Bay Area Air Quality Among Worst In Nation As an industrial hygienist it came as a surprise that the American Lung Association recently ranked Bay Area air quality among worst in nation for air pollution and particulates. Unhealthy levels of pollution were found in numerous parts of the country, but the San Francisco Bay Area

New OSHA Silica Testing Requirement in Effect OSHA has issued two standards (“rules”) to minimize exposure to respirable crystalline silica. One rule applies to construction trades, and the other for general industry and maritime workplaces. This blog focuses on the new OSHA Silica Testing requirements for the construction industry. September 23, 2017, kicked off enforcement for most

Dust and Smoke From Fires Far more people have been impacted by dust and smoke than fires themselves. If you were directly impacted by fires you should read Cleaning After Fire. For others in the region who have been more directly impacted by dust and smoke from fires, please consider these tips to minimize health

Cleaning After Fire The October 2017 California Fires in Northern California were devastating. Northern California will be dealing with the death and destruction of recent wildfires for years.  The immediate life-safety concerns about fire are obvious and frightening, but what many don’t realize is that returning to fire damaged buildings is also hazardous. Cleaning after

LEEDv4 IAQ Testing Requirements Industrial hygienists across the US have been watching the USGBC as they’ve updated the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing Credit for Post-Construction. LEEDv4 IAQ Testing requirements have changed since LEEDv2009. Many health and healthy building advocates hoped they would lower the allowable levels of formaldehyde, but due to industry uproar that did

Indoor Air Pollution Near Busy Roads Freeways and other busy roads are sources of elevated auto emissions and Indoor Air Pollution. These emissions can be harmful to human health for both people on the roads and people working, walking, and living nearby. Nearly 20% of the United States population lives near a high volume road,

“Stealth” Power Meters: Analog Meters with Hidden Transmitters A client had recently shared their experiences recently regarding a Stealth Power Meter that had been installed on their home. The following has been anonymized: We had opted out of the smart meter program about a year ago.  The Electric Company had come out and swapped in

Spring – The Perfect Season for an Environmental Building Inspection Since I have relocated back to the Bay Area, I have to say that I miss the full Four Seasons of Oregon. Maybe I don’t really miss the hard deep freeze of winters, nor the asphalt-bubbling heat waves of late July, but I do miss

Magnetic Field Guidelines for the New Home  EMF is a broad umbrella term encompassing many aspects of electromagnetic issues that can affect human health. Subcatagories of EMF issues include RF Radiation (also known as ElectroMagnetic Radiation [EMR]), Interior/Exterior Magnetic Fields, Interior/ Exterior Electric Fields, Transient Voltage Fluctuations (also known as Dirty Electricity or ElectroMagnetic Interference

Lumber Liquidators Formaldehyde Testing A recent investigative journalist story exposed Lumber Liquidators formaldehyde testing and revealed a rather unfortunate tale that may affect hundreds of thousands of homes across the US. During active Federal investigations for suspicion of using illegally harvested lumber from Russia, it turns out one of the largest flooring distributors in the US