HomeMy WebLinkAboutIndoor Air Quality infoAiring Out a Sick-Buildings Plan
Regulation battle to
change stuffy offices
By Dan Fagin
plainkq and mandate improvements in pr f~blem build-
they are optbnistic they will be able to reach ngree-
]'he Legislative Office Building in Albany, said to have poor, unhealthy ventilation system
Determining Standerds . ' ,' ~mme Cg~eot Stwada~ls :ff.. ,'/
pe~on, or ~p ~r ~o~ ~ ~ .. ~;~...T~ ~ .,.'~
n~ ~atruction, ~ut N~o~* ~~ ~.::.' :: ~
~ate d~ n~ r~ke that ve~l~ ' ~1 ~ ~p '
to meat the current standards.: ~R~O~
T~t's a mNor probit. ~use ~~/
times ~er ~w ~an t~ ~m ~~ 15~pL~ ,:.'::
er~. :. S~: ~:
'I think
somethfiig
has to be
done in the
coming
year. We're
starting
to realize
now that
indoor air
quality is a
major
problem.'
-- State Sen.
Michael Tully
A bill (l,,l~ h i,.d in{r,,d,,,'ed Insl. yea~wm,ld UN'e the r'p . -'Plesse see -All( p. Next t'age~ ~
LONG ISLAND
TODAY
LOOK FOR DOTS
Save up to 65% when you take
an extra 25% to 50% off
the lowest ticketed price on
already reduced fashlonsl
Glen Jones, Raymond Hannah, Melvin Painter and Junius Atkins
Girl, 8, Stands by St.o .ry
At Sexual-Abuse Trial
By Don Smith The girl i~isted that no one in the
three children allegedly abused in a The girl's teddy bear, with her dm'-
the ANSWB[
LARGE SIZES FOR LESS
CARLE If. ACE, N.Y. CLOCK TowEr~ PLACId, PH: (516) 741-7027
mony yesterday, atandlng firm in her the stand, was missing yesterday
statements that the people on trial -- morning, but it was returned in the
"including Mommy" -- did bad
thing~ to her.
In her fourth day of te~imony, the
girt denied over and over again
fense questions of whether anyone
had rehearsed her story of abuse at
the hands of her mothers' friends.
The girl's mother ia on trial in State
Sup~me Court in Riverhead before
Justice Michael Mullen. Also on trial
are: Junius T. (Bug) Atkins, 19, of 90
O/d Quogue Rd., Rivers/de; Raymond
Hannah, 34, a boarder at the worn-
art's home; Glen Jon~s, 35, of We~t-
hampton Beach; and MeNin Painter,
37, of 22 Old Quogee I~1., Riverside.
The five are accused of a variety of
charges, including rape, sodomy, sex
abuse, promoting prostitution, use of
a chl/d in a ~exual performance and
endangering the welfare of a child.
Law enforcement sources say that
between August, 1990, and February,
1991, the mother -- wbu~e identity is
being withheld to protect the privacy
of her daughters -- sold her daugh-
poses during crack parties in her
home or took them to men's homes,
where they were sexually abused and
~t ex~:~ t~ mE m*~ and 6 at the time of the incidents, began.
Airing Out Stuffy Offices
Finders
THE LONG ISLAND NEWSPAPER
SUNDAY, NOV. 15, 1992 · $1.25 · SUFFOLK
w~h m~k and
lo 'vJeer ~n,
Neck office
'4
Indoor Pollution
Is a Hidden Cause
1' .ltealth Problems
.~,~,~ ;,..
RING MASTER $:UNY. STUDENT, DIES
Who Will Riddick Bowe Fight Next? /SPorts LIer's Death UPstate Spurs Review / Page 3:
COPYRIGHT 19132, NEWSDAY 1NC , LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, VOL 53, NO 74 f
QUIET EPIDEMIC MAKING MILLIONS OF US MISERABLE
First of three parts
By Dan Fagin
STAFF la/RITER
very workday, Bobble Blazer
would drive to a modern-looking
off]ce building in Great Neck,
take the elevator to the second
floor and sit down at her desk.
"Then," she said, "I'd turn
into a werewolf."
An itchy rash would form on
her hands and arms, and her face would swell sur-
rounding her eyes. By midafternoon, on some days,
she could see only through tiny slits. "It felt like a
thousand needles were in my eyes, and like someone
was throwing acid on my skin," she said. The symp-
toms would disappear when she went home, only to
reappear the next morning at work.
Convinced her office was making her sick, Blazer
called the county health department. She called the
state. She called OSHA, the U.S. Occupational Safety
and Health Administration. But she quickly learned
that enforceable pollution standards for offices don't
exist~
In desperation, she began wearing ski goggles and a
dust mask in the office. But that didn't work either,
and she wound up going home early virtually every
day. By the end of last year, Blazer, who doesn't
smoke and has no allergies, was keeping a dally log of
her symptoms, and seven of her co-workers had
signed affidavits stating that they, too, were feeling
lousy in the office. Her employer finally moved out of
the building last summer, but it was too late for Blaz-
er -- she had already been laid off, in part because she
was so frequently absent. Now she works in a differ-
ent building in the area and says she feels fine.
Not everyone dons goggles and a mask every morn-
ing, but indoor air pollution is a quiet epidemic that is
making millions of Americans miserable every day.
It's making air traffic controllers sneeze in a West-
bury radar room, and clerks itch in a Queens welfare
office. Librarians are sweating in Smithtown, and ca-
rear counselors are getting headaches at Columbia
University. In schools, homes, offices and virtually
every other kind of enclosed space, building-related
pollution is a hidden cause of health problems that
are often aggravating and occasionally life-threaten-
ing -- and almost nothing is being done about it. The
consequences, experts say, range from sore throats
and rashes to tuberculosis and cancer.
"It's a bleak situation. What we're dealing with is a
modern occupational plague," said Dr. J. Donald Mil-
lar, director of the National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health in Atlanta. Last year, 1,710 people
called NIOSH's occupational hazard hot line with
questions about indoor air pollution -- more than the
combined number of calls about asbestos, AIDS, video
display terminals and hazardous waste.
"It's the overwhelming number one emp]oyee
health problem," said Alice Freund, a private consul-
tant who helped start a mode] program of indoor air
regulations for the New Jersey Health Department
during the 1980s. "If you stop people on the street, I'll
bet one in three people have a story to tell about
indoor air quality in the office. If it's not on every
floor, it's on every third floor."
But while scientists and policy-makers generally
agree that indoor pollution is a pervasive and over-
looked problem, there's no consensus on what to do
SICK BUILDINGS
SICK PEOPLE
about it. Experts are still arguing over whether the
sketchy evidence linking poor air quality to specific
illnesses is strong enough to justify an aggressive gov-
ernment program to set and enforce indoor air stan-
"We're caught between a desire to do something
and an absence of hard data on which to act .... It
just hasn't worked to try to find the smoking gun,"
said Robert Axelrad, who heads the 15-person indoor
air division of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, which under the Bush administration has ad-
vocated public-information programs instead of regn-
lation. President-elect Bill Clinton hasn't yet ad-
dressed the issue, but advocates, citing the huge
number of people affected, hope the EPA will soon
take a more aggressive stance.
Perhaps one-sixth of the nation's 4 million com-
mercial buildings are sick, and another one in 12 meet
the definition of building-related illness, according to
the most widely quoted estimates. Those estimates,
which are often quoted by the EPA, are based on
research by the World Health Organization and poll-
ing of workers by Honeywell Corp. A building is con-
sidered sick when at least 20 percent of its occupants
suffer persistent symptoms that disappear when they
go outside. Less common is building-related illness, in
which a parU~cular illness (not just symptoms) is
traced to a specific cause in a building.
The costs -- in medical bills and lost productivity
-- are colossal. Major illnesses caused by indoor pollu-
· · ..... · · · · . . _ · · - ~ :. tion cost Americans $1 billion in medical bills and $5
I J~z ':..' ': :. :~. ' '.' billion in productivity losses each year while less se-
~ ~ ~ ' ' ': .' . - :' · .' ..; ~ vere health problems are responsible for $500 mllhon
· -' -- ~: ~- ...... . . · ' ': . . :'..' .'. in medical costs and ' tens of billions of dollars" in
· ~i]r'~]$:$~'~.~.~:. productivitylosses, the EPA astimated in a 1989re-
~,~U ~' ~ .~:'~:i:: port to Congress.
~, '~ '~[~ ~ '~ '0~q~ ~-' To assess the impact of pollution indoors -- where
: I~l~ ~l~ ~I I.~I ~.l~l ~I~ ~ Americans spend 90 percent of their lives -- Newsday
I*m*~m'~*.* ~m*~'~.~.,~l~.. ws~ted a dozen problem-plagued buildings through-
~'"" .... '~"~'~' ~w~°'~"~ ~'~ *~"~"~!~ out the metropolitan area, interviewed more than 80
· li~-fl~a/~ · : · · ' ' ' '. . .:' experts and reviewed scores of government reports
· · . · ' ' · ' : ' and scientific studies. Among the key findings:
o T~ ' ' ' · Because so many people are affected by it, the
Ally 'et a :Sled. Idlmng ..
The windows don't epen~ and let:ye~ 9I air .'
duets were so clngged With dust that vJrteatly.no
air was getting throngh. $iIIe the day it o~Gned'
1.8 yearI ago, the State Office Building' te'~'teap-.
Imuge haS been a paradigm tot the indenr,'peflu-'
tion pro~Ilems that plague hundreds of IliCk but
sick office buildings in the region.
~ TUESDAY:
In News, Pollution and Inaction at EPA
For a decade, EPA sclenUsts have been say-
ing sick buildings are a critical health threat, For
huif a decade, the most notorious example has
been their own headquarters. In a countTy where
huge environmental bureaucracies manege toxic
waste cleanups, monitor s111ug <d t~st drtttking
water, indoor air pollution is a throwback to the
days wheq businesses were left to regulate
themselves.
in Dtecouery, The ~ fro' al (llm
in sick buildings ami steel tastldg ehambero,.:
suieeti~ Im)k for IIi hutwsea indent peIlutonts ' '
and the .symptoms cited by thHIhult Of Ameri-
cans. "The i tests you.do, the .I'liYlmth-i
.esas you come up with," xays eno tederal:ofli-~
EPA now considers indoor air pollution one of the top
three environmental risks to human health, far ahead
of more ballyhooed problems such as hazardous waste
dumps, pesticides, drinking water, sewage, smokes-
tacks, landfills and incinerators, according to agency
studies. Other recent EPA research suggests a city's
indoor air is almost always at least twice as polluted
as its outdoor air, and that indoor air in unspoiled
rural towns is often more contaminated than some of
the most polluted outdoor air in the nation, in places
like Los Angeles and Bayonne, N.J. Yet the EPA wdi
spend about $500 million fighting outdoor pollution
this year, and only about $I3 million on iadoor pollu-
tion.
· Long-hypothesized links between health prob-
lems and indoor pollution, while still controversial,
are increasingly being supported by scientific re-
search. Sever~ laboratory studies now tie headaches,
i~Titated eyes and other symptoms of sick-building
syndrome to the kinds of low-level chemical concen-
trations common in offices and homes, and federal
risk assessments suggest exposures to these chemi-
cals cause about 350 cancer cases annually. Recent
medical studies suggest that dirty and poorly ventilat-
ed buildings contribute to the spread of thousands of
preventable cases of Legionnaires' Disease, tubercu-
losis and other potentially fatal infectious illnesses.
· The stagnant economy is making things worse
because many building owners are cutting back on
fresh air to reduce energy costs and refusing to main-
tain or repair decaying ventilation systems. Many of
those buildings already were starved for fresh air be-
cause they were built to meet energy-saving local
building codes adopted after the 1973 Arab oil embar-
go. Building cedes were again drastically changed
Wells Fargo doubtful it'll recover missing $300,000
By Rose Klm and Ray Sanchez
New York -- So, where's the money?
With only about $3,500 in hand, po-
lice and Wells Fargo Armored Service
Corp. officials yesterday seemed doubt-
~'ul that much more of the $311,000
that fell out of an armored truck Friday
on the Long Island Expressway would
ever turn up.
"There are people now who have a
lot of money that they didn't have be-
About That
Windfall
If you just happened, say, to be
driving down the LIE Friday and,
well, just happened to see lots of
money sort W/lying around and
some o fit just ezzded up, coinciden -
tally, in your pockets, here's what
you should know:
I. Can I legully keep it?
No, especially if you picked up
more than $20. Under state laws,
finders can generally keep less
than that amount, according to le-
gal experts. But if it's more, you
have to turn it in or face larceny
charges if discovered. 2. ls it taxable?
Yes, says the II~. Now as to
whether it's earned or unearned
income, better talk to a tax advis-
er. IRS says it probably should be
declared as "other" income.
3. Is it traceable?
No, says Wells Fargo.
4. Is it ethical to keep it?
In the 1980s, it would have
been OK to keep it. In the '90s,
you should turn it in.
fore 5 p.m. yesterday,"
said a manager of Wells
Fargo's regional office in
Lyndhurst, N.J.
Westbound traffic on
the LIE near Otis Avenue
in Queens came to a sud-
den halt at 5:15 p.m. Fei-
day when two monoy bags
plopped out of the back of
the truck as it went over a
bump. The bags burst
open, showering motorists
with dollar bills for several
minutes, police said.
Police recovered $996
Friday, picking bills off
the ground and accepting
money that people turned
in. A Wells Fargo official
said company employees
retrieved about $2,500 off
the ground. The bills,
which are unmarked, can-
not be traced, he said.
When asked ifa hot line
had been established for
those who wished to turn
in money which they had
found, Officer Scott
Bloch, a police spokes-
man, seemed momentar-
ily stunned, then laughed.
"I won't tell you the
first response I had," Bloch said. "Let's
just say that Wails Fargo would of
course like to get as much &their mon-
ey back as possible. But no, the police
do not have a hot line."
Bloch said detectives in the 110th
Pre(tinct are conducting "a limited in-
vestigation'' for missing property.
"Going by what we were told, there
was no cause for police action," he said.
A detective in the 110th Precinct said
the case was not considered to be an
"inside job," and said it was not unusu-
al for money bags to burst open, or for
cash to break out of paper bands, if
dropped from a fast-moving truck.
The Wells Fargo manager said the
. ,~:,; . ',...' .
A Wells Fargo armored truck sits by the road on Friday, the day that it showered Queens
residents with more than $,300,000 in bills after hitting a bump on the Long Island Expressway.
company was conducting its own inves-
tigatian. The lost money bags were from
a Manhattan bank, and the truck was
heading toward New Jersey after mak-
ing pickups on Long Island, he said.
"We're still searching [for money],
but most of it was blown away, it was so
windy out there," he said.
The manager said that both the
doors and bags were locked, but the ira-
pact &the bump burst them open.
"It was a very big bump," he said.
The manager scoffed at the idea that
the incident was engineered by Wells
Fargo employees. "Who in their right
Please see CASH on Page 62
SUNY Student at Albany Dies
Infirmary roommate: staff ignored aid requests
By Ellen Yan
and Rick Brand
STAFF WRITERS
A Le~/lttown college student who went
to the infirmary at the State University
at Albany complaining of upper respira-
tory problems died of complications
from a ruptured spleen two days later,
medical authorities said yesterday.
Robert Allman Jr., 21, died at 4:20
p.m. Thursday at the Albany Medical
Center Hospital after he was found on
the floor in the university's health cen-
ter.
A Woodbury student who shared a
room with Allman in the infirmary said
Al]man was neglected for hours by
medical personnel despite repeated
quests for aid.
"There are reviews going on of the
whole matter," said Mitchel Living-
ston, vice president of student affairs,
which covers the health center. A uni-
versity news release said the university
investigates student deaths as a matter
of routine.
The release said Allman had been ex-
amined twice by health officials at
SUNY Albany, first on Tuesday when he
declined to stay overnight, and again on
Wednesday when he returned and was
later sent to St. Peter's Hospital for an
X-ray, which showed nothing unusual.
An autopsy done Friday revealed
that he died of swelling in the brain,
caused by a lack of blood and oxygen
circulation when the spleen burst, said
Barbara Cavanaugh, secretary in the
~Mbany coroner's office.
Joseph Rosenthal, 19, the Woodbury
sophomore who shared a room with All-
man the night before he died, sa/d All-
man pointed out to the nurse the spot
on his abdomen where he felt pain. "He
complained several times during the
next several hours and the nurse on
duty brushed it offand ignored it."
Livingston declined to comment on
the allegations.
"I know what he [Rosenthai] said;
I've heard it all... I'm very concerned
about the image of the university, but
I'm more concerned about the loss. It's
inappropriate for anyone to comment
at this stage."
Told of the allegations, SUNY Albany
spokesman Joel Bhimenthal would say
only, "We have no further comment be-
yond what we said" in the news release.
Health center officials did not return
Please see STUDENT on Page 57
z
RObe~l AIIman Jr. of Levittown in a~ ~
1988-8~ §&5~Ef ~'6~5~)T<'p-h'oT~.~ ..... --~
AToxic Office
Somp comrnon indoor air pullntkm problems in ~fiic~,~, nmi
1. Ou~ide Air
Sol.rio.s: Move air i'dakes away f,om .oadin0 docks o, pamwg, n,e~r~ur.zo or
2. V..tilati.. ~stem
~. Fur. itum, Carpet and Foam I.sulati..
~VOCsi which car omduce $trop~ udurs and cause headac~,os. ~ye
Solutions: r, illol)~.m., prc'.d,;cl,9 wit" I 'l!e Of re: fo;ffq!:di!'wue ~trl~J VO(;s. ;ivoBd
4. Cleaning Supplies, Paints and Pesticides
5. Copiers or Other Specialized Office Equipment
6. Desktop Items
can be a ow level .qndfce u' VOC;s
7. Plants
starting in 1989 to quadruple the minimum amount
of fresh air required in offices. But those changes ap-
ply only to new construction; they came too late for
metropolitan New York, where the building booms of
the 1970s and 1980s have left a legacy of thousands of
super-tight buildings that would be illegal if built to-
day.
· Despite a daily barrage of inquiries and com-
plaints from the public, no government agency has a
clear mandate to do anything about indoor air pollu-
tion. The only standards were developed by OSHA for
factories and are almost never violated in even the
sickest office buildings, experts say. Voluntary guide-
lines, set by the ventilation industry, are widely ig-
nored. While some states are moving ahead with their
own regulations, bills that could lead to strict ventila-
tion standards and pollution limits are stalemated in
the U.S. Congress, the State Legislature, the New
York City Council and elsewhere because of opposi-
tion from business groups or the Bush administra-
tion.
"What we're seeing today in some of these build-
ings is just criminal negligence, and somebody's got to
do something about it," said Gray Robertsom who has
investigated more than 800 major buildings since
starting the country's best known indoor air consult-
ing firm, Healthy Buildings International of Fairf~x,
Va., 11 years ago. "I've been astonished at what I've
EarEer this year, investigators hired by New York
State discovered that huge portions of the six-story
State Office Building in Hauppauge were getting 'al-
most no fresh air and apparently hadn't for years.
The reason: More than 200 heating coils inside the
ventilation ducts had never been cleaned and were so
clogged with dirt and debris that almost no air was
getting through.
"Walking into this building every day is like walk-
ing into hot cotton; you just feel like you can't
breathe," Carl Emanuele said of the Hauppauge
building, where he works as a sales-tax compliance
agent. Said his wife, Liz, who works a few desks away:
"We just don't know what it's like to feel good at
Across the country, sick-building lawsuits are pro-
liferating, although most are still pending or have
been settled out of court for undisclosed sums. Five
state welfare workers in Wapello County, Iowa, for
example, were awarded $1.4 million by a jury after
the five women charged their breathing and memary
problems were caused by mold, pesticides and poor
ventilation at a remodeled building where they
worked. The trial judge overturned that 1990 verdict,
but his ruling is still under appeal.
h'onically, the case that may wind up opening the
litigation lloodgates is at)out the EPA's own head-
Newsday / Joe Calviello
quarters building in Washington. That $35 million
lawsuit, filed by 19 EPA employees who say chemical
emissions from carpeting and furniture gave them
nerve damage, is likely to go to trial early next year.
The number of sick buildings appears to be rising,
despite increasing public awareness, more lawsuits
and the rapid growth of a multibillion-dollar industry
of indoor air specialists, because economic problems
are prompting building owners to cut corners on
maintenance and cut back on fresh air, experts say.
"Before the recession, there were more clients who
were proactively inclined to look at a building and fix
it up before there were problems. Now, they won't,"
said Philip Morey of Edison, N.J.-based Clayton Envi-
ronmental Consultants, a large indoor air firm.
"Most companies are still tremendously naive or
ignorant about the problem," said Virginia Tech Uni-
versity Pro£ James E. Woods, a leading researcher.
"We need to begin thinking about the health of a
building the same way a medical professional thinks
about the health of a person."
Homes can have indoor pollution problems, too, but
most of the attention has focused on commercial
buildings such as offices and stores because they are
usually less ventilated than homes. Offices are par-
ticularly vulnerable because existing OStLh air stan-
Ple;~esee POIA~L!TION on hag,,
Buildings Make People Sick
environmental problems,
consistently ranks as a great*
er threat to human health. In
fact, only chemicals that de*
plate the ozone layer and ra-
don gas, which is rare on
Long Island and most of New
York City, ranked higher
than indoor air in a recent
EPA study of the health risks
posed by the 27 most preva-
lent envi?onmental problems.
Superfund sites ranked sixth,
pesticides ninth and smokes-
tack pollution 10th.
In that risk-ranking study,
completed last year by the
New York regional office of
EPA, agency scientists cre-
ated a scoring system for each
of the 27 problems in three
categories: severity of health
effects, number of people af-
fected and concentration in
the environment. The three
scores were then added to
come up with an overall rank- '
lng. A similar nationwide
EPA study in 1987 ranked in-
door pollution fourth in can-
cer risk and third for other
kinds of health risks.
"There's something grossly
wrong when we have an agen-
cy [the EPA] with a $6 billion
budget that spends $12 million on in-
door air," said Bill Borwegon, national
health and safety director for the
975,000-member Service Employees In-
ternational Union. "This is the leading
health and safety issue for our mere-
The lack of regulation means that no
agency at any level of government has
clear authority or responsibility to act
on indoor air complaints. So they usu-
ally don't.
"For the typical indoor air com-
plaint, we don't have a program. No
one does," said Dr. James Melius, dl-
rector of occupational health and envi-
ronmental epidemiology in the state
lll:idh
A recan! federal study ranked indoor air among the top environmental risks to healOL
Van] high: Ozone depleting chemicals, radon,
indoor air pollution, auto exhaust.
Medi.m: Sewage overflows, landfills, spills,
pesticide application, sewage discharges,
storage tank leaks.
High: Hazardous waste sites, stormwater runoff,
pesticides in food, smokestack emissions,
drinking water.
LOw: Sludge disposal, dredging, garbage in-
cineration, acid rain, radiation, wood burning.
NOTE: Some categories were combined. Others, irrelevant to the New York City t Long Island region, were excluded.
Health Department. "We don't know
what's happening in these buildings."
That's certainly true in the building
where Bobble Blazer used to work, at
11 Grace Ave. in Great Neck. Now she
works in a nearby building and says she
feels fine.
After Blazer repeatedly complained,
a Nassau County Health Department
investigator briefly inspected her office
suite early last year. In a short report,
the investigator concluded the office
was not humid enough. He also found
that concentrations of airborne dirt
particles were too high and recom-
mended "a thorough cleaning of the
ductwork associated with the air han-
dling system."
But the investigator couldn't force
the building's owner, Fred Shalom, to
clean the ducts because there are no air
standards for offices.-Shalom instead
opted for a cheaper solution: He in-
stalled a humidifier and thoroughly
cleaned the office suite a few days be-
fore the foliow-up inspection, so the in-
vestigator declared the problem re-
solved. Except for the lobby, the rest of
the building was never inspected, coun-
ty records show.
In an interview, Shalom said the
ducts have never been cleaned in the
building, which is about 20 years old.
But he said all his tenants are happy
except for Blazer's former
employer, Blare Manage-
ment, which eventually
moved to a nearby build-
lng. "My air is not bad. We
have a clear conscience,"
he said, adding that Blazer
"is not telling the truth."
But a physician Blazer
consulted said the symp-
toms she reported were
consistent with sick-build-
ing syndrome, although he
emphasized he has no di-
rect medical evidence that
Blazer's reported symp-
toms were related to poor
indoor air. "Based on her
medical history, it appears
something in the work-
place was affecting her ad-
versely. The minute she
left the office, she was
pretty well okay," said Dr.
Bryce Breitensteim man-
ager of occupational medi-
cine at Brookhaven Na-
tional Laboratory and a
physician at the occupa-
tional health clinic of Uni-
versity Hospital in Stony
Brook.
In addition, a half-dozen
current tenants -- includ-
ing a lawyer, three secre-
taries and a bookkeeper -- interviewed
on a recent trip to the building said
they believed the air problems are real.
Se did Steve Lieber, president of Blare
Management and its successor com-
pany, William Stevens Ltd., which are
real estate management firms.
"Bobbie obviously was the most af-
fected, but there were other people ;~.
the office who were also affected.
People would sit in the office and get
tired. They'd have no energy," Lieber
said. "You can't feel someone else's
pain, so you never really know. But
when I started feeling it myself, I
knew it was real."
51
CASE STUDY I
Pollution Plagues Office
pollution problem, and chances are it
has plagued the career services
center at Columbia University
sometime in the last three years.
Sickening odors from trash
compactors and sewage pumps in
nearby rooms. Carbon monoxide
from trucks idling near the air
intakes. Hot and cold spots from a
balky temperature control system.
Clouds of black particles from a
dirty ventilation system.
"And don't forget about the
bugs," said employee Quenia Abreu,
referring to insects that have
infested the office and bitten workers.
Black particles have stained tiles
near ceiling vents, where workers
have hung ribbons. "There are
times when we're all complaining
about headaches, and then we'll
look up and see there's no air
movement," Abreu said. "By the
end of the day, I always find myself
with a headache. My doctor told me
to go work someplace else, but I need
the job."
Columbia officials acknowledge
there have been numerous
problems in the office, which dozens of
students visit dally. At one point,
some recruiters even insisted
interviews be conducted elsewhere.
"There have been several
independent, unrelated complaints
over several years. In each
instance, the university took
immediate action to remedy the
problem and prevent future
difficulties," Columbia spokesman
Laurence Lippsett said in a written
statement. University officials
declined to be interviewed.
But Columbia's former associate
director of environmental health and
safety said the university hasn't
addressed the fundamental problem:
the office's location in a basement
designed to be a garage.
"There are a number of valid
health complaints in that office," said
Ed Olmsted, who now works as an
industrial hygienist with the labor-
funded New York Committee on
Occupational Safety and Health. "It's
a classic example of what goes on
all over the place." --Dan Fagin
Quenia Abreu says her doctor told her to leave her job
Z
50
snea,k,,,Attacg .....
Causes of indoor pollution problems, by category, in sick buildings.
Outdoor
contamination
10%
Unknown
13%
Otherindoor
contamination
15%
Ba~eria, molds,
and spores
5%
Building
materials
4%
New.ay / Linda McKenney
Indoor-Air Primer
Commonly asked questions
L What is a sick building, and how
many are there? ~[ne most widely cited
estimates suggest that perhaps one in
six of the 4 million commercial build-
lngs in the United States meet the deft-
nition of sick building syndrome: At
least 20 percent of the occupants suffer
persistent symptoms that disappear
-when they go outside. Another one in
12 buildings meet the criteria for build-
lng-related illness, in which an illness
(not just symptoms) is traced to a spe-
cific cause in the building.
2. What makes buildings sick? The
National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, or NIOSH, has diag-
nosed more than 700 sick buildings. In
about 53 percent of the cases, NIOSH
concluded inadequate ventilation was
primarily to blame. Dust and vapors
were blamed in 17 percent of the cases,
and in 10 percent outdoor sources such
as pollen and exhaust fumes were the
cause. Bacteria, molds and fungi were
blamed in 5 percent of the cases, and
chemical-emitting furnishings were
cited 3 percent of the time.
3. Is air indoors really more polluted
than outdoors? Yes, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency.
EPA studies in the 1980s found that
levels of 11 common pollutants were
generally two to five times higher in-
doors than out, and as much as 70
times higher in some cases.
4. Do we know for sure that minor
indoor air pollution problems are mak-
lng some people ill? It depends how
"illness" is defined. Although certain
types of bacteria common indoors can
cause Legionnaires' Disease and other
illnesses, there is no definitive proof
linking low concentrations of other
kinds of indoor pollution with any spe-
cific disease. However, Danish and EPA
studies have linked low-level exposures
with headaches, breathing problems
and other non-specific symptoms.
5. How much of all this is psychologi-
cal? Psychological factors are impor-
tant, but experts warn against assuming
that most indcoe air complaints must be
either purely psychological or purely
physiological. Mental and physical reac-
tions "are a two-way street" that can
trigger or reinforce each other, says Dr.
Dean Baker of Mt. Sinai Medical Center
in Manhattan. A person may develop
real physical symptoms once aware that
co-workers are complaining.
6. What are the most common health
complaints? A key reason indoor air
problems are difficult to solve is that
health complaints are usually nonspeci-
ftc. NIOSH has identified 12 complaints
often associated with bad indoor air: eye
irritation, dry throat, headache, fatigue,
sinus congestion, skin irritation, shor~-
ness of breath, coughing, dizziness, nau-
sea, sneezing and nose irritation.
7. Do the symptoms go away when
the person leaves the 'polluted area?
Usually, yes. But some researchers be-
lieve that occasionally a person exposed
to a pollutant over a long period can
develop extreme sensitivity to many
kinds of chemicals.
$. Does anyone die from indoor air
pollution? Yes. Legionnaires' Disease
annually affects 15,000 to 50,000 peo-
ple, and perhaps 10 percent &the cases
are fatal, according to the Centers for
Disease Control. Most ofthase cases are
transmitted indoors, the CDC says.
EPA researcher Lance Wallace esti-
mates indoor pollutants (not including
radon and second-hand cigarette
smoke) cause about 350 annual cancer
cases, more than half fatal.
9. Is there any way to force improve-
ments in a building's air quality? The
only enforceable air standards, pollu-
tant limits set by the U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administraffton, were
designed for factories and are almost
never exceeded in even the sickest office
buildings. Voluntary guidelines set by
the ventilation industry have been writ-
ton into some building codes. But those
codes were quito lax until 1989 when, for
example, the suggested fresh air rate for
offices was quadrupled.
10. Who can help? No agency is obli-
gated to respond to indoor air com-
plaints and most investigate only rare-
ly. The only exception is the state
Labor Department, which must look
into complaints from non-federal pub-
lic employees. Health departments and
OSHA can provide information, and so
can NIOSH's hot line: 1-800-35NIOSH.
Union members can call the labor-
funded New York Committee on Occu-
pational Safety and Health. A new,
comprehensive EPA / NIOSH docu-
ment, "Building Air Quality," costs $24
and includes a step-by-stop guide to
solving pollution problems. Order
forms are available from the EPA's In-
door Air Division in Washington, D.C.
When Sick
POLLUTION from Page 5
dards -- known as Permissible Ex-
posure Limits, or PEI~ -- were
written for factories, where the key
problems are high concentrations
of a single chemical, not the low-
level mix of many chemical com-
pounds that is common in offices.
Indoor air pollution is as old as
prehistoric man's first fire in a
cave, but only recently have scien-
tists begun demonstrating tenta-
tive links between health problems
and the kinds of indoor contamin-
ants that are common in office and
homes.
Air inside a typical office is much
more than oxygen and nitrogen.
It's a mix of more than 1,000
chemical compounds, most of
which are found at very low levels.
They come from hundreds of
sources ranging from felt-tip pens
to furniture, from carpets to
cleansers. But traditional environ-
mental science is geared to a very
different situation: high concen-
trations of a single chemical.
That's the kind of exposure that
might be found inside a factory or
at the site of a chemical spill.
First in Scandinavia, and then
later in the United States, scien-
tists have tried to duplicate the
low-level mix of chemicals common
in indoor air, and then to measure
what happens when people
breathe the mix under carefully
controlled experimental condi-
tions.
In a North Carolina laboratory,
for example, EPA re-
searcher David Otto
exposed healthy~j~'[~ '" ~ ......
young men -- the
demographic group.~ ',
least likely to report
symptoms of sick- [~ '
building syndrome
-- to clean air, and
also to a low-level
mix of volatile or-
ganic compounds of-
ten found in build-
ings. In a paper
published early this
year, he concluded
the men were twice
as likely to suffer
headaches and more
likely to report
drowsiness and eye and throat irri-
Photo by Analisa KraS
Dinegar is wary of stricter
building regulations.
Those chemical concentrations
aren't always low, especially dur-
ing or after renovations. "Like the
old saw goes: the depth of a river
may be three inches on average,
but you can still drown in the deep
spots," said EPA researcher W.
Gene Tucker. "People can get very
high exposures from cleaning and
maintenance activities, or using
solvents to strip and refinish
floors. And they can get high con-
centrations for a period of time by
sitting in a cloud of emissions from
new furniture."
Wallace, who has studied indoor
air for over a decade, now esti-
mates indoor pollution causes up
to 3,500 annual cancer cases in the
total U.S. population, with a "best
guess" estimate of 350 cases. More
than half of those cancers are fatal,
and that doesn't include thousands
of cancers EPA studies attribute to
second-hand smoke and radon gas.
"We know from animal studies,
occupational studies and clinical
studies that certain environmental
contaminants are harmful, so
where people encounter low-level
concentrations it's prudent public
po]icy to do something about it,"
said Jack Spengler, a professor of
Public Health at Harvard Univer-
sity and a leading indoor air re-
searcher.
But the real estate industry, and
the EPA and OSHA under Bush,
argue that the medical evidence
isn't strong enough to justify regu-
lations that would impose a huge
financial burden on building own-
ers. "People want
to leap over the sci-
ence and get right
down to business,
even if it means
you may impose
costs which are hu-
mongous on busi-
nesses," said Axel-
rad, head of the
EPA's indoor air
division.
"Our members
are gun-shy after
the asbestos night-
mare. We got taken
to the cleaners" by
regulations that
were later eased,
said Jim Dinegar,
vice president and chief lobbyist
tation when they were breathing
the low-level mixture.
"We're not dealing here with an
accident," Otto said in an inter-
view. "People very consistently re-
pert the same responses. They very
consistently exhibit eye, nose and
throat irritation. They report
headaches."
But laboratory evidence linking
indoor pollution to specific ill-
nesses, not just symptoms or dis-
comfort, is still mostly speculative.
Some of the strongest evidence in-
stead comes from investigations of
sick buildings and from field tosts
that show indoor air is significant-
ly more polluted than outdoor air.
"Indoor air pollution is one of
the greatest threats to public
health of all environmental prob-
lems," EPA scientist Lance Wal-
lace wrote in a journal article pub-
lished last year. The article
described a startling series of ex-
periments in which EPA research-
ers tested for 35 common cancer-
causing chemicals in eight cities
and towns and found that for 34 of
the 35 chemicals tested, concentra-
tions were higher indoors than out.
for the 22,000-member Building
Owners and Managers Associ-
ation. "If the same thing happens
with indoor air, we could end up
with something that cripples the
entire real estate industry."
Environmental groups, mean-
while, have largely overlooked the
issue. Instead, they have cham-
pioned laws like the Clean Air Act,
the Clean Water ACt and the En-
dangered Species Act aimed at en-
vironmental problems that are
more visible than indoor pollution,
and are more important to their
members, who tend to be outdoors-
oriented.
Unsurprisingly, federal spend-
ing on indoor air is only a fraction
of what Washington spends on
more publicized forms of pollution.
The EPA, for example, will spend
$1.6 billion on cleanup of Super-
fund hazardous waste sites and
$116 million on pesticide regula-
tion this year, but the indoor air
budget is only $5.9 million, plus
about $7 million more to support
research.
Yet indoor air, when measured
systematically against those other
DiSCOVERY
~~ ON SCIENCE,
:~~?~.~ HEALTH
AND TECHNOLOGY
WRONG
THIS OFfiCE
Science tries to
pin down exactly
why 'sick
buildings' can
make people ill
h s ~s the concluston of a series
on indoor air pollutiorl.
By Dan Fagin
THE SCENE WAS a steel-
walled testing chamber in a
North Carolina laboratory,
but the young men sitting in-
side it were about to inhale a dose of
Modern Office.
Slowly and carefully, U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency re-
searchers began pumping in an in-
visible cloud of volatile organic
compounds at the same low concen-
traQons often found in offices. Then
they waited.
Within an hour, some of the men
were complaining of headaches,
drowsiness, itchy eyes and sore
throats -- all common symptoms of
sick building syndrome. And there
was objective evidence of irritation:
Fluid samples from their noses
showed high counts of neutrophils,
infection-fighting white cells that
proliferate when unwanted chemi-
cals or bacteria invade the body.
The EPA scientists were intrigued.
For years, studies of office workers
had linked such symptoms to some-
thing in the workplace. But no one
had proven a specific cause. Was this
experiment the smoking-gun evi-
dence that indoor-air researchers
had sought for two decades?
Well, maybe. There was contrary
Please see AIR on Page 70 ,.~
The Dream of Cold Fusion Stays Alive
But most of world's physicists
call the whole idea absurd
mis~d the Japan meeting as cold fusion's "annual
One source of acrimony is that cold fusion was born
on the boundary between chemistry and physics.
Physicists, who've struggled for decades toward get-
ting "hot fusion" going under controlled conditions,
were first stunned, then mystified and finally outraged
when two chemists, Stanley Pons and Martin Fleisch-
mann, announced they achieved fusion by simple,
Please see FUSION on Page 67
By Robert Cooke
STAFF WRITER
DESPITE ADVERSITY, ridicule and fading
funding, enthusiasts pursuing the dream of
cold fusion keep plugging away, running ex-
periments and reporting success while
most of the world's physicists continue to argue that
the whole idea is absurd.
At a recent meetingin Japan, for example, research-
ers from the United States, Japan, India and elsewhere
reported getting excess energy from experimental fu-
sion cells. Most think it's a sign of atomic fusion, or at
least some sort of nuclear reaction taking place.
Still, outside experts, especially fusion physicists,
liken it to perpetual motion, an illusion. Physicist Rob-
ert L. Park, of the American Physical Society, dis-
PLUS: How Come? Next Page; Take Care, Health Watch, Page 73
Virus Still Trying to Diagnose
To Kill
Gypsy
Moths
By Robert Cooke
STAFF WRITER
l iN HOPES OF wreaking
sweet revenge on the vora-
cious gypsy moth, a team of
scientists is tinkering with
the genes ora virus that turns the
caterpillars into sagging sacks of
fluid.
The goal is to make the virus
kill moth larvae faster -- before
the caterpillars eat a lot of leaves.
For safety's sake, the virus also
must die quickly and without a
trace once its job is done.
A critical test --- to show that
the virus actually disappears
after being sprayed on leaves
will be conducted at a U.S. Air
Force base on Cape Cod next
spring, if the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency approves.
"Our goal is to enhance the de-
sirable attributes of the virus,"
leading to a control method that
uses no poisons and costs less~
said molecular biologist James
Slavicek.
Imported gypsy moths were re-
leased accidentally in Massachu-
setts in 1869, and have spread
across millions of acres of forest.
In some years, huge areas are de-
foliated, slowing growth and kill-
ing some trees. The larvae eat
about 500 plant species, but are
especially fond of oak leaves.
Slavicek, at the U.S. Forest
Service laboratory in Delaware,
Ohio, explained that the experi-
ment is being done on Lyma~trlo
disT~ar, the nuclear polyhedrosis
virus, which so far is known to
attack only gypsy moth caterpil-
lars. Just in case the virus might
have other effects, however, the
scientists want the altered ver-
sion to disappear quickly.
The naturally occurring virus is
already widely used as a spray ap-
plied to leaves. It needs to be im-
proved, however, so it kills more
quickly and in smaller doses.
"Since we have had outbreaks
of this virus in the Northeast for
more than 100 years, its safety is
well established," added virol-
ogist H. Alan Wood, at the Boyce
Thompson Institute for Plant
search at Cornell University.
The tests at Cape Cod, he add-
ed, will allow scientists to track
their virus in a gypsy-moth popu-
lation, and distinguish their ge-
netically marked virus from the
wild-type virus in the field.
In collaboration with scientists
at the University of Massachu-
setts, Cornell and other Forest
Service centers, Slavicek has re-
moved a special gene from the
wild-tyPe virus, making it unable
to build a protein coat that shal-
tots the virus on a leaf surface.
The protein shelter normally
allows the virus to survive "for
about a week," Slavicek said.
Without shelter, however, "it is
viable for only about a minute, at
most."
AIR from the Cover
evidence, too.
For one thing, the men's perfor-
mance on physical reaction tests was
the same whether they breathed clean
or contaminated air in the test cham-
ber, which suggests their symptoms
might have been psychalogical. What's
more, because the chemicals smelled so
bad, the men inevitably knew when
they were breathing polluted air, and
that knowledge may have skewed their
responses.
That experiment, published early
this year, typifies the two-steps-for-
ward-one-step-back pace
of indoor pollution re-
search. Such tantalizing
but nondefinitive re-
sults are the reason de-
bate continues to rage
among researchers and
policy-makers over
whether the scientific
evidence is clear enough
to justify setting safety
standards for indoor air.
Scientists, mostly in
Scandinavia and the
United States, have ad-
ministered psychological tests to such
people, and they've sampled the air in
sick buildings before and after changes
are made in ventilation, carpets or fur-
niture. They've counted mold spores
and even dust particles -- all with the
goal of figuring out what causes sick-
building syndrome, and what can be
done to cure it.
So far, there are few clear answers.
There is a consensus that psychological
factors -- such as stress, depression or
job dissatisfaction -- do not by them-
selves cause workers to complain of
poor air quality. But the research to
date offers conflicting evidence on the
relative importance of dust, poor venti-
lation and volatile organic compounds,
among other potential triggers.
"It's a real detective process trying to
sort all this stuff out, and that's why it
doesn't lend itself to a nice and simple
regulatory program," said Robert Axel-
tad, chief of the EPA's indoor air divi-
sion. "The more tests you do, the more
hypotheses you come up with."
The task is so difficult because of the
complexities of the indoor environ-
menk which teems with molds, bacte-
ria and chemical compounds at concen-
trations so low they are difficult to
measure.
The symptoms of sick-building syn-
drome, in fact, are so nonspecific that
the condition is defined not in medical
terms but in numerical ones: If at least
20 percent of a building's occupants
suffer persistent symptoms that disap-
pear when they go outside, that's sick-
building syndrome.
"We know that more than 1,200 dif-
ferent types of compounds appear in
non-industrial buildings, and up to 300
types in houses," said scientist Lars
Malhave of the University of Aarhus in
Denmark, whose ground-breaking
work was emulated in the North Caro-
lina experiments. "It's impossible with
the present knowledge to predict the
combined effect of all these com-
pounds.''
So far, scientists have
done most of their work
inside sick buildings.
But some of the most
significant research has
been in laboratories,
where complicating fac-
tors like noise, stress
and unusual pollutants
can be screened out in
order to gauge how par-
ticular pollutants truly
affect human health.
In a series of studies
published in the 1980s,
for example, Malhave focused on vola-
tile organic compounds, such as xylene
and butylacetate, which are very com-
mon in office thrniture, paneling, up-
holstery, insulation, carpeting and even
felt-tip pens. He concluded that people
who breathe a low-level mix of those
chemicals are significantly more likely
to report headaches, lethargy and other
symptoms associated with sick-building
syndrome.
But the subjects of Malhave's experi-
ments were all people who already had
identified themselves as chemically
sensitive. Many had allergies, were
smokers or were women -- three
groups that tend to more often report
having problems with air quality.
So when scientists at the EPA's
Health Effects Research Laboratory in
North Carolina decided to try a similar
experiment, they chose healthy young
men who weren't allergic and didn't
smoke.
In all, 66 men participated. In gruups
of three, they sat inside the chamber
during two separate four*hour shifts.
During one shift they breathed the low-
level chemical mix, and during the oth-
er they inhaled clean air.
The men were more than twice as
likely to report headaches and almost
twice as likely to cite eye irritaUlon after
breathing contaminated air as after
breathing clean air. Those results were
similar to Molhave's, said David Otto,
an EPA research psychologist who
helped conduct the experiment. There
was no statistically significant differ-
ence in six other common signs of dis-
comfort: sluggishness; coughing; dry or
watery eyes; irritation, temperature
and dryness of skin.
While he acknowledged that the re-
suits are not definitive, Otto argued
that the chemicals' unpleasant smell
does n ~t explain the results. That's be-
cause the intensity of the odor grew
quickly and then slowly fqded through-
out the four-hour test period, but the
intensity of the reported symptoms
grew steadily during the entire four
hours. Besides, Otto said, the high
white-cell counts show that the men
had physiological reactions as well as
psychological ones.
Psychological studies have generally
reached similar conclusions. Research-
ers at the University of Florida, for ex-
ample, administered a battery of psy-
chological tests to 85 workers in a sick
building, but found no difference be-
tween the 27 who reported symptoms
and the 58 who did not, according to an
article published this year in the Jour-
nal of Consulting and Clinical Psychol-
ogy.
"This is not purely a psychological
phenomenon. These clusters of symp-
toms reflect true pathological pro-
cesses,' said Dr. Dean Baker, an epide-
miologist at the division of
environmental and occupational medi-
cine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in
Manhattan.
The psychological stress of hearing
co-workers voice health complaints can
trigger real physical reactions in other-
wise healthy people, said Baker, who
frequently serves as a consultant for
landlords or tenants in sick buildings.
But that alone doesn't explain the prev-
alence of sick-building syndrome, he
said.
While researchers generally agree
that something more than mental an-
guish is to blame, there is conflicting
evidence over what that something is.
Much of the attention has centered
on buildings with poor ventilation,
which is already a proven culprit in the
spread of airborne infectious diseases
such as tuberculosis, measles and the
common cold. Researchers have sug-
gested that volatile organics may trig-
ger sick-building symptoms if the
chemicals are not sufficiently diluted
by fresh air -- a particularly severe
problem during the summer and win-
ter when outside air is cut back to save
on heating and air-conditioning costs.
In one high-rise building in New
EPA psychologist David Otto at computer in testing chamber used for indoor air research at University of North Carolina
Itl
organic compounds at the same Iow levels found in many modern offices.
York City plagued by sick-building
complaints, for example, volatile organ-
ic concentrations were 20 times higher
in June than September, and 18 times
higher in November than September,
according to measurements by Philip
Morey of Edison, N.J.-based Clayton
Environmontal Consultants. Septem-
ber was the month when the most fresh
air was allowed into the building,
which Morey did not identify.
Similarly dramatic results have been
shown when ventilation rates are hiked
in other buildings. ]n one 27-story
building in downtown Atlanta, quadru-
pling the fresh-air rate to the voluntary
level recommended by the ventilation
industry led to a 40-percent cut in vola-
tile organic compounds, or VOCs. "In
one space, we cut the VOC levels by 300
percent within two hours," said Char-
lene Bayer of Georgia Tech University.
But building studies comparing ven-
tilation rates and concentrations of
volatile organic compounds sometimes
come up with unexpected results.
A recent study of nine sick buildings
in the eastern United States, for exam-
ple, found no correlation between ven-
tilation rates and the number of symp-
toms reported by workers. The key
factor instead seemed to be mineral fi-
ber concentrations in settled dust.
"It's the only thing we have found
that's giving us that ordered relation-
ship. The more [fiber] contamination
we've got, the more symptoms we
have people reporting," said the
study's author, Alan Hedge, an envi-
ronmental analyst at Cornell Univer-
sity. In the dustiest building, a typical
worker reported 5.5 different symp-
toms, while only 3.7 symptoms were
typically reported in the cleanest
building.
One of the biggest such studies
ever undertaken, which focused on
EPA's Waterside Mall headquarters,
where more than 5,000 people work,
came to a similar conclusion. Dust,
not ventilation or volatile organic
compounds, seemed to be the factor
that correlated the closest with the
intensity of symptoms reported by the
workers.
"We do have hundreds and hun-
dreds of examples of people who have
reacted to bad indoor air," said EPA
researcher Lance Wallace, who helped
conduct the study. "The problem is
that it's very hard to come up with a
single variable that explains all these
studies. There's a lot we still don't
know."
The men gauged the intensity of their symptoms after breathing the mix for
four hours, and after breathing clean air for four hours. For comparison
purposes, the researchers created a numeric scale based on the men's
reactions, and found that five symptoms showed statistically significant
differences.
Headache
Eye irritation
3.41
Clean / Air
6.97 ~ Air with volatile
' ~ ~ organic
compounds
10.71
Drowsiness
~10.45
12.15
ThroatE ~4.45
irritation ............. ::::::: :-::: i~ ::.~ ................
6.18
Perceived L.
elf qneli~ ..........
118.36
SOURCE: Environmental Protection Agency
'Personal Air' Worse Than Outdoors
By Dan Fagin
STAFF w~WrER
TAKE A deep breath.
Chances are, the air you just inhaled is
slightly more polluted than air elsewhere
in the room, and far more polluted than the
air outside your window.
That's the conclusion of a 12-year series of stud-
ies by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency re-
searchers. Those studies don't address how indoor
pollution affects human health, but they are per-
haps thc most. striking scientific evidence of the
comparatively high levels of chemical contami-
nants in most indoor air.
The studies compared levels of 11 common vola-
tile organic compounds, including several pesti-
cides, that are important pollutants because they
are carcinogens or otherwise toxic, are an impor-
tant component of smog, and are emitted into the
air through thousands of human activities from
stain-proofing a carpet to driving a
"Because of the TEAM studies,
we can show that indoor air is not
as good as outdoor air. We know
the exposure risk is two to five
times higher," sai¢ Lance Wallace,
the EPA scientist who conducted
many of the Total Exposure As-
sessment Methodology studies.
Safety standards fbr indoor air
quality in homes and offices don't
exist. But the contaminant levels
the TEAM studies detected in in-
door air, while higher than outdoor
levels, were still well below the
only existing safety standards,
which were set for factories by the
U.S. Occupational Safety and
Health Administration.
The most important reason why
chemical concentrations are so
much higher indoors, Wallace said,
is that human activity tends to cre-
ate pollution. Contaminants build
up indoors because that's where
Americans spend 90 percent of'
their lives, and because pollutants
don't dilute as quickly as they do in
the open air.
Everyday actions -- such as spraying insecti-
cide, hanging up clothes from the dry cleaners,
opening a can of paint and, especially, smoking
-- all release pollution. "Basically, you're in the
middle of a toxic cloud of your own making,"
Wallace said.
The TEAM studies do not take into account that
certain pollution problems, most notably ozone
smog, are significant outdoors but not indoors be-
cause they require direct sunlight. Other EPA
studies, however, have systematically ranked envi-
ronmental risks and concluded that indoor pollu-
tion poses a greater health threat than autos,
smokestacks and any other source of outdoor pol-
lution.
The indoor-vs.-outdoor comparisons are based
on a series of studies EPA researchers have been
conducting since 1980 in cities and towns ranging
from industrialized Bayonne, N.J., to rural Devil's
Lake, N.D.
Even in an unspoiled rural area, like Woodland, Calif., air indoors is typically
more contaminated than some of the most polluted outdoor air in the
United States. The numbers represent concentrations of benzene, a
carcinogen, measured in micrograms per cubic meter,
Outdoors ~ (~
Woodland,
Calif indoors ~ ~]~Ji 0
Los Outdoors ~ (~)
Angeles indoors ~.f~l~l/(~
Outdoors ~ (~)
Bayonne, r r- g-
".'. ,ndoors e
SOURCE: EPA
They took 24-hour samples of outdoor air, and
fitted a total of about 800 people with portable
devices that sampled the "personal air" the people
inhaled over the same 24-hour period. In three of
the cities -- smoggy Los Angeles, suburban Wood-
land, Calif., and remote Valdez, Alaska they also
took 24-hour air samples inside homes and offices.
In total, they tested in seven cities and towns, visit-
ing several more than once in order to account for
seasonal variations.
The results were remarkably consistent. Invari-
ably, the "personal air" inhaled by the test sub-
jects in each of the cities was more polluted than
outdoor air usually the contaminant concentra-
tions were two to five times higher. For the three
cities where indoor air samples also were collected,
the indoor air proved to be slightly less polluted
than "personal air," but far more polluted than
outdoor air.
The disparity is so gq'eat that indoor air in an
unspoiled rural community is often more con-
taminated than some of the most
polluted outdoor air in the na-
tion, the EPA studies show. For
example, the average indoor air
sample from Woodland, a rural
town near Sacramento, contained
higher concentrations of benzene
than halt' the outdoor samples
collected in Los Angeles and 80
percent of the outdoor samples
from Bayonne.
The EPA studies are by far the
most comprehensive indoor-vs.-
outdoor comparisons, but other re-
search has come up with similar
results.
A study of 25 problem-plagned
U.S.-based office buildings, for ex-
ample, showed that concentrations
of volatile organic compounds were
on average three times higher in-
doors than out, and were as much
as 16 times higher in some cases,
according to Philip Morey, whose
firm, Clayton Environmental Con-
sultants in Edison, N.J., was hired
to investigate each of the build-
ings.
z
O
6
EVEN THE EPA FACES 'SICK BUILDING' LAWSUIT
Last of a series
By Dan Fagin
STAFF WRITER
F or a decade, EPA scientists have been saying
sick buildings are a critical health threat.
For halle decade, the most notorious exam-
ple has been the agency's own headquarters,
where the boss has one of the few windows that open.
Yet senior officials of the U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency still aren't sure what
the government should do about indoor
pollution, and the same paralysis is af-
flicting state and local anti-pollution
agencies.
"They might as well be telling peo-
ple to take a straw and stick it out the
window to get some fresh air," said
U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II (D-
Mass.)~ who since 1988 has been trying
to persuade Congress and the Bush ad-
ministration to set health standards
for indoor air.
In a country where huge environ-
mental bureaucracies manage toxic
waste cleanups, monitor smog and test drinking wa-
ter, indoor air pollution is a throwback to the days
when businesses were left to regulate themselves.
Landlords and employers can't be forced to provide
clean indoor air because the government hasn't set
air standards for offices. Buildings are rarely inspect-
ed because no agency is obligated to answer typical
complaints.
The issue gets so little official attention that the
office that is supposed to spearhead federal efforts,
the EPA's indoor air division, has just 15 employees
and an annual budget of $5.9 million -- slightly less
than what the EPA has spent trying to solve indoor
pollution problems at its leased headquarters build-
ing, where some workers have filed a $35 million law-
suit against the landlord.
That's a formula for frustration, both for victims of
indoor pollution and for the agencies they call for help.
"You've got a reservoir of problems out there, and
they're just not being addressed," said
Frank Randall of the Suffolk County
Health Department, who gets one or
two calls a day about indoor pollution.
"Everybody calls up and says: 'Come
test my air.' But once you get the data,
what are you going to do with it?
There's a gaping need for something to
be done, but there are no regulations."
Politics and science are at the heart of
the controversy over what to do about
indoor air. It's a maddeningly elusive
form of pollution because it is often
odorless, and always appears as a low-
level mix of hundreds of chemical com-
pounds that varies from building to building, in part
because sources are as varied as copiers and cleansers.
A further complication is that the health problems it
can trigger, ranging from sore throats to severe pneu-
monia and fatal cancers, aren't unique to indoar pollu-
tion and thus can be blamed on other causes.
Because of this elusiveness, the most that research-
ers have been able to conclusively show in laboratory
studies is that headaches, sore throats and other less
severe symptoms are more likely to occur when peo-
pie are exposed to a low-level mix of chemicals com-
mon in offices.
To the EPA, chemical manufacturers, the real es-
tate industry and other opponents of mandatory stan-
dards, the research is too incomplete to justify regula-
tions that could force the reformulation of products
ranging from carpet preservatives to paint strippers
and the rebuilding of hundreds of thousands of sub-
standard building ventilation systems.
"IUs unsatisfying to say that after all this time we
still don't know what we're dealing with, but I think
there is a certain justification for that position," said
Dr. J. Donald Miller, director of the National Insti-
tute of Occupational Safety and Health in Atlanta.
But advocates, including labor unions and some of
the world's leading researchers, say enough is known
to set mandatory ventilation standards for buildings
as well as chemical emission limits for furniture, car-
pet and other products used indoors. They note that
European countries and several states are moving
ahead with rules for indoor air, and argue that pro-
ductivity gains would easily outweigh the cost of regu-
lation. The gridlock in Washington, Albany and else-
where, they charge, has more to do with special-
interest politics than scientific uncertainty.
"Everyone from building owners to manufacturers,
corporate interests, manufacturers of copying ma-
Please see POLLUTION on Page 98
CASE STUDY 3
Library's One for Books
Even the books sweat on muggy
afternoons in the basement offices at
Smithtown's main library.
"It's very hot, stagnantly hot,"
said clerk Linda Aveni. "And it's not
just the temperature, the air
quality is oppressive. Sometimes you
just have to go outside tbr a breath
of fresh air... Everyone gets very
flushed, and it's hard to
concentrate, because you're
preoccupied by how you feel.'~
Fresh air just doesn't reach the
nooks and crannies of the old brick
library, portions of which were
built in 1918 -- proof that indoor air
problems aren't limited to newer,
tighter buildings.
In the catalog room, where Av~ni
works, there are no ventilation duets
or fans. Cleaning supplies are
stored nearby. Some employees
complain of fatigue and headaches
and make frequent trips outside for
fresh air.
"This was an old basement
storage room that was never
intended for people to work in,"
Library Director Tom Gillen said of
the catalog room. "But we don't have
any other space."
The entire three-story building is
so crammed with bookshelves and
offices that the air-handling system
is hopelessly ineffective. New interior
walls and high stacks of books
block off ventilation ducts, creating
rooms with no fresh air and no
return vents to expel stagnant air.
Hot and cold spots are scattered
throughout the library, and
"balancing" the building by
adjusting the ventilation system to
deliver air evenly throughout the
structure is impossible.
"Some places in the building
might be 62 degrees, and others might
be 80," Gillen said. "We have a lot
of different problems, and yet there's
no one solution except to do the
whole thing over, and we don't have
the money to do that."
98
Even at EPA Headquarters,
POLLUTION from Page 6
chines, carpet makers and glue manufacturers,
they're all fighting this," said Kennedy, who got in-
terested in the issue when a Boston school was diag-
nosed as a sick building. "Those are the rea~ issues,
the real reason the EPA doesn't have a single guide-
line on indoor air."
"It's a total cop-out to say that because the scientific
evidence is not complete we can't regulate," agreed
James E. Woods, a professor of building science at
Virginia Tech University who helped write the valun-
tary fresh-air guidelines used by the ventilation indus-
try. "We know how to build buildings right and pre-
vent these [health] problems, that's why it's so
frustrating that nothing is happening."
Partisans on both sides have focused on an office
and shopping complex near the Potomac River that is
the seat of environmental authomty in America: EPA
headquarters. The complex, leased by EPA and
known as Waterside Mall, has become perhaps the
best known sick building in the country.
Like many offices constructed during the 1970s, Wa-
terside Mall was built to save energy by limiting the
amount of fresh outside air that enters. The 800,000
square feet of floor space is packed with carpeting and
furniture that emit low levels of formaldehyde and
other volatile chemicals, and the windows can't be
opened except in EPA Administrator William Reil-
ly's 12th-floor suite and a handful of other locations.
Complaints are so widespread among the 5,500 bu-
reaucrats who work there that in 1989 an EPA consul-
tant estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the workforce
was suffering building-related health effects. A $35
million suit filed by 19 EPA employees against land-
lord Charles Bresler will not go to trial until sometime
next year, but the agency has already spent at least $6
million surveying employees, conducting air tests, rip-
ping up carpet and improving ventilation. The 19
plaintiffs, plus 29 other EPA employees, now work in
uildin.q -~ "' '
· ;zality
Charles Hodgman of the Nassau County Health Department in his Mineola office
other buildings or at home because they say they devel-
oped extreme chemical sensitivity while working at
Waterside Mall.
"EPA's indoor air quality ought to be a model for
the nation rather than a laughingstock," said Kirby
Biggs, one of the plaintiffs, gJn analyst in the agency's
Superfund section and a vice president of his union
local, Biggs said he developed extreme fatigue, head-
aches, tingling sensations and eye irritation after new
furniture and carpeting was installed in his office.
"Now I'm one of the boys in the bubble," he said,
referring to his new workplace in a Virginia building
with better ventilation, where he works alongside
other chemically sensitive EPA employees.
The problems at the headquarters building have
been particularly embarrassing for EPA because over
the past 10 years a series of agency reports, many of
them prepared inside the Waterside Mall building,
have identified indoor air as a major national prob-
lem. A special EPA task force, for e×ample, concluded
in a 1987 report that indoor pollution caused more
cancers than all but three of 29 major forms of pollu-
tion -- more than toxic waste dumps, smokestack
emissions and water pollution. Only chemical pro-
cessing, pesticides and radon ranked higher·
But agency officials say the true lesson af Waterside
Mail is that indoor pollution is still too complicated and
poorly understood to regulate. An elaborate series of
studies of the building by EPA scientists found no clear
relationship between any specific pollutants and the
illnesses described by employees but identified many
problems with the building itselfi
"If you were to try to regulate everything that was
found to be less than ideal in the Waterside Mall, you
would be talking about imposing a massive burden,
and probably an economically indefensible burden, on
building owners and managers," said Robert Axelrad,
who heads the EPA's indoor air division.
Even its defenders concede that the regulatory
scheme for indoor air is a patchwork riddled with
holes. The only limits on chemical exposures indoors
were written by the U.S. Occupational Safety and
Health Administration for factories and were based
on tests involving healthy middle-aged men, who tend
to be less susceptible than women to indoor pollution.
And those limits were written for individual chemi-
cals, not the complex mixtures found in offices.
Indoor-air experts, even those who say regulation
would be impractical, almost universally dismiss the
OSHA limits as irrelevant for offices. "You have prob-
lems in office buildings at concentrations 10 to 100
times below what OSHA permits in an industrial set-
ting," said Jan Stolwijk, a professor of epidemiology
and public health at Yale University.
Because reasonable pollutant standards don't exist,
some investigators arbitrarily create their own infor-
mal rules. "I'd love to have guidelines that I don't
make up," said Charles Hodgman of the Nassau
County Health Department, which generally consid-
Groups Cool to Indoor-Air Cause
By Dan Fagin
STAFF WRITER
Trees, ~hales and the smokestacks
of big factories aren't part of the de-
bate over indoor pollution.
Neither are environmental groups.
"It's the Greenpeace phenomenon.
They can use seals or whales for the
fund-raising efforts, but this issue
isn't as graphic," says Bill Borwegon
of the Service Employees Interna-
tional Union. He's one of several
frustrated labor activists who say
they've been unable to persuade en-
vironmentalists to join the labor co-
alition in pushing tbr safety stan-
dards for indoor air.
Despite federal studies that rank
indoor pollution as one of the most
severe environmental threats to hu-
man health -- more severe, in fact,
than smokestack emissions and haz-
ardous waste dumps -- the major en-
vironmental groups have largely ig-
nqred the issue.
"Nobody seems willing to step up
to the plate and say it's time to take
aggressive action. I think we need to
deal with it," said William J. Roberts,
legislative director for the Environ-
mental Defense Fund, an environ-
mental advocacy group.
So far, interest among environ-
mental groups has mostly been limit-
ed to protecting their own staffs. The
National Audubon Society and the
Natural Resources Defense Council
each recently moved into headquar-
ters in lower Manhattan that were
specially renovated, by architect
Randolph Croxton, to minimize in-
door pollution.
"We've had indoor air on our list of
issues we're concerned about for sew
eral years now, but we've never had
the opportunity to act on that," said
David Hawkins, a lawyer who heads
the council's air program. "Our
hands have been sufficiently full
with the outdoor air pollution is-
"It's an incredibly serious problem
in terms of health, but the environ-
mental groups are really strapped for
resources and for people to work on
it," said Jan Beyea, director of sci-
ence at Audubon.
Lack of resources, and the absence
of dramatic victims or villains, aren't
the only reasons indoor pollution has
gotten so little attention. Some envi-
ronmentalists also fear that empha-
sizing indoor pollution could detract
f¥om two high-profile goals: conserv-
ing energy and cleaning up outdoor
air.
Labor unions active on the issue
generally believe the quickest and
cheapest way to improve air indoors
is to dilute pollutants by requiring
more ventilation even if that
means more energy is consumed for
heating and air conditioning. Envi-
ronmentalists, however, tend to fa-
vor the more time-consuming and
meticulous approach of reducing
chemical emissions from products
used indoors.
Environmental groups also fear
that publicizing the issue, particular-
ly studies showing that chemical con-
centrations are higher indoors than
out, might slow implementation of
the outdoor-oriented 1990 Clean Air
Act amendments, a crowning
achievement of the environmental
movement, said New York attorney
Laurence Kirsch, editor of the Indoor
Pollution Law Report.
There's another reason, too. In-
door pollution just isn't particularly
important to the nature-loving con-
stituency that dominates main-
stream environmentalism.
"There's some notion out there
that this is a lot of ordinary office
workers who are particularly at risk
here, and these are people who are
perhaps not able to participate in the
mainstream environmental move-
ment,'' said U.S. Rep. Joseph Kenne-
dy II (D-Mass.), an advocate of regu-
lation.
They're Fuming About Air
ers an office to have safe air if pollutant levels are 1
percent of the OSHA limits.
Guidelines setting minimum fYesh air rates in
buildings aren't quite so haphazard, but they aze
strictly voluntary for everything except new construc-
tion. The guidelines, set by a national engineers' asso-
ciation, were rewritten in 1989 to quadruple the
amount of outside air recommended in new offices.
Enforcement of ventilation and chemical standards
indoors is either sporadic or nonexistent, depending
on the agency. County health departments, which get
most of the complaints, field about 30 calls per week
on Long Island, twice as many as the departments get
about outdoor pollution. But few are investigated be-
cause state, county and city health departments don't
have clear authority on the issue and aren't obligated
to respond unless there is a health emergency.
OSHA, the agency with clearest authority to investi-
gate indoor air complaints, considers them such a low
priority that only 55 of the 42,311 inspections it con-
ducted during the 1990-91 fiscal year were related to
non-industrial indoor air problems. "Out of this office,
I don't know that we have ever done an inspection on a
[non-factory] indoor air quality complaint," said Nan-
cy Adams of the Long Island OSHA office.
OSHA and EPA managers say their hands are tied
because their agencies can only regulate chemical ex-
posures that constitute a "material impairment" to
health. Whether indoor pollution meets that threshold
is, like modern art, a matter of'interpretation.
So far, the only health problems that researchers
can inarguably link to low-level indoor exposures are
headaches, sore throats and other relatively minor
symptoms. Animal laboratory studies attempting to
prove low-level pollution causes cancer have been in-
conclusive, even though many scientists are con-
vinced the link exists because cancer-causing chemi-
cals are present in indoor air, and because people
spend so much time indoors.
Links to illnesses, instead of merely to symptoms,
Please see POLLUTION on Next Page
A Toxic Home
Some common indoor air pollution problems in homes and what can be done about them.
Many emit nitrogen dioxide, which can cause eye infections, respiratory
problems and bronchitis, parlicularly in children. They also can emit carbon
monoxide, which can cause headaches, fatigue, eye irritation and flu-like
symptoms.
Solutions: Make sure gas appliances are directly vented to the outside
and are professionally inspected at least once a year.
They can emit high levels of carbon monoxide.
Solallna: Make sure they are used in well-ventilated areas, use proper
fuel in kerosene heaters.
They emit nitrogen dioxide as well as particles that can cause eye, nose
and throat irritation, respiratory infections and bronchitis.
Sulotlons: Have chimney and flues professionally inspected annually,
choose wood stoves that are properly sized for the room and that have
tight-fitting doors.
Particularly during the first few weeks after they are installed, certain
products can emit formaldehyde as well as volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), which can produce strong odors and cause headaches, eye
irritation, breathing problems, nervous system damage and are a
suspected caminogen. Wet carpets can be a breeding ground for mold
and bacteria.
Solutions: Choose products with little or no formaldehyde and VOCs,
avoid immediately occupying new or renovated areas, keep furniture and
carpet dry and clean.
Solutions: Use products outside or in well-ventilated areas and according
to manufacturer's directions. Safely dispose of unused or little-used
containers. Use pesticides strictly according to directions, and run fans
and open windows when apprying indoors. Don't sand or burn off lead-
based paint; instead hire a qualified professional, or cover area with
wallpaper or building material.
Each can be a source of VOCs and formaldehyde - especially urea
formaldehyde foam insulation, which hasn't been widely used for a decade.
Asbestos fibers can cause lung scarring or cancer but are generally a
concern only if asbestos is disturbed or has disintegrated with age.
Solutions: Choose "exterior-grade" pressed wood products that contain
phenol resins instee, d of urea resins, select products with little or no VOCs,
call a licensed professional for asbestos removal.
They can be breeding grounds for mold and fungi that can cause allergic
reactions, breathing problems and (in extreme conditions) Legiennaire's
Disease. High humidity encourages growth of dust mites, mold and
mitdew.
Sulutinns: Clean equipment often, make sure filters are adequate and
changed frequently, keep humidity levels at 30 to 50 percent, use distilled
water or a demineralizing filter to. fill humidifiers.
SOURCE: American Lung A~sociaiion. EPA
They erT,it ~a'l¥' dl~l~rorll corltamlr unls. i,ichJdlnq VO~.,.., Olhel
fi,els ;md abk;. i)r3du(:Is '~:)bby supp. leS and d'y-cleurPd clol'tmg
99
Your
hstarts
ere.
New
York
Institute
Te; hnology
At NYIT, we educate for the real world Our outstanding faculty of
experienced professionals prepare students for careers in Architecture
and Fine Arts; Business; Educabon; Engineering and Technology; Liberal
Arts, Sciences and Commumcalion Arts; Medicine (NY College of
Osteopathic Medicine): Culinary Arts; Hotel/Restaurant Administration,
Undergraduate and graduate programs feature career courses taught
with you and the real world in mind! Tuition is affordable and classes
are small Three convenient campuses·
OLDWESTBURY · 516/686-7520
Northern Blvd Old Westbury NY
MANHATTAN · 212/399-8531
(Near Lincoln Center)
1855 Broadway, NY NY
ISLIP OPEN HOUSE: Sunday. November 22, Noon to 4 PM
Carleton Ave Central Ishp NY
R IVNEW YORK INSTITUTE
Call toll-free for details
1-800-345-NYIT
Win A Trip To
San Francisco!
This could be your golden opportunity to see the
Golden Gate! American Airlines has just inaugurated
new Business Class service between New York and
San Francisco. And to celebrate, they're giving away
a fabulous trip for two, in conjunction with Newsday.
The winner will enjoy a 4-day/3-night stay in San
Francisco, including roundtrip air'fare on American
Airlines, and hotel accommodations provided by
American's own Fly AAway Vacations. Just fill out the
coupon below and mail it in. Hurry! Entries must be
received by November 30, 1992.
SPONSORED BY
AND
AmericanAirline
FLY
Rules And Regulations ~1~ ~11 m m m m Imm m am
To
· ,' __~ MaUThisCoupon o:
,~ 1 To enter htl out this coupon D a acs m e and
~ mail g to Amedcan Airlines Sales Office Fly
r,: AAway T(~ San Francisco, La6uardia Ai~ort, _A.me.r[can A_lrll~nes .Sales,O_fi. ice
~ FlushingNY 11371 · i-lyAAway/ooanrranc~sco ·
a: 2. Winner ,~ill be selected from a random drawing m LaGuardla Airport -
LU on December 1 1992 The odds of winning will be -
~ determined by the number of entries received. I Flushing, NY 11371 I
u~ 3 Pdze includes two rounolrip coach tickets to
> San Fraocisco on American Airlines and hntd ac- · ·
O
z commodations. Pdze is non4ransferable and non-
refundable I Name
~ 4. Winner will be notified by mail fid later than De-
~ Yor~ Newsday are available for inspention at public I Town State Z,p
~ andR°ad' Mdville NY, 11747their immediate famiges are not eligible --a --I
At EPA, Air
POLLUTION from Prececing Page
become clear only when researchers
leave the laboratory and conduct field
tests. A four-year study conducted for
the U.S..Army, for example, found
that during basic training, enlistees
were almost 50 percent more likely to
be hospitalized with respiratory infec-
tions if they bunked in modern, tight
barracks than in barracks built dur-
ing the 1940s and 1950s.
That's enough evidence to justify
setting standards, some experts say.
"If you're only talking about the ab-
sence of disease, it's true that we don't
have the causality relationship at the
[pollutant] levels you find in most nor-
real buildings," said Lars Molhave of
the University of Aarhus, Denmark,
who is perhaps the most prominent
indoor-air researcher in the world.
"But if you want your workers to func-
tion optimally and without discomfort,
you have to accept that we have consid-
erable evidence that low-level expo-
sures are the cause."
Senior government and industry of-
ficials, however, say the evidence isn't
strong enough to justify expensive
regulations. "The agency was not cre-
ated just to respond to whatever any-
body says is a problem. The agency
The Series
o SUNDAY:
The Indo~ Epidemic
Indoor air pstlutlau la a quiel epidomle that II
maJdog millions oi Nne~icans mimmlide every
day. b .;koolt, hemes and Mlioos, building, re-
latnd pidloffOn b a hidden ciuas d health
lams Bid are often sOOt·riding and eKael~ool~
IUe-thrautaning.
~brelemy ef · Sink Building
Mr wm~ geUl~ throng#. SirM gte ~
18 years age, thc State OffiCe Building In flgap~
pooge has been a paredlgm fa' the intieer pidlu.
tinn prebinms that plagge :lmndredo id sNeit but
sick office buildings in the reglen.
EPA employee Kirby Biggs, who is suing the
landlord of the EPA hoadquaders.
· TODAY:
In I~ FeW aim Imlellea ·! EP,~
Fcr a dm=W, EPA ~-iestist~ hive beet
saying elgk buildings me a crfllcal health tlgeid.
Fo~ half a decade, ~e most oothflous
asanlple has been their own hgadqualtere. In a
country where huge e~he.latJlt~
bureaucracies manage toxic ~ cleaooi~,
meoffcr smog and t~t ddnldog widm',
air pollulioo Js a throwbank tg tho doye whoo
buslooases were loft te regeMe fram·siva&
th giooamiiTo tim kgell br · 0la
In ~ek buildings and steel teeing
aelendids look for links bMween,hldeM
of Nnerieaas. "The more t~th yea do, the niece
hyeethooas yeu come up wl~,"'says ogle
federal olflciid.
Not Clear
responds to data," said Alan McMillan,
who holds OSHA's second-ranking
post of deputy assistant secretary.
So far, the debate's only clear result
has been regulatory gridiock. A pro-
posed law that would begin the pro-
cess of setting indoor air standards
passed the U.S. Senate two years ago
in an 88-7 vote but has been stalled in
the House of Representatives.
Locally, lawmaking is similarly
stalled. A proposal by New York City
Council President Andrew Stein to es-
tablish a commission to study the is-
sue hasn't been acted upon by the
council, and neither has a similar bill
proposed in Albany by Assemb. Rich-
ard Gottfried (D-Manhattan).
OSHA, after being sued by anti-
smoking groups, agreed last year to
ask for public comment on whether the
agency should consider regulating in-
door air and got more than 1,200 ce-
plies, an unusually large response. No
final decision has been made, but offi-
cials privately say no further action is
expected.
While Washington waits, other
parts of the country and the world are
experimenting with safety standards.
The European Community is plan-
ning to require testing for chemical
emissions for many indoor products
and will then set a five-year timetable
to require 50 percent
reductions in those
emissions, said Jack
Spengler, a professor
of public-health at
Harvard University.
Several Scandinavian
countries also have
aggressive ventilation
rules. Sweden re-
quires the use of 100
percent outside air,
without any recircuia-
tion, in day-care cen-
ters during their first
year of operation to
minimize the risk of
chemical emissions
from new carpeting or
furniture.
Eight states also are
considering moving
ahead with their own
indoor-air regula-
tians. Last year, for
instance, New Jersey
issued new rules that
give state regulators
the power to force im-
provements in build-
ings that house public
employees if the state
determines that air
quality is deficient in
those buildings.
Washington State is
going even further by
developing what
would be the nation's
first enforceable in-
door air standards.
The proposed rules,
which may be adopted
as early as April after
public hearings, would
establish detailed
minimum ventilation
requirements for
buildings, except resi-
dences and factories.
"Where we differ
from OSHA is we be-
lieve this is an issue
that should be dealt
with, not dispensed
with," said Steve
Cant, an industrial hy-
gienist for Washing-
ton State who chairs
the interagency task
force developing the
standards. "Ifwewalt-
ed for OSHA, we'd
never have anything."
Airing Out a Sick-Buildings Plan
Regulation battle to
change stuffy offices
By Dan Fagin
STAFF CORRE.SPON DENT
Albany -- "Welcome to Lhe submarine," Jeff Buley
said, escorting a visitor into his cramped, windowless
In another office suite in the same building, known
as the L.O.B., black smudges stain the walls beneath
an air duct· "There's not much ventilation, so when
one person gets sick, evewone else does too," said
Tom Nitido. '~Ve call it L.O.B.-gionnaire's disease."
Just another couple of unhappy office workers? Not
qdte.
~Bu]ey and Nitido work in the Legislative Office
Building as key aides to the health committses of the
state Senate and Assembly. And they're keeping their
personal experiences in mind as they draft a bill that
for the first time would regulate oltice air in New
York State.
Diminishing opposition from Senate Republicans
and business interests, coupled with persistent com-
plaints about the granite-and-glass building where ail
211 legislators work, are all combining to improve the
odds that New York will join an increasing number of
states setting and enforcing indoor air rules.
Under discussion are proposals that would require
the state Health Department to set minimum ventila-
tion rates for commercial buildings, and would ~ve the
department limited authority to investigate com-
plaints and mandate improvements in problem build-
~ngs.
Senate Health Committee Chairman Michael Tully
(R-Roslyn Heights) and his Assembly counterpart,
Manhattan Democrat Richard Gottfried, each say
they are optimistic they will be able to reach agree-
ment on specific language for ajaint Senate-Assembly
bill, a major step toward passage.
"I think something has to be done in the coming
year," Tully said. "We're starting to realize now that
indoor air quality is a major problem."
Last month, in a series of articles, Newsday de-
scribed how indoor air pollution is a serious, but over-
looked problem that many sta~es, including New
York, were failing to regulate. However, some states
ar? mqvin~' ahe.ad with their own regulations because
!
The Legislative O~ce Building in Albany, said to have poor, unhealthy ventilation system
~ ~&~' 'I think
something
' has to be
done in the
coming
year. We're
starting
(R-Roaly~ Heigh!sl'and his Assembly coun_t?..rpart,
:-M~6ihattan ~at Richard CotL~d~ed, eacu say
meat on sp~ific ~ ~ joint Sehaf, e-~bly
bi~l.~amajorstoptowai:d~. ',: %.:~ . :-~ ..
I think something,_h_~_ to be done inthe comin]~
yearf Tully said. '~/e re starilng to realize now that
Last month,: in a se~es of grti~-Newsday u~
scribed how indoor air pollution is a ~iqus, but over-
looked probl~n thht many states, 'including New
York~ were f~illng to reg~da~. However, some states
are m0~g abe~d with ~air om re~d~tio~ beea~e
federel rule-n,~ld,g effort~ have sta]le&
· "Ne~Ybrk'ought to bein the vanguard on this,"
said Gottfrie~ '~'e know this is one of the major
health i~ue~ ~ci~g us because it's so widespread."
In recent wes~ Bule~ and other Tully aides have
di~u~sed the iesne eeverai times with Nitido, who
workS for Gotffried. Talk~ will continue when the leg- ·
islative seasion 5egins Jan. 6.
Already, however, the negotiators have discovered
they have something in common; they all think the
air in,ds their offices is unhealthy.
The 22-year-old LegisLative 0t~co Building is an
imposing ~tructare of bread foyers and high-ceilinged
he~ing rooms. But the building's windows are all
sealed shut and it~ offices are generally cramped, in
~ beeauee the number of ]eg~alative aides h~ sky-
rocketed over the past two deeads~
Tully's committee staff, for e~mple, works in a
crowded, windowle~ suite of smnll offices that used
to 5e a nurses' station..
"By the end of the day you fee] very winded, hke
you can't breathe;" said AlCardillo, .Tully's director
for health i~ne~ "I attribute at least some of that to
the fact that we have to work in here."
Gottfried, whese office is a~o on the eighth floor,
wes so concerned about the building's air quality that
he asked the Health Department to inspect the build-
ing twice during the sununer of 1990.
Other lawmakers have complained, too. "I come
into this building feeling perfectly healthy, and I leave
al~er a full day of bexng locked m here feeLing 5ke I
get6ng the flu ' said Aasemb. Alexander O~mnis (D-
Manhattan). Said A~emb. Dan Fe dm~n (D-Brook-
lyn): "It may be psycho]ogica], I don't know, but I just
feel uncomfortable in this building"
The Health Department inspections found no ma-
jor problems, but did make three reeommendations:
vent~ation fact sheets should be pasted, complaint
procedures should be beefed up; and the air in a copy
room / print shop ~hou]d be ventilated ~Lirect~y to the
think
to be
in the
coming
year. We're
starting
to realize
now that
indoor air
quality is a
major
problem.'
-- State Sen.
Michael Tully
"We believe the air in the building is good. We're state Health Department the power to investigate ai~-
not aware of any problems," said Leu Fazzane, who quality complaints and urge improvements. The dw~,
supervises heating and air conditioning services in all partment wouldn't have the specific power to force
state buildings in the Albany area. building owners to solve problems, but could invoke
The building~e dnctwork has never been cleaned, he its general authority under the public health law if
said, but the use of high-efficiency filters makes that the problems are severe. .
unnecessary. And Fazzone said the black smudgss The RepubLican-controlled Senate ~howed no inter-
found on many of the building's interior walls origi- est in Gottfried's bill last year, and Tully instead
nate in the offices themselves, not the ventilation sys- sponsored a bill that would merely have required the
tom. Health Department to set up training courses for op-
Indeed, there is little reason to believe condit'ions in erators of ventilation systems.
the building would improve even if state lawmakers But Tully now says he's interested i~l sponsoring a
voted to make ventilation guidelines mm~datory, as is joint Senate-A~sembly bill that has some enforcement
being considered. Those guidelines are set by the ven- teeth. "When you start talking about mandates, busi-
tilation industry, but are nonbinding in most cases, ness people are going to bounce off the walls. But
Typically, the buildings with the most severe air- there comes a time when overriding issues . . . [re-
.... id
quality problems were built between 1975 and 1989 qmre] that we do something about th s, he sa .
because during that period ~entilation guidelines A representative of the state's biggest business
were relaxed to save energy. But the Legislative Of- gr6up, meanwhile, said the right kind of regulatory
rice Building was built in 1970, and its blueprints bill might be acceptable to his organization.
suggest it would comply with current standards. "We should set up a system that responds effective-
Even if a new Law doesn't make things better in the ly to buildings where problems are perceived, and
building where they work, Lawmakers predict it will then requires action if those problems are con-
make a difference in buildings where air quality prob- £n-med," said Ken Pokalsky, director of environmen-
outside instead of circulated throughout the bugding, lents are more severe. Lid programs for the Business C~uncit of New York
state Office of C&nerhl' ~rwces, which manages ~e adiire.s.s ~t, .Go. tt.~.'e~l said:. ... ,, ":/'~ 5 ~-;~.~,i~,~"~,.~,~~ ~'~;~p~.~-~
building.
Girl, 8, Stands by Story
DOTS At. Sexual-Abuse Trial
~ By Don Smith ~he girl insisted, that no one in
STAFF WRIrEa district attorney s office or in her fi
An 8-year-old girl who is one of ily suggested the change.
three children allegedly abused in a The girl's teddy bear, with her d
sex-for-crack ring completed her testi- lng all her previous appearances
D TS
· ALRGE SIZES FOR LESS
Mkq. E PI.ACE, N.Y. CLOCK TOWER PLACE, PH: (516) 741-7027
COMMACK, N.Y. CO~IMACK PLAZA, PH: (516) 4~2-2720
VlSff OUR.OTHER LOCATIONS:
WEST ORANGE,- N..J. CAtG~R CENTER (201) 325-I 152
WAYNE, N.J. WAYNE TOWNE CEN1ER {201) 256-5580
EDISON, N.J. MENLO PARK MAIL (q0~) 494~9q0
,tleaS L~I Notices Legal Notlce~
- NOTICE OF
mony yesterday, standing firm in her
statements that the people on trial --
"including Mommy" -- did bad
things to her.
In her fi)urth day of testimony, the
girl denied over and over again de-
fense questions of whether anyone
had rehearsed her story of abuse at
the hands of her mothers' friends.
The girl's mother is on trial in State
Supreme Court in Rivethead before
Justice Michael Mullen, Also on trial
are: Junins T. (Bug) Atkins, 19, of 90
Old Qangue Rd., Riverside; Raymond
Hannah, 34, a boarder at the wom-
an's home; Glen Jon~s, 35, of West-
hampton Beach; and Melvin Painter,
37, of 22 Old Quogue Rd., Riverside.
The five are accused of a variety of
charges, including ~'ape, sodomy, sex
abuse, promoting prostitution, use of
a child in a sexual performance and
endangering the welfare of a child.
Law enforcement sources say that
between August, 1990, and February,
1991, the mother -- whose identity is
being withheld to protect the privacy
'of her daughters -- sold her daugh-
ters to various mci4 for sexual pur-
poses during crack parties in her
home or took them to men's homes,
where they were sexually abused and
photographed. The children were 3, 5,
and 6 at the time of the incidents.
On the stand yesterday, the 8-year-
old glrl sneezed, sniffled often and
played with tissues given to her. She
kept her head down for the most part
despite lawyers' attempts to get her to
look at them while they questioned
her. Several times she laid her head
down on the railing.
During cross examination, defense
attorneys focused on her changing the
word she used to describe the penis.
the stand, was missing yesterd
morning, but it was returned in t
afterncon. Under ccose-examinati,
by defense attorney Frank Mm-pl
she said the toy bear was a gift fr¢
Assistant District Attorney Dt
Schwartz.
"Miss Dari gave it to me," she sai
"For my birthday. Miss Dari gave n
crayons and paper for school."
When asked by Murphy if she kne
someone called "Bug" or someor
else called "June Bug," she said
didn't know.
Murphy has insisted that his clien
Atkins, is not the person called "Bug
that the g-year-old girl has identifie
as one of her abusers. Murphy claim
ttmt person is another Riverside res
dent known as "June Bug" who is
drag dealer, and Southampton polic
arrested his client because he bas th
nickname "Bug."
Later a 17-year-old female cousin
with whom the 8-year-old lives, testi.
fled that the three sisters moved ir
with her family in February after the
mother was arrested on a dru~
charge. The youngest girl told the
teenager about adults touching her
and doing sexual things to her, the
cousin testified. The teenager then
told her mother, who called Child Pro-
tective Services, and the investigation
began:
The teenager was asked a string of
questions, including whether she was
familiar with the names of 11 men.
She said she had heard the younger
children mention the names since
they moved in with her family. De-
fense attorneys have said that the 8-
year-old has named up to 25 men who
abused her or her sisters. However,
only four men are on trial, the defense
attorneys have noted.
Airing Out Stuffy Offices
AIR from Preceding Page
compenent to it."
But Pokalsky said the business
council would oppose any bill that cre-
ates a new regulatery burden for build-
in~ that have not been the subject of
complaints.
New Jersey's indoor air regula-
tions, adopted last year, set up a spe-
cial complaint procedure and give
state investigators authority to re-
quire improvements. But the new
rules apply only to buildings where
state or local employees work.
Washington State's regulations,
which are to be formally adopted early
next year, are more sweeping. They
would establish detailed minimum
ventilation requirements for all build-
ings in the state except residences and
factories, and would give the state au-
thority to close down buildings if
problems aren't resolved.
"Our approach isn't heavy-handed.
It's fairly modest," said Nitido, Gott-
fried's aide. "But we think it's an im-
port&n/ £n'st step, and a big improve-
:nier~t' over ~that ~we' -have now,. which
is no regulation at all."
The A l'O Vo,ce
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SUFFOLK COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES
Results of Court Ordered Inspection of
Air Quality at Equipark
IME Makes Recommendations
By Cheryl Felice
In April of this year, AaVi. E. petitioned the
courts to close the Community Services Office at
Eqnipark due to the possibility of a health threat.
After many months of indoor air quality com-
plaints (IAQ), a worker contacted Leg~onellosis.
LegioneIla, a life
threatening disease,
is traditionally asso-
ciated with building
ventilation problems.
Its pneumonia-like
symptoms are usually
developed when wa-
ter is left within a
building's ventilation
system, therefore
promoting bacterial
growth.
Judge Lawrence
Newrnark denied our
request to close the
building then, but did
permit preliminary
testing to be done.
Legionella was not found, bowever the discovery of
a high concentration of other bacteria gave cre-
dence for further investigations.
A~M.E. was finally granted the decision to fully
inspect the entire heating, ventilation and air con-
ditioning (HVAC) system in October and did so on
October 24, 1992.
Again, Dr. Stephen Edberg and Assoc. were
cony ~lted to perform this inspection. I attended
Cheryl Felice, 4th Vice President of AJI4E, assists
Dr. Steven Edberg of Yale in taking samples.
and assisted in this extensive probing to uncover
any HVAC system problems.
Forty-eight bacterial samples were taken from
the HVAC system. On the roof top, twenty-six
samples were taken from inside and outside the air
handlers themselves.
IThe remaining
samples were taken
inside the building
from various diffus-
ers.
Our consultant
concluded that a
substantial cleaning
had taken place since
our first inspection
back in April. Most
disturbing was the
landlord's denial of
such a clean up. Al-
though remedial
action by the land-
lord was observed, a
neglected HVAC
system was still evident.
Some of these problems include:
1. Substantial dust and particles inside the roof
top air handlers recirculating motors.
2. Filter banks were dirty and lacked a second
row of filters the system is designed to have.
3. Moisture buildup was gathering around fresh
air intakes.
(Continued on page 9)
BUY AMERICAN
BUY UNION
December, 1992
AIR QUALITY RESULTS/AME
RECOMTH .NDATIONS/Fellce
(Continued from page 1)
4. Several fresh air dampers were jammed.
5. Fiberglass wrapp'mg is deteriorating above the ceil-
ing tiles, putting particles in the interior environ-
ment creating a black soot irritant.
Recommended actions beingsought byAdVi. E. include:
I. Three month recorded maintenance - a must.
2. Certified 20% fresh air at all times.
3. Cleaning to be done with non-irritating chemicals.
4. Add addifonal pleated filters to prevent anyunfikered
air from going through the I-IVAC system.
5. Repair damaged wrappings
A.M.E.'s Union attorneys have formally requested to
have these remedies adhered to and are awaiting a formal
response. AA/i.E. will continue to see this issue through to
its conclusion.
Ed Pavlak, Executive Vice President of Community Services, holds
a clogged airfilterfound during the inspection.
AME VOICE Page 9
Community Services Unit President Roberta Silverman and Execu-
tive Vice President Ed Pavlak are reviewing the sampling swab with
Dr. Stephen Edberg of Yale.
We may never know if legionella was present in
this building due to lengthy and drawn out court
proceeding.
The plea for help was answered, although too slowly by
the county and the courts, in the granting of this full
inspection. It is my hope that both the county and the
landlord have realized A.M.E.'s commitment to protect
our members from hazards in the workplace.
A dean up did take place in this I-IVAC system although
we believe the landlord is trying to withhold that informa-
tion, to avoid acknowledging their prior lack of mainte-
nance. While there are still improvements to be made, an
increased effort has been seen in maintaining the HVAC
system throughout the building. This was what we wanted,
to ensure that every member is being provided with a safe
and healthy workplace.
If you have any other questions, please call me at
732-7800.
DR. ARTHUR NAVAL
DENTISTRY FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
IN A FRIENDLY PRIVATE OFFICE SETTING
H~W PATIENT~ CORDIALLY WELCOMED
DAY AND EVENING APPOINTME~
ALL BENEFrr8 ACCEPTE~ A~ FULL PAYMENT
107 Pond Path · Lake Grove, New York
585-5577
WEST SUFFOLK PSYCHOTHERAPY
& COUNSELING CENTER
Appointments Available At:
500 MONTAUK HWY. 800 BROADWAY
WEST ISLL~ HOLBROOK
(516) 422-1062
· Marri~e and Fam~ Counsel~g
· MODERATE FF~S * INSURANC~ PROCESSED
BUY AMERICAN
BUY UNION
Telephone {516) 765-4333
OFFICE OF TIlE SUPERVISOR
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
SCOTr L. HARRIS, SUPERVISOR
February 25, 1993
To: Ray Jacobs
From: John Cushman
Subject: Indoor Air Quality
Department Head
CENTRAL DATA PROCESSING
P.O. Box 1179, 53095 Main Road
Southold, New York 11971-0959
Attached please find a copy of a report received from our Worker's
Compensation safety group people regarding indoor air quality at the
Town Hall.
With regard to the Accounting Dept. recommendations, be advised
that we have used the air handler thermostat since their visit to
regulate the air flow and temperature in this office; unfortunately, we
are unable to adequately regulate the temperature to a consistent level
(i.e., either gets too hot or' too cold). I have spoken to Dan Fogarty
who indicated, that he could install a separate thermostat with a heat
anticipator in much the same fashion he did in the meeting room to
remedy this situation. Perhaps you can speak to Dan to get this work
done (Note: Dan indicated that he would be reattaching the damper
linkages under his current work order).
Your attention to this matter is appreciated.
SAFETY & HEALTH MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS, INC.
Consultation "Technical Assistance ° Training
February 16, 1993
Mr. John Cushman, Controller
Town of Southold
Town Hall 53095 Main Road
Southold, NY 11971
Re: Policy # 133 507-4
Dear Mr. Cushman:
This letter confirms my February 3, 1993 visit to your facility. The purpose of this visit
was to perform a preliminary evaluation of the indoor air quality complaints which have
occurred in the accounting department in the Town Hall. Ms. Barbara Rudder was contacted
at the site. Also in attendance with Mr. Bill I-Iinrichs, Sr. Safety Consultant.
Sick Building Syndrome
Sick building syndrome is a phenomenon associated with with complaints from occupants
of buildings. The complaints are usually in the form of non-specific symptoms such as
headache, eye, nose or throat irritation, dry cough, dry or itchy skin, dizziness and nausea,
difficulty in concentration, fatigue, and sensitivity to odors. The symptoms appear to be linked
to the building's ventilation system though there is no specific illness and no causes can be
identified.
The causes of the symptoms of sick building syndrome usually are not clearly identified
and most complainants report relief soon after leaving the building.
Accounting Department
Sick building syndrome is believed to be associated with indoor air quality problems.
Various factors affect indoor air quality and include the following with respect to the ventilation
system: poor design, inappropriate operation, inadequate maintenance, insufficient percentage
of make up air, and temperature and humidity problems. During our investigation, we
~ncountered several of the above problems in your system.
The accounting department has air supplied by an ak handler located adjacent to the
department. For some unknown reason, the air handler is normally in the off position during
the winter. Therefore, electric baseboard heaters have been installed throughout the department.
161 William Street, New York, N.Y. 10038 ~ (212) 3.49-1221 ':' Fax (212) 732-2639
Mr. John Cushman
Town of Southold
February 16, 1993
Page 2
It was stated that the air handler is turned on when the temperature becomes too high.
This occurs because the thermostat in the accounting department was kept at its lowest setting.
Upon raising the setting of the thermostat, we found that the air was indeed heated. Therefore,
there is no need for the use of electric baseboard heaters which have the effect of increasing
temperature and reducing humidity to levels where discomfort can result. Ideally, humidity
ranges between 40-60% relatively humidity at normal room temperatures appear to minimize
human health effects and also counteracts the growth of biological organisms and pathogens
which also can lead to human health problems and discomfort. The accounting department
should experiment with the thermostat but should start with a temperature of 70 degrees to see
if it supplies adequate air with enough humidity.
An examination of the air handler found that the damper linkages to the motors were
disconnected. Thus, we had no way of knowing if the dampers are in the open position, thus
providing fresh outdoor air, or in the closed position, thus allowing the recirculation of air, the
reduction in humidity, and increasing the potential of employees sustaining symptoms related
sick building syndrome. These damper linkages should be repaired as soon as possible.
Investigation of First Floor
There is no central air handler system for the first floor level. Rather, air is heated or
cooled by fan co'fl units located at the perimeter of the building, usually by windows. There is
a return air duct with return grills located in the ceilings in each of the offices.
The fan coil units, especially in winter, can have the affect of increasing temperatures
and reducing humidity in the area. Since there is no vented source of fresh air for the building
(the only sources of fresh air are open doors, leakage through the window, leaks through the
building insulation), discomfort can arise.
There is no easy solution for the indoor air quality problems experienced in the first
floor. The only solution is to have supplied air supplied by way of the ventilation system in
these areas. This is probably impossible and inpractical due to the age and design of the
building. Opening windows to compensate for the lack of fresh air supply is the only practical
alternative here, though this is far from a solution.
Investigation of Community Development Section
In the community development section, there is no fresh air supplied from the ceiling
ducts. Rather, air is supplied by an air handler located just outside of the community
development department. For some reason, this air handler was in the off position at the time
of the survey. Upon turning on the air handier, air was provided from the air handler to two
supply diffusers located just outside of the community development department.
Mr. John Cushman
Town of Southold
February 16, 1993
Page 3
The community development department has two return air grills located along a side
wall. One of the returns was obstructed for some reason. The obstruction was in the form of
paneling. The paneling section should be removed and the return should be rendered
unobstructed in order to increase circulation of air within this particular department.
Investigation of Trailer Section
Air to this department is supplied by two coolers located outside of the unit. The coolers
supply outdoor air in the summertime. During the winter months, the air from the coolers is
kept in the off position and air is heated by the electric base heaters. There is no vented fresh
air supply to this area. Therefore, the air which is provided to this department is from leaking
windows and doors and leaking insulation. The combination of using electrical baseboard
heaters to raise temperature and can reduce himidity and lead to indoor air quality problems.
Recommendatoins
The damper linkages for the ventilation system for the building should be reattached to
their motors.
o
Once the linkages have been reestablished, the overall system needs to be balanced and
maintained so that the accounting department receives at least 20 cubic feet per minute
per person of fresh outdoor air. Fresh outdoor air is defined as air which is provided
external building, in other words not recirculated. Typically, this level can be
maintained by the air supply for the department being composed of at least 20% outdoor
air.
The thermostat in the accounting department should be kept at a level of approximately
70 degrees to achieve comfort.
In order to reduce the potential of humidity decreasing, and thus resulting in indoor air
quality problems for the personnel in the accounting department, the electric baseboard
heaters should be kept in the off position. Note: electric baseboard heaters can also
upset the balance of the ventilation system as these heat sources are located close to the
room's thermostat.
5. The ventilation system located in the community development department should have
its air handler left on at all times.
Mr. lohn Cushman
Town of Southold
February 16, 1993
Page 4
The obstructed return air grill located behind the paneling in the community department
should be cleared of all obstructions so that good circulation of air can be maintained
within this particular department.
o
The ventilation systems of this building should be maintained by an HVAC engineer.
This individual can be on-staff or an outside maintenance contractor should be used. The
presence of an HVAC engineer who can take corrective action to address indoor air
quality and comfort issues is considered imperative.
The air cooling systems of the trailers should be replaced with an air handler which is
capable of providing both cool and heated air.
Consultation including any survey activity by Safety & Health Consultants, Inc. does not
constitute any delegation to SHC or assumption by SHC of the direct and primary duty of your
organization or entities to discover unsafe acts and/or unsafe conditions. The function of SHC
is to assist you in keeping accident claims to a minimum. The making of consultations or
reports on survey activity does not constitute any determination or warranty by SHC that your
workplace, operations, work environment, processes, machinery or equipment are safe to your
employees. This consultation and technical assistance was provided by a contract with Lover
Safety Management Co., and Safety & Health Consultants, Inc.
If there are any questions regarding the contents of this report, please feel free to contact
me directly.
Sincerely,
tt~erard L. Baril, CIH
Sr. Industrial Hygienist
GLB/s
cc: W.F. Hinrichs
Depression: Treat It. Defeat It.
F,,. ~,,hds, ~: 1'800-421-4211
SEASONAI~ AFFE~ DISORDER
FACT SHEET
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Sub-Synclromal SAD (S/SAD) or the Winter Blues
· SAD is a cyclical illness, characterized by depressed periods in fall and winter (beginning in October/
November and subsiding in March/April) which alternate with less depressed, nondepressed or even
elevated moods in spring and summer.
· Ten million (6%) and 25 million (14%) Americans are estimated to suffer from SAD and
S/SAD respectively.
· Four times as many, (about 80~) of those suffering from SAD are women, with symptoms typically
appearing in the third decade of life and premenstmal mood changes often worsening in winter months.
· Most children affected by SAD have a l~'ent or a first degree relative with SAD or another
psychiatric condition.
· Light therapy can be effective in treating SAD as can medications and other forms o! treatments.
· Light therapy can work within days, but may take a few weeks.
Symptoms
in Adults
· Decreased energy in the fall and winter
· Tiredness and fatigue
· Appetite changes (usually increased appetite)
· Weight gain
· Carbohydrate craving
· Difficulty concentrating and getting tasks accompfished
· Sadness or anxiety
· Withdrawal from friends and family
· Irritability
· Difficulty getting out of bed
· School problems in fall and winter
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES · Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health · National Institute of Mental Health
DEPRESSION Awareness, Recognition, and Treatment Program
· Researchers have targeted specific hormones and neurotransmitters that vary with daily as well as seasonal
patterns of sunlight.
Recommended Treatments
· Light Therapy usually involves exposing SAD palients to levels of agti~?i~! light 5-20 times brighter than
ordinary indoor lighting. Studies show that anywhere from 30 minutes to a f~w hours of light therapy in the
morning, per day, relieves symptoms within days to 2'weeks in about 75% of SAD sufferers.
· Light entering via the eye is thought to modify brain ~try and physiology to con'ect the abnormalities
resulting from light deficiency in vulnerable individuals.
· Alterations in lifestyle including: indoor iiffhting environment, exposure to natural san liff~ht, winter vacations~
stress management and dietary approaches are helpful in relieving the symptoms of SAD.
· Medications, psychotherapy or a combination of both are also hetl~l in relieving the symptoms of SAD.
Side Effects of Light Therapy
· eyestrain
· headaches
· hypermanic symptoms
Recommended Action
· Consult your physician or a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment.
· Call 1-800-421-4211 D/ART for further free print information on Depression.
£TINGS/^nne Raver
an Air Freshener? Try Plants
AVE an indestructible devil's
,y (Epiprenum aureum) winding
s heart-shaped, green-~-go:ld
es along a string looped
Ikyltgltt over my bed. ~ome call it
en puthos, Whatever its name,
one of those dime-store plants
riper or yon forget to water it far
~ are tbe areca palm (Chrysalido-
~US intescens), the ]]patna feITI
)hrolepis exalta Bostoniensis),
avsepiog fig (Fleus benlamtoa),
peace lily (Spathiphyllum), tilde
pliant (Draeaena fregrans Mas-
esha), the lady palm (Rlmpta
Isa) the elephant ear phiinde~-
(Philodendron domestiennO
a sesre of other h/mae plants.
USaM to think of these types as
:~r dull members of the pinr~t
f. But the ability of many trl~i-
pliage pinnts to clean and humid[-
: air of bone-dry, smfty
ts Ilas turned me around. Alld the
t research, which shows that
~ plants also supprea~ bacterm,
5~s and molds, makes me want
· in mN house, cleaning my air,
e pote~atlal of plants es air purtf~l-
vas big news in the 1980's, when
lilliam Wolverion, then a senior
lust at the National Aeronautics
,Space Administration, report~]
jesu .s of h s experiments wBJa
)us plants plaCed inside sealol
~bers ~at had been pumped full
emieals like formaldehyde~ ben-
. xylene and ammonia.
.~SA wits tryin~ ~o identify which
s Could clean up the air, afiele
I~rchers had discovered that the.
~etie materials inside Skylab
~ed mere than 100 chemicals.
rben NASA started looking e:
~us*ain life, it finally accepted the
that the only way this can be
;imlefinitely is tn create an earth
~onment," Dr. Wolverton said.
what's that? Plants and mi.*
;r the :years, his studies bare led
~ plants are good at cleaning up
rants and how they do it.
Freorganisms in Doth the plan!
s lind the root sene appear to,
dawn chemicals. And the type
£teria that a plant encourages
id its roots can mean the differ-
wimp.
Wolverton's most re/tent re-'
:p~tblished in the August/Sep-
~r 1903 issue of The Journal of
.ississilppi Academy of Sciences,
~ up, the cleansing abilities of 30
r plants. The Boston fern is tops.
noving formaldehyde from the
he pot mum (Chrysanthemum
olium) and the dwarf date palm
Dr. William Wolverton at home with his tropical foliage plants.
about 35 miles northeast of New Or-
leans, is a kind of residential research
laboratory. The family's sewage is
piped from the bathroom into hydro-
ponic planters in the sun room, where
the roots of tropical plants break
down the very waste that provides
them with a constant supply of nutri-
ents and water. So far, he said, odor
has not been a problem.
ttis collection includes weeping fig,
peace lily, areca palm, corn plant,
lady palm, striped drncaena, dumb
cane, elephant ear philodendron, dev-
il's ivy, arrowhead vine, snake plant,
croton and umbrella grass.
The plants also clean the air by
metabolizing pollutants drawn in
through their leaves. They seem to
emit a substance that suppresses the
growth of molds, spores and bacteria.
"Most of these plants grow under
the canopy of the tropical rain forest,
where the light is Iow. and it's damp
and warm, an ideal place for mold
and fungus," he said. "And nature
gave them protective mechanisms.
When they pump out the water during
transpiration, they appear to be add-
~ng small amounts of something -- as
yet we don't know what -- to inhibit
the growth of spores."
Dr. Woiverton bases this conclu-
sion on an experiment he performed
on his own tropical rain forest in the
sun room. By sealing it off from the
rest of the house and turning off the
air-conditioning and heating, he
pushed its normal humidity, which
usually is 40 to 60 percent, to 70
percent and beyond. His master bed-
room, which has a separate heating
and air-conditioning system, never
(Phoenix roebelinii) are close behind.
The dwarf date palm is one of the
most effective plants at removing
xylene, and the lady palm is a clmmp
at breaking down ammonia. Earlier
studies showed that the elephant ear
philodendron metabolizes benzene
and carbon mo,aoxide as does my
invincible vine, devil's ivy.
Dr. Woiverton has concentrated on
plants that are easy to grow and
rarely plagued by insects. "If I had to
choose just one plant, it would be the
areca palm," he said.
In 1990, Dr. Wolverton lefl: NASA to
set up his own research company to
promote the use of plants in cleaning
the air in energy-efficient, but often
poorly ventilated, offices and homes.
"Most people don't know wha('s in
their apartment," Dr. Wolverton
said. "But formaldehyde, for in-
stance, is in foam insolation, in beds
made of veneer, in the backing of
rugs and couches, in pressed-wood
paneling." Not [o mention grocery
bags and wax paper, facial tissues
and paper towels. Benzene is in tobac-
co smoke, inks and detergents.
Copying machines, computers and
laser printers, as well as solvent-
based office supplies, all emit volatile
organic chemicals, he said.
If your office or home is energy-
efficent, chances are those chemicals
are not being replaced by outside air.
"But even if we had no products
that pollute," Dr. Wolverton said,
"people pollute, and the air becomes
stagnant` We were not mealtt to live
in the absence of green living plants."
He works with the Plants for Clean
Air Council, a nonprofit gnaup sup-
ported by the house-plant industry.
And his own house in Picayune, Miss.,
gets above 50 percent humidity and
has "abselutely no plants," he said.t'
To cOunter the argument thati b~
driving up humidity, house
also encourage the growth of bacteria
and spOres, he placed petri dLslle~,
around Doth the sun room and the
master bedroom and let them sit for
four hours before culturing them. He
repeated this process for six montlla,^
"Even though the humidity in
sun room was above 70 percent, it &t/lit;
had $5 percent less airborne
crebes,' Dr. Wolverton said. ,. n.?: '
His experiments with putted pla,.m~ ~, ,
also indicate that there are strik~.-.~
differences between plants do,wa
around the root zone, and the
ences have to do with the kind of
bacteria the plants encourage.
For example, after seven days,
spathlphyllum removed twice
much formaldehyde from the air as a,~:
kalanchoe. And after five months,
$pathiphylhim was degrading th.reef
times as much~ formaldehyde aq'
bad aftei one week, but the katan~. /
ehoe's performance remained
the same. Plain old unsterilized ,poi;
ting soil, which is full of chemi~Lal-
f~ting microorganisms, actu~l~y,.~,
degraded more formaldehyde
the kalanehoe.
To find out why, go back to the rain ~,
forest. "The soil of a tropical rain ,.
forest is shallow and not very fertile,"
Dr. Woiverton said. "But because of
warm humidity and chmata, the,
leaves and debris can be rapidly con- ,,
vetted back to food for the plant. A~d, ,~
for that plant to be able to do that,.:
nature had to give it the means ,tel,;,
cultivate voracious microbes that
ceuld break down the leaves," . . ',
A plaot like the ~pathiphyt~n~l~
genetically coded, he seld, "to'ox~ .~
crete from its roots a cOmplex
ent solution of sugars uud amino ac-',~
ids that allow il. to cultivate certain
microbes while inhibiting others." ;
And the longer some plants stay in
a pot. the better they become at ~q
cleaning pollutants.. ~ .,.,:
Bacteria will reproduce in abou~ 1§
minutes to an hour, Dr. Woiver~.*i[
said. Suppose that a million
are wiped out with formaldehyde, e2t,-:
cept for one that adapted or mutated.- ~,
"Within 24 hours, you'd have a ro21~'
lion more Ihat could eat the formalde, ,,
hyde," he said. . '
Dr. Wolverton grew up in the coum,
try, near the little town of Sebastopol,'..
Miss., and the rain forest in his sun
room takes him back there.
"It doesn't feel real dry, but it's not "
real humid, either," he said. "It re-
minds me of when I was a young boy
and spent time in the swamps fishing.
It's kind of like Doing back there. You
get the psychological benefits Of I~-
lng in a nice environment -- withel/t
the bugs." -
And this isn't just in his mind. ·$*. -
"In 20 or 30 years from now, we~'~
going to find that plants are
substances -- negative in nY-gu d other/
chemicals -- that make us feel good,')e
he said. "You say that's psychologt
cal, but a lot of what makes us f~'
good can be attributed to physioF
cai behaviors."
Mold Forces Out 100 at NCC
Faculty, staff suffer
allergic reactions
By Stuart Vincent
A cellulose-loving mold commonly found in barns
and capable of causing respiratory and immune sys-
tem disorders is forcing the evacuation of 100 faculty
and staff from two Nassau Community College build-
"The mold is probably on all three fleors in every
area of tha Ciustors," he said.
because of mold, college s~okesraan Bob Allen and
Nassau chemistry professor John Ganson looks at morQ he blames for asthma problem
"I had developed very severe asthma and also emphy-
aema," said Moos, who had been with the college
since 19~6 and worked in the building for 16 years.
"It was so bad that l had no energy to do anything
else when I wa~ teaching."
Mooa developed an mxmtme system diaorder that
causes the body to attack its owa nervous syatom~ a
disorder that le~ her partially paralyzed in her hands
and feet. "In my office in some locations some oftbe
ceding t~le~ actu~ly dissolved and fell onto haoles and
on the desk," she said.
No lawauita have been filed against the school, Al-
The cleanup will include vepiscement of pip,es, new
inaulatlon, new light fm~ur~ and ceiling tile~, re-
painting walls, replacing furniture and carpeting
where nece~a~ and inatalllng thermostats to pre~
vent room~ from getting too hot and promoting mold
growth. It will not include inatalli~g windows that
can be opened, a persistent request from the faculty.
Town Hall Cellar Swamped Again
SOUTHOLI~--~O~ had to cndar~
said he was going to call the DEC and
have thexa flag the wetlands." Trustees'
secretary Jill Doheazy said Tuesday.
Upsta~s, seventl boxes of planning
June 29, 1995- The. Suffolk Times · 29,
came aware of the problem about three
years ago when an engineering re!aort
pointed out the connection between the
condensatio~ and thc insulation. The
Town Board decided then to make re-
said, radier than all at once. He said he
did not know the cost of removing the
cxisflag insulation.
A DEADLY MIX
Don't drink and drive...
the combination
can be a lethal one
for you and for
innocent victims
A pubtic service announcement
from all of us at
Times/Review Newspapers.
THE GREEN SEMINAR®
Lose Weight
after @~E hypnotic session!!
Auend the first 45 minutes of the GREE~ SEMINAR at absolutely no charge or obligation. Even if you think that you
are a hopeless case, even if you have failed with other programs or hypnotic methods, the amazing power of hypnotic
conditioning at th,, t~o,- ...... *,a,A~ ,u;ll enable YOU to QUIT SMOKING without withdrawal~ or anxiety 91. LOSE
LETTERS ON TRAVEL
The Price Is Right
To the Editor: I on}dyed the article
"World Class Shopping" (Dec. 33.
The picture of the musk melons that
cost about $300 a pair finally clari-
fied a problem for me. In 1966. my
My husband had walked on and
Seaside, Calif.
Stranded in Milan
To the Editor: On my way to Milan
fnternational airport I was robbed.
It was at 8:15 A.M Nov. 23, Thanks-
giving Day, a business day in Milan.
I was passing the train station on
my way to the airport shuttle bus.
Wlthln 50 feet of the bus, several
people called my attention to some-
thing on my back and luggage. One
man started to w~po off my baggage,
then a woman passed by, comment-
mg on [he "spots" on my back. then
help. My mistake, of course, was in
stedpmg. In tummg around, I lost
my focus on my backpack/purse,
which was promptly taken from me,
When I went upstairs to the pobce
Note to Readers
posaI cannot be acgnowledged
A pair of musk melons can cost $300 in Tokyo.
four ,other 50reigners~ all with pass- Joseph
doris al~d tickets $ o eh. along with soonds Uinted's ~lilan stall re-
kind man from Dubai, on learning
that ! had not secreted money, gave
me $100 to get me through the day.
The police called my daughter,
who lives in Italy, for me. She spent
the next hour and a half calling ev-
ery relevant otfice she could in Italy.
The Vice Consul got out of ~ (it
was a hehday for Americans) to go
to the consulate to fill out forms and
to fax them to the airport police and
United Airlines. At the airport the
airline manager promised my
daughter that my late arrival would
not be a problem but, although I
arrived 25 minutes before the scbed-
uled departure, the gate agents
lused to process my papers.
In loci. United didn't seem to know
anything about my problem. I
begged them to let me through, but
they refused, saying it was toe late.
Another passenger, delayed by the
trams, suffered the same fate. He,
however, purchased tickets on an-
other airline. I could not, having no
entire $100 to get to the termmal,
based on the United manager's
promise to my daughter that he
would expedite my passage.
The woman at the ticket desk
found a hotel that would take my
daughter's foxed copy of her credit
card. [ spent the night there. The
hotel advanced money for the taxi to
and from the mrport
The next day, when I went through
pr~sed to notice that I was boarding
Airplane Air
TO the Editor: I was disappointed to
see that the Pracucal Traveler col-
umn about air on planes ("In an
Airplane, Sharing Germs," Dec. 3)
did not draw upon the very relevant
information contained in a 198fi re-
port from the Natlcnal Research
Council, an arm of the Nauonal
A?demy of Science. The articly also
that enough outside air needs to be
supplied to dilute these aerosols to
the point where infection is mini-
mized. 37ne influenza after the Alas~
ka flight discussed tn the zoinmn
resulted from insufficient ventga
lion being provided during a long
wait on a runway, in enclosed spaces
like an aircraft cabin, the catci~
phrase "The solution to pollution is
Budapest Baths
To the Editor: Thanks and cheers to
Edith Peariman for her beautifully
textured article "Beauty Knows No
Age m a Budapest Bath" (Nov. 12/.
deeply felt insights.
New York, N.Y
They Mal~ e
Sick Offic~s
Well Agm~.
DOING in Toch-Cloml In
BUSINESS dtmtries Ltd, a
Prell drum, several de
8~h*eib~L vel*~pmen f s make
B U S I N E $ S
These B'uilding Cleaners
Don't Duct Responsibility
HOME SENSE
How to Really Clear the Air
By Mike McCli.l,)ck to invest in a high-efficiency electrostatic filter
s ~ ()ME PROIII,FMS with indoor air quality are
o~ readily app-r,nt to your eyes, nose and throat
o -- such as if You live near a landfill or share
5 space with a chain ,~.~oker.
s But many indoo~ p,.llutants are less obvious, though
~s they have the pote,,, i.I to be just as irritating. They slip
:0 through the inexp~-~.; ye dust filters on your furnace or
~o air conditioner, wl,:,'l, typically trap only 25 percent of
~ airborne contamil~ ,,~ q. then they settlein the ducts or
~o circulate repeated I ~- t brough living spaces.
*o
~o No matter how ~ t,,,roughly you clean house, that's
~o one area you prol,.d~l~ don't cover -- down inside the
-§ heating or air-co. 4i*;oning ducts~ Yet those surfaces
~0 are in constant co,~t-ct with the air you breathe.
~0 To gauge the lev,,I ,,fdust and dirt in the system, try a
~s "white glove" wip., al the inside of t he duct wails. Turn
?o off the system, re..,ve a register craver and reach well
· down into the dw l for a sample. Ii' the air delivery
~n system is dirty, yo- ~',~uld remove all the duct grills and
m snake your vacum, hose at least a few feet down each
~0 duct. That might b,4., but a professional duet-cleaning
2o contragtor will o"- powerful equipment with hoses
2o long enough to ro.wh through the entire system.
2s Professional el, ',,ing is most effective on tradition-
T6 al metal ductwot~ ['hough it will help, it may not
2o thoroughly clean ,~o,ver ducts made of composite ma-
~0 terials that have-,,gh interior surti~ces. They tend to
l0 capture airbarm, w~rticles and accumulate dust in
~hic~ corners. That, in ~, o n. holds dampness that can foster
the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.
A thorough dm * ~,leaning should be part of any sys-
tern overhaul or. or rade -- for instance, if you change
' ~'~' to a high-efficien~ v ~urnace or insta}l an electronic air
cleaner. It's not ,q ~*-,{ idea in any case, every few years.
particularly if so.w, ~ne in the household displays some
of the common s~ ,re,toms associated with poor indoor
air quality. Tho?, i:,clude eye, nose and throat irrita-
3~s. tiaa, dry and re~l,I,,.dng skin, hoarseness and cough-
~ s/7/9~ lng. Your doctor -~;,*,ht find another cause, of course,
a.s4 but we've all he:.'d of "sick building syndrome" and
s.~s~ how it can mak,, ~,ceupants suffer these and other
symptoms, such .q fatigue, headaches and dizziness.
~ s.0~ Once the delivory system is clcan, you might want
which replaces standard fiberglass filters -- or an
electronic air cleaner, an appliance that attaches to
the ductwork. Check the specifications for several fil-
ter systems to see how well they clean. Most electron-
ic air cleaners can remove up to 95 percent of air-
borne pollen and mold spores and 80 percent or more
of smoke particles. They also clean the airflow con-
tinuously, unlike a fiberglass filter, which becomes
progressively less effective until it is changed.
In most buildings, using an electrostatic filter or
electronic cleaner will make a noticeable difference.
But in newer, nearly airtight homes, even clean ducts
and efficient filters may be working on stagnant air.
Opening a few windows is an easy answer, but would
drive your utility bills sky-high.
A more energy-efficient solution is to install a fresh-
air exchanger that delivers outdoor air and exhausts
stagnant air while transferring the temperature differ-
ence between the incoming and outgoing streams.
Although there is no set recommendation for a
house's air exchange rate -- the average time it takes
all the air inside to be replaced with a fresh supply --
some new komes have a very low rate of only 0.3 or
0.2 air changes per hour. Houses like that often have
chronic dampness problems, such as mold spots form-
ing high on walls and windows that sweat -- as well
as air that smells stale. Obviously, a low air exchange
rate conserves energy but magnifies the effect of pol-
lutants trapped inside. A higher rate -- say, 1.0 ex-
changes per hour -- is less energy efficient but re-
duces the quantity of pollutants.
An experienced heating, ventilation and air-condi-
tioning contractor can break down the costs and
benefits of making changes to your house, ranging
from basic duct-cleaning to installing electronic
cleaners and air exchangers. In most homes, cleaning
is a good place to start.
Trust the sensitivity of your nose, eyes and throat.
Where ductwork is concerned, i fin doubt, clean it out,
so that circulating indoor air doesWt contain a build-
up of recycled pollutants.
Mike McClintock is a syndicated columnist.
TALK OF THE
TO'X/--NS
]0
Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act of 1996
by Thomas O'Donnell
& Terresa Bakner
Wbiteman, Oste~¥,~an & Hanna
The Legislature recently amended
the environmental conservation
law by adopting the Clean Water/
Clean Air Bond Act of 1996. The law
authorizes the issuance of $1.75 bil-
lion in general obligation bonds if
approved by public referendum this
fall. The funds raised will be divided
between five types of projects: $355
million to the Safe Drinking Water
Program, $790 million for clean water
projects, $175 million for solid waste
projects, $200 million for municipal
environmental restoration projects
and $230 million for clean air
projects.
Funds earmarked for the Safe
Drinking Water Program will establish
a revolving loan fund for infrastructure
improvement projects. Municipalities
can borrow from this fund to help pay
the cost associated with federal Safe
Drir~king Water Act compliance.
Of the $790 million allocated to
clean water projects, approximately
$500 million is available for water
quality improvement projects. Spe-
cifically, $25 million will go to mu-
nicipalities for projects implementing
the Hudson estuary plan, $200 mil-
lion is allocated fur projects imple-
menting the Long Island Sound con-
s ervation and management plan, $15
million will go to municipalities to
implement the Lake Champlain man-
agement project, $75 million is avail-
able to implement to the Onondaga/
New York conservation and manage-
ment plan, while the similar projects
on the Great Lakes and Finger Lakes
and expenses at state-owned facilities
will receive $25 million each. $50 mil-
lion is available for municipal flood
controi projects and $30 million is
allocated for the Peconic estuary. An*
other $30 million is available to the
Environmental Facilities Corpora-
tion for small business compliance
assistance.
The law also establishes a solid
waste initiative. The law allocates $50
million for municipal landl~dl projects
with the same amount awarded to
municipal recycling projects. $75 mil-
lion will go to the Fresh Kills landfill
on Staten Island.
In addition, the law allocates
$200 million to develop the brown-
fields program for reuse of aban-
doned sites. The brownfields pro-
gram will help municipalities
remediate and redevelop contami-
nated lands within their borders.
These lands could then be used to
generate revenues. The remediation
objective must meet the standards
prescribed in the environmental con-
servation law. This may limit the flex-
ibiLity of the brownfields program
with respect to cleanup standards.
Further, the Act devotes $230 mil-
lion to fund air quality projects. Of
the $230 million, the Act allocates
$125 million for clean air schools
projects and $30 million to the Envi-
ronmental Facilities Corporation. The
balance of the funding is available for
clean technologies. This program fo-
cuses on the state's air resources and
initiatives such as purchasing electric
cars and clean-fueled buses and con-
structing depots to accommodate
them.****
SRF Loans Help Fund Water Projects
The Albany Municipal Water Au-
thority and the City of Schen-
ectady have received low-cost loans
under the State Revolving Fund
(SRF) px, ogmm to finance water pol-
lution projects. The SRF is adminis-
tered by the New- York State Envi-
ronmental Facilities Corporation
(EFC). SRF borrowers receive the
low interest rates that EFC receives
on its Triple A bond~, in 'addition to a
direct subsidy.
The loans for these projects are
financed by the sale of EFC bonds.
EFC's bonds were priced on June 4
at a true interest cost of 5.57 per-
cent. The SRF program will provide
a one-third interest rate subsidy to
the municipal borrowers.
The bonds axe rated Triple A by
all three national radng services,
Moody's, Standard & Poor's and
Fitch. EFC's SRF pooled financing
program is the only state level pro-
gram to be rated Triple A.
"I am pleased that communities
throughout the State are continuing
to take advantage of this Iow-inter-
est loan prol~'am to build needed
water pollution control projects,"
Governor George Pataki said. "The
State Revolving l~und has provided
$3.3 billion in tow.interest loans to
New York's communities, making it
a valuable partner for local govem-
The Albany Municipal Water
Finance Authority received
$748,600 for the first phase of a
multi-year proposal for separation
of existing combined sanitary and
storm sewers that serve the Beaver
Creek Sewer District, The existing
combined sewers in this area will
be retained as sanitary sewers and
new storm sewers will be con-
structed to transport storm water to
a detention facility to be con-
structed in North Main Avenue.
The City of Schenectady re-
ceived $641,000 for the purchase
and installation of new sludge de-
watering equipment at the City's
v~astewater treatment facility. This
project will alleviate sludge dewa-
tering problems experienced dur-
ing the c~}ld weather months and
help to improve the operation of
the composting facility thereby.
eliminating the need for off-site dis-
posal of untreated sludge dur{ng
the winter months.****
· Town Hall Challenge: iSpace Hunt...
Writer's Seminar Space Exploration I
said, and needs another 8,000 squnr~
Saturday, Oct. 19
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Ramada Inn East End, Riverhead
(on Rt. 25, west o~ Tanger Outlet Mall Entrance)
led by Suffolk Times Columnist
JOANNE SHERMAN
whose credits include
Cosmopolitan, Southern Living, Family Circle,
.Newsday and New York Times.
What will the 1-day seminar cover?
· finding ideas · getting them on Paper
· improving skills · characterization · dialogue
· the submission process · revision and rewriting
· point of view · essay writing · fiction · plot
· editing o marketing your work ,' agents
· conferences · workshops · how to think like
a writer · rejection · making time to write
· motivation and more.
ADVANCED REGISTRATION
SEATING LIMITED
Call 749-8941
TI~ work ~uaee for municipal cm-
ployse~ resl~n~mle for ~g ~
f.;l~ m m~ ~ ~, ~ ~d.
To~ ~ ~ ~ New Y~ S~
U~ F~ ~v~fi~ ~ B~l~g
~ ~ f~ ~ wi~ Dis-
~ ~ p~ f~ ~d s~ ~
To~ ~ m~g ~m ~ ~t l~gc
~ m ~g ~ ~l~c of ~lc
~t f~ ~ ~ ~5~, md a v~t
bu~g ~ ~ ~g, Comfy
~t~of~ ~y,~
~ ~, paOe 3~
fcea. Thc consultun~s ,suggest that thc
bas.taunt area. which now holds thc
*m~t d~fflct attorney and Wwn ~
cunkl ~ld a sccoud sim'y to Tovm Hall,
lv~. Kl~in ~ but ~ would ~ ~-
l~nSiVe. Tt~ buildiug was not de~igu~i
for ~ Im said~ ~ an .adi,iou would
have 1o b~ built around ~nd over ~
curr~
mpu~ wi6~in the n~xt few monlbs.
On Peconic County
$OUTI4OLD--Stntc Assemblynum
Frc~ Thicle Jr. wUl discuss the lxoP .o~d.
Pcconic County at tl~ 11 a.m. se~cc
on Sunday. Oc~ 6. at First Un/vcrs~l/st
Chin, ch on Main P-oad.
A que~tlon-and-a~swet session and
coffee hour will follow in the parish
hall. T~ose who do not attend the ser-
vice are also welcome w the coffee
Retired special cd-cation tcacha' and
former paratrooper Bash Nomh/un will
speak at the Oct. 13 service on
"Adirondack Chat~u~rs."
'Worst Ever' Lighting
Continued from Page I ficiently and make significant energy
mum level of 50 foot-candles."
The lighting is "worse than it ever
was," said Justice Court clerk Chris-
tine Stulsky. "It's an atmosphere not
conducive to work."
Many other Town Hall employ-
ees have complained of headaches,
blurred vision, and dizziness - all
being attributed to the new lighting.
Several employee petitions have
been circulated within Town Hall,
demanding change. That prompted
Hussie to write to LILCO request-
ing a study.
Hank of the CSEA said that with
the lighting so dim, he had "the con-'
tinuous urge" to clear his eyes dur-
ing his investigations of the three
locations.
Benefits Lost
With employees plugging in their
own lamps, the LILCO report said,
"the energy efficiency measures un-
dertaken will be lost if staff utilize
incandescent task lighting to supple-
ment the new fluorescent system."
Although the lighting changes
were made with the "noble inten-
tion'' of reducing energy, said Hank,
"the problems created seem impos-
sible to dispute."
Karpen approached both Coun-
cilman Joseph Townsend Supervisor
Thomas Wickham with his idea for
reducing the town's energy costs
with a project eligible for energy ef-
ficiency rebates provided by the
State Energy Office and LILCO.
The project was bid at
$122,500.18, and with the rebates
the town's final cost is $94,637.37.
In spite of the problems, "This
was a great idea," said Townsend.
"In a time of fewer and fewer grants,
we will also be able to run more el-
savings over the coming years."
The Southold Library completed
a similar project in 1990. Built to
cra'rent standards, the library reports
significant energy savings, but the
high cost of the installations have
made the monetary savings very
slow in coming.
The town project was completed
by Avey Electric, with another firm
still working on ceiling and tile res-
toration.
Numerous other public buildings
have changed to the relatively new
energy-saving lights in projects
launched by Karpen in conjunction
with Frazer Dougherty of Greenport,
the owner of the North Fork Retrofit
Company.
A Mistake?
"In general, the other projects
have worked out well," Dougherty
s-'tid, "although a certain percentage
of the ballasts will be bad." But with
the town experiencing widespread
problems "the engineer may have
made a mistake. Karpen may have
been too conservative with the
amount of lighting, and may have
mispositioned some also."
Complaints have also been noted
in reference to the gaping holes left,
seemingly haphazardly, about Town
Hall after the old lighting units were
removed.
Karpen recently made the claim
that the problem stems from the
manufacturer, using substandard
ballasts used in fixtures. The new
electronic ballasts regulate the bulbs'
light emissions, and that one change
contributes to savings of 20 to 30
percent. Karpen has told town offi-
cials that he wants to investigate the
possibility that the ballasts are at
fault.
Wickham ahd Jacobs recently
walked through Town Hall to view
the lighting first hand, and catego-
rized the lighting areas into three
zones. "We found rooms that seem
to be OK, rooms that maybe need
to have the existing lamps relocated,
and moms that are obviously too dim
and need more light," said Wickham.
On Karpen's ballast claims,
the supervisor said "I am more con-
cerned with fixing the problem, and
the fact that there is not enough light
and not enough fixtures." Jacobs
said will wait for Karpen to complete'
three change orders approved on
March 21, for a further $3,375, be-
fore he begins to rectify the situa-'
tion.
Dougherty said that one tw0-bulb
energy-efficient lighting fixture costs
about $200, compared to a price of
about $130 for a standard light.
Town officials said they could not
estimate the cost of the work needed,
but say money should be available
from what remains of the $150,000
bond.
"Something will have to be done
soon," said Townsend. "We can't
just let people suffer.
Jacobs said that he plans to order
some extra lights, and to move the
existing lights to better locations.
The LILCO report referred to eom-
'plaints of shadows or glare due to
bad fixture placement. The report
also suggested that many of the
rooms examined have "sporadic oc~
cupancy" and would be more en-
ergy-efficient when fitted with sen-
sors which would keep the lights off
when the rooms are unoccupied. '
"1 will have to prioritize the
work," said Jacobs, "with only one
electrician available, people, will jtls{'
have to wait."
VOL. 124 NO, 28
Subscr/ptinn $22 Per Year
Published Weekly at Southold, Long Island, N.Y. Thursday, April 20, 1995
The Official County Newspaper of the Towns of gouthold and Riverhead ~ir ~4n Ofjqcial Newspaper of the lneorporated [qllage of Greenport
Saving Power, Wasting Money
Town Fires Engineer Who Drafted
'Worst Ever Seen' Lighting Scheme
By Justin Mac Carthy
SOUTHOLD -- With a
Civil Service union official declar-
ing Tows Ball to be "the worst light-
lng of public space" he ever encoun-
tered, and a LILCO report finding
most work space lightingto be inad-
equate, the town has dropped the
consulting engineer who convinced
officials to replace most municipal
lighting fixtures with energy efficiem
models, and has given Highway Su-
perintendent Raymond Jacobs the
chore of fixing the problem.
In an effort to consetwe energy
and cut back on expenses, the '/'own
Board last year agreed to Daniel
Karpen's suggestion to replace the
fluorescent bar-lights ia three town
buildings with new energy saving
natural-white bulbs. At a price of
just over $122,000, new lighting fix-
tums were installed in Town Hall,
the police headquarters in Peconic
and human resources center in
Mattituck. Karpen was paid 15 per-
cent of the cost of the work.
"He sold himself to the board, but
he's ou~,'~ said Councilwoman Alice
Bassie. She said she believes the
· town may have pulled the last pay-
ment check to Karpen. and argues not pleased with the light."
thatthetownshouldseekaretumof Neither are town employees. In
the fees paid to him, the months since the project was
Kamen did not return calls this completedlastyearthetown haste-
week. ceived a direct current of complaints,
"The lighting create> Iow mo most sayingthattheli~htsare fartoo
role,' Bussie sald, "I am absolutely dim, lnmanyoffices, town employ-
ecs have brought in their own incan-
descent lamps to brighten their work
space.
Worst £ighting
h is "the worst lighting of public
space" ever seen by Civil Sera, ice
Employee Association Labor Rela-
tions Specialist Jim Henk.
At the request of Police
Chief Stanley Droskoski, an inde-
pendent Long Island Lighting Com-
pany study showed that several
cations fell far below recommended
light levels creating "less than ideal
working conditions," according to
LILCO Project consultant Engineer
Christopher Crofis.
Droskoski said he was assured by
Karpen, who works from a home-
rased office in Huntington. that the
;ih~l~g would be improved once'
~ffice ~walls were repaimed. Fol-
lowing an unscheduled but "badly
aeeded" in-house painting job. he
said, the light levelsremained ~far
below" those recommended b3 the
Illuminating Engineering Societ.~ of
North America.
The lES recommends 50 to 100
toot-candles of illumination for me-
Single Copies
75g
Southold Assessor Scott Russel laboring under the new en-
ergy-efficient, but dim, lights in the Town Hall's map room.
ilium contras/ activitie~: such as
reading, and 100-200 fool-candles
for Iow contrast or high detail work,
specifically "police-identification
records." In a direct contradiction
of these suggested levels, measure-
ments taken during LILCO's post-
inspection in the Potice
Department's I.D. room, show light-
levels of three, four and lO foot-
candles.
Readings taken Tuesday, a sunny
day, showed levels of onlj 30 it~ one
section of the Assessor's office.
During Wednesday's rainstorm,
readings fell to 11,
According to Jacobs, "99% of all
the localions tested a~ thc Prflice
Deparmlent were belox~ the mini-
Coltl#tued on Page 9
~e~da~
RF. ALE S r^TB
Friday, October 2, 1998
Vl
BAD AIR
Humidifier/
dehumidifier
muter[als
Wood/
coal
stove
Air cofldiliougr
SEVERAL AREAS IN AND AROUND
IHE HOME CAN BE HAZARDOUS
I0 YOUR HEALTH
Charcoal
Auhimobile
Palntsltobby ' "'
materials ]
Community of Interest: KINGS POINT / Page Cll
By MJ Itanley-Goff .
!
:: I ESSIUA MILLAN was only $ y(,nrs old when
Lashley ~amines youngsters with various degrees o£
~, allergy~y~oms every dgy. 8~m* symptoms are mild;
;*:i in the IlS and is the Number One chronic ill ....... f
,,'[
Bob Anderson cleans the fillers and ducts of an air-filtration syslem installed al his Garden City home.
er fi~r btm." Anderson said. The boy was un a ]ut of
medication, and required vm'ious breathing aids and
regtdar trips to tbe doctor, Anderson's system works
elect tonically to charge air par titles including mitos
and other floating defiris which are then sucked
mag~eCically onto a "collection plate" He runs the air
filter 365 days a year, and credits it for easing his son's
symptoms, "He no longer uses any medications," said
Anrlermm "1 thought it might help, I never thonght
it'd be a miracle."
Kern2: I)'Brien and bis firm, T.F O'Brien ami Unto-
pony of New Hyde Park, installed Anderson's filter
eqmpmcnt and said that his glory is a common one.
tn edditiml it} installing air-cleaning systems, his
refivf fi~r allergy gu fluters. "Air ducts,
, STORY
want to clean up their air quality. Allergy Control
Products in Ridgefield, Conn. tbcases on items that aid
in dust control and help reduce exposure to irritants
Allergy control covers for bedding provide a barrier
between the sleeping person and the dust mites, Lash-
loy said.
Since people spend about one-third o£ their lives in
tfie fiedromn, that's the first place to make changes,
!,ashley said l. Jpholstored furnitm~% he said, draper-
ies, carpeting, bedding and bio nkel:, are areas that du st
mi/es l.ve hest
Thcrma-Stor Producta is a Wisconsin-based coin
pony that manufactures heavy-duty air purifiers The
"Ultra Aire APD Air Purifying Dehumidifier" costs
about $2,500 It resembles a typical cm~tral air-cnndi-
tinning unit, and is designed to provide fresh air venti
latlon, air filtration and year-round humidi[y control.
It will, according to advertisements, eliminate mold,
mildew and dust mites, and filters pollen, mold spores
and dust particles from the air. Other products include
smaller, less-expensive models that perform only one
or two functions. The fresh air ventilator, for example,
costs only a few hundred dollars.
The Lung Association advised that h~)meowners not
purchase the first air purifier they see, but do some
checking first, since so many types are available. For
instance, Zacharia said, some air purifiers emit ozone,
another breathable irritant.
"If it's an ion generator or an electronic purifier,
then it probably does. Ask the salesperson before you
buy," she said Also, know the size of the room you
want to clean, since the equipment comes designed to
treat specific areas. Make sure it has a HEPA-grede,
said Zacharia. HEPA means "high efficiency particu-
late air," and one with a HEPA rating indicates that it
is designed to remove almost i00 percent of micro-
REAL ESTATE C7
~'~'~-"-" .,.., \,, '
.lll ' .,'. 1 .. "
Marianne Zacharia, el the American Lung Assoclali0o, wilh a phalo 01 a ~usl ~ile, malerials and produc[s pr0m01i~g clea~er air In I~e home.
SICK_NESS
lam, and be conscious of what potentially problem- · Wash bedding materials frequently in hot water
causing products they use inside the home. They with temperatures of at least 130 degrees, which kills
shoald know that new carpeting and furniture can dust mites. Encase them in special allergic fabrics if
emit odors in the air and that having any construction recommended.
done inside the home can affect indoor air · Read and follow all instructions and warnings
Ew'n if no one in the home suffers from altergies, when using household cleaners, finishes, and pesti-
Zacharia said they can star t up suddenly at any age and ¢ides. Openwindowswhenusingthemlnthehomeand
a~. any time. She offers these fiw tips to start cleaning when new furniture or carpeting is installed.
up the air you live wi~h. · Vacuum furniture and carpeting regularly, and
· Clean air conditioners, humidifiers, and all air wash draperies in hot water, again at 130 degrees. If
purifying equipment os directed in the manual, necessary, eliminate wall-to-wall carpeting in favor of
Where to Go for Help
The followiog agencies can provide additional infor
marion on home air quality either by providing reading
matsrial or answering specific questions:
· The American Lung Association of Nassau-Suffolk
at 225 Wirelis Blvd., Hauppauge, 11788. It can be
reached by phone at 516-231 5864; A toll-free number
is also available, 800-LUNG USA. Its Web site address
is hff p;//www.lungusa.org.
· Cornell Cooperative Extension at 1425 Old Coun-
try Rd., Plainwew~ Questions ca~ be directed to a con-
sumer helpline available Monday-Thursday, from 1-3
p.m., at 516 454-0900.
· Therma-Stor Products, a division of DEC Interna-
mine at what time during the day odors are noticed,
6ndoutwhetheropening~winqowalleviatestheprob- tional ~nc, at tgt9 S. Sloughlon Rd., P.O. Box go50,
Madison, Wis., 53708. Call 800 533-7533. Its Web site
address is htlp://www.thermastor.com.
· Allergy Control Products at 96 Danbury Rd,, Ridge-
field, Conn., 06877. Call 800-422-DUST.
· Local hospitals may have asthma educational pro-
grams or support groups for both adults and children.
Here's a sampling: In Nassau County, South Nassau
Communities Hospital in Oceanside (516-763-3980),
Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola (516-663-
2579) and Mercy Medical Center in Rock~ille Centre
(516-255-2435). in Suffolk County, Southside Hospital
in Bayshore (516 968-3477) and Mather Memorial Hos-
pital in Port Jefferson (516 476 2888).
-- Hanley-Goff
tWhether you live in Alaska or Ala-
b~tma, the same award-winning
b~oks or movies will probably have
e~u~l appeal. But award-winning
ptants are another matter, because
climate limitations can turn one
ai'ea's winner into another's fresh-
frozen or deep-fried disaster.
1 Since 1988 the Pennsylvania Ho rti-
ctqtttral Society's Gold Medal Plant
AWard has gone to outstanding but
uhderappreciated trees, shrubs and
woody vines. To qualify, plants must
hltve exceptional beauty, resistance
tO pests and diseases, be available in
the horticultura~ trade and be hardy
from Washington to New York City.
Recognizing that Washington to New
York wasn't the center of the uni-
Horticultural Society and other or-
ganizations created the Cory Award
two years ago, to promote woody
plants that have a proven perform-
ance history in New England. To
qualify, they must be hardy in at
least two of the United States Agri-
culture Department's hardiness
zones ill New England (3 to 6). Spe-
cial emphasis is given to woody
plants with multiple seasons of gar-
den interest, especially those with
notable winter features.
This ]?ear's five Gold Medal Plant
Award winners include Thuja Green
Giant, a hybrid arborvitae that
grows quickly (as much as 3 to 5 feet
a year) into a 30-to-50-foot graceful,
narrow pyramidal shape that works
space. It is virtually pest free and
drought tolerant, once established,
and it is reported less likely to be
browsed by deer than other arborvi-
tae are. Its foliage, which has the
aroma of bubble gum, has good win-
ter color, a refined texture and re-
mains uniform in shape without
shearing. Its useful range is zones 5
to 7.
The Cary Award's five winners
include Microbiota decussata, also
known as Siberian carpet cypress, an
extremely hardy (to zone 3), pros-
trate, wide-spreading shrub with a
graceful, layered effect. Tolerant of
some shade, Siberian carpet cypress
really comes into its own in winter
when the summer green is ex-
Solving and Preventing
'Si' f ] iilding' Illnesses
ery sources of currel
nets can be obtained
cent stamped, self-a
lope to Cary Award,
tanic Garden, P.O. Be
Mass. 01505, and to G
Award, Pannsylvani
Society, 100 North 20
delphia 19103.
Pass the Root Veg
Q. At a traditional Ne
holiday dinner we we
yellow turnips. They
yellow flesh, but they
woy 1 remember turf
some new variety? V~
buy seeds ?
By JULIE V. IOVINE
T HE bedroom is often the scene
of the crime. Dr. Adrienne Buf-
faloe, a specialist In environ-
- inemal medicine, reels off a list of
in{nocent-sounding potential irri-
tants: "There are the perfumes, the
~:osmetics, the hair-care sprays on
the vanity; the synthetic carpet
sprayed with a stain resistant." Theu
there are cedar closets, mothballs,
le?thers treated with tanning agents
and dyes and even stuffed animals
sOrayed with flame retardants.
"People's bedrooms should be
tPeir oasis, but anything with a scent
could be harmful to people breathing
it ~n all night long," she said.
Dr. Buffaloe is part of an expand-
lng range of specialists and consult-
ants in Manhattan who are trying to
cc pe with an increasingly borderless
territory, the consequences of daily
life in largely synthetic interiors. Dr.
Bifffaloe is the medical director of
H~althcare for the 21st Century (212-
35S-2315), a two-year-old clinic in tile
A~'chitects and Designers Building,
Third Avenue at 58th Street. The
clinic is one of only six in the country
that is chemical-free, the doctor said.
-'there, in a high-tech detoxification
chamber, if needed, patients can be
treated for physical and mental ail-
rn~ents caused by allergies and hy-
persensitivities related to environ-
mental conditions. (Even visitors
a~e asked not to wear perfume when
'From radon tests
to design advice, a
growing cadre o£
,experts can help.
craning to the clinic, which has mar-
ble floors, metal chairs and wall cov-
erings of 100 percent wool.)
~Although the clinic's location in the
Architects and Designers Building is
cmncidental, Dr. Buffaloe noted that
d~igners often attend her public lec-
tures on "sick house syndrome,"
aroong other subjects, and they drop
in'for advice regarding health-con-
~sc!ous products they might use.
For 25 years, Wayne Tusa, the
president of Environmental Risk and
Loss Control (212-369-5400), has
heiped companies with environmen-
tal risks, including ",sick building
syn~rome.' But in the ~ast year, he
said, more and more individuals
have started hiring him to vet the
homes and apartments they are
thinking of buying or the plans for
homes they want to build.
A house inspection with some ele-
mentary testing of air quality and
recommendations for short- and
long-term alterations might cost a
few hundred dollars. More extensive
testing for problems like asbestos,
radon, lead paints, electronmagnetic
fields and molds could easily run into
several thousand dollars.
"I've noticed that more upscale
residents these days just add the cost
of extensive testing to their budgets
as a matter of course," Mi-. Tusa
said. (Harold Evans and Tina Brown
have been clients.) But rich or poor,
Mr. Tusa says, everyone may be at
risk, either at home or at work. A
huge number of chemical-based
products fill the home -- from chemi-
cals used in construction materials,
including the formaldehyde found in
common plywoods, to the glues that
join furniture, to the cleaners and
pesticides found under the sink.
Paradoxically, the same energy
efficiency that makes welldnsulated
buildings operate economically also
seals in pollutants that can then build
up to toxic levels. "Each person has
to decide for themselves how much
they can tolerate," Mr. Tusa said.
Environmental Construction Out-
fitters of New York (718-292-0626) is
a kind of environmental Home De-
pot, said its owner, Paul Novack. He
provides organic and nontoxic ma-
terials to architects and designers --
even homeowners who come to him
saying, "I want a safe house." At a
warehouse in the Bronx, Mr. Novack
stocks paints, sealants, glues, strip-
pers, carpeting, wall coverings, full-
spectrum light bulbs and special in-
sulation, everything but the bulkiest
materials like plywood and wall-
board. The products available at the
five-year-old company are recycled,
natural, hypoallergenic or are made
from renewable resources.
"We supply everyone from the stu-
dent who needs one can of hypoaller-
genic paint to the developer who
wants 10,000 quarts," Mr. Novack
said. "We went into business to sup-
ply the 10,000 qanrts, but how can you
say no to someone who comes to you
saying they want to be healthy?"
The Human Ecology Action
League is a national support group
for people suffermg from environ-
mental illnesses. The 17-year-old
New York chapter offers moathly
lectures hy experts in the field. The
next lecture, on Saturday, is "Back
to Basi,c~ in Environmental Illness."
For inb ;rmation: (212) 517-5937.
tWhether you live in Alaska or Alao
bhma, the same award-winning
bboks or movies will probably have
equal appeal. But award-winning
plants are another matter, because
climate limitations can turn one
at'ea's winner into another's fresh-
hozen or deep4ried disaster.
I Since 1988 the Pennsylvania Horti-
cidtarai Society's Gold Medal Plant
A'ward has gone to outstanding but
ui~derappreciated trees, shrubs and
woody vines. To qualify, plants must
have exceptional beauty, resistance
to pests and diseases, be available in
ti~e horticultural trade and be hardy
from Washington to New York City.
Recognizing that Washington to New
Y3rk wasn't the center of the uoio
Solving and
'Sick Building'
Horticultural Society and other or-
ganizations created the Cary Award
two years ago, to promote woody
plants that have a proven perform-
ante history in New England. To
qualify, they must be hardy in at
least two of the United States Agri-
culture Department's hardiness
zones in New England (3 to 0). Spe-
cial emphasis is given to woody
plants with multiple seasons of gar-
den interest, especially those with
notable winter features.
This year's five Gold Medal Plant
Award winners include Thuja Green
Giaut, a hybrid arborvitae that
grows quickly (as much as 3 to 5 feet
a year) into a 30-to-50-foot graceful,
narrow pyramidal shape that works
Preventing
Illnesses
space. It is virtually pest free and
drought tolerant, once established,
and it is reported less likely to be
browsed by deer than other arborvi-
tae are. Its foliage, which has the
aroma of bubble gum, has good win-
ter color, a refined texture and re-
mains uniform in shape without
shearing. Its useful range is zones 5
to 7.
The Cory Award's five winners
include Microbiota decussata, also
known as Siberian carpet cypress, an
extremely hardy (to zone 3), pros-
trate, wide-spreading shrub with a
graceful, layered effect. Tolerant of
some shade, Siberian carpet cypress
really conies into its own in winter
when the summer greea is ex-
lope to Cary
tanic Garder
Mass. 01505,
Award, Pen
Society, 100
delphia 1919~
Pass the Rt
Q. At a tradit
holiday dinn
yellow turni[
yellow flesh,
way I remerr
buy seeds?
By JULIE V. IOVINE
IHE bedroom is often the scene
of the crime. Dr. Adrienne Buf-
faloe, a specialist in environ-
mental medicine, reels off a list of
intmcent-sannding potential irri-
tants: "Tbore are the perfumes, the
cosmetics, the hair-care sprays on
the vanity; the synthetic carpet
sprayed with a stain resistant." Then
there are cedar closets, mothballs,
le,athers treated with tanning agents
ahd dyes and even stuffed animals
sl~rayed with flame retardants.
"People's bedrooms should be
ti~eir oasis, but anything with a scent
c( aid be harmful to people breathing
it in all night long," she said.
Dr. Buffaloe is part of an expand-
ix~g range of specialists and consult-
re, ts in Manhattan who are trying to
c( pe with an increasingly borderless
territory, the consequences of daily
life in largely synthetic interiors. Dr.
Btlffaloe is the medical director of
Hi~althcare for the 21st Century (212-
3.55-2315), a two-year-old clinic in the
Architects and Designers Building,
Third Avenue at 58th Street. The
clinic is one of only six in the country
that is chemmal-free, the doctor smd.
There, in a high-tech detoxification
chamber, if needed, patients can be
treated for physical and mental ail-
rn~ents cansed by allergies and
persensilivities related to environ-
mental conditions. (Even visitors
afc asked not to wear perfume when
From radon tests
to design advice, a
growing cadre of
,experts can help.
coming to the clinic, which has mar-
ble floors, metal chairs and wall cov-
erings of 100 percent wool.)
~.lthough the clinic's location in the
Architects and Designers Building is
coincidental, l~r. Buffaloe noted that
de, signers often attend her public lec-
tures on "sick house syndrome,"
among other subjects, and they drop
in'for advice regarding health-con-
*sc?us products they might use.
For 25 years, Wayne Tusa, the
president of Environmental Risk and
Loss Control (212-369-5400), has
helped companies with environmen-
tal risks, including "sick building
syndrome." But in the'last year, he
said, more and more individuals
haw~ started hiring him to vet the
homes and apartments they are
thinking of buying or the plans for
homes they want to build.
A house inspection with some ele-
mentary testing of air quality and
recommendations for short- and
long-term alterations might cost a
few hundred dollars. More extensive
testing for problems like asbestos,
radon, lead paints, electronmagnetic
fields and molds could easily run into
several thousand dollars.
'Tve noticed that more upscale
residents these days just add the cost
of extensive testing to their budgets
as a matter of course," Mr. Tusa
said. (Harold Evans and Tins Brown
have been clients.) But rich or poor,
Mr. Tusa says, everyone may be at
risk, either at home or at work. A
huge number of chemical-based
products fill the home-- from chemi-
cals used in construction materials,
including the formaldehyde fotmd in
common plywoods, to the glues that
join furniture, to the cleaners and
pesticides found under the sink.
Paradoxically, the same energy
efficiency that makes well-insulated
buildings operate economically also
seals in pollutants that can then build
up to toxic levels. "Each porson has
io decide for themselves how much
they can tolerate," Mr. Tusa said.
Environmental Construction Out-
fitters of New York (718-292-0626) is
a kind of environmental Home De-
pot, said its owner, Paul Novack. He
provides organic and nontoxic ma-
rerials to architects and designers --
even homeowners who come to him
saying, "I want a safe house." At a
warehouse in the Bronx, Mr. Novack
stocks paints, sealants, glues, strip-
pers, carpeting, wall coverings, full-
spectrum light bulbs and special in-
sulation, everything but the bulkiest
materials like plywood and wall-
board. The products available at the
five-year-old company are recycled,
natural, hypoallerganic or are made
lrom renewable resources.
"We supply everyone from the stu-
dent who needs one can of hypoaller-
genic paint to the developer who
wants 10,009 quarts," Mr. Novack
said. "We went into business to sup-
ply the 10,000 quarts, but bow can you
say no to someone who comes to you
saying they want to be healthy?"
The Human Ecology Action
League is a national support group
for people suffering from environ-
mental illnesses. The 17-year-old
New York chapter offers monthly
lectures by experts in the field. The
next lecture, on Saturday, is "Back
to Basics in Environmental Illness."
For iaf~mation: (212) 517-5937.
P E I~ M \
Public Employer Risk Management Association, Inc.
III Winners Circle, E O. Box 12250, .Mbans; ND' 12212-2250
Telephone (518) 458-7796, roll-free in N~-(800) 834-,5697
Fax (518) 458-78ll
Mr. John Cushman, Town Comptroller
Town of Southold
P.O. Box 1179
Southold, New York 11971
September 21, 1998
Dear Mr. Cushman,
Enclosed please find the prelimarily indoor air quality survey report that was
conducted by Mr. Peter Archbold and myself at the specific Town's facilities on
August 18, t 9, 1998.
In summary, there are several conditions that were identified that warrant concern
and reflect less than ideal indoor air quality conditions.
They are as follows:
1. There is a lack of adequate outdoor make-up ak in the ventilation system of
the Town Hall, and Human Resource Center. This could allow for the buildup of
Co2 during the late morning and eariy afternoon that could impact the
performance of employees.
It is strongly recommended that additional outdoor makeup air be ;trawn into beth
buildings.
2. There was sufficient dampness to support growth of fungi and bacteria noted at
Town Hall and the Solid Waste Facility. Of particular concern was the
identification of various species of asperglllus in the Solid Waste Office and Break
Room.
It is recommended that the HVAC systems be adjusted to reduce the overall
humidity in these workareas. Furthermore, all HVAC units should be inspected and
cleaned on a scheduled or as needed basis.
We strongly recommend that the HVAC unit located in the Solid Waste Office be
thoroughly cleaned and hereafter monitored on a regular basis to identify any
further growth of aspergillus. Until such recommendations are implemented we
recommend that no food items be consumed in the Break Room.
Finally, we recommend that ail employees be informed of the contems of this
report and that further testing and monitoring take place in 60, 90, and 120 days
to review improvemems in the indoor air quality workplace conditions.
I want to thank you and the employees of the Town of Southold for their
cooperation in ailowing us to conduct this survey. If I can be of any further
assistance, please don't hesitate to cail.
Very truly yours,/)
Loss Control Representative
EVALUATION REPORT
TO'~fNOFSOUTHOLD
PRELIMINARY
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
SURVEY
IN
TOWN HALL,
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUILDING.
HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER
Submitted to
Supervisor Jean Cocttran
Town of Southold
Prepared by
Peter Axchbolck Cff-I CSP
August, 1998
Report Title:
Indoor Air Quality
Date of Investigation:
August 18, 1998
Place:
Specified locations within the Town of Southold
Requested by:
Supervisor lean Cochran, and
Mr. John Cushman. Comptroller
Town of Southold
P.O. Box 908
Southold, New York 11971
(516) 7654333
To perform a preliminmy indoor air quality assessment as a result of
concerns expressed by the employees and management.
Industrial Hygienist:
Loss Control Representative
Peter Archbold. Cll-I CSP
Frank Laurita
PERMA
III Winners Circle
P.Q Box 12250
Albany, New York 12212-2250
Voice: (800) 834-3697
Fax: (518) 458-7811
Related Standards:
OSHA CFR Title 29 Part 1910. I000
ACGIIt Gmdeline for Assessment of Bioaerosols in Indoor
Environments
Table of Contents
Abstract
1.0 Inh-oducfion
1.1 The Southold Town Hall
1.1.1 The Heating/Ventilating System
1.2 Solid Waste District Building
1.3 The Human Resources Center
2.0 Survey Methods 2.1 Sampling For Airborne Bacteria and Ftmgi
2.2 Air Sampling
2.3 Ozone Sampling
3.0 Results and Discussion
3.1 Didn't Reading Air Sample Results
3.1.1 Relative Humidi~
3.1.2 Carbon Dioxide
3.1.3 Ozone
3.2 Cultured Air Sample Results
3.2.1 Fungi Samples
3.2.1.1 Town Hall
3.2.1.2 Solid Waste Dismct Building
3.2.1.3 Human Resources Center
3.2.2 Bacteria Samples
3.2.2.1 Town Hall
3.2.2.2 Solid Waste District Building
3.2.2.3 Human Resources Center
TABLE 1, OBSERVED AIR SAMPLING RESULTS FOR
TEMPERATURE, RELATIVE HUMIDITY,
CARBON MONOXIDE. AND CARBON DIOXIDE
TOWN HALL
TABLE 2, OBSERVED AIR SAMPLING RESULTS FOR
TEMPERATURE, RELATIVE HUMIDrrY,
CARBON MONOXIDE, AND CARBON DIOXIDE
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUILDING AND
HUM_AN RESOURCES CENTER
TABLE 3, SAMPLE RESULTS FOR AIRBORNE BACTERIA
TOWN HALL
Page
A1
1-1
1-1
1-2
1-2
1-3
2-1
2-1
2-1
3-1
3-1
3-1
3-2
3-2
3-2
3-3
34
34
3-5
3-5
3-6
3-6
3-7
3-8
3-9
TABLE 4, SAMPLE RESULTS FOR AIRBORNE FUNGI
TOWN HALL
3-10
TABLE 5, SAMPLE RESULTS FOR AIRBORNE BACTERIA
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUILDING
TABLE 6. SAMPLE RESULTS FOR AIRBORNE FUNGI
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUILDING
TABLE 7, SAMPLE RESULTS FOR AII~ORNE BACTERIA
HUMAN RESOURCES CEN"~R
TABLE 6, SAMPLE RESULTS FOR AIRBORNE FUNGI
HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER
3-11
3-12
3-13
3-14
4.0 Conclusion and Recommendations
4-1
APPENDICES:
APPENDIX A P & K MICROBIOLOGY SERVICES, INC.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In an effort to continue to provide excellent loss control service for the PERMA membemhip industrial
hygiene services will be made available to the members whenever possible. Toward this goal, an indoor
air quality survey was conducted at the request of the Town of Southold. The project was instituted due to
employees and management concerns for indoor air quality. Due to time and budgetary constraints the
scope of the project was necessarily limited to:
-grab sampling for carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), relative humidity (RH), and
temperature (T) for indoor at specified locations;
-collection of a limited number of airborne bacteria and airborne fungi from specified locations;
and,
-sampling for ozone in two locations.
Sampling was conducted within the Southold Town Hall, the Solid Waste District building, and the Human
Resources Center on August 18 & 19, I998.
1.1 THE SOUTHOLD TOWN HALL
The Town Hall is a one story structure with a partial basement. Original construction was in the 1950's
with a number of additions and modifications since. Due to varying dates for construction there are;
- two separate and distinct basement areas,
- two separate office areas connected by a common lobby,
- some offices located on slab foundations, and
- an attached prefabricated building for the Court office.
There are two hot water heating systems which circulate chilled water in the Summer for cooling. In
addition, there are air conditioning units for several occupied areas. In some areas employees open
windows for fresh air, while other areas rely on building heating/ventilating/air conditioning (HVAC)
systems.
Areas sampled within the Town Hall include general grab sample assessments (August 18 & 19) for carbon
monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), relative humidity (RH), and temperature (T) in a number of
occupied areas, including:
-the Lower level Accounting office,
-lower level storage room,
-the hallway near the Community Development and Trustees' offices,
-the clerical area near the Supervisor's office,
-the Building Assessor's office,
-the Computer room,
-the Town Clerk's office,
-the Building Department,
-the Building Inspectors' office, and
-the exterior of the building.
An ozone sample was collected (August 19) at the photocopy machine located in the hallway near the
Town Clerk's office.
Airborne bacteria and fungi samples were collected (August 18) ia the:
-lower level Accounting ofco
-the hallway near the Community Development and Trustees' offices,
-the Building Assessor's (Robert Seat~) office, and
-the e~erior of the buildiag
1.1.1 The Heating/Ventilating System
The mechanical rooms are located ia the lower level; one for the west side of thc building and one for the
east side. There is a large cooling system unit is located outside the building at the northwest corner.
Additional units are located elsewhere around the building. Chilled water is piped through the hea6ng
system to individual forced ah' room umts. This system could be given only an external visual
examination due to operational considerations. The ratio outdoor air to indoor air, and the relative
position of outdoor make-up air dampers was nnknowu by. the i~ain~enanc~
1.2 SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUILDING
The Solid Waste District building is a one story metal structure on a slab foundation estimated to be
twenty years old. The majority of the building is used for the dumping and sorting of rubbish. Dumping
and sorting areas are accessed through opemags ia the wails str~ciantly large to permit vehicles to enter
and unload. These remain open thtougholR the year and serve to ventilate the buildiag. One comer of the
building is given over to the Office and Break Room. The heating systems for these rooms were not
examined. Air conditioning for the Office is through a wall mounted unit. with the supply air enteriag
fxom the Dumping Room. The Break Room receives air through doors to the exterior. These are often
left open during good weather.
Areas sampled within the Solid Waste District building include general grab sample assessments (August
18 & 19) for carbon monoxide (CO). carbon dioxide (CO2), relative humidity (R.H), and temperature (73
in the:
- Dumping Room area
- Break Room, and
- outside the building.
An ozone sample was collected ia the office on August 18.
Bacteria and fungi air samples were collected (August 18) ia the:
- Office area,
- Break Roam,
- Dumping Room area. and
- o.tclaors.
1-2
1.3 THE HUMAN RESOURCES CEN'rleR
The Hnman Re. sources Center is a renovated bank building estimated to be twenty-five years old. It is a
one story structure with partial basement and the remainder on slab foundation. The orJ~nal
ceiling ami a raised "computer room floo~" l~main ia much of the building, but most areas have been
renovated for the current occupant. Occupied areas ate air conditioned, however, the system was not
exnmin~d. The bllilding ROW ~oD~nlnn several oflS~es, a "Day R~om~, a "Game Room~, a dlnln~ room,
Sampling activities were conducled on August 18 for carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2),
rdative humidity (RIO, and temperature (T). These samples were obtained in an office, the Game Room,
the Day Room, and outdoors. Samples for airborne bacteria and fungi were collected in an office and
outdoors.
1-3
2.0 SURVEY METHODS
2. I SAMPLING FOR AIRBORNE BACTERIA AND FUNGI
Bacteria and fungi samples were collected using a standard ~ampllng techinqu~ employing an Andersen
N6 sampler designed for use with a 15X100mm petri plate. Petri plates for bacteria contained a tryptic
soy ager, whereas the plates for fungi contained a malt extract ager. Following an inilial disinfecting wipe
of the sampler parts with isopropyl alcohol file Andersen ~mpler was connected to a vacuum pump
precallbrated to 28.3 L/mimlte and samples collected. Following collection of each ~mple the isopropyl
alcohol wipe was used to disinfect the ~mpler parts. The sampler was allowed to air dry for a few
minutes be, fore the collection of the next sample. Sample collection times w~re five minutes for all
samples. Following completion of sampling, the petri plates were sealed with 3/4" nmdtin§ tape placed in
a paper bag, boxed and immediately sent to the lab (P & K Microbiology Services, Cherry Hill, NJ).
2.2 AIR SAMPLING
Sampling for carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, relative humidity and tempomtu~ were all accomplished
through the use of TSt-8551 Q-Track Indoor Air Quality Meter. The meter was factory calibrated and
reported to be ch~cked prior to use by a trained teclmicmn. Periodic readings were mammlly recorded in
the field. Tolernncc of the raeter is reported as: COZ + 3% of reading _+ 50 ppm; CO, + 3% or reading or
+ 3 ppm, whichever is greater: Temperature, _+ 1.0 F; Humidity, + 3.0%.
2.3 OZONE SAMPLING
Ozone samples were obtained by the Draeger detector tube method. This method employees a Draeger
accuro hand-operated bellows pump connected to a Ozone 0.05/b detector tube. Sampling consisted of
ten strokes of the bellows pump which pulled the sampled air through the colormetric detector tube. If
ozone is present in sufficient quantity the tube contents will change color. The length of the
corresponding color change will indicate the concentratiOn cffozone in the ~mple. Det~-'tion limits for
this method are 0.05 parts pet million (PPM) with a standard deviation of 10% to 15%. The tubes used
bad an expiration date of Dec. 1999.
2.1
3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 DIRECT READING AIR SAMPLE RESULTS
The observed air sample results for temperature Ct), relative hmmdity (RH), carbon monoxide (CO) and
carbon dioxide (CO2) are shown in Table I for the Town Hall, and Table 2 for the Solid Waste District
building and the Hnman Resources building. Carbon monoxide was not found in any of the samples.
Temperature ranged from 68 deg. F to 75 deg. F for the samples from occupied areas within buildings
with the exCepUon of the Solid Waste District building Break Room, wkich ranged from 75 deg. F to 79
deg. F, and the Interior Dumping area, which ranged 74 deg F to 80 deg. F. These locations closely
approximated ambient conditions, as would be expecteck because they were open to the outdoors.
3.1.1 RELATIVE HUMIDITY
Overall, relative hnmidity ranged from 50% to 73% for the building spaces not immediately influenced by
the outdoor ambient conditions, i.e. air conditioned or air cooled spaces. The Solid Waste District
building air conditioned spaces ranged from 57% to 62%. The Hnman Resources building ranged 50% to
54%, and the Town Hall ranged 56% to 73%. Relative humidity below 70% is generally not associated
with excessive fungi growth, although local colonies may tlourish depending on conditions. Above 70%
some colomes of mold or fungi may be expected, and as the relative hanndity increases so does the
likelihood for colony growth. The 73% RH was observed in the afternoon on August 18 in the Building
Assessor's office (R. Scott). When the same location was sampled in the morning of August 19 the
relative humidity had decreased to 61%. By itserf, these findings may not be significant, however, small
colomes were observed near the room air cooling umt (NOTE: these colomes were not sampled as bulk
samples were not ineluded m the scope of this investigation). One other area of possible interest is the
basement hallway on the east side of the building. In this location relative humidity ranged from 65% to
69% and could influence the quality and condition of records stored in a room off the hallway.
3.1.2 CARBON DIOXIDE
Outdoor (ambient) carbon dioxide levels are expected in the range of 350 PPM to 400 PPM. Human
occupancy of an enclosed space will increase the level due to exhalation. Carbon dioxide is used as an
easily sampled surrogate to determine the relative efficiency of the ventilating system and the potential for
occupant discomfort. In the typical adequately ventilated office the CO2 level is expected to be near
ambient in the early morning, rise toward the end of the morning, decline somewhat over the lunch
period, and rise farther In the afternoon, only to decline back to near ambient over mght. The
Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Permissible Exposure [,'mt (PEL) for CO2 is 5000 PPM as
averaged over an 8-hour work day. The adequately ventilated office may see a peak of 800 PPM to 1000
PPM. A continuous range of I000 PPM to 1200 PPM is often associated with decreased productivity and
employee complaints. Greater than 1200 PPM will only increase the likelihood for complaints and
possible absenteeism due to Uansient health concerns such as increased incidence of respiratory related
3-1
d/sease. To fury assess thc CO2 levels within a space, continuous readings should be obtained over the
course of several days (NOTE: this was not done as it is outs/de the scope of this preliminary survey).
The ~ubon dioxide levels measured within various e~lcloged building spaces ranged fxom $50 PPM to
2400 PPM. Samples collected in the Haman Resoul~eS tenor (3:00 PM) following full ocoq~aney
probably represent a near peak level. They were in a range of 1040 PPM to 1310 PPM. Levels observed
in the Solid Waste District Building Oflico we~ between 1 i00 PPM and 1200 PPM on both mornings
indicating a probable lack of adequate make-ap air. Town Hall levels ranged betwuen 550 PPM and 2400
PPM, none of tl~ oc~tpied spma~ were below 1000 PPM by 10:00 anx l_~v~ls at, or e. xc~ding, 1200
PPM were observed in the Ac.~mming offico (1200 PPM), the Sopervisor's clerical area (1800 PPM), the
Building Assessor's ofl~c~ (1390 PPM), and the Building lasl~tor's office (2400 PPM). To de~onsWate
the effect make-up air can have on tim CO2 level, the window of the Building Insp~or's offlc~ was
opened during sampling and within five minutes the CO2 level in this spa~ &vvl.~xt by 600 PPM (1800
PPM).
3.1.3 OZONE
Ozone was sampled in two locations; the Solid Waste District Office near the air purifier, and at the copy
machine across from the Town Clerks office in the Town Hall. In beth situations the ¢qmpment was
operated in a normal mnnnoA' for thc duration of the sample. Both tests failed to identify ozone above the
level of detect/on for the method (0.05 PM) near the point of discharge of the equipment.
3.2 CULTURED AIR SAMPLE RESULTS
A total of twenty cultured samples were collected in association with these buildings, ten each for bacteria
and mold. In additiol~ two trip blanks, one each for bacteria and mold, wer~ included in the samples sent
to the lab. The flip blankg were reported as negative for growtlL Exterior samples were collected from
each building location so the influence of the ambient conditions could be assessed and not attributed to
the building.
3.2.1 FUNGI SAMPLES
Fungi sample results appear in: - Table 4, Town Hall;
- Table 6, Solid Waste District Building; and,
- Table 8, }-~uman Resourc~ Center.
The flip blnnk (~022) is included on Table 8 and lists "Not Detect~' for the genns/specaes listed on the
table only as a roarer of conveniance. The flip blank was relported to be free f~m all growth by the lab,
there, fore, the species specified on the other tables did not appear as well.
3-2
3.2. I. 1 TOWN HALL
Fungi samples for the Town Hall include ~010 from the lower level Accounting Office, ~012 from the
lower level hallway near the Community Development and Town Trustees O~ces, and #014 from the first
floor Building Assessors (Robert Scott) Office. Sample ~016 represents thc exterior background sample.
Overall concentrations of colony forming units per cubic meter of air (CFU/m3) observed for these
samples were; sample ~010-325 CFU/m3, sample ~012-714 CFU/m3, and ~ample #014-163 CFU/m3.
The exterior background sample (0016) was 360 CFU/m3. An old "rule of thumb' recommends a
concenuation below 500 CFU/m3 for acceptable indoor air quality. This is now subject to modification
downward, dependent on the pathogenicity of the identLficd species. Species of interest identified on the
samples include: Aspergillus versicolor, Peniclllimn, Sporebelomyces, and yeasts.
The Aspergillus versicelor, collected on ~,ample ~010 (21 CFU/m3) from the Accoummg Office and
ample ~012 (35 C-TU/m3) from the lower level hallway, is one of 132 species of Aspergillns. A number
of the species within this genus are known to cause diseases in bnmnn~ inchMing infection, allergic
reactions and toxicosis (by ingestion of coI~tnminated food); however, the pathogenicity of Asp. versicolor
has not been proven. On ah'borne samples collected in the United States, Asp. versicelor is probably the
most f~quenfly isolated member of this genus. Often it can be identified in softs, plants, paper pruduct~
and other substrates as well. As a gloup, Aspergillus is common on water clamaged or damp surfaces and
is frequently observed in samples collected in basements. The lower level hallway has been identified
above as a potential candidate for elevated hUnUdity and coll~nin~ stored (l~pcr) records, therefore
Aspergillus is not unexpected. The other fungi observed on the lower level samples include Penicillium,
Sporobolomyces, and yeasts. These fungi arc often associated with damp locations and arc frequently
observed on samples.
As a group, the genus Pemcillium contains over 200 species; some of which are beneficial while others
may ba haxmfi~ due, in park to the production of mycotoxins. This genus was identified in all sampled
locations of the building. The fact that Penicillinm was not observed on tbe exterior background ~ample
at this location may be an artifact of the sampling, as it was probably present Cm the two other exterior
samples collected from separate locations, #008 & #020, this genus was observed). For the broad category
of yeasts, identified in the lower level samples and not in the exterior ~mple. a similar scenario is
expected as they appear in the other ex,riot ~amples at higher concentrations. Sporobolomyces, a
particalaz sPeCies ofyeust, may be a similar situation as well. Sperobelomycc$ concentrations may be
inflated due to their abtlity to discharge spores and grow mirror colonies in culture, making it difficult to
differentiate primary and sec. onda~ colony g~owth. Sporobelomyces and a Immher of other yeasts have
been shown to be allergenic.
The last fungi of interest found in the Town Hall is Basidiomycetes (57 CFU/m3) from the first floor
sample (#014) collected in the Building Assessor's (R. Scott) office. Basidiomycetes is usually associated
with thc wooded components of thc building mueture as they are common wood inhabitants and decayers.
An elevated population may. suggest some level of wood decay or ret. This portion of the building is on a
slab foundation which could also contribute to it's presence. The data on Basidiomycetes suggest they are
allergenic.
3-3
3.2.1.2 SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUll.DING
The Solid Waste District building samples were collected from the interior of the building in the Dumping
Room (gOOD, from the District Office (g003), and from the Break Room (g005) jnst outside the District
Office. The exterior background sample (g008) was collected on the far side of thc building, away fi'om
the dumping area.
Sample analysis from the interior Dumping Room area was unremnrkable considering the potential
expected from this t,jpe operation. Overall, the concentration was 1,088 CFU/m3 of which Rhodotorula
(64 CFU/m3) and yensls (346 CFU/m3) were the only sPeCUes/genns of particnlar interest. The yeasts
were only somewhat above background (g008) of 254 CFU/m3, The Rbodotomla, a species of yeast, was
not observed in the background but is known to be quite common and can be an allergen.
The Office and Break Room samples saw several species of Aspergillas and a concentration of
Penicillium, The tctal concenWations for these samples were 594 CFU/m3 for the Office and 1286
CFU/m3 for the Break Room. The exterior background sample reported a total concentration of 1809
CFU/m3. The elevated level for the Break Room may be influenced by the fact that both the doors
sermcmg this room were open and subject to the full effect of the exterior air. The concenU'ations of
Pemcillium were 191 CFU/m3 and 360 CFU/m3 respectively, and not unexpected when compared to a
background qample (219 CFU/m3 ). Of interest are the small concentrations of Aspergillus species
identified in the Office and Break Room, and not observed in the background sample. These included 28
CFU/m3 of Asp. fumigatus and 57 CFU/m3 of Aap. roger from the Office; while the Break Room sample
found 134 CFU/m3 Asp. niger and21 CFU/m3 Asp. flarns. Aapergillns has been discussed above. Of the
specues now identified:
- roger is recognized by. a black spore ma~s and is of commercial importance in the mnnBfactlll~
Of citric acid'
- fumigatns is common in indoor air and is capable of inducing allergic reactions within the
exposed population; and.
- flax, ns, a concern~ is common in grmns stored in moist locations but produces the my¢otoxin
aflatoxin which is reoog~i?ed as carCmogem¢. '
Whether these species represent growing colomes within the Sam?led $[?ac~s Or are Uansient, blowing
through the open doors, is unknown_
3.2.1.3 HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER
A small concentration (8%) of Acremomum was identified from the sample (0018) collected in the office
of the Human Resources Center. There are approximately 100 species within the genus Acremonimn and
they are considered potentially allergenic. Acremomum is associated with dampness and could be
associated with wet bmlding materials. A number of water damaged coiling tiles were observed, although,
high bnmidity and wet building conditions were not identified during the survey. This fungi is ot~en
found in softs and decayed plant material, and indoor plants ia the general vicinity of the sample could
contribute to the result.
Other identified fungi of possible interest include Cylindrocapon and sterile fungi. The Cylindrooapon are
a fast growing genus infxequently observed on indoor air qnmples. They did not appear on the exterior
qample collected at this site (0020), but were observed on the exterior samples collected from the other
34
sites at a similar concenUation and likely represent background level. If they are associat~x[ with the
indoor air at this location, a possible source could be inadequate drni~ge fxom the air conditioning units.
The spores may be allergenic to some individuals. The sterile fungi are a group which produce vegetative
growth but do not yield spores to aid in identification, therefore no further idenliticetion is provided.
They are included here because they can be useful in determining a total for "colony forming units per
cubic meier of air" (CFU/m3), and some may be allergenic. The total count for sample #018 was 375
CFU/m3, while the exterior background sample was 1,046 CFU/m3.
3.2.2 BACr~tRIA SAMPLES
Bacteria sample results appear in: -Table 3, Town Hall;
-Table 5, Solid Waste District Building; and,
-Table 7, Hnman Resources Center.
The trip blank (~021) appears in Table 7. As with the fungi samples, "Not Detected" is lis~:l for the
various genes/species on the table and this applies to the other table listings as well. Sample locations and
conditions are the same as specified in the 3.2.1 FUNGI SAMPLES sections of tins report.
In general, many bacteria have been identified as the cause for disease which has Iced to a concern for the
potential of air-borne pathogens. It should bo remembered, the degree of pathogenicity is a function of
both the bacteria and the biological defense mechanie, ms of the CXlX)sed population. Bacteria are part of
the ambient micxoflora to winch everyone is exposed all the time. Adverse effects u.~amlly do not occur
until the exposure concentration is great enough to exceed the ability of an individual's defensive
response~
3.2.2.1 TOWN HALL
Total concentrations for aixbome haet~a from the sampled areas of the Town Hall consist of; the lower
level Accounting Office (g009)-558 CFU/m3, the lower level hallway (g011)-318 CFU/m3, and thc
Building Assessor's Office (gO13)-113 CFU/m3. The exterior background sample (g015)-226 CFU/m3.
Of interest here are Staphylococcus and the "gram negative" bacteria, both of which were identified in all
samples at this location, Including the background sample. Staphylococcus was obsexved in the exterior
background sample as 14 CFU/m3. The inghest interior sample was from the Accounting Office where
71 CFU/m3 were identified. The particular spo~les of Staphylococcus was not identified although some
am pathogenic. They are generally very common to indoor enVU'Onments and are associated with b,man
The "gram negative" bacteria concentrations ranged from 78 CFU/m3 in thc Assessor's Office (gO13) to
445 CFU/m3 ia the Accounting Office (g009). The exterior background sample was 155 CFU/m3.
Generally, spociation of "gram negative" bacteria is difficult and many have not been properly
characterizcd, hence, the somewhot ambiguous identification. Their cell wall components are reported to
ceDtnin endotoxins winch can bo termed as ~fever inducers".
3-5
3.2.2.2 SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BU~DING
The overall Concentrations ob~ved within this location range from 714 CFU/m3 in the Office 0~g)04) to
2488 CFU/m3 in the Interior Disl~sal area (#002). The exterior backgto-nd rample was 1018 CFU/m3.
A very high percentage of all these ~mples wer~ the "gram negative" bacteria, which have ~ discussed
above. Also discussed above is Staphylococcus which appeared on the O~ce (#004) ~mple at a
concentration of 35 CFU/m3. In ndditioll, the Offi~ sample iclenti~ed Bacillus (85 CFU/m3) at
approximately twice thc backgroimd level. These ar~ very common in thc environm~t and not unusual
for this ~ of operation. A n.rnh~r of species can be disease c~n~ing.
3.2.2.3 HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER
The I-Jnman R~otlI~s Center ~mples identifi~ ovexall Concenlralions of 163 CFU/m3 within the
building and 226 CFU/m3 for the exterior sample. Staphylococcus was ictentified in a small cencentration
(14 CFU/m3) within the bllilding, whi~ll is probably of limited si~iflcallc~. Other levels a~
approximating bac, kgrou~d.
3-6
TABLE I
OBSERVED AIR SAMPLING RESULTS
FOR
TEMPERATURE, RELATIVE HUMIDITY,
CARBON MONOXIDE, AND CARBON DIOXIDE
TOWN HALL
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
AUGUST 18 & 19, 1998
Location Date Time Temp. RH
(deg. F) (%)
CO CO2
(!c'Plvl)
Accounting Offico 8-18 ll:10am 74 62
8-19 9:30am 70-71 57-59
Basement store room 8-18 -1 l:30am 71 56
Basement computer mom 8-19 9:43am 71 57
Basement hall, east end 8-18 12:02pm 73 69
.... 8-19 ~10:30am 69 65
Town Clerk's office 8-19 9:50am 71 56
Supervisor's clerical area 8-18 -l:00pm 73 58
8-19 -9:51am 70 56
Building Assessor's office 8-18 ~1:45pm 72 73
Bldg. Assessor front office8-19 9:53am 70 61
Building Assessor's office 8-19 ~10:00am 70 64
Building Dept. office 8-19 ~10:10am 72 59
Building In~ector offico 8-19 -lO:20am 72 61
Ex~rior 8-18 ~2:00pm 79 76
Exterior 8-19 ~10:30am ,69 53
OSHA Standards: CO = 50 PPM (ACGIH, 25 PPM)
CO2 = 5000 PPM
PPM = PARTS PER MIl J.ION
~ = APPROXIMATE
3-7
0 1200
0 810-970
0 840
0 550
0 1060
0 555
0 1110
0 1800
0 1175
0 1390
0 942
0 910
0 1096
0 2400
0 415
0 343
TABLE 2
OBSERVED AIR SAMPLING RESULTS
FOR
TEMPERATURE, RELATIVE HUMIDrrY,
CARBON MONOXIDE, AND CARBON DIOXIDE
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUILDING
AND
HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
AUGUST 18 & 19, 1998
Location
Date Time Temp. RH CO CO2
(deg. F) (%) (PPM) (PPM)
Solid Waste Dist Buildin~
Interior dumping area 8-18
.... 8-18
.... 8-19
7:54am 76 85 0 475
9:47am 80 77 0 450
11:42am 74 45 0 425
8-18 9:15am 68 57 0 1100
8-18 9:30am 68 58 0 1200
8-19 ~ll:45am 72 62 0 1200
Break room 8-18 ~9:00am 75 85 0
8-18 9:41am 79 78 0
Exterior 8-18 ~10:00am 79 81 0
559
433
410
H,,ma. R~sottrc~ Bnilding
Office (K. McLaughlin)
Game Room
Day Room
OSHA Standards:
PPM = PARTS PER MII.I.ION
~-- APPROXIMATE
8-18 ~3:00pm 75 50 0
8-18 ~3:05pm 75 53 0
8-18 ~3:10pm ,74 54 0
CO = 50 PPM (ACGIH, 25 PPM)
CO2 = 5000 PPM
3-8
1310
1040
1310
TABLE 3
SAMPLE RESULTS
FOR
AIRBORNE BACTERIA
TOWN HALL
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
AUGUST 18, 1998
Identified
Genus/Species
Saml~le Number and Results by Location (CFU/M3 & %)
Outside Accounting Lower level Office
Office Hallway GL Scott)
gO15 gO09 ~011 gO13
Actinomycetes 14-6% ND ND 7-6%
Bacillus 21-9% 21-4% 7-2% 7 -6%
gram negative bacteria & others 155-69% 445-80% 276-87% 78-69%
Micrococcus 21-9% 21-4% ND 14-13 %
Staph. vlococcus 14-6% 71-I3% 35-11% 7-6%
CFU/M3 = Colony Forming Umts per Cubic Meter of Air
ND = Not Detected
3-9
TABLE 4
SAMPLE RESULTS
FOR
AIRBORNE FUNGI
TOWN HALL
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
AUGUST 18, 1998
Identified
Genus/Species
Samole Number and Results bv Location (CFU/M3 & %)
Outside Accounting Lower I.cvel Office
Office I-hllway (R. Sco~t)
$$016 gOlO #012 #014
A lternaria 21-6% ND ND ND
Aspergillus versicolor ND 21-7% 35-5% ND
Basidiomycetes ND ND ND 57-35%
Cladasporium 191-53% 113-35% 64-9% 21 - 13%
Cylindrocarpon 7-2% ND ND ND
Penicillium sp. 21-6% ND ND ND
Penicillium ND 155-48% 488-68% 42-26%
Penicillium oxalicum 71-20% ND ND ND
Phoma ND 7-2% ND ND
Sporobolomyces ND 7-2% 92-13% 42-26%
sterile fungi 49-I ~.% ND 21-3% ND
Ulocladium chartarum ND ND %<1% ND
yeasts ND 21-7% 7-<1% ND
CFU/M3 = Colony Forming Units per Cubic Meter of Air
ND = Not Detected
3-i0
TABLE 5
SAMPLE RESULTS
FOR
AIRBORI~ BACTERIA
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUILDING
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
AUGUST 18, 1998
Identified
Genus/$1~ies
Samlole Number and Results 1ov Location (CFU/M3 & %)
Outside Interior Office Break
Disposal area Room
~007 /~02 #004 gO06
Actinomycetes 113-11% 177-7% 49-7% 99-5%
Bacillus 424% 57~2% 85-12% 35-2%
gram negative bacteria & others 862-85% 2254-91% 537-75% 1675-93%
Micrococcus luteus ND ND %<1% ND
Staphylococcus ND ND 35- 5% ND
CFU/M3 = Colony Forming Units per Cubic Meter of Air
ND = Not Detected
3-11
TABLE 6
SAMPLE RESULTS
FOR
AIRBORNE FUNGI
SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BUILDING
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
AUGUST 18, 1998
Identified
Genus/SPeCUes
Sample Number and Results by Location (CFU~3 & %)
Outside In~rior Office Break
Disposal area Room
g008 ~001 g003 /1005
A lternaria 49-3% 14-1% ND ND
Aspergillus ND ND ND 7-<1%
Aspergillus fumigatus ND ND 28-5% ND
Aspergdlusflarus ND ND ND 21-2%
A spergillus niger 21 - 1% ND 57-10% 134-10%
Aureobas~dium pullulans ND 14-1% 14-2% 7-<1%
Cladosporium 961-53% 629-58% 155-26% 721-56%
Cylindrocarpon 14-< 1% ND ND ND
Mucor ND 7-<1% ND ND
Nigrospora 7-< 1% ND ND ND
P aecilomyces lilacinus 7 -< 1% ND ND ND
Paecilomyces variotii ND ND %1% ND
Peniclllium 219-12% ND 191-32% 360-28%
Phoma ND 7-<1% ND ND
Rhizopus stolomfer ND ND %1% %<1%
Rhodotorula ND 64-6% ND ND
Sporobolomyces 261-14% ND ND 28-2%
sterile fungi 14-<1% ND 214% ND
Trichoderma polysporum ND %< 1% ND ND
yeasts 254-14% 346-32% 113-19% ND
CFU/M3 = Colony Forming Units per Cubic Meter of Air
ND = Not D~ected
3-12
TABLE 7
SAMPLE RESULTS
FOR
AIRBORNE BACTERIA
HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER
AND
BLANK
TOWN OF SoIJrHOLD
AUGUST 18, 1998
Identified
Genus/SpeCxes
Saml>le Number and Results by Location (CFU/M3 & %)
Outside Office Blank
(K. Mc, Laughlin)
g019 g017 g021
Actinomycetes ND 7-3% ND
Bacillus 28-17% 35-16% ND
gram negative bacteria & others 134-83% 163-72% ND
19[icrococcus luteus ND 7-3% ND
Staphylococcus ND 14-6% ND
CFU/M3 = Colony Fomaing Units per Cubic Meter of Air
ND -- Not DeU~xl
3-13
TABLE 8
SAMPLE RESULTS
FOR
AIRBORNE FUNGI
HUMAN RESOURCES CENTER
AND
BLANK
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
AUGUST 18, 1998
Identified
Genus/Species
Sample Number and Results by Location (CFU/M3 & %)
Outside Office Blank
(K. McLaughlln)
~020 #018 ~022
Acremonium 7-<1% 28-8% ND
Alternaria 28-3% 35-9% ND
Cladasporium 926-89% 226-60% ND
Cylindrocarpon ND 14-4% ND
Penicillium oxaliaum 7-< 1% ND ND
Penicillum sp. 35-3% ND ND
Phoma ND 7-2% ND
Rhodotorula ND %2% ND
sterile fungi 7-< 1% 35-9% ND
yeasts 35-3% 21-6% ND
CFU/M3 = Colony Formln§ umts per Cubic Me~r of Air
ND = Not Detected
3-14
4.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOIVIMENDATIONS
Undemanding that this is a preliminary survey and not an in-depth study of any particular problem, the
following "conclusions" are indicated by the data developed. A more m-depth investigation may arrive at
differing conclusions and may find problems of greater or lessor concern tt~n identified here.
i-An increase in the volume of heating and ventilating make-up air for the Solid Wast~ District
Ottlce and the occupied sections of the Town Haft could subsumfially reduce the build up of
car~on dioxide and the potential for other unsampled gases m these facilities.
2-Mainminin§ relative humidity at or below 50% should discouxage the growth of some of the
fungi observed on a number of samples from the Town Hall and the Solid Waste District
building. (NOTE: For i~ms I & 2; an HVAC engineer should be consulted to obtain the
optimum performance from the existing systems and/or recommendations for new systems.)
3-The fuagi sampling from the Building Assessors area indicaU.'s this portion of the building may
be experieacing moisture intrusion resulting in wood rot. Small visible coloules of glowth were
observed in/on or near the air chiller unit in the Assessor's office and may also explain the
sample. This umt should be adequately cleaned and other uaits in the Town Hall examined and
cleaned as necessary. Further investigation of the building structure could identify, the extent of
damage, ffany.
4-The various species of Asporgillns observed at low levels on the samples from the Solid Waste
District Office and Break Room should be fully surveyed to determine the ~xtent of adverse
conditions, ffany, and recommendations for cleaning or remediation. Consumption of food in
the Break Room is not recommended until the potential for Asp. flavns have been eliminated.
5-Results of this survey should be shared with the affected employees.
4-1
APPENI)ICt~S
APPENDIX A
P & K MICROBIOLOGY SERVICES, INC.
P & K Microbiology Services, Inc. Tel: 609-427-4044
The Environmental Microbiology Specialists ~ Fare 609-427-0232
1950 Old Cuthbert Road Unit L, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034
September 1, 1998
Mr. Peter Archbold
PERMA
3 Winner Circle
Albany, NY 12212-2250
Dear Mr. Archbold:
A~ached are an invoice and a report of Andersen air samples taken and submitted by
your office for microbiological analysis. Please refer to the P&K literature sent to your
office earlier for more info~ation on fungi and bacteria identified.
P&K Report No.: 082098-13 (your project ID: S. Hold)
Airborne fungal levels ranging from 163 to 1,809 C~U/m3 and bacterial levels from
to 2,488 CFU/m3 were detected in Andersen samples. Indoor fungal levels were
generally lower than that of outdoors. Cladosporiu~, common outdoors, was the major
fungus detected in these samples. Gram negative bacteria (mostly environmental) were
the major type of bacteria detected in TSA samples.:Both blanks were clean.
If you have any question regarding the report, please call this office at 609-427-4044.
Sincerely,
Stella M. Tsai
QA/QC Manager
.'P & K Microbiology Services, Inc. Tel.' S0 2 -4044
Fax: 609-427-0232
The Environmental Microbiology Specialists
1950 Old Cuthbert Road Unit L, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034
Client: PER~ Albany, NY
Project ID: S. Hold
Dam sampled: August 18, 1998
Dam of inoculation: August 18, 1998
Samples submitted By: Peter Archbold
Date chantct~rization completed: August 27, 1998
P&K R.~on No.: 082098-13
Air (Andersen) Samples
Sample ID Air vol
(L)
Medium Dilution
uscd factor
001 141.5 MEA NA
002 141.5
003 141.5
TSA NA
MEA NA
004 141.5 TSA NA
Fungal / Bact~al ID
Fungi
Altemaria
Aur~obasidium pullulans
Cladosporium
Mucor
Phoma
Rhodotomla
Trichoderma polysporum
yeasts
Bacteria
Actinomycetes
Bacillus
gram negative bacteria and others
· Fungi
Aspergillus fumigams
Aapergillus niger
Aureobasidium pullulans
Cladoagorium
Paecilomycas variotii
P~nicillium
Rhizopus stolonifer
sterile fungi
yeasts
Bacteria
Actinomyc~tes
Bacillus
gram negative bacteria and others
Micrococcus luteus
Staphylococcu~
Colby
2
21
89
9
1
49
8
319
4
8
2
27
3
16
7
12
76
1
5
(CFU / m3) (%)
14[ 1
14[ I
629! 58
7 <1
7 <I
64 6
7 <I
3461 32
Total: 1,088]
177! 7
57[ 2
2,2541 91
Total: 2,488I
28] 5
57 10
14 2
1551 26
7 I
191 32
7 1
21 4
113 19
Total: 594
49 7
85 12
537 75
7 <I
35 5
Total: 714
P & K Microbiology Services, Inc.
Ak (Ande~en)
Sample ID Air vol Medium Dilution ,
(L) used f~:tor
005 141.5 MEA NA
006 141.5 TSA NA
007 141.5 'ISA
NA
00g 141.5 MEA NA
009 141.5 TSA NA
010 141.5 MEA NA
Fungal / Bacterial ID
P&K Report No.: 082098-13 Page 2
counts (CFU / m3) (%)
Fungi
Aspergillus 1
Asperg~llus flavus 3
Aspergillus niger 19
Aureobasidium pullulans I
Cladospor/um 102
Penicillium 51
Rhizopus stolonifer 1
Sporobolomyces 4
15act~ria
Actinomycetes 14
Bacillus 5
gram negative bacteria and others 237
Bacteria
Actinomycetes 16
Bacillus 6
gram negative bacteria and others 122
Fungi
Altemaria 7
Aspergillus roger 3
Cladosporium 136
Cylindrocarpan 2
Nigruspora l
Paecilomyces lilacinus 1
Penicillium 3 l
Sporobolomycas 37
sterile fungi 2
yeasts 36
Bacillus 3
gram negative bacteria and others 63
Micmcoccus 3
Staphylecoccus 10
Fungi
Aspergillus versicolor 3
Cladosporium 16
Penicillium 22
Phoma 1
Sporobolornycas 1
yeasts 3
7 <1
21 2
134 10
7 <I
721 56
360 28
7 <1
28 2
Total: 1,286
991 5
35[ 2
1,675[ 93
Total: 1,809!
421 4
862 85
Total: 1 018[
49 3
21 1
961 53
I4 < I
7 <I
7 <1
219 12
261 14
14 <1
254 14
Total: 1,809[
21 4
445 80
21 4
71 13
Total: 558
21 7
113 35
155 48
2
2 7
Total: 325[
P & K Microbiology Services, Inc.
Air (An~) Samples
Sample ID Air vol Medium
(L) used
011 141.5 TSA
012 141.5 MEA
013
141.5 TSA
014 141.5 MEA
015
141.5 TSA
016 141.5 MEA
Dilution
NA
Fungal / Bacterial ID
Bacteria
Bacillus
gram negative bacteria and others
Staphylococcus
NA Aspergillus versicolor
Cladosporium
P~nicillium
Spombolomyces
sterile fungi
U]o¢ladium chartarum
Bacteria
NA Actinomycetes
Bacillus
gram negative bacteria and others
Microanccus
Staphylococcus
Fungi
NA Basidiomycetes
Cladosporium
Penicillium
Sporobolomyces
.Bacteria
NA Actinomycetes
Bacillus
gram negative bacteria and others
Micrococcus
Staphylococcus
Fungi
NA Altemaria
Cladosponum
Cylindrocarpon
Penicillium oxalicu~n
Panicillium sp.
sterile fungi
017 141.5 TSA NA
Bacteria
Actinomycetes
Bacillus
gram negative bacteria and others
Mierocoeeus luteus
Staphylococcus
P&K Report No.: 082098-13 Page 3
¢oun~ (CI~U / rn3) I (%)
I 7 2
39 276 87
5 35 11
To~1:318
5 35 5
9 64 9
69 488 68
13 92 13
3 21 3
I 7 <I
I 7 <I
Total: 7141
1 71 6
11 781 69
2 I4 13
I 7 6
Total: 113
8 57 35
3 21 13
6 42 26
6 42 26
Toml:163
2 14! 6
22 69
3 2~[ 9
2 141 6
3 21 6
27 191 53
I 7 2
10 71 20
3 21 6
7 49 14
Tomt: 360
I 7 3
5 35 16
23 163 72
I 7 3
2 14 6
To~1:226
P & K Microbiology Services, Inc.
P&K Report No.: 082098-13 Page 4
Air (And~sen) San~les
Saraple ID Air vol Medium Dilution
(L) tt~ed factor
018 141.5 MEA NA
019 141.5 TSA NA
020 141.5 MEA NA
Fungal / Bact~ria.l ID
Aer~monium
Altemaria
Cl~losporium
Cylindroea~on
Phorna
Rhodotorula
steffie ~ng~
yeats
Bacteria
Bacillus
gram negative bacter/a and others
Fungi
Acremonium
Alternaria
~Cladosporium
]Penicillium o×alicum
Penicillium sp.
sterile fungi
yeasts
Colony Conc. ** Pereentsg~'
counts (CFU / m3) (%)
4 281 8
5 351 9
32 226! 60
2 14~ 4
I 2
5 351 9
3 21[ 6
Total: 3751
4 281 17
19 134 83
Total: 1631
I 7} < I
4 28i 3
131 9261 89
I 71 ~ 1
5 351 3
1 Z <I
5 3.' 3
Total: 1,04¢
Fungi
MEA Blank NA MEA NA BLANK NA
[~ Bacteria
TSA Blank NA TSA NA ]BLANK NA
NA
NA
Characterization completed by:
Quality control checked by:
* Pementage of each group of fungi / bacteria in total population.
** Concentration is (CFU/Sample) if sample amount is NA.
Media ~peS: Celhilo~e agar (CA), Czapok cellulose agar (CCA), cornmeal agar (CMA), 2% malt extract agar (MEA), 2% malt extract agar plus 20%
sucros~ (MF..A+S), inhibitory mold agar (LMA), pseudomon$.s isolat~on agar (PLA), rose bengal agar (RBA), tryptic soy agar (TSA), nutrient agar
(NRA), Staphylococcus Medium 110 (Staphy).
Chin S. Yang, Ph.D., Microbiologist
TOWN CO .MPTROLLER
John A. Cushman
CENTRAL DATA PROCESSING
John Sepenoski
53095 Main Road
P.O. Box 1179
Southold, New York 11971-0959
ACCOUNTING & FINANCE DEPT.
Telephone (516) 765 -4333
E-maih accounting@southold.org
CENTRAL DATA PROCESSING
Telephone (516) 765-1891
E-mail: dataprocessing~southold.org
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD ~'~' .
Fax (516) 765-1366
To: Town Hall Department Heads
From: John Cushman
Date: December 1, 1998
Re: HV^C Systems in Town Hall
t have received a proposal to study the Town Hall heating, ventilation and air conditioning
system (HVAC) in order to make a recommendation for improvement of same, along with
interim suggestions to correct the indoor air quality.
One suggestion regarding indoor air quality, particularly in first floor offices, is to open windows
when there are complaints of stuffiness and when levels of CO2 are contemplated. Open
windows will increase energy costs, so please use your best judgment in keeping windows
open.
With regard to the air quality in the basement offices, I have asked Ray Jacobs to relocate the
sanitary vent so the outside air intakes on the present HVAC system can be opened up to
increase the fresh air coming in to the basement offices.
I will keep you up to date on our HVAC improvement efforts at Department Head meetings.
cc: Town Board
Ray Jacobs