Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/1088111
Healthy Indoors | 41 "is this a safe level" or "am I safe?" We can measure the concentration and compare it to one of the many limits or guidelines (and good luck figuring out which apply to the specific situation, but that's for another time). That will give us an idea how much risk of health effects we're dealing with. But most of these exposure limits or recommenda- tions are for healthy adults. What if we're applying this to a child or someone with a chronic condition or compromised immune system? And if the concentration is below the lim- it, does that mean there will be no effects, or could there be some minor symptoms such as respiratory irritation? And what about the concentration that was measured, is that typical or was there something going on at the time of the measurement that might cause the concentration to be higher or lower than normal? How much time does that person spend in that environment? Are there other places where the exposure level might be different? These more nebulous factors take what initially was fairly straightforward – is the concentration going to cause harm, i.e., is it safe – to a much more complicated answer. Now, add all the other VOCs, typically several hundred, as well as gases like carbon dioxide, dust, mold spores and allergens, to name just a few of the contributors to indoor air quality. Can we ever really say there is no possibility of harm due to the air quality, that we're "safe?" So, "safe" in a practical sense is really the amount of risk a person accepts as normal or tolerable. Something to consider the next time someone asks, "is this safe." Dr. Alice Delia is the Laboratory Director at Prism Analytical Technologies. In addition to her responsibilities for maintain- ing and expanding Prism's high-quality services, Dr. Delia is leading the development of several initiatives to expand overall understanding of various aspects of indoor air quality from consumer to air quality professionals. She spearhead- ed the development of a test for VOC indicators in tobacco smoke in 2012 and the first commercial test for chemical fire and smoke indicators in 2014. She has also attended many conferences and has de- livered over 20 presentations in the last 7 years, including several webinars. In addition, Dr. Delia has produced articles for various trade publications as well as white papers, application notes, and other industry-relevant works. In 2017, Dr. Delia became a member of the IAQA Board of Directors and she chairs the IAQA annual meeting con- vention committee.