| About This Archive | | DCHAS-L 2012 Index | | DCHAS-L Yearly Index | |
Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.
|
Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] odor question Date: September 19, 2012 7:32:33 PM EDT Author: Dawn Errede |
Next by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Fire blankets? Date: September 19, 2012 5:35:24 PM EDT Author: "Alnajjar, Mikhail S" |
Hello Dan,
There are labs which are equipped to identify low concentrations of VOCs. Many use Suma canisters and some use sorbent tube methods. Once the compound is identified, you may have a better chance of finding the source. Not to alarm you, but PCBs have a "mothball" odor too.
Consider pressure differentials from other areas. The source may be outside of the room in question.
Best Wishes,
Stuart E. Salot, Ph.D.,CIH, ABIH-IEQ
Senior Industrial Hygienist
MES Consulting, LLC
Crane Island
P.O. Box 201
Deer Harbor, Washington 98243
(310) 982-7134 (office)
(310) 507-0270 (fax)
Greetings all,
We 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 already, investigating, ruling things out, etc. My question to this list is:
Has anyone had an odor issue where a mothball odor was caused by something other than mothballs?
I 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 properties.
All thoughts are appreciated.
Dan
--------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel C. Herrick
EHS Coordinator, MIT
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Laboratory for Manufacturing & Productivity (LMP)
Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE)
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
email herrickd**At_Symbol_Here**mit.edu
phone 617-253-2338
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 3-056
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post