Carbon Dioxide Infiltration into a Home

Details

• Personal Author:
  Benaise LW ; Harrison J ; Rao, Carol Y.
• Description:
  NIOSH received a Technical Assistance request in December 2003 to assist with the investigation of a home built above an abandoned coal mine and on a reclaimed surface mine. The residents reported new-onset shortness of breath, lightheadedness, dizziness, poor concentration and blurry vision while in the basement. Their symptoms resolved within minutes after leaving the basement. Investigators found an oxygen-deficient environment in the basement and crawlspace areas of the home. Carbon monoxide and methane were not detected, which led investigators to suspect that carbon dioxide (CO2) could be displacing oxygen in the basement and crawlspace. A direct-reading CO2 monitor was used for short-term sampling. Concentrations of CO2 were as high as 9.5% in the home's crawlspace, 11% in the crawlspace gravel, and 12% inside a floor drain (outside air was 0.035%). CO2 levels in the living areas of the home were greater than 1% (10,000 ppm). Oxygen concentration in the basement was intermittently deficient, with levels measuring as low as 14% in the crawlspace (normal range = 19.5% and 23.5%). Air and soil gas samples analyzed for carbon isotopic composition indicated that the CO2 infiltrating into the house was likely from a carbonate source. Others have reported similar events in homes built above abandoned coal mines in England, Russia and the U.S. Preventive measures for mining-related indoor air quality problems includes sealing cracks, maintaining positive pressure in relation to the ground, and ventilating subsurface areas in a manner similar to that used for radon mitigation. In affected homes, homeowners, public utility workers, and remediation workers could be overexposed to CO2 and in an oxygen-deficient environment. This dictates efforts to increase public awareness of the potential hazards and to appropriately educate people who may be potentially exposed. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollution, Indoor Coal Coal Mining Environmental Exposure Environmental Health Environmental Pollution Hazardous Substances Mining Occupational Health Oxygen Safety

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• Keywords:
  Coal-mining Environmental-factors Environmental-hazards Exposure-levels Health-hazards Indoor-air-pollution Indoor-environmental-quality Oxygen-deficient-atmospheres Oxygen-uptake Sampling Surface-mining

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• Publisher:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  61-62
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20026982
• Citation:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 21-26, 2005, Anaheim, California. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2005 May; :61-62
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon dioxide (CAS RN 124-38-9) ; Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0) ; Methane (CAS RN 74-82-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 21-26, 2005, Anaheim, California
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cf629506946a680ed6043d3d1cae387bbdeecab31f02aae7d387db381cf6e30e5c1a11d362c7073fd5f0b8fd15488687fe6f4428361ee8173ea62d8a321330a3
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/197422/cdc_197422_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.20 MB ]