Environmental Engineering Reference
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anything affecting or interfering with the proposed testing, and obvious sources of air
contaminants.
The site inspection should include (New York Department of Health 2005)
• Type of structure
• Physical conditions
• Odors such as solvents, mold, sweet, sour
• Airflow and ventilation engineering design of the building, structure, or residence
• An analysis of potential contaminants sources including
• Chemicals used
• Chemical storage areas
• Chemical use areas
• Chemical disposal methods
• Chemical disposal areas
• Weather conditions
Conducting a chemical inventory is recommended prior to any indoor sampling. This
inventory will greatly assist in providing valuable information concerning the identifi-
cation of the COC, and whether air sampling is necessary. Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) for each chemical at the site should be reviewed.
At least 24 h prior to conducting any indoor air sampling, the measures listed in the fol-
lowing should be avoided since they may skew the sample results (New York Department
of Health 2005):
• Opening windows
• Operating ventilation fans
• Smoking
• Painting
• Using wood stoves or fireplaces
• Using kerosene heaters
• Operating or storing automobiles in a structure connected to the location where
indoor sampling will be conducted (i.e., attached garage)
• Cleaning, waxing, or polishing furniture or other surfaces with petroleum- or oil-
based products
• Operating any lawn maintenance equipment including lawn mowers or other
mechanical instruments using liquid fuels
• Using cosmetics, e.g., hairspray, deodorant, nail polish, nail polish removers, per-
fume, and cologne
• Applying pesticides and herbicides
Air samples should be collected from an adequate number of locations to understand the
likely sources of potential chemical exposure, and to evaluate their potential exposure to
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