Re: Mold and respirators

[Guest guest]

Rob,

The need for a respirator, in many cases is a personal choice. If you

are going into a home that people are living in, wearing a respirator

would unduly alarm the occupants.

If you going into a flooded home, that has had standing water for a week

and you can see visible mold on large areas, it might be a different

question.

I have samples hundreds of homes and I can count on one hand the homes

where the total spore levels exceeded 65,000 m3. You can find this

level in the outside air in the summer time.

On the other hand questions regarding mycotoxins, different species,

etc. can make a difference. I find aspergillus especially irritating.

So it goes back to personal choice and sensitivity.

The asbestos regulations requirement for a respirator for inspectors is

not based on any real risk or scientific study. It was just some

bureaucrat writing laws with no occupational hygiene or scientific

knowledge.

The epidemiology on workers who have developed asbestos disease shows (

in both the US and other countries) that only insulation workers and

other workers with long term high level exposure (asbestos product

manufacturers) developed some disease. No kids who were exposed to

asbestos in schools ever developed disease. No roofers who were exposed

to asbestos in roofing products ever developed disease. No floor tile

workers ever developed disease.

The EPA now admits that only long term exposure to high levels (many

times the OSHA exposure limit) will cause disease.

Further the EPA also now agrees with other countries in the world that

asbestos fiber less the 5 microns in length ARE NOT A HEALTH HAZARD.

ANY ONE CARE TO FIGURE HOW Many Billions of dollars OUR SCHOOLS HAVE

WASTED ON REMOVING ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE that should have been used to

educate children?

BOB

[Guest guest]

Here is some personal experience:

In San , in August, it can be very hot and often humid as well. I

was inspecting a very contaminated residence today and planning to cut

into several walls to inspect wall cavities. I rarely use a respirator,

but I decided to use an N95 today. Unfortunately, the work was so hot

and I was perspiring so heavily that the water was blinding the

respirator. I just couldn't get enough air through it. I decided I was

better off without the respirator. When I took it off I poured water out

of it. I finished quickly to reduce my exposure. Luckily I have never

noticed any significant effects from inspecting moldy buildings, but I

sure need something better than the N95 in the future. I have had

similar experiences previously while in attics and crawl spaces, but

today's experience was significantly worse. I have a new realization of

the difficulty of working in a hot/humid environment with a disposable

respirator.

Don Schaezler, Ph.D., P.E., CIH

Cibolo, Texas

[Guest guest]

Don,

Did you respirator have an exhalation valve? These valves are designed

to help vent water vapor exhaled from the lungs. It is very critical in

humid environments especially since condensed water vapor will make it

much more difficult to breath through the filter media.

Bob

[Guest guest]

Don,

I have had similar problems. I use an MSA Full face respirator with

P100 cartridges with protection agianst OVs and acid gasses.

My " opinion " is to wear a full face if anything better than a

disposable N-95 with protection against OVs is necessary. I hope

this will provoke thought rather than encite a riot.

Here's is my reasoning no matter how much it may be flawed. If you

need a fitted respirator then your eyes are in far more danger. Ask

anyone who does EPA toxicity testing of pesticides. Also, safety

goggles are a joke. They fill the OSHA safety square but, create

higher labor costs since the workers are blind from fog. This also

creates unsafe work practices while blindly following " alledged "

safety rules.

I have PAPR. They work great unless you are doing physical work. The

facepiece gets fogged easily with heavy breathing since they have one

speed for the fan motor to introduce air.

I have had the same problems with moisture accumulating in my MSA

negative air pressure mask. My exhalation valve works great. The

excess water is sweat from my face. Working in hot and humid

environments makes you have to tighten your mask every 5 to ten

minutes to keep a good seal. I don't let workers go for more than 45

minutes in this environment with out a 15 minute break to clean their

masks and get some water and air.

So my rules are easy to follow. If you are dispersing any dust

(gypsum, concrete, mold bacteria and/or allergens), you should be

wearing a fullface respirator. You can mist the air and get it very

clean so the workers can wear disposable N95 respirators while they

are damp wiping and HEPA vacuuming. Also, it you are misting

anything like a biocide or saopy water, you should be wearing a full

face respirator. PAPR works well for this since this is not very

physical.

While the researchers with the CDC/NIOSH are well intentioned, I

think they need to look at how effective half face respirators are

ehen wearing safety goggles. They should check for eye damage at the

same time. We work in a synergistic world and our rules should be

based on synergistic studies.

The IICRC and anyone else who wants to write standards should make

every person who contributes work in this type of environment for a

full 40 hour week in a hot, humid environment and pass a real post

test. Until they do this, I will continue to ignore. It is readily

apparent when you read the book that they did not think this through

in practice. There is scientific theory and there is applied

science. The S520 is not applied science since it is disjointed,

dicombobulated and need of help getting out of the crib since it is a

living document.

I think the NYC guidelines is still the best document given it's

simplicity and room for judgement. I would only change one thing.

make it 3 levels similar to the ACGIH positions. Containment could

then be stated as: no containment, limited containment with poly

sealed doorways and full containment with airlocks.

Don't kill the messenger.

Regards,

Greg Weatherman

Aerobiological Solutions Inc.

Arlington VA 22202

gw@...

*************************************************

> Here is some personal experience:

> In San , in August, it can be very hot and often humid as

well. I

> was inspecting a very contaminated residence today and planning to

cut

> into several walls to inspect wall cavities. I rarely use a

respirator,

> but I decided to use an N95 today. Unfortunately, the work was so

hot

> and I was perspiring so heavily that the water was blinding the

> respirator. I just couldn't get enough air through it. I decided I

was

> better off without the respirator. When I took it off I poured

water out

> of it. I finished quickly to reduce my exposure. Luckily I have

never

> noticed any significant effects from inspecting moldy buildings,

but I

> sure need something better than the N95 in the future. I have had

> similar experiences previously while in attics and crawl spaces,

but

> today's experience was significantly worse. I have a new

realization of

> the difficulty of working in a hot/humid environment with a

disposable

> respirator.

> Don Schaezler, Ph.D., P.E., CIH

> Cibolo, Texas