INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SURVEY Civil Service Employees Association Region 4 Office 1 Lear Jet Lane Latham, NY 12110

Report for: Kathy Cahalan, CSEA Director of Human Resources Christine Frankovic, CSEA UUE-NY Prepared by: John Van Raalte, MS, CIH Director of Industrial Hygiene Services Survey Date: March 23, 2010 Report Date: April 14, 2010
INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SURVEY

CSEA Region 4, Latham NY March 23, 2010

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CSEA Region 4 1 Lear Jet Lane Latham NY 12110

CONTENTS 1. Summary/Recommendations............................................................Page 2 2. Background........................................................................................Page 10 3. Observations...................................................................................Page 10 4. Discussion........................................................................................Page 10 Table 1, IAQ Meter results................................................................Page 14 5. References.......................................................................................Page 15

Inspection date: Report date:

3/23/10 4/14/10

Participants: Christine Frankovic, CSEA UUE; Diane Sheldon, CSEA Region 4 Office Manager; Barbara Collen, CSEA; Tim Stevens Jr, The Beltrone Group; Dave Stevens, Beltrone; Peter Gerkman Jr, Tougher Industries, Service Manager; John Van Raalte, Director of Industrial Hygiene Services, OEHC, CIH certificate #5067 expiring 6/13. 1. SUMMARY/RECOMMENDATIONS

CSEA and the house staff union jointly hired John Van Raalte, CIH, of the Occupational and Environmental Health Center of Eastern New York (OEHC) to survey indoor environmental quality in the CSEA Region 4 Office in Latham, NY. This was a general survey of the site, there had been few specific concerns, except for one location in the field office and one in the Health Benefits area. This survey was carried out with a walk-around inspection of areas of concern, discussions with affected employees, and monitoring with a portable four-channel indoor air quality meter, which measures temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. See Table 1 for IAQ results, which indicated adequate ventilation on the day of the survey, and no carbon monoxide, a toxic product of combustion.

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Occupants in two office spaces voiced health concerns. On the field office (north) side, a wet ceiling tile was noted, the source of the small leak was presumed to be condensation or a seal in the roof above. This leak must be repaired and the damp ceiling tile replaced. In addition, this office was more dusty than others, and also had more clutter. A deep cleaning, involving the moving and HEPA vacuuming of all contents in the room, will help reduce dust levels in the space. Normal dust contains numerous allergenic constituents such as dust mite allergen, pollen, fungal spores, and others. Benefits of the personal HEPA air cleaner may be increased by insuring the filtered (exhaust) air is directed towards the breathing zone. Normal mechanical air ventilation will otherwise overwhelm any benefits these smaller personal units can provide. On the Health Benefits side of the floor, employee had sporadic symptoms including cough and wheezing which apparently went away relatively quickly. Causes for these types of sick building syndrome symptoms can be very difficult to pinpoint. These symptoms can be allergic or irritant in nature, and both can be caused by numerous airborne contaminants. In general, good ventilation, good filtration of the air, good custodial care, and preventing leaks should protect air quality. There was not likely a chemical source for this concern, given the lack of chemical use on the Health Benefits side. The private office space used by this employee was quite clean, but HEPA vacuuming rather than regular vacuuming will help remove finer, more health related particles which accumulate naturally in interior spaces. A personal HEPA air cleaner may also help in removing fine particulate from the office air.

1.

Ventilation

Ventilation levels and HVAC maintenance appeared good and outdoor air ventilation levels indicated proper operation of the system. Carbon dioxide levels monitored in the office indicated good fresh air ventilation and with the exception of the copier room, there was no significant source of air contaminants due to chemicals. Occupants voiced no odor complaints and no odors were noted. Low occupancy in general and good custodial care helps to prevent air contamination.

2. Custodial care and maintenance Custodial care was very good and the offices are clean and in good condition. One small

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moisture leak in an office where there were symptoms reported should be fixed as soon as possible. In most areas of the building, cleanliness levels were very good, and dust and dirt were not a problem. Stairwells and hallways were clean, and the occupied spaces, floors, ceilings, and ventilation grilles and diffusers were all clean. No water damage was noted with the exception above and the roof and exterior walls and windows were in good condition. There were no odors noted, and no significant use of chemical products, except for the copying supplies for the Canon 7200 unit. 3. Response to health concerns Employees should always consult licensed medical providers for diagnosis and treatment of occupational health concerns. In most cases, family physicians will not be expert in the symptoms and effects of industrial and environmental chemicals. Pulmonologists and ear, nose, throat physicians, allergists, and occupational and environmental physicians may all have a role in diagnosing and treating typical indoor environmental symptoms, not all of which may be due to the occupational environment. For instance, employees very allergic to cat dander may not have cats at home, but co- workers with cats may inevitably expose the workers to these allergens, even though they are at very low levels in the typical office building. Finding the cause of symptoms, especially in the case of allergens, can be especially helpful. In some cases though, such as sinus infections, there is no well understood cause for the problem. Keeping the building clean, dry, and well ventilated will almost always prevent sick building syndrome symptoms. 4. Temperature and Relative humidity No problems were noted in the Regional Office and there were no concerns about comfort due to temperature and humidity.

2. BACKGROUND The CSEA Regional Office is located on the 2nd floor of a suburban commercial structure owned by CSEA. It was built in 1993, but is managed by The Beltrone Group and Tougher Industries is the HVAC contractor. The Regional office is on the 2nd floor and contains approximately 30,000 square feet, and 45 employees. The 1st floor is leased space. There are several major roads nearby but no significant industrial pollution sources in the area. The occupants are entirely office workers in cubicle and small private office arrangements. There are 8 roof mounted Carrier Weathermaker air handling units with economizer settings of up to 100% fresh air intake, and a minimum of 10% fresh air intake, with 50 separate heating and cooling zones. Heat is supplied by natural gas/hot air, and filters are serviced quarterly, and are 50% efficient.

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Condensers are cleaned once a year.

3. OBSERVATIONS The roof was surveyed for water problems, cleanliness, and the location and condition of ventilating units. The roof was clean and no problems were noted. Apparently at least one of the air handling units has been replaced due to age. Bathrooms and hallways were in good condition and did not have strong odors from custodial products. Reports of indoor air parameters at specific locations are in Table 1. Other specific observations and concerns reported are as follows: Regional officeLibrary- clean, has continuous fan operation Lunch room- microwave and stove, no odor complaints, no concerns Back hallway, stairwell- clean, well lit, well ventilated Regional Director office- Carpeted, clean, no one in office Hallway- north side- well ventilated at low occupancy, clean Other offices- Clean, neat, well ventilated Copier room- slight odor, warmer, but no complaints, spacious, no employees assigned to area Reception- most occupants in office, but well ventilated, clean, spacious

Health Benefits AreaAll offices visibly clean, well ventilated, no odors. Very low occupancy. Only area of concern discussed above. 1 overwatered plant in area with water damage underneath- likely source of microbiological growth

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4. DISCUSSION Findings and recommendations are listed above. In general, the building and the HVAC system are in good condition. There were few concerns and both ventilation and cleanliness were good. In the one room where there was a ventilation concern, a deep cleaning, including the plenum space, may reduce dust levels and help reduce symptoms. One water damaged area noted was due to overwatering of indoor plants, this source of microbiological growth can be controlled with larger saucers and care when watering. Carbon dioxide as an indicator of building air quality Carbon dioxide (CO2) may be used as a marker of fresh air supplied to occupied spaces, because it is generated by people and easily measured at low levels. CO2 itself is not toxic at the levels of concern in indoor air, but if it is building up, thousands of other indoor air chemicals generated by people, furnishings, office equipment, art supplies, maintenance products, etc. may also be building up. These chemicals include solvents such as alcohols and styrene, toluene, and benzene, formaldehyde, sulfides, and dust particles. A lack of adequate ventilation as reflected by carbon dioxide results would also exacerbate bioaerosol levels, since dilution ventilation will help to reduce the levels of suspended fine particles such as fungal spores and bacteria. High levels may also indicate adequate ventilation, but poor air distribution in the space. As a guideline, with full occupancy at steady state, CO2 levels should not exceed 700 parts per million (ppm) plus outdoors ppm level. This level is typically about 1100 parts per million. Insuring an adequate air supply of 20 cubic feet per minute per person occupying the space will generally insure that CO2 levels will remain below this amount, if the air is properly distributed. 20 cubic feet of air per person per minute is the ANSI/ASHRAE 62-2007 standard for office ventilation. Ideally, CO2 levels should be as close to outdoor levels as possible. This was in fact the case in the building, where no readings were above 760 ppm, and most were well below this level. Temperature control. Temperature control was not a concern mentioned during the survey. Good quality thermometers should be used to log the temperature where there are concerns. The thermometer must be read correctly if analog (exactly perpendicular to the top of the indicator column) and it must be given enough time (20-30 minutes) to stabilize at room temperature. Temperatures should be logged, and if outside the range recommended by the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers standard ANSI/ASHRAE 55-2004, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, the thermostat can be reset or other changes attempted. The recommended range of temperature during the heating season is 68-74 degrees F., and 73-78 degrees F. during the summer. Clothing should be appropriate for the season. If the standard is followed, 80% of occupants will be satisfied. Temperature control is more difficult in spring and

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fall when colder night temperatures may be followed by warm daytime temperatures, since the control systems have significant time lag before being able to deliver cooler or warmer conditions. Relative Humidity Relative humidity is important for several reasons. Expressed in percent, it will vary dramatically relative to the temperature. The levels will always track outdoor conditions unless equipment is used to change humidity levels. This is the case in offices, homes, vehicles, and outdoors. To prevent fungal growth, relative humidity should be kept below 60-70%. This is generally a problem in the summer; only dehumidifiers or air conditioning can remove humidity from the air. In winter, relative humidity can be high if the building temperature is reduced dramatically, such as during vacations when energy is saved. This can permit fungal growth and odors after vacations and weekends. High humidity was not a problem in the building and no fungal growth was noted. Low indoor humidity during winter conditions would be expected due to the heating of cooler, drier outdoor air. In the winter, relative humidity remains low, in the range of 20-30%, or very low, on the order of 10%, if the air is very clear and cold. Humidity levels below 30% can cause several symptoms in sensitive persons, including nasal irritation, eye irritation, and sinus symptoms, skin symptoms such as rashes and itching, and irritated throats and voices. Infections can occur if skin in the respiratory tract is compromised and irritated. Nosebleeds can also happen.

TABLE 1. Carbon dioxide measurements, March 23, 2010. Readings taken with a TSI Model 8551 nondispersive infrared direct reading carbon dioxide meter. Serial #51706. No carbon monoxide was detected indoors.

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Location

Outside background, parking lot Lunch room Library Hallway, north side Charles B office Copier area Reception 2nd floor foyer Health Benefits, hallway entry HB- Tim HB- Liz

Carbon Dioxide level, parts per million 390

Temperature, degrees F. 42

Relative Humidity, % 66

Comments

10:45AM

730 470 490 760 533 600 550 740 730 595

67

37

71.6 73 73 74 73 74 74

33 30 30 29 30 29 29

9AM No occupants Low occupancy in area 4 visitors, door open No odors 9 people in area South side, 10AM

cc:

OEHC files, CSEA Region 4 IEQ 2010

5. REFERENCES

1. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62-2007, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc., Atlanta, GA, 2007.

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2. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55-2004, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA, 2004. 3. Building Air Quality, A guide for building owners and facility managers, U.S. EPA, NIOSH Publication No. 91-114, 1991. 4. Office Equipment: Design Indoor Air Emissions, and Pollution Prevention Opportunities, Robert Hetes and Mary Moore, Research Triangle Institute, March 1995, EPA. 5. Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings, U. S. EPA, March 2001, available in full text on the web at www.epa.gov.