From: Dawn Errede <errededc**At_Symbol_Here**YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] odor question
Date: September 19, 2012 7:32:33 PM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <61B8FFF7416572438CADB5DF16826AA6062213A7**At_Symbol_Here**MADMSG025.promega.com>


Ah - the moldy oranges.  In my previous life as a Chemical Hygiene Officer, I had lab workers and their professor assuring me the ventilation system was pumping ether into their lab.  Sure enough, upon entering the lab I could smell what they were talking about, but further investigation lead to the real source -  a bag of moldy oranges forgotten in a cupboard in an adjacent office!

Dawn Errede


From: Timothy Hauser <Timothy.Hauser**At_Symbol_Here**PROMEGA.COM>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 3:35 PM
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] odor question

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I've had chemical odor complaints localized in office areas at several locations. The occupant would insist that it was caused by some chemical contamination=0A or air flow issue from lab areas- Upon investigation it was caused by uncapped marker pens and once even by a moldy orange!
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Tim
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Timothy M. Hauser, CHMM=0A
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Manager, Environmental, Health & Safety
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Promega Corporation=0A
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2800 Woods Hollow Road, Madison WI 53711 USA=0A
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Timothy.Hauser**At_Symbol_Here**promega.com | Direct (608) 298-4807 |=0A Cell: (262) 844-1665 | Fax: (608) 277-2677=0A
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From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU]=0AOn Behalf Of Garrow, Walter
=0ASent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 3:23 PM
=0ATo: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
=0ASubject: Re: [DCHAS-L] odor question
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This may sound strange, but some of the men's urinal deodorant blocks have similar chemicals.=0A
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From: Dan Herrick [mailto:herrickdan**At_Symbol_Here**HOTMAIL.COM]=0A
=0ASent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 10:07 PM
=0ATo: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
=0ASubject: [DCHAS-L] odor question
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Greetings all,
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=0AWe are investigating an Indoor Air Quality issue in an infrequently used faculty office which is full of books, papers, a computer server, etc.  The odor is mothballs, and we cannot locate the source.  (Believe me, we've been trying!)  We've done a lot of work=0A already, investigating, ruling things out, etc.  My question to this list is:
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=0AHas anyone had an odor issue where a mothball odor was caused by something other than mothballs?
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=0AI am aware that the chemical which causes the distinctive odor in mothballs is either naphthalene (older products) or 1,4-Dichlorobenzene (newer products).  This faculty member is not doing any chemistry but rather investigates materials and their mechanical=0A properties.
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=0AAll thoughts are appreciated.
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Thank you,
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Dan
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Daniel C. Herrick
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EHS Coordinator, MIT
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Department of Mechanical Engineering=0A
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Laboratory for Manufacturing & Productivity (LMP)
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Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE)
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Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
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phone 617-253-2338
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 3-056
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Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
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