"Because of the way it collects other pollutants, particularly sulfate that is originated from power plants, soot can have much larger effects on visibility and cloud formation," says TAMU Professor Renyi Zhang, adding that it also can result in significant breathing problems for people because particles can be deposited on human lungs.
Respiratory protection is a complex topic.One of the more vague elements of it is making sure the employee really understands the training provided so that he/she can use the respirator as designed for personal protection.
It used to be that bird infestations were frustrating simply because they forced facility managers to waste money cleaning up after a renewable source of mess. Today, we have to deal with the threat of lawsuits, as well as the day-to-day expense of bird infestation problems.
Heat stress can be a major concern in workplace environments, potentially causing irritability, low morale, absenteeism, shortcuts in procedures, and unsafe behavior. In extreme cases, heat stress, in the form of heat stroke, can be fatal. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the years 2003-2005 indicate an average of 31 worker deaths annually from exposure to “environmental heat.”
Results from the one-day event will lead to a better understanding of how future research can encourage ongoing development of better-fitting respirators without compromising long-term protection, NIOSH said.
"Our big take-home message is, wear self-contained breathing apparatus during all phases of firefighting," said co-author Suzanne Snedeker. "Put on the gear before arriving at a fire and don't take it off until the operation or inspection is completed, even during fire inspections conducted days later when chemicals can still outgas from charred remains."
About 4,200 units of the Sperian Warrior SCBA, shown here, will be shipped to fire departments in the Los Angeles County area in the next 10 months, the company announced today.
EPA has released the final "Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen—Health Criteria," the agency's latest evaluation of the scientific literature on the potential adverse human health effects resulting from exposures to oxides of nitrogen, particularly nitrogen dioxide. There are significant new health data, particularly epidemiological studies, since the last scientific review document released in 1993.
Among the new requirements up for discussion, fumigant registrants will have to adopt more stringent worker protection measures and develop training for fumigation handlers and workers to enhance their knowledge and skills and to promote product stewardship.
Tugboats, which operate within ports in populated areas, are emitting large amounts of black carbon particles, said the researchers, who warn that growth of shipping could speed arctic climate change.
The findings are in contrast to some human emergency responders who worked at the World Trade Center site, possibly due to differences between human and animal airways and differences in lung defense mechanisms, a new study concludes.
The document is intended to address scientific uncertainties about occupational exposure and toxicity issues related to asbestos fibers and other elongated mineral particles.
A blotch of black, gray, white, red, orange, yellow, blue, or violet fuzzy or slimy growth is usually the result of widespread mold growth. Besides infection and allergic reactions, excessive mold growth indoors can result in offensive, musty odors from the gases released by certain molds as they grow and die.
Olympic travelers should worry less about exotic diseases, and instead focus on preventing more mundane health problems like respiratory illness and dog bites, according to a new study by experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the GeoSentinel Surveillance Network, which found that during the past 10 years dog bites were actually one of the more common health problems travelers face when visiting China. Other common ailments were respiratory infections, skin problems, injuries, and diarrhea.
This action affects only area source gasoline dispensing facilities with a monthly throughput of 100,000 gallons of gasoline or more.
Hospitals are finding that increasing numbers of adults who are admitted to the hospital for other conditions also have asthma, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Currently, no single personal protective ensemble can protect the wearer from exposure to all hazards.
The Indoor Air Quality Association installed newly elected directors and officers at its 11th Annual Meeting & Exposition held last week in Tampa, Fla.
EPA has not decided how to use all the authorities or tools available to it to achieve the Act's goals, and, meanwhile, it has not been reporting program results in relation to homes at risk in its performance reporting.
The director of a medical monitoring program for non-NYC responders to the 9/11 attacks said both respiratory and psychological symptoms have not lessened.