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Health Effects of Inhaled Materials & Indoor Air Quality Assessment PART 1
Jason Yost • November 1, 2023
Health Effects of Inhaled Materials & the Indoor Air Quality Assessment PART 1
There are many classifications of airborne hazardous materials. For purposes of our discussion of health effects of inhaled materials, we will use the following terms and classifications:
- Particulate Matter (PM) or particles (e.g., solid particles like fibrous particles, insect fragments, pollen, mold spores, asbestos, etc.)
- Mists (are airborne droplets from an operation or process involving liquids, like sprays, coolants, cutting fluids, paints, solvents, pesticides, etc.)
- Gases (the most familiar of airborne contaminants, including but not limited to nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, acetylene, chlorine, hydrogen fluoride, sulfur dioxide, etc.)
- Vapors (the gaseous phase of liquids, including but not limited to ethanol, acetone, styrene, etc.)
- Fumes (metals that are heated to the point where they become a vapor or gas, for example during welding and torch cutting)
Perhaps you’re familiar with some of these, like pollen and mold spores, and, using pollen as an example, you think of it as an allergen (i.e., an agent that triggers allergic responses in some people) – nothing more, nothing less. Well, in some indoor environmental conditions you may be correct, but in others you may not be. In most indoor environmental conditions, airborne materials interact with each other before occupants are exposed to them; for example, a dry particle may absorb other airborne materials before we inhale them. And, in some cases, this interaction may change how one’s body responds to the exposure of inhaling that dose-particle. To take this further: The size of the particle will impact its position to cause a biological response in those inhaling it; as does the dose of such particulate matter inhaled, the biological system’s sensitivity to the type of inhaled material at the dose exposed, and other factors. The same can be said of any inhaled material, not just particles.
Why is this important? Well, that depends on who you are:
- If you’re someone who is experiencing symptoms within a given building (e.g., your workplace or home but no where else), you’ll want to have an Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) assessment that takes into consideration the building’s unique features, conditions, usages, integrity, ventilation system(s), etc. so specificity may be provided in relation to (1) what’s causing your symptoms, (2) where is this cause located, (3) has it impacted other locations in the building, (4) how are you being exposed, (5) what should be done about it, and other important considerations.
- If you’re a worker, who may be exposed to hazardous substances in the course of work, you’ll want to have a full health, safety, and risk assessment performed, so site-specific, proper plans and procedures may be developed to perform work efficiently, effectively, and safely – for you and those around your work area.
- If you’re a patient or litigant, suffering with an illness, with a need to develop a clear understanding of potential site-exposure to a given environmental stressor, you’ll need an IEQ assessment that defines many of the things I outlined in bullet one as well as (1) the potential routes of exposure associated with observed hazards and the person in question, (2) behavioral analysis of the site being assessed, (3) relationships between the previously outlined, and other important factors.
- If you’re someone who needs (or thinks you need) remediation (e.g., fire-damage or mold remediation) in your home or office, you want an assessment that clearly defines the presence, extent, and behavior of the hazards in question (e.g., char, soot, ash, mold, etc.) and the portion(s) of the building requiring remediation. You’ll need this assessment to be specific and complete, so the assessor – not the remediator – can generate a corrective action plan (i.e., protocol for remediation) that justifies work being performed, provides for you and others within the building safety and health, and other important factors.
You should note that in none of these examples is air sampling the solution. While air sampling may be a component of an IEQ/health, safety, and risk assessment, it is just one component – one that is utilized for a single purpose, a purpose that should be clearly defined during the assessment. You should, also, note that such assessments require the assessor is competent in the relationship of the environmental stressors, like those inhaled materials we classified above, and other factors to provide you with the specifications you require to safely respond to your needs. When the assessor (or other acting agent) acts at a limited capacity (e.g., air sampling only or mold assessment only when concerns require more) or incapacity (e.g., the assessor lacks the authorization, the education, and/or the material resources to perform such assessments), liabilities (on most if not all material interested parties) are usually present.
This is why choosing the right Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), IEQ, health, safety and risk assessor is so important. In a future blog, I’ll highlight some of the effects of inhaled materials and how the industrial hygiene industry is working to help assessors provide good service to those in need. In the meantime, if you have an IAQ, IEQ, health and safety concern, contact Gulf Coast Center for Indoor Air Quality Services LLC, and let’s discuss how we can serve you.
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