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1999-01-26William T. Burke III, R.S., C.H.O. Director of Public Health BOARD OF HEALTH 90 COLON STREET BEVERLY, MASSACHUSE'I'FS 01915 Telephone (978) 921-8591 Fax (978) 922-5695 TO: FROM: DATE: The Honorable William F. Scanlon, Jr. Mayor Director of Public Health January 26, 1999 SUBJECT: Bureau of Environmental Health Assessment (BEHA) - McKay School Indoor Air Assessment Enclosed, for your information, is a copy of the report by Cory Holmes, Environmental Analysts from BEHA regarding the December 4, 1998 indoor air assessment at the aforementioned school. Kindly contact me if you have any questions regarding this matter. W.B. jab cc Thomas Scully, Director of Community Services 'L.cL.c-PE9 (L [9) m sn lied ol ~zJ i~j ~seaid 'Jml~tu s!ql u! D:3tll~ls!ssl~ .i~L[I.IIIJ ...Jo ~q ue~ ~ j! Jo Uod~ ~ttl ~,u!pJ~Z~j suo.Us~nb ~iue aAetI noX iI · stuolqoJd osoql Da-uoa ol ~xoq uo O3t. ApH .toJ uOI.:DoS suo.tmpuottrcuo3~J aql ol Jajaz asuald .pox. j!~uap[ stualqoad ajokx a~aql Ieq~ s~xoqs Uodaa 866 [ '0i5/dentmf HgNOIS$11tIffilOO H,'IIt4 '(314'4 'HOH 'H 0~V~OH AHV::I'I,O 'O INVITIlM IOOfiT=IO l~Vd O':IDHV BOAP, D OF HEALTH BEVERLY. M~5S~ INDOOR AIR QUALITY ASSESSMENT McKay Elementary School Beverly, Massachusetts Prepared by: MassachuseRsDepartment ofPublicHealth Bureau ofEnvironmentalHealthAssessment January, 1999 Background/Introduction At the request of a parent, the Bureau of Environmental Health Assessment (BEHA) was asked to provide assistance and consultation regarding indoor air quality issues and health concems at the McKay Elementary School in Beverly Massachusetts. On December 4, 1998 a visit was made to this school by Cory Holmes, Environmental Analyst, of BEHA's Emergency Response/Indoor Air Quality Program. Mr. Holmes was accompanied for portions of the inspection by Bill Burke, Director, Beverly Health Department and Richard Burnham, Head Custodian. This request was prompted by indoor air quality issues concerning renovations in the school. At the time of the assessment, students and faculty from the Ayers Ryal Side Elementary school had been temporarily relocated to the McKay school while the Ayers Ryal Side school ~-as undergoing renovations. Renovations of the McKay school were originally scheduled to be completed during the slimmer of 1998. Renovations at the McKay school have had to be continued during the current school year. The school is a three-story red brick building, built in 1909. As mentioned previously, the school was undergoing renovations at the time of the assessment. including a new roof, brickwork and new windows. The second and third floors contain general classrooms. The first floor contains the main office, nurse's office, several classrooms and several specialty rooms. Located on the basement level are the cafeteria/auditorium, general classrooms, boiler room and the L/D resource room. Methods Air tests for carbon dioxide were taken with the Telaire, Carbon Dioxide Monitor and tests for temperature and relative humidity were taken with the Mannix, TH Pen PTH8709 Thermo-Hygrometer. Results This school has a student population of 300 and a staffof approximately 35. The tests were taken under normal operating conditions, Test results appear in Tables 1-3. Discussion It can be seen from the tables that carbon dioxide levels were elevated above the comfort guidelines set by the BEHA (i.e., 800 ppm) in thirteen of the fourteen areas surveyed, which is indicative of an overall ventilation problem in this school. Ventilation This building does not have a modern mechanical ventilation system, but uses a gravity/natural ventilation system to provide airflow to most classrooms in combination with openable windows. The exception is two new basement classrooms in which mechanical ventilation is being installed. Mechanical ventilation for these rooms will be provided by a ducted exhaust and unit ventilator (univent) system. At the time of the assessment only the exhaust ventilation had been installed. In the majority of classrooms, ventilation is provided by a series of louvered vents. Each classroom has an approximately Y x 3' grated air vent, on an interior wall near the ceiling, which is connected by an airshaft to the school boiler. Noted in classrooms throughout the school were window shades that had been cut and mounted to cover these warm air vents, apparently to cut down on drafts into the classroom. These vents were originally designed with pull-chains connected to louvers, which adjust the airflow. Therefore, these shades may not be necessary and may actually serve to block warm-fresh air from entering classrooms. A corresponding 3' x 3' vent exists in each room near the classroom doorways that is connected to an exhaust ventilation shaft that runs through the roof to the basement. These exhaust ventilation shafts are connected by basement passageways to the back of the building. The building has two of these shafts on either side. Classrooms were constructed around these shafts to provide exhaust ventilation. Each of these ventilation shafts exists on either side of the school, and terminates in a "hearth"-like opening in the basement. Air movement is provided by the stack effect. The heating elements warm the air, which rises up the warm air ventilation shafts. As the heated air rises, negative pressure is created, which draws cold air from the basement area into the heating elements. This system is designed to draw air from two sources in the basement: fresh air from an openable window on the exterior wall of the building and return air from the exhaust ventilation shafts. These sources of air mix in the basement prior to being drawn into the heating elements. These mixing areas are located in small ventilation rooms, currently being used for storage, located in basement classrooms. The percentage of fresh air to return air is controlled by the amount the window is opened to limit fresh air intake. Fresh air in winter is supplied throughout the building by the warm air vents. In addition, airtight doors to these ventilation rooms should be replaced to restore the intended function of the roon~. Lastly, the windows located in the ventilation rooms that provide fresh air in the basement were shut. 4 Exhaust ventilation is provided by cool air vents. As the heating elements draw air into the warm air ducts, return air is drawn from the "hearths" at the bottom of the exhaust ventilation shafts. Negative pressure is created in these shafts, which in turn draws air into the cool air vents of each classroom. The draw of air into these cool air vents is controlled by a draw chain pulley system. A percentage of return air rises up the ventilation shaft to exhaust outdoors. It was noted that this portion of the ventilation system had been deactivated due to renovation concerns. In order to avoid the entrainment of construction materials into · classrooms via the exhaust vents, these vents were covered with plywood in each of the classrooms. Once renovations are complete, it is recommended that these vents be reopened in order to restore the natural/gravity ventilation system to ~vorking order. In addition, the control mechanisms for this natural ventilation system should be inspected for function. Once the heating system is shut down, ventilation within the building is controlled by use ofopenable windows in classrooms. The exception, again are the new basement classrooms which will be outfitted with mechanical ventilation. The Massachusetts Building Code requires a minimum mechanical ventilation rate of 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) per occupant of fresh outside air or have openable windows in each room. The ventilation must be on at all times that the room is occupied. Providing adequate flesh air ventilation with open windows and maintaining the temperature in the comfort range during the cold weather season is impractical. Mechanical ventilation is usually required to provide adequate fresh air ventilation. Carbon dioxide is not a problem in and of itself. It is used as an indicator of the adequacy of the fresh air ventilation. As carbon dioxide levels rise, it indicates that the ventilating system is malfunctioning or the design occupancy of the room is being exceeded. When this happens a buildup of common indoor air pollutants can occur, leading to discomfort or health complaints. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard for carbon dioxide is 5,000 parts per million parts of air (ppm). Workers may be exposed to this level for 40 hours/week. The Department of Public Health uses a guideline of 800 ppm for publicly occupied buildings. A guideline of 600 ppm or less is preferred in schools due to the fact that the majority of occupants are young and considered to be a more sensitive population in the evaluation of environmental health status. Inadequate ventilation and/or elevated temperatures are major causes of complaints such as respiratory, eye, nose and throat irritation, lethargy and headaches. Microbial Concerns A number of rooms had water-damaged ceiling plaster and ceiling tiles, which are evidence of roof or plumbing leaks. Water-damaged materials can provide a source of mold and mildew growth and should be replaced after a water leak is discovered and repaired. Several classrooms also had a number of plants. Plant soil and drip pans can serve as source of mold growth. Plants should also be located away from univents. Classroom 11 has had a history of water leaks and wet carpeting. A musty odor ~vas detected in this room which may be from the carpet. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recommends that carpeting be dried with fans and heating within 24 hours of becoming wet (ACGIH, 1989). If carpets are not dried within this time frame, mold growth may occur. Water-damaged carpeting cannot be adequately cleaned to remove mold gro~vth. Renovations At the time of the assessment renovations were almost complete. Renovation activities to be completed included; roof trim, minor masonry work and the installation of windows to a few remaining areas of the school. The school planned to have windows replaced in all classrooms. According to school personnel, while windows were being replaced, students were temporarily relocated. Areas around windows in classrooms were double sealed with plastic sheeting and duct tape to prevent dust and renovation debris from entering the classroom. Old windows were then removed, new frames were put in and glass was installed. Classrooms were reportedly given two days for caulking materials to ct/re before classrooms were reoccupied. During the assessment a chemical odor was noted in classroom 2, which was occupied at the time. The odor was determined to be from caulking materials, which had not enough time to cure. As a precaution, the students were removed from the classroom and relocated. BEHA staff also recommended that the classroom be closed, and that exhaust fans be put in the windows to create negative pressure in the classroom. It was also recommended that care be taken to ensure surrounding ~vindows be shut to prevent the entrainment of these odors into other areas of the building. Since the assessment was conducted on a Friday morning, it is presumed that this would allow ample time for .. materials to cure and odors to disseminate. Since there is no mechanical ventilation system, care must be given to prevent renovation pollutants from migrating into classrooms. The Material Safety Data Sheets for the caulking products used by the contractor contain VOCs (Dow Coming, 1998), which can readily evaporate into the interior environment during drying. Exposure to VOCs can be irritating to the eyes, nose and respiratory tract. Local mechanical exhaust ventilation, sealing of classrooms in occupied areas and allowing ample time for VOCs to off-gas and dissipate is recommended. Also noted were a number of mechanical lifts being used outside the building. It is recommended that engines for this machinery only be operated as needed and not allowed to idle for long periods of time. The idling of machinery or other construction vehicles can lead to the entrainmerit of vehicle exhaust into the building via the ventilation system or open windows Other Concerns The cafeteria/auditorium and the L/D resource room contained exposed fiberglass insulation. Fiberglass insulation can be a source of skin, eye and respiratory irritation to certain sensitive individuals. Combination classroom 6 & 7 had holes in the wall to allow for pipe penetration. Ms. Glasser's classroom was separated from the boiler room by an incomplete wall. Holes and spaces in ceilings and walls are breaches of the building envelope and provide a means of egress for odors, fumes, dusts and vapors. As mentioned previously, the ventilation rooms in basement classrooms which serve as mixing plenums for the natural ventilation system have no doors installed and are being used for storage. Materials stored in the ventilation shaft areas or used in the adjacent classrooms can be drawn in by the natural ventilation system to be distributed into other areas of the building. In new basement classroom # 1, an abandoned drain trap was observed. If not properly sealed, sewer gas can bypass a dry drain trap into the room causing nuisance odors. Conclusions/Recommendations Renovations: In order to minimize building occupant exposure to construction materials during renovations the following recommendations should be followed: 1. Establish communications between all parties involved with school renovations to prevent potential IAQ problems. Develop a forum for occupants to express concerns about renovations as well as a program to resolve IAQ issues. 2. When possible, schedule projects which produce large amounts of dusts, odors and emissions during periods when the building is unoccupied or at least during periods of low occupancy. Disseminate scheduling itinerary to all affected parties. This can be done in the form of meetings, newsletter or weekly bulletin. 3. Obtain MSDS' for all construction materials used during renovations and keep them in an area that is accessible to all individuals during periods of school operation. 4. Consult MSDS' for any material applied to the effected area during renovation including any sealant, carpet adhesive, tile mastic, flooring materials and glue. Provide proper ventilation and allow sufficient curing time as per the manufactures instructions concerning these materials. 5. Use local exhaust ventilation and isolation techniques to control renovation pollutants. Precautions should be taken to ax'oid the re-entrainment of these materials into the schooFs ventilation system. The design of each system must be assessed to determine how it may be impacted by renovation activities. This may entail shutting down systems during periods of heavy construction and demolition, ensuring systems are isolated from contaminated environments, sealing ventilation openings with plastic and utilizing filters with a higher dust spot efficiency (SMACNA, 1995). If possible, relocate susceptible persons and those with pre-existing medical conditions (i.e. hypersensitivity, asthma) away from areas of renovations. An on-ongoing, scrupulous housekeeping regimen to reduce dirt, dust and other common irritants should be implemented. This may include constructing barriers, sealing off areas, and using high efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) equipped vacuum cleaners in conjunction with wet wiping to control for dusts. General Indoor Air Quality: In view of the findings at the time of the inspection, the following recommendations are made to improve general indoor air quality: Repair the warm air and cool air pulley chain/louver door system to provide ventilation in this building as designed. Remove window shades mounted in front of air vents. Upon completion of renovations, restore the building' s vent system to improve air movement, which would consist of removal of plywood from exhaust vents in classrooms and the use of radiators located in ventilation shafts. Regulate airflow in these classrooms with the use of the gravity/natural ventilation system louvers and windows in ventilation rooms to control for comfort. Remove stored items in ventilation rooms. Install airtight doors to the entrance of ventilation shaft areas to prevent entrainment of odors from classroom activities by the natural ventilation system. 10 If restoration does not provide adequate comfort control, consider contacting a. ventilation-engineering tinn. Continue with roof replacement, monitor for leaks and replace any remaining water- stained ceiling files and/or plaster. Examine area above these tiles for mold growth. Disinfect areas of water leaks with an appropriate antimicrobial. Inspect carpeting in classroom 11 for mold growth. Remove carpeting if moldy. Disinfect areas of floor underneath water-damaged carpeting with an appropriate antimicrobial. Examine drip pans of plants for mold growth. Disinfect with an appropriate antimicrobial where necessary. Seal utility holes throughout the school and spaces in the wall separating the boiler room from Mrs. Glasser's classroom, to avoid the migration of odors, fumes and vapors into adjacent areas. Replace damaged pipe insulation to prevent the distribution of fiberglass into classroom air. If not functional, ensure floor drain in new classroom # 1 is properly sealed to prevent the back up of sewer gas. 11 References ACGIH. 1989. Guidelines for the Assessment of Bioaerosols in the Indoor Environment. American Conference of Govemmental Industrial Hygienists, Cincinnati, OH. Dow Coming Corporation. 1998. Material Safety Data Sheet. 790 Silicon Building Sealant, Natural Stone. T.L. Webb. OSHA. 1997. Limits for Air Contaminants. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Code of Federal Regulations. 29 C.F.R 1910.1000 Table Z-1-A. SBBRS. 1997. Mechanical Ventilation. State Board of Building Regulations and Standards. Code of Massachusetts Regulations. 780 CMR 1209.0 SMACNA. 1995. IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction. 1~ ed. Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association, Inc, Chantilly, VA. 12 TABLE1 Indoor Air Test Results - McKay Elementary School - Beverly - December 4, 1998 Remarks Carbon Temp. Relative Occupants Windows Ventilation Dioxide oF Humidity in Room Openable Intake Exhaust ~ppm % Outside 383 76 24 (Background) Room # 9 890 79 28 22 Yes Yes Yes Room # 5 805 79 27 20 Yes Yes Yes Room # 10 1049 80 27 20 Yes Yes Yes Room# 1l 1455 77 31 22 Yes Yes Yes Room # 12 1123 76 3 l 0 Yes Yes Yes Room # 2 1370 77 30 18 Yes Yes Yes Room # 4 912 77 34 21 Yes Yes Yes Remarks Exhaust closed, windows open and partially plastic covered, wall cracks comer of wall/ceiling Water-damaged windows/caulking broken, open, 4 plants, terrariums (10+), exhaust closed Exhaust closed, 4 plants, roofers working outside window on roof Musty odor, exhaust closed, water- damaged plaster ceiling/windows, history of wet carpet Water-damaged ceiling, moist window sills, wall crack comer, exhaust closed, occupants gone 5 min. Chemical odors (caulking material) Window open, exhaust closed, space around pipe, personal fan * ppm = parts per million parts of air CT = water-damaged ceiling tiles Comfort Guidelines Carbon Dioxide - Temperature - Relative Humidity - < 600 ppm = preferred 600 - 800 ppm = acceptable > 800 ppm = indicative of ventilation problems 70 - 78 °F 40 - 60% TABLE2 Indoor Air Test Results - McKay Elementary School - Beverly - December 4, 1998 Remarks Carbon Temp. Relative Occupants Windows Ventilation Dioxide °F Humidity in Room Openable Intake Exhaust *ppm % Speech Room 574 79 27 1 No Yes Yes Cafeteria/Auditorium 165 Yes Yes Yes Room # 3 1184 79 31 38 Yes Yes Yes Room # 1 833 81 27 Mrs. Cummings 947 75 32 Grade 2 Vent Room IdD l(csource I(oom 981 76 3 I New Basement Classroom # I 26 Yes Yes Yes 0 Yes No No 1 No No No 0 Yes No Yes Remarks ~ Dry erase board Cracked window Exposed Fiberglas Supply shut down, exhaust blocked, water-damaged ceiling plaster, windows sealed with plastic, 5 plants, moist window sills, dusty window sills Dry erase boards Supply shut down Broken cabinet - odors penetrating Storage of boxes and materials, no doors on vent room Hole in wall Fiberglas exposed Occupants gone 15 rain Abandoned drain Dry erase board Comfort Guidelines Carbon Dioxide Temperature - Relative 1 lumidity - < 600 ppm = preferred 600 - 800 ppm = acceptable > 800 ppm = indicative of ventilation problems 70 - 78 °F 40 - 60% * ppm = parts per million parts of air CT = water-damaged ceiling tiles TABLE3 Indoor Air Test Results - McKay Elementary School - Beverly - December 4, 1998 Remarks Carbon Temp. Relative Occupants Windows Ventilation Dioxide °F Humidity in Room Openable Intake Exhaust *ppm % New Basement 0 Yes No Yes Classroom # 2 Grade # 2 0 Yes No No Glasser Room # 8 1109 74 35 19 Yes Yes Yes Combination 1092 78 35 20+ Yes Yes Yes Classroom # 6 & 7 Remarks Windows open, plastic sealed Vent room spaces, window open CT (4), boiler room odors Exhaust closed, dusty window sills, 5 plants Exhaust closed, space around pipe, 6 plants Comfort Guidelines Carbon Dioxide - Temperature - Relative 1 lumidity - < 600 ppm = preferred 600 - 800 ppm = acceptable > 800 ppm = indicative of ventilation problems 70 - 78 °F 40 - 60% ~ ppm = parts per million parts of air CT = water-damaged ceiling tiles