Evaluation of Odors and Surface Residues in a Medical Center Research Facility

Details

• Personal Author:
  Broadwater, Kendra R. ; Brueck, Scott E. ; Nourian, Fariba ; Oza, Aalok Y. ; Roberts, Jennifer R.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Description:
  Medical center employees requested a health hazard evaluation. They were concerned about indoor environmental quality, odors, and a residue on top of shelves. Employees felt that odors were causing nausea, headache, sinus problems, and aggravation of asthma. We evaluated the ventilation system. We collected air samples in the building and on the roof, and bulk samples of residue from shelves in some laboratories. We found supply air intakes on the roof pulling building exhaust air into the building. In many laboratories, air was moving from the laboratories into the hallway. We found low levels of airborne volatile organic compounds in the building and on the roof. Some of these compounds could be from chemicals used and stored in the laboratories. Other compounds were of unknown origin. HHE Program investigators determined that these findings may be a source of odors. The residue on the shelves was likely from the breakdown of the shelving material itself.
• Subjects:
  Air Pollution, Indoor Asthma Asthma, Occupational Health Care Facilities Workforce And Services Health Personnel Occupational Health Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Ventilation Volatile Organic Compounds
• Keywords:
  Anesthetic Gas Building Exhaust Health Care Facilities Health Care Personnel Health Care Workers IAQ IEQ Indoor Air Pollution Indoor Air Quality Indoor Environmental Quality Indoor Environments Laboratory Laminate Medical Facilities Medical Personnel Medical Research Odor Ohio OSHA Region 5 Research And Development In Biotechnology Research Lab Research Laboratory Residue Respiratory System Disorders Ventilation Systems Veterinary Medicine VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds

  More +
• Source:
  Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, HHE 2013-0117-3247, 2016 Mar ; :1-25
• Series:
  Health Hazard Evaluation Reports (HHE)
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHHHE201301173247
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Field Study
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSHEFS - Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies ; DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  32 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  Andrews, Ronnee ; Booher, Donald E. ; Burr, Gregory A. ; Doepke, Amos ; Fernback, Joseph ; Galloway, Ellen ; Moore, Kevin ; Streicher, Robert ; Watts, Shawna ; Wei Gong
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20047677
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2016-102607
• Citation:
  NIOSH [2016]. Health hazard evaluation report: evaluation of odors and surface ; residues in a medical research facility. By Broadwater K, Brueck SE, Nourian F, ; Roberts J, Oza AY. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety ; and Health, NIOSH HHE Report No. 2013-0117-3247,
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2016
• NORA Priority Area:
  Services
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  541711 - Research and Development in Biotechnology - (NAICS)
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7140e9ead3158acf666508f2dbc4fc6499777f64716a748c18e5c5dc665111a1d96588a4e8384a5bbafb1a343c5d5f309074ce07720b791d22d7ca6ad6d6dab8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/172418/cdc_172418_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.16 MB ]