Indoor Air Quality Solutions, IAQS

For millions of Americans, “allergy season” never ends. Warmer summer temperatures that increase the grass and tree pollens also drive people indoors where they meet troublesome dust mites, animal danders, and mold spores. Most indoor environments actually trap airborne allergens where they can pose a risk to respiratory health.

Many people with allergic rhinitis also can be at risk of developing allergic asthma. Symptoms to watch for are a persistent cough or wheezing.

An allergist can evaluate asthma and allergy symptoms, perform tests to determine the precise cause of the symptoms and, together with you, develop a treatment plan that brings allergic reactions under control. Sometimes allergy shots, also known as immunotherapy, can improve natural resistance and decrease sensitivity to specific allergens. Allergy shots also can prevent the development of allergic asthma.

If you suspect that an indoor allergen is causing upper or lower respiratory symptoms, see your doctor. If tests show that a specific allergen is causing your symptoms, there are steps you can take to limit your exposure to such allergens. You should not try these tedious and complex measures without first being tested to see if you actually are allergic.

House Dust Allergy
House dust is present even in clean homes. Allergenic components of house dust are a major cause of year-round runny or stuffy nose, itchy, watery eyes and sneezing for allergy sufferers. Dust allergy can also make people with asthma experience wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.

Why does house dust cause allergic reactions?
House dust is a mixture of many substances. Its content varies from home to home, depending on the type of furniture, building materials, presence of furry pets, moisture and other factors. A speck of dust may contain fabric fibers, human skin particles, animal dander, microscopic creatures called house dust mites, parts of cockroaches, mold spores, bacteria, food particles and other debris. Of these, animal dander, house dust mites and cockroaches are the most common culprits. A person may be allergic to one or more of these substances, and, if exposed to the dust, will have an allergic reaction.

Is dust allergy a sign of a dirty house?
No. A dirty house can make a house dust allergy problem worse, however. Normal housekeeping procedures may not be enough to get rid of house dust allergy symptoms. This is because many of the substances in dust cannot be removed by normal cleaning procedures. For example, no matter how vigorously you dust or vacuum, you will not reduce the number of dust mites present deep within carpeting, pillows and mattresses. Vigorous cleaning methods can put more dust into the air making symptoms worse.

What are house dust mites?
Tiny microscopic creatures called house dust mites are an important cause of allergic reactions to house dust. They belong to the family of eight-legged creatures called arachnids. This family also includes spiders, chiggers and ticks. Dust mites are hardy creatures that live well and multiply easily in warm, humid places. They prefer temperatures at or above 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 75 percent to 80 percent and die when the humidity falls below 40 percent to 50 percent. They are rarely found in dry climates.

As many as 10 percent of the general population and (in some regions) 90 percent of people with allergic asthma are sensitive to dust mites. Recent studies in the United States suggest that at least 45 percent of young people with asthma are allergic to dust mites.

Dust mite particles are just the right size to be inhaled. They are found in the highest concentrations in pillows, mattresses, carpeting and upholstered furniture. They float into the air when anyone vacuums, walks on a carpet or disturbs bedding, but settle out of the air once the disturbance is over. A dust mite allergic patient who sleeps for eight hours every night spends one third of his life with his nose in direct contact with a pillow loaded with dust mite particles!

There may be many as 19,000 dust mites in one gram of dust, but usually between 100 to 500 mites live in each gram. (A gram is about the weight of a paper clip.) Egg-laying females can add 25 to 30 new mites to the population during their lifetime. Mites eat particles of skin and dander, so they thrive in places where there are people. Dust mites don’t bite, and cannot spread diseases. They are harmful only to people who become allergic to them. While usual household insecticides have no effect on dust mites, there are ways that allergic people can reduce exposure to dust mites in the home.

Why is mold present in house dust?
Molds are commonly found in outdoor air, and they come in any time you open a door or window. Any house can develop a mold problem given the right conditions. You might not see it growing on the walls, but it may still be present in your home. Molds require two factors to grow indoors: (1) free moisture that can occur in the form of relative humidity above 50 percent, leakage from pipes or foundations, or any ongoing source of water; and (2) something to grow on. Molds particularly like to grow on wallboard, wood or fabrics, but will grow virtually any place if they are given a chance.

Molds spread by producing spores that can become airborne. These spores end up in house dust where they grow. Dust from mold-contaminated houses can cause allergy symptoms if a mold-sensitive person inhales it.

Does house dust contain cockroaches?
As unappealing as it seems, cockroach particles can be a component of house dust. This is most common in older, multifamily housing and in the southern United States where complete extermination of cockroaches is very difficult. Allergic individuals, particularly those with asthma, will tend to have increased symptoms when they go into such houses. Cockroaches require food and moisture to survive, so eliminating sources of each can help reduce exposure. In cockroach endemic areas, the services of a skilled professional exterminator will be required to keep cockroaches under control.

Is house dust allergy seasonal?
Yes. In the United States, dust mite populations tend to peak in July and August, and their allergen levels stay high through December. Mite allergen levels are lowest in late spring. Some dust mite-sensitive people report that their symptoms get worse during the winter. That’s because mite fecal particles and pieces of dead mites, both of which trigger dust mite allergy, are still present. Mold levels tend to peak during the summer months depending on where you live since some tropical areas have molds year-round. There is also evidence that cockroaches have a seasonal pattern, peaking in the late summer.
Forced-air heating systems tend to blow dust particles into the air. As they dry out over time, even more of the particles become airborne. This does not account for the seasonal pattern, however, since air blows through the same ducts during the summer when air conditioning is used. People may have fewer symptoms from house-dust exposure during the summer because they spend more time outdoors.
For these reasons, the terms “seasonal allergy” and “perennial allergy” are being used less frequently. It is better to classify symptoms as “intermittent” or “persistent”.

How do I know if I have house dust allergy?
If you think you may have an allergy to house dust, consult an allergist-immunologist. To pinpoint the cause of your symptoms, the allergist may ask questions about your work and home environments, eating habits, family medical history, frequency and severity of symptoms, exposure to pets and a variety of other questions. Your allergist may test you for allergy by doing skin tests, which involves pricking the skin or injecting it with different allergens and observing for a reaction. A positive reaction (a raised welt with redness around it) may indicate that you are allergic to that allergen. Occasionally, your allergist may order a blood test instead of the skin test to confirm the diagnosis of allergy.

What can I do to relieve house dust allergy symptoms?
If you are tested and found to be allergic to a component of house dust, specific avoidance measures can be undertaken. Your allergist can give you expert advice on which avoidance measures are right for you. The three basic treatments for dust allergy are:

• Avoidance, or limit exposure
• Medications
• Allergy shots (immunotherapy)

How do I avoid house dust?
Avoidance measures work best to relieve symptoms, but it’s not possible to avoid all exposure to all types of house dust. Some of these procedures are difficult, and you may not need to do them all. Ask your allergist which ones will be most helpful for your situation. If you’re found to be allergic to furry pets, well, there needs to be a family meeting to decide what is going to be done. In general, finding another home for an allergenic pet followed by a thorough housecleaning is the best solution for symptom control.
If you live in a dust mite area, you can not eradicate them completely. First line steps to limit dust mite exposure focus on the bedroom because, on average, people spend one-third of their lives in the bedroom. Of all the rooms in the home, the bedroom often contains the most dust mites. Special zip-up covers can seal dust mite particles inside your pillows and mattresses. This will substantially limit your exposure to dust mite particles, and should reduce your allergy symptoms. More extreme measures, such as pulling up carpets and buying expensive dehumidifiers, should only be undertaken in consultation with your allergist.

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
www.Microshield-ES.com www.CFL-IAQ.com

On June 18, 2010, the EPA published a memorandum about a partial enforcement delay for the Repair, Renovation and Painting (RRP) Rule. Citing delays and difficulties on the part of firms and renovators to obtain the necessary certifications, the EPA announced a delay in enforcement for the certification portions of the rule. Specifically, the EPA stated that:

•they will not enforce the firm certification requirement of the RRP Rule until October 1, 2010
•they will not enforce the certification requirement of the RRP Rule against individual renovation workers if they have taken or have applied to take a certification class by September 30, 2010 (providing the training will be completed by December 31, 2010)

As information about the RRP enforcement delay spread across the internet, various misinformation quickly spread as well. The most common misinterpretation was that the enforcement delay applied to the entire RRP rule. This was merely an affliction of hopeful thinking, which the EPA promptly squelched with its new clarification, delivered in a “question and answer” format.

In the updated notice, the EPA clarifies that the safety practices and recordkeeping portions of the RRP Rule are currently in effect and are not part of the delay. This indicates that renovators who have not yet taken the training are still expected to be following the safety and recordkeeping practices spelled out in the Rule.

Renovators who have not yet taken the required training are being encouraged to reference the EPA’s model training materials, at http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/training.htm .

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
http://www.Microshield-ES.com http://www.CFL-IAQ.com

On June 18, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the delay of enforcement of the new Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) regulations that had been put into effect on April 22, 2010. The delays, as stated in a June 18 EPA (http://www.dealer.org/files/EPA_Delay_Announcement_6_18_10.pdf) memo are:

•Until October 1, 2010, EPA will not take enforcement action for violations of the RRP Rule’s firm certification requirement. (It should be noted, however, that only the certification requirement is delayed and that failing to follow safe work processes will trigger a violation).

•For violations of the RRP Rule’s renovation worker certification requirement, EPA will not enforce against individual renovation workers if the person has applied to enroll in, or has enrolled in, by not later than September 30, 2010, a certified renovator class to train contractors in practices necessary for compliance with the final rules. Renovators must complete the training by December 31, 2010.

Rich Walker, American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA http://www.aamanet.org/ ) president and CEO, stated “We are pleased that the Environmental Protection Agency has listened and responded to at least one of the concerns of our members and those of the remodeling and renovation industry. The recovery of the economy depends heavily on the health of the construction industry, including renovation, remodeling and retrofitting work, all of which are directly affected by the Lead RRP rules.”

The June 18 EPA delay notice follows the introduction of an amendment within the Fiscal Year 2010 Emergence Appropriation Bill from Senator Susan Collins (R- Maine) which would prevent EPA from fining contractors for non-compliance with the training requirements for lead paint hazard mitigation if the contractors sign up for the mandatory EPA training by September 30, 2010. This bill is scheduled to go before the House for final approval on Friday, June 25.

During debate for the amendment, staunch proponents of the EPA’s final rule, Senators Barbara Boxer (D-California) and Dianne Feinstein (D-California), reiterated the EPA’s claims of an adequate stock of statewide and “traveling” certification trainers and certified renovators. Senator Feinstein stated, “In reality, passing this amendment would put the United States Senate on record as supporting efforts to prevent EPA from fining those who knowingly violate the provisions of the rule — even if those actions result in lead poisoning of children.”

“Many proponents respond to any implementation delay requests by suggesting that they alone are concerned for the welfare of at-risk populations,” states Janice Charletta, AAMA association services director. “AAMA, its membership and others impacted by the LRRP have repeatedly contended and continue to state that safety is a top priority. But we must recognize that the safety of children and the population as a whole will occur as a result of a well-designed and well-implemented action plan on the part of EPA.”

Unfortunately, the lack of an adequate number of certified trainers throughout the country is only one of the problems associated with implementing the EPA final rule with the exclusion of the “opt-out” provision. Another continued concern relates to the mandated use of unreliable test kits that will needlessly burden homeowners with the increased costs of lead abatement, where lead may not be present. EPA representatives have acknowledged that the current testing kits register a high percentage of false-positive readings.

As written within the final rule and reiterated in the fiscal report issued by the Government Accountability Office, “EPA estimates that the final rule will cost approximately $500 million in the first year, with the cost expected to drop to approximately $300 million per year starting with the second year, when improved test kits for detecting the presence of lead-based paint are assumed to become available.”

Forcing homeowners to pay for potentially unnecessary lead abatement based on EPA-acknowledged faulty testing becomes a legal issue. According to Walker, any contractor using test kits known to have less than a 60% accuracy rate would be targeted for litigation.

AAMA continues to advocate for a full review of the EPA final rule as requested in a letter to Environment and Public Works Chair Barbara Boxer from Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma). Additionally, the association is working with AAMA members and other affected industries to solicit additional co-sponsors for S3296 (Inhofe) and HR5177 (Representative Denny Rehberg; R-Montana), two bills currently circulating that request a full year delay in the implementation of the final rule.

Walker believes that allowing the final rule, as written, to be implemented puts the Senators opposing an implementation extension on record as supporting efforts to force homeowners to pay for unnecessary abatement procedures based on the use of faulty test kits of which Congress was made fully aware.

“A number of important issues need to be addressed before the public is faced with paying for this overreaching and poorly administered provision. We are hopeful that all members of Congress will take their position of providing oversight seriously in this matter and determine that a hearing examining the EPA decision to remove the opt-out provision is necessary and warranted,” states Walker.

He continues, “We have seen firsthand, in these last few months, the power of a unified industry voice lobbying for change in legislation. We will continue to work with government and industry leaders to bring the message of our industry to Washington to continue to serve the best interests of the public, our members and the fenestration industry as a whole.”

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
www.Microshield-ES.com www.CFL-IAQ.com

If you like to think of your home as a safe haven to escape pollution, you may want to take a deep breath before stepping through your front door.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor pollution levels are two to five times greater than those found in the outdoor air.

While this can be a serious problem for those suffering from asthma, allergies or emphysema, it’s not healthy for anyone, especially small children. Because they breathe in 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults, children are more vulnerable to the effects of pollution.

Efforts to rid your home of dust, dirt and allergens could even make things worse, as many poorly sealed and filtered bagless vacuums add to the pollution by releasing lung-damaging particles back into the air.

Here are a few tips to help reduce indoor air pollution.

• Properly maintain heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems, changing filters regularly.

• Use only nontoxic household detergents and cleaning agents.

• Open the windows when weather permits.

• Clean up water leaks that can lead to the formation of mold.

• Choose a vacuum cleaner with a filtering dustbag and reputation for providing superior dust retention and filtration. Bagless vacuum cleaner bins can be an environmental hazard when emptied into the garbage. Dust poured from a bin emits fine particles back into the air. That’s also true for any open bag that’s pushed into a garbage bag.

A recent independent scientific study shows that some vacuums with HEPA filters do not effectively protect a home’s air quality and unfiltered air may escape, releasing as much as 2-14 million lung-damaging particles per minute into the air on average.

These particles can pollute indoor air quality for hours after the vacuum is turned off.

The scientific study showed that the Miele vacuum, with its Sealed System engineering, equipped with a unique AirClean Filter-bag and certified HEPA filter, had significantly lower rates of particle emissions than competitive models. The vacuums captured and retained over 99.9 percent of harmful and lung-damaging irritants, making them a serious cleaning tool for maintaining an allergy-friendly environment.

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
www.Microshield-ES.com www.CFL-IAQ.com

Integrated Pest Management IPM is not a single pest control method but, rather, a series of pest management evaluations, decisions and controls. In practicing IPM, growers who are aware of the potential for pest infestation follow a four-tiered approach. The four steps include:

Set Action Thresholds
Before taking any pest control action, IPM first sets an action threshold, a point at which pest populations or environmental conditions indicate that pest control action must be taken. Sighting a single pest does not always mean control is needed. The level at which pests will either become an economic threat is critical to guide future pest control decisions.

Monitor and Identify Pests
Not all insects, weeds, and other living organisms require control. Many organisms are innocuous, and some are even beneficial. IPM programs work to monitor for pests and identify them accurately, so that appropriate control decisions can be made in conjunction with action thresholds. This monitoring and identification removes the possibility that pesticides will be used when they are not really needed or that the wrong kind of pesticide will be used.

Prevention
As a first line of pest control, IPM programs work to manage the crop, lawn, or indoor space to prevent pests from becoming a threat. In an agricultural crop, this may mean using cultural methods, such as rotating between different crops, selecting pest-resistant varieties, and planting pest-free rootstock. These control methods can be very effective and cost-efficient and present little to no risk to people or the environment.

Control
Once monitoring, identification, and action thresholds indicate that pest control is required, and preventive methods are no longer effective or available, IPM programs then evaluate the proper control method both for effectiveness and risk. Effective, less risky pest controls are chosen first, including highly targeted chemicals, such as pheromones to disrupt pest mating, or mechanical control, such as trapping or weeding. If further monitoring, identifications and action thresholds indicate that less risky controls are not working, then additional pest control methods would be employed, such as targeted spraying of pesticides. Broadcast spraying of non-specific pesticides is a last resort.

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
www.Microshield-ES.com www.CFL-IAQ.com

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

The IPM approach can be applied to both agricultural and non-agricultural settings, such as the home, garden, and workplace. IPM takes advantage of all appropriate pest management options including, but not limited to, the judicious use of pesticides. In contrast, organic food production applies many of the same concepts as IPM but limits the use of pesticides to those that are produced from natural sources, as opposed to synthetic chemicals.

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
www.Microshield-ES.com www.CFL-IAQ.com

Much-touted LEED-certified buildings may not be so perfect.
By Melinda Tuhus

As the “green design” economy grows, consumers tend to equate energy-efficient construction with environmentalism. We assume green buildings are in the interest of both the planet and public health. But a recent dust-up between a nonprofit that certifies energy-efficient buildings and a nonprofit concerned about human health has challenged this easy association, raising questions about the costs of going “green.”

A May report from Connecticut-based Environment and Human Health, Inc., titled “LEED Certification: Where Energy Efficiency Collides with Human Health,” raises concerns about indoor air quality in LEED-certified buildings. A certification of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The report notes that LEED certification offers a total of 110 points in seven categories, and that it’s possible to get the top rating—Platinum—while scoring zero points (out of 15) in “indoor environmental quality.”

The seven LEED categories include energy and atmosphere; sustainable sites; indoor environmental quality; materials and resources; water efficiency; innovation in design; and bonus credits. Of the 110 points, 35 are allocated to energy and atmosphere.

The report also raises questions about the quality of water (not just water efficiency), and the presence of pesticides in the building. It states, “There is no legal requirement to inform occupants about the chemicals that have been applied, their potential health effects, or their rate of dissipation.”

The report recommends remedies to these problems, such as putting more health experts on the USGBC board and requiring that builders earn a minimum number of points in each category.

Scot Horst, senior vice president for LEED at USGBC, said EHHI’s objections seemed based on theory. “In practice,” he said, “it’s very hard to earn a Platinum rating without addressing indoor air quality.”

According to the report, as buildings become “greener,” i.e., tighter and more energy-efficient, the danger of trapping pollutants inside increases. The report’s lead author is John Wargo, a professor of risk analysis and environmental policy at Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. In an e-mail, he said USGBC certification fails to mandate adequate “ventilation rates.”

“The solution to pollution is not dilution, as the ventilation standards suggest,” Wargo writes. “The true solution is to avoid bringing the hazardous chemicals into the built environment in the first place. “

New Haven has 12 LEED-certified buildings, three of which are Platinum-rated. One of them is 360 State, an upscale apartment building with ground level retail at the edge of downtown scheduled to open later this year. “The [EHHI] report is right on target,” developer Bruce Becker says. “We took indoor air quality very seriously.” He says he spent an additional $100,000 to install wood cabinets and doors that had not been treated with the preservative formaldehyde. “It off-gases and that’s a problem; a green building tends not to breathe as much as traditional buildings. If you have a tight building that doesn’t allow any air movement, it’s poisonous.”

In a June 4 open letter to EHHI, USGBC founder and President S. Richard Fedrizzi wrote, “We could not agree more with the need for serious action on improved indoor air quality. But your report fails to provide a complete picture of how interconnected the built environment and public health truly are.” He then invited EHHI to meet and discuss how the two groups might collaborate.

EHHI accepted the invitation. The meeting will take place on July 22 in one of New Haven’s architectural jewels: the Platinum-LEED-certified Kroon Hall, the new home of Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Regardless of the outcome, Wargo says he plans to continue working “to assure that green buildings are healthy buildings.”

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
www.Microshield-ES.com www.CFL-IAQ.com

Feds delay enforcement of lead training

Since April 22, contractors who disturb at least six square feet of painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 – and in “child-occupied” places like day care centers – must be certified in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved training for lead-safe work practices.

The goal is to prevent the spread of harmful lead dust and paint chips.

But in a concession to contractors who are still scrambling to meet the training requirements, the EPA announced this month that it won’t pursue enforcement against violating contractors until Oct. 1.

Some contractors affected by the rule, including homebuilders and remodelers, have “been concerned about not having had enough time to get training,” said Dan Newman, executive director of the Sustainable Resources Center (SRC) in Minneapolis, an approved training provider.

As of late February, only about 1,000 to 1,500 of Minnesota’s 15,000 to 19,000 licensed building contractors had met the requirement. Nationally, 300,000 people have been trained so far in more than 15,000 classes, according to the EPA.

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Demand has tapered off, but SRC is still getting “several calls a day about people wanting training,” Newman said.

“We are continuing to offer training. … People need to be in compliance with the law.”

Newman said his organization has trained more than 500 people so far. Other organizations, such as the Builders Association of the Twin Cities, also offer approved classes.

“It appears to me in Minnesota we have ample opportunities for people to be trained,” he said.

For whatever reason, however, many people still aren’t meeting the requirement.

The federal government has separate requirements for firms and individual workers to be certified under the RRP rule.

Since April 22, the “regulated community” has raised concerns about “difficulties experienced in obtaining the rule-required firm certification and renovation worker training,” according to a June 18 memo from Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for the U.S. EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.

Because of those concerns, the memo stated, the EPA won’t pursue enforcement actions for violations of the “firm certification” requirement until Oct. 1.

Moreover, the EPA is giving individual workers until Sept. 30 to enroll or apply to enroll in an approved class. They must complete the trailing by Dec. 31.

Industry groups such as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) cheered the EPA’s announcement. NAHB officials say the rule affects about 79 million people who live in pre-1978 homes.

“The thing to remember about this, the delay in enforcement is really a delay in certification requirements for the rule, and that the work practices are still required to be done,” said Matt Watkins, environmental policy analyst for the Washington, D.C.-based NAHB.

In short, the idea is to buy more time for contractors to get into courses.

“In some regions of the country there are fewer trainers, so folks that want to get trained can’t find a course to get into or the course they want to get into is full,” Watkins said.

Meanwhile, the EPA memo made it clear that the feds are not backing down from the mandates.

“EPA issued the Lead RRP rule because a disturbing number of America’s children are still poisoned by lead-based paint in their homes – leading to learning and behavioral disorders,” the memo noted.

The rule, which covers work done for hire, requires lead-safe work practices such as minimizing dust, using heavy plastic sheeting to cover the floors and closing windows and doors near the work area.

Violators face fines of up to $37,500 per day per job site.

Minnesota is making an effort to secure contractor compliance without creating extra levels of bureaucracy.

A new law that goes into effect Feb. 1 requires builders who work on properties covered by the RRP rule to provide proof of certification as a condition of obtaining a building permit.

Newman said the bill had bipartisan support and buy-in from the contractors’ groups.

“Contractors who abide by the rules will not have to be concerned, or as concerned, about people who are not abiding by the rule engaging in unfair competition,” Newman said.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is promoting a new law that sets what the MCEA calls “one of the toughest standards in the nation for protecting Minnesota children from lead.”

The law, which takes effect Thursday, requires the state’s health department to essentially lower the bar for measuring the point at which it’s deemed appropriate to take action on the presence of lead in a child’s blood.

Specifically, the new law will create lead-blood guidelines “at half of the federal standard, making Minnesota one of the first in the nation with this tougher standard,” the MCEA noted.

A news conference about the new law is set for 9:30 a.m. Monday, at Veterans Memorial Park in Richfield. Scheduled speakers include a woman whose child was diagnosed with lead in her blood, according to the MCEA.

Newman said the Richfield location was chosen in part to drive home the point that lead safety is not just an inner-city concern.

“Any home built before 1978 has lead,” he noted. “The 1950s and ‘60s homes in many Minneapolis and St. Paul suburbs have lead issues.”

•John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
•Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
•Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
•www.Microshield-ES.com http://www.CFL-IAQ.com