Marian L. Heyman, MT(ASCP), MPH - PowerPoint Presentation

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Marian L. Heyman, MT(ASCP), MPHCoordinator, IEQ UnitEpidemiologist/Industrial HygienistEnvironmental and Occupational Health Assessment ProgramConnecticut Department of Public Health

18 March 2021

Ventilation Basics for

Child Care Settings

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March

11, 2021: Cleaning & Disinfecting ECE

March

18, 2021: Ventilation Basics for ECE

Eco-Healthy Child Care® (EHCC) is an award winning and science-based program of the Children's Environmental Health Network. For over a decade, EHCC has partnered with early care and learning organizations and associations to improve environmental health focused national accreditation standards, national health and safety standards, and professional development opportunities for child care professionals.

This presentation was supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and funded (in part) by the cooperative agreement award number 6 NU61TS000296-02-01 from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

The content in this presentation represents the views of the presenter. It does not represent the views of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/ATSDR and does not represent endorsement by CDC/ATSDR of the purchase of any commercial products or services that are mentioned.

Webinar Series Sponsors

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Today’s Objectives

Describe what ventilation is.Describe at least 3 simple steps you can take to improve ventilation in a child care facility (both home and center-based).Describe how ventilation fits into an overall healthy building plan with respect to COVID-19 disease and other indoor contaminants.Know where to get science-based information about how to improve ventilation in your buildings. (Handout)

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First, a Few Words About Indoor Air

Stay home if sick

(don’t bring airborne contagion to indoor spaces)

Wear Masks while indoors

Stay physically away from people outside of your household

(6

ft

or more)

Wash hands with soap & water

Keep your indoor environment clean

Use ventilation to dilute airborne contaminants

There are many things in the air that we breathe

Air inside of most buildings has more contaminants that outdoor air has

Some things are within our control, some are not

The best approach is to control what we can, and use other means to reduce what we can’t control

The most effective way is to control contaminants at the source (source control)

For COVID-19 disease,

humans are the source of the virus

. This is why science tells us to:

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Indoor Contaminants:

Sources & Controls

Source

ExamplesHow to control?Building materialsNew Construction & Renovations- write instructions in bid and construction specifications that require materials meet conditions that you specify.

Have building contractors use low/no VOC* building materialsBuilding furnishings

Purchase low/no VOC* fabrics, woods,

floor coverings, etc. (ex.: couches, chairs, cabinets, desks, carpets, paints, etc.)

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*

VOC

: Volatile Organic Compound. These are chemicals that evaporate into the air. Note:

VOCs may be present and harmful, even if you can’t smell them.

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Indoor Contaminants:

Sources & Controls

Source

ExamplesHow to control?Personal itemsChoose low/no VOC personal care products, clothing, cleaning products, arts & crafts supplies

Occupant activitiesDo

c

ertain

activities outdoors or in specially ventilated spaces. Ex.: activities that generate dusts; Use damp mop/cloth instead of dry when dusting/sweeping; minimize spraying when using chemicals

Use range exhaust fan/cook surface hood while cooking; use vacuum cleaners with HEPA filter before the exhaust end,

etc

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What is Ventilation?

Air distribution in a buildingSimple Ventilation:Air InAir OutEx.: open windows & doors- Natural Ventilation

Next Level:Air In using equipmentFiltering impliedAir Out using equipment

Ex: Mechanical Ventilation7See UC Davis short video- link on handout

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Ventilation: Definitions

ACH: air changes per hourCADR: clean air delivery rateCFM: cubic feet (of air) per minute

HEPA: high efficiency particulate air filterHVAC: heating, ventilation, & air conditioning

PPM: parts per millionAHU: air handling unitRTU: rooftop unitReturn: a vent or register where room air leaves the room- exhaustSupply: a vent or register where fresh air comes into roomSet point: part of controls that tells fans & dampers to turn on & off, open & close. Set points are often temperature based, sometimes CO2.

Demand Based System: system turns on, fans & dampers allow air to draw through filters , & conditions air until heat/cooling set point is satisfied. Then fans turn off, dampers close. System cycles on/off to meet demand.Constant Volume System: Fans & dampers stay on. Air is continuously drawn through filters and heated/cooled until system is shut down.8

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Supplies & Returns

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Supplies

Returns

Short Circuiting

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Mechanical Systems- Are they on or off, & other easy things to check

Tissue testTimer switchesMechanical linkagesFilter banksWalk around outside- look at fresh air intakes Strange noisesFind out how to contact building facilities manager!

The Best Testing Equip:Your Eyes, Ears,

Nose & Brain!10

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How much fresh air should we have?

Aim for 6 ACH

Combination of strategies to at least meet target of 4-6 ACH: ventilation, filtration, supplemental air cleaning

Harvard Healthy Buildings report has many tools, explains the math, etc. Highly recommended. See Handout for link.

Measure air flow

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How much

fresh air?

6 ACH

Best

5-6 ACH

Better

4-5 ACH

Good

3-4

AHC

Bare

minimum

Less than 3

ACH

Bad

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Pressure Differentials to Dilute Air

Diluting indoor air is one way to make it cleanerMake a mask for window fan for tight fit to prevent bypass and make it more efficient. Ex.- after fires, cooking odors, etc.Good for naturally vented buildings

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More ways to clean indoor air

First identify the type of contaminantParticlesOdors BothChoose an appropriate scientifically proven method that does no harm:Filters in HVAC systems

Portable Air Cleaners – with filters onlyKeep it simpleExpensive doesn’t always = best option

Needs to fit your situation13

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Filters for Air Cleaning

Filters- Filters are designed to trap particles (certain types can trap chemicals)Some filters do this better than othersFunction depends on where filters are placed in the system

Need to know system capabilities, contaminant type, & desired outcome to choose filters for your system- True for homes as well:

Forced hot air heatCentral AC Check with your HVAC service tech before upgrading filters or making other changesFollow manufacturers’ change out recommendationsCritical Factors*Installed Correctly (check arrow on filter for correct direction

*Tight Fit*Fan Duty Cycles (fans must be running for filters to work)14

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Filters for Air Cleaning

HEPA: High Efficiency Particulate Air. Highest efficiency filterMERV: Minimum Efficiency Reporting ValueRating systemHigher # is more efficient.

Both take particles out of air

Different specifications based on the way they are designed, tested & certified.In general, not interchangeable- HEPA systems: special design to withstand greater stress put on equipment for HEPA. Not needed for most buildingsCertain vacuum cleaners, portable air cleaners are designed for HEPA15

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Portable Air Cleaners as SupplementsAssist with air turnover

For good ventilation, strive for 5-6 ACH4 ACH or less, portable air cleaners (PACs) can really help. Especially useful in naturally ventilated spaces (can also supplement mechanical)

Select true HEPA filter- These are proven No add-ons needed (UV, Ozone, Ions, etc.)Not necessary

potentially harmfulCheck CARB website for no ozone emissionshttps://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/air-cleaners-ozone-products/air-cleaner-information-consumers16

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Portable Air Cleaners – How to Choose

Info needed for choosing:Room dimensions: LxWxCeiling heightContaminant type

particle vs chemicalMixture (ex.- cigarette smoke)Ex. Using AHAM calculator- example follows (American Home Appliance Manufacturers)

17Right size- a little bigger than your room (L x W = sq ft)If ceiling is taller than 8ft, size upSeveral fan speedsLook at noise rating (NRR)- can help you rule out or in certain models

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Portable Air Cleaners- How to Choose

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Note:

AHAM CADR cert. = test method conditions- may not reflect your room

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Portable Air Cleaners – How to Choose

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How Loud?20

Sounds at or below 

70 A-weighted decibels (

dBA) are generally safe. Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss.

*Whisper:30 dBANormal conversation: 60-70 dBAMovie theater: 74-104 dBA

Lawnmowers: 80 to 100

dBA

Motorcycle: 80-110

dBA

Headphones, Sports events, concerts: 94 to 110

dBA

Ambulance/Police Siren: 110 to 129

dBAJet take off: 140 dBAFireworks: 140 to 160 dBA* National Institutes Health

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Portable Air Cleaners as Supplements-

Placement

Near center of roomCirculation around entire unitOff the floor- low table/stool/deskAvoid sticking unit in a corner

Warnings

Govt. agencies like EPA, OSHA, NASA, DOE, etc. do not approve or certify devices or manufacturer and do not product evaluate safetyEPA refers to AHAM SiteFDA regulates medical devices onlyRemember- no ozone- toxic to lungs

No federal government agency has approved these devices for use in occupied spaces. 

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DIY Portable Air Cleaners

More filters are better1 or 2 HEPA filters + box fan (Confederated Tribes of Colville)https://www.cct-enr.com/box-fan-filter

Comparetto

Cube-4 HEPA filters + box fan. Note: Fan blows upwards instead of out towards occupants. 22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7eL2OAnqc8&ab_channel=HVACSchool

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Other TechnologiesDo No Harm!

Avoid Indoor Chemistry= formation of harmful byproducts by mixing with other chemicals normally found indoors (ex Cleaning chemicals, personal hygiene products, common building products)Ex.: Ozone + common indoor chemicals forms harsh by-products

Look for scientifically provenMust fit the application for which it is being used

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How Does Ventilation Fit in Overall Plan for Healthy Indoor Environment?

FirstSource controlSecond

Do everything else including ventilation

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Recap:

Evaluate Your Ventilation SystemsHire professional engineers experienced in evaluating HVAC systems for your building type/settingIs your building performing the way it was designed?

Has building usage changed significantly since it was designed?Will tweaking it to perform to the best of its abilities satisfy current codes & other requirements?

Knowing the answers will help you figure out next steps:RepairModifyReplaceCombination of above25

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Final Thoughts

Source Control is the key.Ventilation is but one piece of the puzzle.Buildings are complex- avoid the domino effect by carefully considering how changes effect the whole system.

Open windows at least a couple of inches for 10-15 min each hour to help turn over the air. 

Get kids outside, for even short time!Science shows us that taking this opportunity to improve ventilation will result in improved productivity, physical, and mental health for many years going forward.This is a once in a generation chance to re-think building design to make them healthy and safe places. Let’s seize the moment!26

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Questions?Marian L. Heyman, MT(ASCP), MPH

Coordinator, IEQ UnitEpidemiologist/Industrial HygienistEnvironmental and Occupational Health Assessment ProgramConnecticut Department of Public Health

marian.heyman@ct.gov http://www.ct.gov/dph/ieq

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