Synergist - April 2010

Summa canister), questions remain about how to report the results. Results reported as toluene equivalent are different from those reported as hexane equivalent. How the results are reported can affect whether the building passes or fails.

Industrial hygiene expertise can also be applied to the issue of low-emitting materials. The “ 4” series of LEED credits addresses VOC content of building materials such as adhesives, paints, flooring, and composite wood products.

IAQ Lessons

To help educate the green building industry about the potential role of industrial hygienists, the Occupant Air Quality Project Team of the AIHA Green Building Working Group is preparing a white paper titled “Indoor Air Quality in Green Buildings: An Industrial Hygienist’s Perspective.” Our involvement can help the designers and builders of green buildings avoid repeating the IAQ mistakes of the past.

DaleWalsh,CIH,CSP,LEED-AP,istheOccupantAirQualityProjectTeamLeader within the AIHA® Green Building Working Group and a member of the AIHA IndoorEnvironmentalQualityCommittee.HeisthepresidentofWalshCertified Consultants, Inc.inLasVegas,Nev.Hecanbereached at (702) 468-4782 or dwalsh@walshcih.com.

A White Paper for Green Building

A forthcoming white paper by the Occupant Air Quality Project Team of the AIHA Green Building Working Group will help those in the green building industry better understand IAQ.

“Indoor Air Quality in Green Buildings: An Industrial Hygienist’s Perspective” will focus on LEED, particularly the inadequacies of the two optional credit categories: the construction IAQ management plan credits (the “ 3” series) and the low-emitting materials credits (the “ 4” series). The goals of the white paper include the following:

• Clarify the value of building flush-out and describe the conditions under which it might be appropriate.

• Discuss the history of Credit 3.2 Option B.

• Show that the current LEED requirements for air testing are poorly defined regarding sampling methods and timing of sampling, and that the specified pollutants and their allowable levels are often inappropriate.

• Discuss the appropriateness of using outdoor air-related total VOC content limits for controlling indoor air quality, along with alternative approaches.

The white paper will also discuss other issues that negatively affect IAQ, including the shedding of fibrous duct lining, poor access to ventilation systems for maintenance, and the location of sewer vents and other outdoor pollutant sources near outdoor air intakes.

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