Health hazard evaluation report HETA 83-306-1548, Scholastic, Inc. , New York, New York

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6048306

Fannick, N

General air samples were analyzed for organic solvents at Scholastic, Incorporated (SIC-2731), New York, New York in June, 1983 and July and September, 1984. The survey was requested by an employee representative due to concern about air quality in the office and intermittent eye and respiratory infections among the workers. The ventilation system was inspected. Forty employees were interviewed. Trace amounts of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (71556), cyclohexane (110827), hexane (110543), and toluene (108883) were found. The major complaints of the employees concerned stuffiness and lack of air. The ventilation system was found to be unbalanced, with the result that several offices received an insufficient quantity of fresh air. The author concludes that the traces of organic compounds found originated from commercial cleaning products and did not present a hazard to the office employees. The employees complaints are probably related to an inadequate supply of fresh air in several areas of the office. A ventilation engineer should be employed to return the ventilation system to its design criteria.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6048306
• Report Number(s): PB-86-105533/XAB; HETA-83-306-1548
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560306 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
AIR QUALITY
ALKANES
ALKYLATED AROMATICS
AROMATICS
BUILDINGS
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HEXANE
HYDROCARBONS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
POLLUTION
SAFETY
SOLVENTS
SPACE HVAC SYSTEMS
TOLUENE
TOXICITY
VENTILATION