The easiest way to check if your house is encapsulating gases is to monitor the carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels. This one gas is used as a marker for air quality, is the easiest to monitor, and provides a more accurate air quality reading.

It is a good trend indicator because it changes in measurable amounts as the air quality gets worse. All other gasses in the house follow the same trend as the CO₂. Most commercial air quality controls are based on CO₂ levels.

It is the easiest to monitor simply because as the air quality gets worse, the levels increase. Outside air has an average of 350 – 450 ppm of CO₂. Inside, the levels raise to values of 550 – 700 ppm. In office buildings, the HVAC systems will keep the levels below 800 ppm.

Monitoring the CO₂ levels is relatively inexpensive and more accurate compared to monitoring any of the other gases that are in your home such as carbon monoxide (CO) and TVOC. It is more accurate in that it does not change based on individual problems.

CO Monitors

CO monitors are commonly sold at the local hardware store. The problem with CO monitors is that it always reads 0 ppm. This reading does not mean that you are safe because it is only looking for the CO gas that is produced by cars and things that are burning. The reason CO monitors are so common is that a large part of the world uses natural gas to cook their food and if this gas is not burned correctly it can produce CO. This monitor does not tell you what your air quality is. It is used for a specific purpose which is to detect CO.

TVOC Monitors

TVOC monitors are expensive and can cost thousands of dollars. You would think you are safe because it always reads less than 0.04 ppm. If you just purchased a new desk that is manufactured in a country that is not regulated, you will see an increase in your TVOC values but how do you know which type of VOC it is? Within a week or two, the levels will then return to values of about 0.05 ppm. This may take several months to a couple of years for the VOCs to stop off gassing from the desk and return to less than 0.04 ppm. It’s impossible to say the increase or decrease was due to formaldehyde or hydrogen sulphide. It’s also impossible to identify what combination of VOC made up the TVOC reading.

CO₂ Monitors

CO2 monitor is like a smoke detector and looks at the general problem. If a smoke detector only went off if the fire was caused by burning macaroni and cheese it may save your life but the odds are lower than if it detects all the source of fire. The CO₂ monitor does not detect all the source of poor air quality but it tells you if you are in a location that has poor air quality or even bad air quality and this means the levels of all the gases that can have effects on your quality of life are higher.

Written by: Richard Grant, Service Department Supervisor

Every where we turn people are conserving and reducing in order to save money and our homes are no exception.

Every day there is new methods and products that are introduced to the market for you to save on your energy bill. In the short term, these newly introduced products stop your house from losing heat. What you may not know is that, in the long term, these same products are causing you to keep all the chemicals that are being off gassed inside with you. This is no different than a gas chamber. The most common off gassed chemical is formaldehyde. It is a common indoor air pollutant and can be toxic, allergenic, and carcinogenic. Unlike a cereal box, the common everyday items, such as furniture, clothes, cosmetics, toys, building materials, etc., do not come with a complete list of ingredients or wares.

If an older home has not been looked at from an overall air treatment stand point, the owner could be encapsulating himself in an unhealthy environment. Here are some examples:

• The CO₂ levels could be getting to over 1,000 ppm with three or four people living in the same air for 10-12 hours with little or no air exchange.
• That new desk in the basement office could be off gassing formaldehyde.
• The cleaners used on the kitchen floor every week for months at a time could be emitting any type of VOC.
• The humidity levels being raised from cooking could encourage off gassing.
• Harmful adhesives used in producing insulations could be hiding in your walls and releasing formaldehyde gas.
• The new coat of paint could be off gassing beneze, a VOC that causes carcinogen.

Only 188 air toxins out of 80,000 chemicals are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and have been tested for harmful effects. In other words, only 2% of the chemicals are being identified and possibly regulated. Not only are these substances a problem but the bio-accumulation lingers and can be deadly.

What should you look for in a new home?

For a well designed, new house built for high efficiency and maximum energy conservation, there are four things to look for:

1. It should have a 95% efficient furnace or better yet, a heat exchange system (heat pump) for heating.
2. The walls and attic should meet the R-2000 standard rating. This is a voluntary standard that is certified by the Government of Canada to exceed building code requirements for energy efficiency, indoor air quality (IAQ), and environmental responsibility.
3. All the windows and doors are double or triple glazed and has high R-value rating when closed. This value determines the effectiveness of the insulation.
4. It has an air handler that exchanges the internal for external air at a defined rate using a heat recovery unit to reduce the loss of energy.

What should you do to your current home?

For an older, well maintained house, there are three things that you can do to save on your energy bill:

1. When remodeling, add extra insulation into the wall but make sure that the insulation does not contain formaldehyde.
2. Add insulation into the attic and seal off the attic entrance.
3. Install new double or triple glazed windows as well as new doors with air tight seals.
4. Place plants in the home. Plants are known to purify the air and remove 99.9% of toxins.

Written by: Richard Grant, Service Department Supervisor

Critical Environment Technologies Canada Inc. (CETCI) is a known industry leader and innovator for the indoor air quality (IAQ) market. Their two best selling portable IAQ instruments are the YESAIR and YES Plus LGA.

Both IAQ instruments are portable, multi-channel monitors featuring thirty different internal plug and play sensors to select from and a remote particulate sensor that simultaneously monitors within a single, easy to carry instrument. CETCI’s plug & play sensor options are the widest selection on the market and include electrochemical (carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, ammonia, chlorine dioxide, formaldehyde, arsine, fluorine, hydrazine, phosphine, silane, and many more), catalytic (combustible gases), infrared (CO2 or combustible gases), and PID (TVOC). Users can set one alarm level for each gas to activate the internal audible alarm. Both instruments have a built-in SD flash card for data logging and an internal sample pump for “active sampling”. The LCD display, on both, indicates each sensor type installed, measured values for each gas, battery status, and more.

YESAIR has been on the market since 2006. Even today, it still offers more features, flexibility and functionality than any other instrument on the market. YESAIR is CE certified and has a seven-sensor capacity with up to five internal plug & play sensors, a fixed temperature sensor, and a fixed relative humidity (RH) sensor. The LCD displays all the installed sensors simultaneously and can operate 12-14 hours with a NiMH battery pack or continuously with a wall adapter. The instrument is enclosed in a rugged ABS/polycarbonate enclosure and can either be a handheld, stand on a flat surface, or fastened to a wall for permanent or semi-permanent use. With only three tactile push buttons makes the YESAIR simple to use. Optional features include internet and network accessible.

YES Plus LGA was recently introduced to the market earlier this year as an upgrade from the original YES Plus. This single solution, multi-sensor IAQ and landfill surface gas emissions monitor is pending CE certifications. It features four tactile push buttons for easy use and a fifteen sensor capacity with up to twelve internal plug & play sensors, a fixed temperature sensor, a RH sensor, and a remote sensor. The LCD displays up to six installed sensors at one time and scrolls to display more. It can operate 18-24 hours with a NiMH battery pack or continuously with a wall adapter. YES Plus LGA is housed in a rugged ABS enclosure and has an aluminum swivel handle that acts as a handheld or stand support.

The Landfill Gas Analyzer (LGA) version has an optional plug-in GPS and Bluetooth module and a firmware version that’s suitable for landfill surveys to communicate to pocket PDAs. The internal sample pump has an automatic flow control that ensures 1-LPM flow rate even with resistance. This version will be available later this fall.

CETCI will continue to develop and expand their portable IAQ product line to meet the needs of the market. For more information on the entire range of IAQ instruments and gas detection systems, please visit www.critical-environment.com.

 
 
How can you improve the IAQ around you?
 
Now that you have an understanding about the air that you’re breathing, you can take can control and improve your IAQ.
 
Here are some preventatives that you can do to minimize your health risk:

 
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REFERENCES:

Aerias. “VOCs: A Major Contributor to Indoor Pollution”. Retrieved June 8, 2010 from http://www.aerias.org/DesktopModules/ArticleDetail.aspx?articleId=131.

Berglund, et al. (1997). “Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) in Indoor Air quality Investigations”. Retrieved June 8, 2010 from http://www.inive.org/medias/ECA/ECA_Report19.pdf.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). “NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards”. Retrieved June 8, 2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/default.html.

Environment Canada. (2010). “Clean Air Online”. Retrieved June 7, 2010 from http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/Home-WS8C3F7D55-1_En.htm.

Gilbert, Nicolas. (2005). “Proposed residential indoor air quality guidelines for formaldehyde”. Retrieved June 3, 2010 from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/alt_formats/hecs-sesc/pdf/pubs/air/formaldehyde/in-formaldehyde-eng.pdf.

Health Canada. (2006). “Residential Indoor Air Quality Guideline: Formaldehyde”. Retrieved June 4, 2010 from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/alt_formats/hecs-sesc/pdf/pubs/air/formaldehyde-eng.pdf.

Health Canada. (2009a). “Formaldehyde – Pollutants from Household Products and Building Materials”. Retrieved June 3, 2010 from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/air/in/poll/construction/formaldehyde-eng.php.

Health Canada. (2009b). “It’s Your Health: Formaldehyde and Indoor Air”. Retrieved June 4, 2010 from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/alt_formats/pacrb-dgapcr/pdf/iyh-vsv/environ/formaldehyde-eng.pdf.

US Environmental Protection Agency. (1991). “Indoor Air Fact Sheet No. 4 (revised) – Sick Building Syndrome”. Retrieved June 8, 2010 from http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html.

US Environmental Protection Agency. (1994). “Indoor Air Pollution: An Introduction for Health Professionals”. Retrieved June 8, 2010 from http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/hpguide.html.

US Environmental Protection Agency. (2010). “An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)”. Retrieved June 8, 2010 from http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html.

World Health Organization. (1989). “International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS): Environmental Health Criteria 89: Formaldehyde”. Retrieved June 2, 2010 from http://www.inchem.org/documents/ehc/ehc/ehc89.htm.

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Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and
Building Related Illness (BRI)

Long term exposure to VOC contributes to SBS and BRI. Based on the US Environmental Protection Agency (1991), SBS and BRI are compared in Table 3 below:
 
 
 
 
Table 3: Comparison between SBS & BRI

 
 
Photo-ionization Detector (PID)
A PID is commonly used to measure TVOC mainly because it is the most efficient on the market. It provides instant and continuous readings to the user. However, if there’s a rapid temperature change or humidity level is high, the reading maybe affected.

PID is great for indicating the presence of VOC but it doesn’t identify the exact type of VOC. If a TVOC reading is 200 µg/m³ and increased to 300 µg/m³ the next month, it’s impossible to say the increase was due to formaldehyde. It’s also impossible to identify what combination of VOC made up the TVOC reading.

Ideally, measuring the exact type of VOC and monitoring it is a better practice. Unfortunately, this is not the case due to very high cost and convenience. In the short term, having one instrument to provide a TVOC reading as well as other sensors is less expensive and easier for the technician than to have to carry multiple units for each type of chemical. However, in the long term, if a high reading was detected, it will cost more to solve the problem since the type of VOC needs to be identified before a solution gets established. The technician would need to make a lot of assumptions and do a lot of trial and error runs which could take forever or a more simple method would be to analyze the air samples. Depending on the seriousness of the situation, other costs that get lumped into the problem are evacuation of the occupants, specific VOC detector(s) needs to be purchased, delays of other projects, and the time of all the individuals involved.

Common buildings that should monitor their IAQ include:

• Hospitals
• Scientific facilities eg. laboratories
• School
• Commercial buildings
• Warehouses
• Industrial buildings
• Parkades
• Repair shops
• Food plants
• Salons & spas
• Manufacturing Plants
• Medical Offices
• Construction sites
• Transportation facilities
• And many more…

 
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Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Chemicals that emit gas are called VOC. Another common term, Total VOC (TVOC) is a combined variety of organic chemicals that emit gas. They are measured in micrograms per meter cubed (µg/m³) of air, parts per million (ppm), or parts per billion (ppb). Most buildings will have TVOC levels ranging from 100-500 µg/m³ (Aerias). Table 1, below, is used as a guide to compare TVOC results with its symptoms.

Table 1: TVOC and Symptoms

Source from Aerias

Concentrations of many VOC are consistently (up to ten times) higher indoors than outdoors (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2010). Therefore, some VOC are regulated due to its short and long term affects on the health of humans. For example, the most common VOC is formaldehyde. On average, formaldehyde levels measured over a day in Canadian homes were 20-40 μg/m3 (16-32.5 ppb). Daily levels as high as 95 μg/m3 (77 ppb), however, have been recorded (Health Canada, 2009b). This chemical is strictly regulated by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) as it has been known to cause cancer. Table 2, below, lists a few common VOC along with the recommended exposure limit (REL) of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), permissible exposure limit (PEL) of OSHA, identified symptoms if exposed to the chemical and some examples of products that contain the chemical.

Table 2: Common VOC

TWA = Time Weighted Average

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How concerned are you about your health? Have you ever tried to lose weight, eat healthy, and be active in order to prevent or eliminate any health risks? If so, you’ve left out one critical factor, AIR. Yes, you read it right; it’s the air that you breathe. All these factors contribute to your health and wellbeing. In order to be healthy, you need take control to eliminate or minimize the “bad” and bring in the “good”. This is still possible with your indoor air. So what’s in the air you’re breathing and how can you improve the indoor air quality (IAQ) around you?

What is in the air you’re breathing?
We are constantly exposed to the air that surrounds us regardless if we’re sleeping, working, playing, etc. It’s there 24/7 whether we like it or not. Worst yet, we unconsciously breathe it and bring it into our system with every breath we take. Indoor air pollutants are common but controllable. Sources of indoor air pollutants include, paints, lacquers, paint strippers, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, copiers, printers, correction fluids, carbonless copy paper, clothes, adhesives, permanent markers, and the list goes on. In other words, they are everywhere! All these Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) release gases into the air and contribute to Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and Building Related Illness (BRI) and are the primary cause of IAQ problems. Photo-ionization detectors (PID) are used “to get a simple measure of the joint exposures to several VOCs in indoor air” (Berglund, et al., 1997).

>> Click here to go to Know the Air You’re Breathing (2 of 4)

Delta, B.C. – Critical Environment Technologies Canada Inc. (CETCI) recently introduced YESDUST. This particulate sensor is designed to be used in conjunction with the multi-sensor indoor air quality (IAQ) monitors developed by CETCI, such as the YESAIR.

YESDUST is a low-cost, hand-held, battery powered device. It contains a self-aspired, optical sensor that utilizes convection (heated air) to move the air through the sensing region of the sensor. The measured readings are shown on the LCD display and data logged to the internal flash card of the IAQ monitors. The device operates from its own internal rechargeable nickel hydride batteries, providing approximately five hours of run time, or a supplied wall adapter, providing continuous operation.

The YESDUST is ideal for IAQ applications containing dust, particulates, cigarette smoke, pollen, fibers, etc. Every YES product is designed to deliver years of reliable operation and is easy to operate.

For more information on the entire range of IAQ instruments and gas detection systems, please visit www.yestek.com and www.critical-environment.com.