and phenol. The asthma intervention was conducted at Boston's Franklin Hill Housing Development, where nine families with asthmatic children were enrolled for the research. A pediatric pulmonologist conducted the children's preliminary evaluation, which consisted of a questionnaire, an interview, an examination, and tests of pulmonary function and allergies to cat, dog, mouse, cockroach, and dust mite antigens. Furniture and living quarters were throughly cleaned, cracks and crevices sealed, children's mattresses and pillows encased in dust-mite-proof covers, and exposed steam pipes insulated. A vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter was supplied to some families, and different types of air filtration systems were provided depending on conditions. Qualitative data in the form of diaries and focus groups was gathered, and quantitative data on particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and VOCs was collected regularly. Dust samples were taken and analyzed for various antigens. Research on candle burning has discovered that some candles have lead in their wicks to keep them upright, and burning them can result in lead concentrations above EPA thresholds under certain conditions. Indoor ozone research is focused on the ability of ozone generators to remove VOCs. Ozone generator air cleaners have been tested and found to generate hazardous ozone amounts under some conditions. Early tests of the ability of ozone to remove VOCs show mixed results.