Hazard Assessment of Indoor Air Quality in Fire Damaged Buildings
Publication: Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 4, Issue 3
Abstract
The potential presence of indoor air pollutants in fire damaged buildings, stemming primarily from fire soot deposits, raises major concerns in relation to potential long-term health impacts on building occupants. Litigation claims often occur as a result of perceived ineffective remedial activities and the potential hazards of indoor air quality after the remediation is completed. This paper describes environmental remediation activities at an office building in the China Basin district of the city of San Francisco following a fire accident at a nearby wharf, which severely damaged the building. Based on an air quality sampling and chemical analysis program, a health-based hazard assessment was conducted to evaluate the health effects of indoor air quality on building occupants. The hazard assessment consisted of identification of indoor air pollutants and exposure pathways, and the quantification of exposure. The results of the exposure assessment are combined with chemical-specific toxicity information to characterize the potential health hazards at fire damaged buildings.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
California code of regulations. (1992). Section 5155, General Industry Safety Orders.
2.
Code of federal regulations. (1991). OSHA Final Rule 29, 1910.1000.
3.
Exposure factors handbook. (1989). Office of Health and Environmental Assessment, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.
4.
Health effects assessment summary tables. (1991). Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
5.
Integrated risk information system (IRIS). (1992). Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, D.C.
6.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). ( 1990). Guide to chemical hazards, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.
7.
Risk assessment guidance for superfund. (1989). Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Management
Volume 4 • Issue 3 • July 2000
Pages: 99 - 104
History
Received: Aug 13, 1999
Published online: Jul 1, 2000
Published in print: Jul 2000
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.