Indoor Air Quality Testing Toronto

Carbon Monoxide

Environmental Services Group performs testing for carbon monoxide levels. Please call to have your property assessed.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odorless, tasteless toxic gas and is a deadly asphyxiate at high levels. CO can be produced when imcomplete and improper buring of fossil fuels occurs.

Gas and oil heating systems, gas, diesel and propane driven vehicles, floor polishers, forklifts, generators, fire pits and other related systems have the potential for harmful concentrations and are all around us at work and at play.

CO is measured in parts per million (PPM). Our air contains 79% nitrogen (N) and 20.9% oxygen (O2). If you happen to smell exhaust gases or fumes, CO is present.

Health effects of Carbon Monoxide

When carbon monoxide is inhaled into the lungs it bonds with hemoglobin in the blood, and forms carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). This condition displaces oxygen in the blood stream and effects all major organs and muscles. The condition can be fatal to some people sooner then others.

Chronic low levels of CO can compromise any health condition. At low concentrations CO can go undetected, and contribute to nagging illnesses and premature death. Healthy adults may show no ill effects to low-level concentrations and still complain of headache or a constant stuffiness that can worsen if undiagnosed.

Elderly people, small children and infants or anyone in poor health can experience affects much sooner than a healthy adult.

Respiratory problems, chronic heart disease, dizziness, vomiting, flu like symptoms, general weakness and confusion are all symptoms of CO poisoning. Pets can be more susceptible because of their faster metabolic rates.

Monitoring CO levels in buildings

There are similarities in all buildings. We measure CO outside first before entering to determine if levels are too high. Additionally our building pressure diagnostics can prevent generation and dispersion of CO within a building. Using the proper equipment we can measure the exhausts of systems and reduce hazards by correcting the problem before it gets out of hand. Our sensors are capable of detecting CO levels that are generally missed by most home detectors, the levels for home detectors are fine for those of good health, but people with an inherent weakness to CO will be affected by smaller doses. Smaller doses home monitors may miss. Pregnant women, infants, children, senior citizens, persons with heart of reparatory problems, and smokers may experience symptoms at lower levels of exposure then the safe levels established by the EPA and so forth.

Silica

Silica is a designated substance under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 845 and Amended to O. Reg. 606/05.

Environmental Services Group provides air monitoring services during construction, demolition and sand blasting on construction sites to ensure that the levels of airborne silica are controlled. Environmental Services Group can ensure that proper containment of work areas where silica will be released into the air are set up to control silica dust and exposure to workers.

Regulation Respecting Silica, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 845

The Ministry's designated substance regulation (DSR) for silica, Regulation 845, specifies occupational exposure limits (OELs) for silica and requires assessment and a control program to ensure compliance with these OELs. The OEL for respirable crystalline silica is 0.05 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) of air by volume as an 8 hour daily or 40-hour weekly time-weighted average for cristobalite and tridymite. In the case of quartz and tripoli, the OEL is 0.10 milligrams per cubic meter of air by volume.

Despite the fact that Regulation 845 and the OEL for silica do not generally apply to a constructor or to an employer on a construction project in respect of those workers who work at or on the project, construction employers still have a responsibility to protect the health of their workers. However, if the construction project is located at a workplace where silica is present and likely to be inhaled by a worker then the employer of the workplace must protect the workers on the project by obeying the instructions set out in sections 4 and 5 of Regulation 845, even if the work is performed under a contract with another person. (Section 4 and 5 state how much airborne silica the worker may be exposed to with safety and describes when, and what circumstances, respirators must be used in order to meet these requirements.).

Measures and procedures that ensure construction workers receive the same standard of protection as workers covered by Regulation 845 should therefore be implemented on construction projects where exposure to silica is a hazard. Such measures and procedures are deemed to be in compliance with section 25(2)(h) of the OHSA, as taking "every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker".

What are the main health hazards associated with breathing in quartz silica?

In general, high concentrations of dust may cause coughing and mild, temporary irritation following a short-term exposure. There is no human or animal information available specifically for. Silica can have potentially serious respiratory effects following long-term inhalation (one year or more). Refer to "Effects of Long-Term (Chronic) Exposure" below.

What happens when silica comes into contact with my skin?

In general, silica dust is not expected to be irritating to the skin. However, foreign-body reactions (granulomas) have been observed after crystalline silica accidentally got under the skin as a result of an injury. Often the effects are delayed for periods ranging from weeks up to more than 50 years.

In general, the dust is not expected to be irritating except as a "foreign object". Some tearing, blinking and mild temporary pain may occur as the solid material is rinsed from the eye by tears. One unconfirmed case is described in which foundry workers with silicosis experienced deterioration in eyesight due to corneal opacities and there was evidence of abnormally high silicon content in the cornea. There is no animal information available.

Silica is probably not toxic following short-term ingestion. There is no human or animal information available. Ingestion is not a typical route of occupational exposure.

What are the long term health effects of exposure to quartz silica?

INHALATION: Prolonged or repeated exposure to fine airborne crystalline silica dust may cause severe scarring of the lungs, a disease called silicosis. The risk of developing and the severity of silicosis depends on the airborne concentration of respirable-size silica dust to which an employee is exposed and duration of exposure. Silicosis usually develops gradually over 20 years or more of exposure. Particles with diameters less than 1 micrometre and freshly cleaved particles (for example, those produced by sandblasting) are considered most hazardous. Several reliable studies have found silicosis in employees with exposure to considerably less than 1 mg/m3 respirable silica.

The early symptoms of silicosis (cough, mucous production and shortness of breath upon exertion) are nonspecific, so the development of silicosis may not be detected until advanced stages of the disease. Silicosis may continue to develop even after exposure to crystalline silica has stopped. Evidence of silicosis can normally be seen on an X- ray.

Silicosis can vary in severity from minimal to severe. In cases of mild silicosis, there is typically no significant respiratory impairment, although there is X-ray evidence of lung injury. In severe cases, significant and increasingly severe respiratory impairment develops. There is no proven effective treatment for the disease. Life expectancy may be reduced, depending on the severity of the case. Death is not usually a direct result of silicosis, but cardiac failure may occur as the heart has increasing difficulty pumping blood through the scar tissue in the lungs. Silicosis may be complicated by the development of bacterial infections, including tuberculosis.

Will silica cause cancer?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has concluded that crystalline silica in the form of quartz or cristobalite from occupational sources should be classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), upgraded from its previous classification as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).

VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds)

Compounds that evaporate from the many housekeeping, maintenance, and building products made with organic chemicals. These compounds are released from products that are being used and that are in storage. In sufficient quantities, VOC's can cause eye, nose, and throat irritations, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, memory impairment; some are known to cause cancer in animals, some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause cancer in humans. At present, not much is known about what health effects occur at the levels of VOC's typically found in public and commercial buildings.

HVAC Systems

Environmental Services Group can assess your HVAC system as apart of an Indoor Air Quality Audit.

Maintaining clean heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems is an important part of sustaining acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ). When an HVAC system is a source of contaminants introduced into the occupied spaces, properly performed system cleaning services should take place to reduce or eliminate contaminate introduction.

Contaminates in HVAC systems may take many forms. Common contaminates include dust particles, active bacterial or fungal growth, debris from rusted HVAC component, man-made vitreous fibers, mold spores, and other items.

Our Experience has shown that very few (if any) HVAC systems are free of all particulate. In fact, particle deposition on component surfaces starts before the HVAC system is even installed. Airborne particles in factory settings and assembly areas are likely to settle on air-handling components and fiberglass insulation, as well as adhere to the surface of metal components.

The original installation process will subject the HVAC system to even more contamination. Construction sites contain significant amounts of airborne concrete dust, gypsum dust, sand particles, biological particulate aerosols and many other airborne contaminates in the ambient air. There particles often settle on or within the HVAC system during construction.

After the HVAC system is installed ands its operation begins, the particulate accumulation process continues throughout the life of the system. Poor design, installation and maintenance practices, low-efficiency air filtration, airflow bypass, inadequate or infrequent preventative maintenance practices, humid conditions, and many other factors will result in contaminated HVAC systems. HVAC systems may also serve to transport and redistribute unwanted particles from other sources in the building.

HVAC cleaning services have been available since the early 1900's. However, it was not until the 1970s that growing public concern for better indoor air quality (IAQ) led to an understanding of the importance of cleaning HVAC system components. Public awareness has increased ever since.

Determining the Need for HVAC System cleaning and Restoration

It is highly recommender that HVAC systems be cleaned when an HVAC cleanliness inspection indicates that the system is contaminated with a significant accumulation of particulate or if microbial contamination either Condition 2 or Condition 3. If the preliminary inspection shows that HVAC system performance is compromised due to contamination build-up, cleaning is highly recommended.

Condition 2 (settled spores and trace growth): An indoor environment, which is primarily contaminated with settled spores that were dispersed directly or indirectly from a condition 3 area, and which may have traces of actual growth.

Condition 3 (actual growth): An indoor environment contaminated with the presence of actual mold growth and associated spores. Actual growth includes growth that is active or dormant, visible or hidden.

Often HVAC system components collect significant amounts of debris and particulate during construction activities within a building. It is highly recommended that newly installed HVAC systems or HVAC systems undergoing renovations be verified for cleanliness, and further protected before the system is permitted to operate. It is highly recommended that consistent HVAC system inspections be part of a buildings overall indoor air quality management program.

Table 1 HVAC Cleanliness Inspection Schedule(Recommended Intervals)

HVAC Cleanliness Inspection Schedule

HVAC systems should be routinely inspected for cleanliness by visual inspection. Table 1 provides a recommended inspection schedule for major HVAC system components within different building use classifications. The inspection intervals classified in table 1 are only minimum recommendations. The need for more frequent cleanliness inspections is subject to numerous environmental, mechanical and human factors. Geographic regions with a higher level of humidity, will warrant HVAC system inspections on a more frequent basis, due to increased potential for microbial amplification.

Indoor Air Quality Audits

The proactive IAQ audit should be undertaken by trained personnel at regular intervals. Our audits involve both a physical inspection of representative items of air conditioning plant and equipment, and measurement of IAQ parameters.

Items of A/C plant and equipment inspected should include:

• air handling units
• plant rooms
• fresh air intakes
• supply air ductwrok
• air filters
• heating and cooling equipment
• occupied spaces and maintenance logs

During the visual inspection of the above items obvious deficiencies and pollutant sources would be recorded using a standard checklist. In addition to visually inspecting representative items of a/c plant and equipment, an inspection of representative occupied spaces would be conducted to identify any obvious problems in the workplace. Whilst inspecting the work space informal discussions with occupants may provide a good insight into how the indoor environment is perceived. Specific problems are often more easily detected using this approach. As part of the indoor air quality audit it is useful for us to check a few indoor air quality parameters.

Measurement of the following indoor air quality parameters is recommended as part of the audit:

• temperature
• relative humidity
• carbon dioxide
• air movement

Temperature and relative humidity measurements provide a useful check on the thermal comfort within an occupied space.

Carbon dioxide measurements indicate whether the amount of fresh air is sufficient, and airflow measurements indicate whether the volume of air supplied is adequate.