IAQ Building 6 Basement

transcript

Initial Request To environment@mit.eduJanuary 3, 2012

Hi, I would like an Indoor Air Quality assessment performed for rooms 6-022 and 6-031, with specific attention paid to mold levels. 6-022 is an office, and 6-031 is an associated lab space. Thanks,

Industrial Hygiene RespondsJanuary 9, 2012

• Mold sampling conducted• Noted very dusty conditions and recommend

a thorough cleaning• Notice the supply air vents are blocked with

Plexiglas• Decided to come back with the IAQ Meter to

take further measurements (CO2, CO, Temperature, humidity)

Industrial Hygiene RespondsJanuary 9, 2012

• Industrial Hygiene notifies the EHS Coordinator of the complaint and the blocked supply vents.

• EHS Coordinator determines multiple work-orders were placed by the group to have the heat fixed. Works with the Facilities and Security Supervisor for Chemistry to more actively engage Facilities about the problem.

January 6 Mold Sampling

Table 1: Jan 6, 2012 Culturable Mold Sampling

Location Colony Forming Units (CFU) per cubic meter of air.

Culturable species % of Control

6-022 110 CFM/m3 Heterogeneous mixture of species. 550%

6-031 5 CFU/m3 Heterogeneous mixture of species. 25%

Outdoor Control 20 CFU/m3

Heterogeneous mixture of species. N/A

January 11 to 20 CO2

Figure 1: CO2 Levels 6-0221/11/2012-1/20/2012

Jan 11 to 20 Temperature

Figure 2: Temperature in Rom 6-0221/11/2012-1/20/2012

Shaded area=recommended range

Jan 11 to Jan 20 RH

Figure 3: Relative humidity in 6-0221/11/2012-1/20/2012 Shaded

area=recommended range

Symptoms (In Last 6 Months)

• Fatigue• 1 case of pneumonia• Headaches• Nose bleeds• Vertigo

Supply Air Vents

• All room vents blocked

• Reheat coils not functioning

• Cold air blowing on students

• Multiple work-orders placed by the group to have the heat fixed

Supply Air Vents

• Work-orders placed on: 9/28/1010/6/104/22/11

• Does not include “repeated phone calls”• On 4/27/11 the student decides he is not having

success with the work-order process and finds a Facilities Comments form on the web and submits another request.

Supply Air Vents

• Facilities technician informs group that reheat coils cannot be fixed.

• Facilities suggests as a solution they can cover over the supply vent blowing on the student.

Supply Air Vents

• Reheat Coils Fixed• Vents Unblocked On

or Around January 23rd

January 26 Mold Sampling

Table 1: Jan 26, 2012 Culturable Mold Sampling

Location Colony Forming Units (CFU) per cubic meter of air. Species

6-022 (1) 5 CFM/m3 Heterogeneous mixture of species.

6-022 (back) 5 CFU/m3 Heterogeneous mixture of species

6-021 0 CFU/m3 NA

Hallway 0 CFU/m3 NA

Stairwell 30 CFU/m3 Heterogeneous mixture of species

Outdoor 50 CFU/m3 Heterogeneous mixture of species

February 2nd

• Industrial Hygiene revisits the space to assess the air using the IAQ meter.

February 2 to February 9

Figure 1: CO2 Levels in 6-0222/2/12-2/9/12

Shadedarea=reccomended range

Figure 2: Temperature Levels in 6-0222/2/12-2/9/12

shadedarea=reccomended range

FIgure 3: RH in % in 6-0222/2/12-2/9/12

shaded area=reccomended range

MIT Medical

• Industrial Hygiene contacts MIT Medical on February 6 to inform Dr. David Diamond of group members suffering from adverse medical conditions that they believe are related to the office space 6-022

• On February 13, Dr. Diamond visits the space and talks with some of the occupants.

Action Taken

• It is recommended to seal up a trough in the floor that may be prone to flooding (and consequently prone to mold growth)

• Biosafety conducts another round of mold sampling on that day

• Biosafety submits a work order to Facilities to have the fan coil units checked to ensure they are not clogged, moldy, etc.

Fan Coil Units

• Facilities reported the fan coil units had not been put on a PM schedule and were not being serviced.

• New filters installed.

February 13

1BLocation Colony Forming Units (CFU) per cubic meter of air. 0BSpecies

6-022 kitchen 0 CFM/m3 NA

6-022a 0 CFU/m3 NA

6-022b near window 0 CFU/m3 NA

6-022b center 0 CFU/m3 NA

6-basement adjacent stairwell

5 CFU/m3 Aspergillus fumigatus

6-122 upstairs hallway 10 CFU/m3

Aspergillus niger

Actions Taken

• Gone from essentially no air flow to fresh supply air entering the space, and significantly lower CO2 levels.

• Established that there is no mold problem• Had the fan coil units serviced and put on a regular

PM, so room temperature can be maintained.• Also loaned the group a HEPA filter unit• Informal visits indicated that the original students

that complained felt like the air was better

April 2, 2012

• Two new lab group member emails EHS members involved and complain of being “more fatigued than usual”.

• On April 3 we meet with the group members and conduct another round of air sampling with the IAQ meter and another round of mold sampling.

April 3 Mold Sampling

1BLocation Colony Forming Units (CFU) per cubic meter of air.

Species

6-022 kitchen 5 CFM/m3 Lecythophora

6-022a 0 CFU/m3 N/A

6-022b near window 5 CFU/m3 Cladosporium

6-022b near hall 10 CFU/m3 Aspergillus,

Verticillium Outdoor control 10 CFU/m3 Aspergillus

6-122 Hallway control

15 CFU/m3 Heterogeneous species

April 3 to April 4

Shaded area=recommendrange

CO2 Levels in 6-0223 April 2012 to 4 April 2012

April 3 to April 4

Temperature in 6-0223 April 2012 to 4 April 2012

shaded area=recommended range

April 3 to April 4

1015202530354045505560

Relative Humidity in % in 6-0223 April 2012 to 4 April 2012

shaded area=reccomended range

April 4

• The Facilities and Security Supervisor for Chemistry is asked to arrange with Facilities to have the volume of supply air tested.

April 8, Students Meet with Dean For Graduate Education

• 4 people report chronic fatigue, balance impairment, vertigo, CNS infections, pneumonia, sinus infections

• “Went unreported by EHS, despite air quality complaint SOP mandating reporting of this to MIT Medical”

• “Students notifying occupational health themselves”• “Months without any response to health concerns”• “Randomly removing air filters; high mold levels led to

mandatory HEPA filter installations, residual flooding”• “No tests or quantification of mold levels, allergens, air

quality, despite repeated requests”

Air Flow in Basement

Room No. Set Point Actual6-022 120 cfm 140 cfm

6-022B 320 cfm 130 cfm6-026 280 cfm 426 cfm6-030 160 cfm 152 cfm

SUPPLY AIR

Ongoing Issues

• Complaints of rust in the water led to a request to have the water tested…

• A second round of water testing involving glycols…

Lessons Learned

• Make sure researchers know who to contact if they are having trouble getting facilities to fix something.

• At the first report of “medical issues” refer to MIT Medical, and give MIT Medical a heads-up

• Communication is key!!!

IAQ Building 6 Basement

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