Cadmium in Jewerly -TSCA Section 6

Yesterday EPA accepted the petition from Sierra Club and the Empire State Consumers Project to ban cadmium from toy jewelry under TSCA Section 6 if CPSC fails to act. EPA stated:
"Though it is EPA's understanding that CPSC is currently developing exposure limits for cadmium in certain children's products, if CPSC does not act, EPA will initiate a rulemaking under TSCA section 6 as your petition requests. EPA will work closely with CPSC to determine the most effective means for addressing cadmium in toy metal jewelry and other consumer products, and to determine whether action by CPSC should have precedence. It is EPA's understanding that CPSC's work to develop exposure limits for cadmium will take more time than is available to EPA under TSCA section 21 . Thus, EPA plans to grant your petition and continue working with CPSC, and to initiate a section 6 rulemaking only if this effort does not result in action by CPSC or if EPA concludes that some form of joint action is appropriate."
EPA also granted the TSCA 8(d) request to require companies to report positive results for cadmium to EPA. EPA stated:
"EPA is granting your request that EPA use its authority under section 8( d) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to require reporting by producers, importers, and processors of cadmium and cadmium compounds that are reasonably likely to be incorporated into consumer products. EPA will propose a rule to require the submission of lists and/or copies of ongoing and completed unpublished health and safety studies relevant to the determination on whether a potential hazard exists and whether a product may be a banned hazardous substance as outlined in CPSC guidelines."
This information will help CPSC get the information it (or EPA) needs to adopt the rules.
Sierra Club and Empire State Consumer Project also submitted the petition to CPSC requesting action. On August 19, 2010, CPSC requested comments. Submit comments at www.regulations.gov on docket number CPSC-2010-0087.

Sewer Backups

Testing For Bacterial Contamination and Cleaning Up Sewage Backups in Buildings
buildings for indoor air quality or other contaminants which may affect occupant health should not omit inspecting and taking site history for evidence of sewage or septic system backups into the structure or basement or crawl space areas below the structure. Gray water and black water (sewage) can cause a wide range of fungal, bacteriological, viral, and parasitic hazards in buildings.

Both a one-time event and recurrent sewage leaks into a building would be a concern, particularly if prompt and competent cleaning were not performed. If recurrent sewage contamination has occurred more extensive building cleaning and treatment are likely to be required. One reason that experts recommend very prompt treatment is the wish to avoid transmission of bacterial contamination to other building areas.
Examples of sewage bacteria and virus transmission might be by movement of people from contaminated areas to other building areas (tracking contaminated soil), and air movement of aerosolized particles or contaminated dust through the building by natural convection, heating and air conditioning equipment, or other sources of air and dust movement.
In fact a very high level of pathogens can present on the concrete, on the lower portions of furnishings, and on and inside of paneled wall cavity.
Demolition, cleaning, and disinfection may needed. These surfaces need to be then re-tested after cleaning and disinfection were complete.
Additional testing should be conducted to confirm that the workers did not contaminate other building areas during this cleanup.
While sewage may contain many pathogens harmful to building occupants, testing for this problem usually focuses on indicator organisms including total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and Enterococcus as these species are expected in human sewage waste. They are potentially harmful themselves as well as serving as an indicator of sewage contamination.
Typical sampling methods to test for sewage contamination in buildings include use of sterile swabs on sample surfaces both in the suspected area and as a control in other building areas where low or no contamination is expected.
Bulk samples of debris or building materials may also be collected, such as drywall suspected of having been wet with a sewage backup. Samples are sent to a qualified laboratory for culture and examination for these bacteria.
Since there are a variety of tests for bacteria and for possible sewage contamination, specification of the definitive lab test for sewage contamination is important where health concerns are at stake. Be sure to review the test choices with your laboratory before ordering a specific test as test accuracy and cost vary widely.

Bed Bugs

Once thought to be eradicated from North America, the legendary little pests known as bed bugs have been making an unwelcome comeback in hotels and homes. Lest you think bed bugs are relegated to fleabag motels, they have been spotted in the posher locales as well. What Are Bed Bugs?Bed bugs are the common name for Cimex lectularius, a reddish-brown, oval-shaped insect that can grow to a quarter of an inch long. Bed bugs are wingless and survive by sucking blood from a host animal, preferably a human.Why Are They Called Bed Bugs?Bed bugs commonly hide in mattresses, carpets, behind peeling paint or wallpaper, and in crevices in wooden furniture (like in the cracks of the wooden headboard of a bed). Bugs are nocturnal and typically bite people while they sleep in an infested bed. Bugs are usually active just before dawn.Why Are Bed Bugs Reappearing?Bed bugs were once all but eradicated with broad-spectrum pesticides such as DDT, which killed a wide variety of bug types. Concerns about health and the environment led to many of these pesticides being removed from the market. Today, pest control methods are more focused, designed to kill a particular species (like cockroaches). Bed bugs, since they are not specifically being targeted, are slipping through the cracks. Where Did Bed Bugs Come From?Bed bugs travel surprisingly well, and are quite comfortable stowing away in luggage and even clothing. The bugs are increasingly found hiding in beds, upholstered furniture and behind baseboards in urban hotels in America. Since they tend to stow away and travel with humans, any place that sees a number of world travelers is susceptible. Pilots, wealthy people, and business travelers can bring bed bugs along unwittingly. What Can You Do to Avoid Bed Bugs?Look around. Bed bugs are large enough to see. Look particularly under the mattress and in the seams, in and around the bed frame, and along any cracks or peeling paint in the wall or picture frames. Check for bed bugs in the cracks of any wooden furniture, particularly antiques. You can also spot droppings from bed bugs, which may be tinged with blood. What Should You Do if You Are Bitten by Bed Bugs?Bed bugs bite exposed skin and leave behind small, red, itchy welts. The good news? Bed bugs are not generally thought to transmit any diseases. The damage is more emotional than physical. The CDC does say that bites from bed bugs can be treated with topical emollients or corticosteroids. You can also take an oral antihistamine. If you are exposed, you may consider treating your home as well. Most pest control companies are equipped to handle bed bugs.

Aldicarb to be banned.

August 18, 2010 Toxic Pesticide Banned after Decades of Use
Twenty-five years after the worst outbreak of pesticide poisoning in U.S. history, an agreement is announced that phases out all uses of aldicarb

CONTAMINATED COMESTIBLES: The U.S. EPA has announced plans to phase the use of aldicarb, a toxic insecticide commonly used on food crops.A farm chemical with an infamous history – causing the worst known outbreak of pesticide poisoning in North America – is being phased out under an agreement announced Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Manufacturer Bayer CropScience agreed to stop producing aldicarb, a highly toxic insecticide used to kill pests on cotton and several food crops, by 2015 in all world markets. Use on citrus and potatoes will be prohibited after next year.
Tuesday’s announcement comes 25 years after a highly publicized outbreak of aldicarb poisoning sickened more than 2,000 people who had eaten California watermelons.
New EPA documents show that babies and children under five can ingest levels of the insecticide through food and water that exceed levels the agency considers safe.
“Aldicarb no longer meets our rigorous food safety standards and may pose unacceptable dietary risks, especially to infants and young children,” the EPA said in announcing the agreement.
For infants, consumption of aldicarb residue – mostly in potatoes, citrus and water – can reach 800 percent higher than the EPA’s level of concern for health effects, while children between the ages of one and five can ingest 300 percent more than the level of concern, according to an Aug. 4 EPA memo.
In a statement, Bayer CropScience said Tuesday that its decision to agree to phase out aldicarb came after EPA’s new report calculated the health risks to children.
The company said it “respects the oversight authority of the EPA and is cooperating with them” even though it “does not fully agree” with the agency's new assessment. Bayer CropScience stressed that the analysis “does not mean that aldicarb poses an actual risk” to consumers.
One of the most acutely hazardous pesticides still used in the United States, aldicarb is a carbamate insecticide that is taken up by roots and carried into the fruit of a plant. High levels of aldicarb can have neurotoxic effects; it inhibits an enzyme that controls the transmission of messages to nerves.
“After thousands of poisonings, it is mind-boggling that aldicarb is still in use,” said Steve Scholl-Buckwald, managing director of the environmental group Pesticide Action Network North America. “The wheels just grind so, so slowly. It never should have been registered in the first place back in 1970 and by the mid-1980s there was sufficient data to suggest it should have been taken off the market.”
On the Fourth of July in 1985, three people who had eaten watermelon in Oakland, Calif., rapidly became ill with symptoms that included vomiting, diarrhea, muscle twitches and abnormally slow heart rates. At the same time, people in Oregon were falling ill, too, and tests of watermelons found extremely high levels of aldicarb, which was illegal to use on all melons.
California ordered an immediate ban on watermelon sales, which meant huge quantities had to be destroyed in fields and at stores at the height of the season. How aldicarb got into watermelons remains unknown, but experts suspected that some melon farmers used low levels of it intentionally and illegally and that some also might have flowed off nearby cotton fields.That summer, a total of 1,350 cases of aldicarb poisoning from watermelon were reported in California, plus another 692 cases in eight other states and Canada, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seventeen people were hospitalized. Six deaths and two stillbirths were reported in people who fell ill, but the pesticide was not listed as the cause of death in coroner reports.

TSCA

Welcome to the August issue of the Industrial Safety Newsletter. As the current year starts passing us by and westart planning for next year, one important report is due – the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory (Form U submissions). In short, if you "manufacture (including import) 25,000 pounds or more of a chemical substance at a single site during calendar year 2010, you may need to report under the Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) regulation 40 CFR Part 710 subpart C" (USEPA). Please note that there are exceptions, so consult a TSCA expert to determine your exact requirements. This issue of the safety newsletter will review the reporting process. We hope that you find this newsletter useful and look forward to providing you with the quality service and information that has made Fuss & O'Neill EnviroScience successful.
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TSCA was enacted to prevent particularly toxic chemicals from being produced*
Part of TSCA is the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, which tracks chemicals produced in the US.
The information is gathered by EPA to monitor the chemicals produced in the US
The definition of a chemical substance is:"any organic or inorganic substance of a particular molecular identity, including: (i) any combination of such substances occurring in whole or in part as a result of a chemical reaction or occurring in nature, and (ii) any element or uncombined radical." (EPA) Note: This includes certain microorganisms and there are exceptions.
Generation of the 2011 Report is based on 2010 manufacturing quantities:
Next IUR submission period is currently planned for June 1, 2011 - September 30, 2011
Changes are expected from the 2006 reporting procedure
Note to inorganic chemical manufacturers:
Inorganic chemicals are no longer partially exempt from the IUR rule
The partial exemption was a one-time exemption for 2006 reporting only
A summary of the data from the 2006 inventory is available in an EPA report*
EPA is working on a number of changes for 2011 reporting
Making the electronic reporting easier and more accessible to all potential reporters
Redesigning the electronic IUR reporting software
EPA is deliberating on changes to the specific reporting requirements
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Fuss & O'Neill is a multi-disciplined industrial hygiene and environmental engineering firm that has provideda wide variety of regulatory reporting services. Our experts will work with your facility to ensure safe, timely,and legal submission of your Form U. In this process we will lead you through the process or take the lead foryou. The goal of our service is to provide timely and correct submission of your TSCA regulated chemicals.
For more information and questions contact:Craig A. Calvert, Ph.D., C-CHO146 Hartford RoadManchester, CT 06040
ccalvert@fando.com(860) 646-2469 x5571
For more information on TSCA visit: www.tscaconsulting.blogspot.com/For a copy of this message in PDF: click here
Addressing your environmental needs with professional, safe innovative, responsive, and economical solutions.

PCBS in Paint

It's possible. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 1.5 billion pounds of PCBs were produced in the U.S. before production ended in the late 1970s. Approximately 28% of these compounds were used in manufactured products such as paints and caulks. Prior to the late 1970s, PCBs were used in paints applied to land-based structures, as well as ships, in the U.S. These compounds were most frequently used as an additive for chlorinated rubber paint. PCBs were used in paints to
Reduce brittleness (i.e., act as a plasticizer),
Increase durability,
Provide chemical, water, and heat resistance, and
Serve as drying oils (resins).
Where have PCB-laden paints been found in the U.S.?
PCB-laden paints have been found on the following surfaces:
Walls, floors, stairs, handrails, and a parking garage in a government building
Boiler rooms and turbine platforms
Aircraft hangars
Swimming pools
Aquaculture tanks
A dry dock facility
Storage tanks
Ships
Railcars (in Canada)
Equipment, including extrusion presses, lathes, welders, ovens, furnaces, heat exchangers, and milling/grinding machinery
What exactly are PCBs?
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are synthetic organic molecules that were used in products such as dielectric oils, hydraulic oils, heat-exchange oils, paints, caulks, and sealants. PCBs were popular because of their flame resistance, chemical stability, and insulating nature. The PCB molecule is comprised of two 6-carbon rings. The rings are joined via a chemical bond between two carbons, one from each ring. Chlorine atoms can be attached to any of the remaining carbons. Along the rings, 209 different chlorine arrangements, called congeners, are possible. The following figure illustrates the chemical structure of a tetrachlorinated biphenyl, with four chlorines bonded to the carbon rings.
In the U.S., PCBs were sold as different mixtures of congeners under the trade name "Arochlor." Arochlors are characterized using a 4-digit number. In most cases, the second two digits represent the percentage of chlorine atoms by weight in the mixture. As an example, Arochlor 1254, which was the most commonly used PCB mixture for paints in the U.S., contains 54% chlorine by weight. Arochlor 1254 consists of the following combination of chlorinated biphenyl compounds:
1% trichlorinated biphenyls
15% tetrachlorinated biphenyls
53% pentachlorinated biphenyls
26% hexachlorinated biphenyls
4% heptachlorinated biphenyls
1% other biphenyl compounds
Why should I be concerned about PCBs in paints?
According to the U.S. EPA:
"PCBs have been demonstrated to cause a variety of serious health effects. PCBs have been shown to cause cancer and a number of serious non-cancer health effects in animals, including effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system. Studies in humans provide supportive evidence for the potential carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenic effects of PCBs. The different health effects of PCBs may be interrelated, as alterations in one system may have significant implications for the other regulatory systems of the body." (http://www.epa.gov/pcb/pubs/effects.html) EPA has reported PCB concentrations in dried paint ranging from less than 1 part per million (ppm) to 97,000 ppm. PCBs can enter the human body in the following ways:
Absorption through skin by contact with dried paint
Ingestion of flaking or deteriorating paint
Inhalation of flaking or deteriorating paint Because of the potential health issues associated with PCBs, these compounds were banned by the U.S. Congress in the late 1970s.
What about caulks—do I work or live in buildings that contain PCB-laden caulks?
It's possible. In addition to use in paints, PCBs were used in some caulks until the late 1970s. PCBs made the caulk sticky and easier to apply to window frames. These PCB-laden caulks were used throughout the U.S. and the world.
In one northeastern U.S. city, caulks from 24 buildings were tested for PCBs. Of the buildings sampled, 13 had measurable levels of PCBs in caulks, and 8 had levels that were above the EPA threshold of 50 ppm for bulk PCB wastes. These buildings included the following:
A government office—35,600 ppm PCBs by mass
University student housing, a dormitory, classrooms, and offices—70.5 to 36,200 ppm PCBs by mass
An elementary, middle, and high school—5,010 to 7,740 ppm PCBs by mass
A synagogue—8,240 ppm PCBs by mass
Are PCB-laden paints and caulks an issue only in the U.S.?
No. PCB-laden paints and/or caulks have been found in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Canada. PCBs were manufactured and sold outside the U.S. under the trade names Clophen (Germany), Phenoclor (France), Fenclor (Italy), and Kanechlor (Japan). Other countries where PCBs were manufactured include Austria, Czechoslovakia, USSR, the Russian Federation, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Although the manufacture and new uses of PCBs in the U.S. was banned in the late 1970s, many Western European countries did not implement a ban until the mid-1980s.

EPA Draft Formaldehyde Assessment Report

In early June of this year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde-Inhalation Assessment. The report is available for public comment and peer review for 90 days.
According to an EPA news release, “This assessment will help EPA and others to determine the level of risk it poses to Americans’ health. EPA undertook this assessment because there have been a number of potentially significant new studies published since EPA’s last review of formaldehyde toxicity.”
Exposure risks associated with formaldehyde typically comes from occupants inhaling contaminated air. Exposure to elevated levels of formaldehyde can trigger asthma attacks, nausea, watery eyes, headaches and difficulty breathing. The current “permissible exposure limits” (PELs) for formaldehyde in the workplace are 0.75 parts per million (ppm) as an 8 hour time-weighted average (TWA).
Formaldehyde is a chemical found in numerous products and common building materials. It is often used in the manufacturing process for building materials such as particleboard, fiberboard, plywood and urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI). It is also a by-product of combustion and numerous industrial processes.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen. In the United States many companies have turned to Core, a leading provider of indoor air quality (IAQ) services, to provide testing solutions for formaldehyde.
“Formaldehyde exposure can cause problems in some individuals at 0.1 parts per million,” reported Don Makin, Indoor Air Quality Director of Operations for Core. “It is important to know if this chemical is present to protect people from all the health effects associated with it. If it is found at high levels there are steps that can be taken to minimize exposure.”

Mold in Classrooms

EASLEY, S.C. -- An Upstate high school building will undergo a massive cleanup on Tuesday in an effort to remove mold and mildew contaminating the school, according to a release from the Pickens County School District.
The thorough wipe-down of the building will prevent 19 teachers from getting into their classrooms this week as they prepare for the first day of school on Aug. 17, said Superintendent Dr. Henry Hunt.
A meeting was scheduled at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the high school to talk about the emergency cleaning measures, Hunt said.
The fungus was found last week during routine HVAC maintenance and repair, said District Representative Julie Thompson.
The building was built in 1979, according to the release.
The cleaning process will include vacuuming all surfaces with a HEPA vacuum, wiping all surfaces with an antimicrobial cleaner, and spraying with an antimicrobial disinfectant, Thompson said. Workers will also remove ceiling tiles that show any evidence of mold or mildew and will thoroughly clean all HVAC units, she said.
Adjustments have also been made to help reduce humidity in the building, said Hunt.
"We have replaced faulty equipment in the units and in exhaust fans," Hunt said. "We have also set all thermostats at the appropriate set point and then secured them so that they cannot be adjusted," he said.
Teachers were expected to be allowed back into the classrooms on Monday, Aug. 19, according to Hunt. "That gives them only one day to prepare their rooms for students' arrival on Tuesday, but we'll assist them all we can," Hunt said. "Teachers will be involved in staff development activities and can also work in other areas on the campus," he said.
After the clean-up process is complete, air quality in the building will be tested. If a health hazard exists, Hunt said officials would not allow teachers or students to occupy the building.
"We would make a call at that time and do what's necessary to ensure the health and safety of our students and our staff," Hunt said.
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