Does the data reflect a need to update the role of risk and hazard in Indoor Air Quality practices? An industry perspective

摘要

Customers of commercial Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) laboratory services are typically interested in either (1) IAQ investigations, which involve odors, sensory irritation, or other complaints, where the goal is to resolve the problems through source reduction or ventilation correction; or (2) IAQ measurements for compliance with specific standards that are believed to prevent IAQ concerns or complaints from occurring, or to show that an indoor environment has good indoor air quality. The objectives of these studies center on prevention or resolution of IAQ complaints and rarely have a health basis or include a risk assessment component. However, there is an increasing awareness of health based standards as states embrace the USEPA's vapor intrusion guidance as part of property transfer and risk based cleanup. In addition, manufacturers and merchants of consumer products of are increasingly encouraged to ensure that the emissions do not contribute to pollutants above certain health based standards, through programs such as California's Proposition 65 and Section 01350 Special Environmental Requirements. As these health based standards become more widely known, those who have had or will have had their indoor air tested for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may expect that the evaluation of the VOC results includes consideration of health based standards, and the question of whether and how to address them will have to be addressed by IAQ professionals with more frequency. There are many complexities involved with expanding traditional IAQ to a health based risk assessment. This study attempts to answer a fundamental practical question, which is whether the type and levels of VOCs found in routine IAQ investigations justify evaluation in the context of current risk and hazard consensus standards. The scope if this study is limited to VOCs measured during traditional IAQ investigations and assessments, and specifically excludes environmental studies and projects at locations that are known or thought to be site impacted.