Guidance on the Use of Filtration and Air Cleaning Systems for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks

Details

• Personal Author:
  Earnest, Gary S. ; Gressel M
• Description:
  A group of federal government employees has developed a NIOSH document addressing filtration and air cleaning issues associated with protecting building environments from an airborne chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) attack. The intended audience includes building designers, building heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system designers, building owners, managers, and maintenance personnel of public, private, and governmental buildings. Filtration and air cleaning systems are tools that can be used to protect a building and its occupants from CBR attack. Although it is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of an attack, filtration and air cleaning systems are important components of a comprehensive plan to reduce the consequences. CBR agents are toxic air contaminants that may be transported through the air as a gas, vapor, or aerosol. These agents can effectively be collected by using properly designed and well-maintained filtration and air cleaning systems. These systems have other benefits such as improving building cleanliness, reducing disease transmission, and improving the building's indoor air quality. Building owners and managers must fully understand how their existing building and HVAC systems are designed and operate. With that knowledge and an assessment of the current threat, an informed decision can be made regarding a building's air filtration and air cleaning needs. This document addresses the threat from CBR agents and their properties, principles of particulate and gas-phase filtration, and recommendations regarding effective selection, installation, and maintenance of these systems. It discusses the role of ASHRAE Standards in selecting particulate filters and the use of ASZM-TEDA carbon and other sorbents for collecting chemical agents. While no building can be fully protected from a determined group or individual intent on releasing a CBR agent, the recommendations in this guide/presentation should help to limit the number of injuries or fatalities in the event of a CBR release. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Biological Factors Biological Products Biological Warfare Agents Chemical Warfare Agents Dust Environmental Health Filtration Hazardous Substances Microbiology Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Solvents Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Air-contamination Airborne-dusts Airborne-particles Biohazards Biological-agents Biological-factors Biological-warfare-agents Chemical-warfare-agents Environmental-factors Gases Microorganisms Occupational-safety-programs Vapors Workplace-monitoring Workplace-studies

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• Publisher:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  63
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20022842
• Citation:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 10-15, 2003, Dallas, Texas. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2003 May; :63
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2003
• NORA Priority Area:
  Research Tools and Approaches: Control Technology and Personal Protective Equipment
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 10-15, 2003, Dallas, Texas
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f89832d99a0bbb6840e913becdc408d76f17c73bb9c67771bb7e0eea6dd5df5bbc62496b7d926439572b7ee27b83af60ec68e5abe3ef868365eeefb59ff50c51
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/199475/cdc_199475_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 583.88 KB ]