Weatherization poses thre
Lack of ventilation could create home hazard
■SS/ss
Wind slipping through the
frames of uncaulked
windows, heat leaking out
the bottom of the front
door, or a cool breeze in
the bedroom may be healthier than
a completely weatherized home,
according to recent reports
The trend toward energy-efficient,
weatherized homes may be leading
to a new environmental problem
called “indoor pollution,” reports
the December, 1981 issue of
“Consumer's Research" magazine
As homes are sealed by various
weatherization methods, air
pollutants may be trapped inside,
causing health problems — severe
in some cases
Too much insulation can cause
an environment that may be more
polluted than outside air. the
magazine says
“Indoor air, it is now known, may
have worse effects on one’s health
than does the open air of a
populous city or a locality close to a
mine, mill, or factory,” according to
the December issue Problems with
indoor pollution may be
compounded by the fact that
Americans spend 70 to 90 percent
of their time at home, the article
says
Indoor pollution is considered an
immediate and great concern” by
the National Academy of Sciences
because in some cases it exceeds
outdoor air pollution limits set by the
Clean Air Act."
However, test results are not
always conclusive, say some
sources While some researchers
are finding high levels of indoor
pollution, others are not
"We have some of the same
concerns,” says Matt Northway,
conservation engineer for the
Eugene Water and Electric Board
In the spring of 1981, EWEB
participated in a study sponsored by
the Bonneville Power Administration
and conducted by the Lawrence
Berkeley Laboratory of the
University of California at Berkeley
The study measured the air
tightness and air infiltration rate of
12 Eugene homes and, in four of the
12 homes, conducted studies of
indoor air quality Two of the homes
were EWEB energy-efficient homes,
built to EWEB weatherization
standards, and the other two homes
were passive solar houses
Measuring for levels of nitrogen
dioxide formaldehyde and radon
gas. the researchers found that
levels of nitrogen dioxide were low
and radon gas was low enough to
be unmeasurable Levels of
formaldehyde were somewhat
higher, ranging from half of the most
stringent standards of 100 parts per
billion in the EWEB homes to equal
to the 100 parts per billion standard
in the solar homes
The higher level of formaldehyde
measured in those solar homes
probably was due to new furniture
that can emit formaldehyde,
Northway says
Health problems induced by
indoor pollution are compounded by
the fact that doctors often don't
detect environmental causes of
symptoms when examining patients
in the office The elderly, children,
and others who spend much time at
home are most susceptible to
problems
The air exchange rate is critical to
clean indoor environments In an
average home, air is replaced once
an hour or more A new, tightly
sealed home may replace air as little
as once every 10 hours Some new
homes combine triple-paned
windows, vapor barriers built into
ceilings, walls and floors and
magnetically-sealed doors This may
create a "thermos-bottle effect
A conventional home stands less
of a chance of this effect. Northway
says It is impossible to make an
existing home totally air-tight '
1
<!
c
(
4
<
Wood stoves pollute heavily
Home heaters add to smog pall over Oregon
can still fondly remember
my grandmother's old
wood stove and the smell
of wood smoke. How can
that possibly be harmful
to my health?”
This is a common question, says
the Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality. Even more
common, they say, is the air
pollution caused by wood stoves.
Wood stove smoke is the second
largest source of air pollution in
many parts of Oregon It ranks
second to soil and road dust in
Portland and Eugene And in the
Medford-Ashland area, wood smoke
and soil and road dust tie as the
number one air polluter, says Janet
Gillaspie, public involvement
coordinator for DEQ
None of the three areas meet
federal standards for clean air The
worst of the three, the
Medford-Ashland area, is “one of
the two areas in the United States
characterized as having the worst
potential for serious air pollution,"
Gillaspie says
There are an estimated 250,000
'wood stoves and 332,000 fireplaces
used in Oregon for primary or
secondary heating or aesthetic
purposes, says Barbara Tombleson,
DEQ environmental protection
specialist. This represents 54 to 60
percent of Oregon households, she
says. The combination of heavy use
of wood stoves, ill-use of the stoves,
and valley locations which can trap
air in an area, leads to deteriorating
air quality and subsequent health
problems.
Use of wood stoves increases the
number of particulates in the air. As
wood burns, it produces potentially
carcinogenic compounds and toxic
gases such as carbon monoxide. At
least six chemicals in wood smoke
have been found — in
Environmental Protection Agency
tests — to cause cancer in
laboratory animals. Wood smoke
particles are particularly dangerous
because they are small and can
settle in the lungs.
While no Oregon cities have legal
restrictions on the use of wood
stoves, other cities in the United
States are taking steps to curb wood
smoke pollution, says Gillaspie. In
1978, Vail, Colo., passed legislation
which restricted each home to one
wood stove or fireplace.
Missoula, Mont, is another city
with air quality problems caused by
wood stove pollution. Missoula is
geographically similar to Medford,
and Missoula's leaders are watching
Oregon for guidance on wood stove
pollution issues, says Gillaspie.
Missoula's approach in the past
has been extensive public
education, says Scott Church, air
pollution control specialist for the
city and county of Missoula.
Roughly 60 percent, or 3,000
homes, burn wood for heat or
aesthetic purposes.
Missoula now implements air
stagnation plans when pollution
levels are high, requiring homes
with heating alternatives to wood
stoves to use them instead.
Violators are warned and, after
three hours, given citations if
emissions are still visible from the
chimney.
In Eugene, the Lane Regional Air
Pollution Authority is focusing on
informational programs, says Marty
Douglass, LRAPA public
information officer. “We are also in
the process of trying to gather more
data on particulate and carbon
monoxide emissions from wood
stoves.”
The focus of DEQ is also on
education. The state agency spends
approximately $10,000 per year to
educate stove owners about the
proper use and maintenance. State
and regional agencies are
prohibited by Oregon statutes from
regulating home heating devices.
ACROSS THE STREF FROM IX) CAMPUS ' ' -
CALL NOW OR WRITE
CAMPUS COURT QUADS
COMPARE THESE ADVANTAGES
■ Outside entrance to each bedroom
■ Private half bath in each bedroom
■ Carpets and drapes throughout
■ Complete furnishings
■ Private refrigerator
■ Sun decks on the roof top
■ Ceiling electric heat
■ Laundry facilities
■ Covered parking spaces available
■ Bus stop only a block away
■ Utilities included in rent
■ Co-ed units available on request
Rates
Donna Brotherton, Manager
1544 Alder Street Eugene, OR 97401
(503) 686*1075
From $139 (for leose through 6/15/82). Call for other rates
DELI
Featuring new item:
MEATBALL
SANDWICH
$1.20
/
14K COLD
RUNNER
A
J '
At II Al SI/I
Kl At lil t I
14K sonn t.oin
( HARM
lot \ts Li ham i’i hi at rift
$14.95
FIFTH STREET
PUBLIC MARKET
\
r
PUPPETEER
Experienced with hand and
rod puppets, needed to do
regional television commer
cials.
Call for audition appointment
689-8222
i Th* Stores with Warehouse Pricaa
: waterbed
warehou/e
823 Hwy. 99N • 688-8222
^jj^jy^^JOiIturalJForum^
Invites applications for
the following positions:
Popular Concerts
Jazz/Blues Concerts
Folk Music Concerts
Film and Literature
Visual Arts
Performing Arts
Contemporary Issues
Program Committee /
If you have the
least amount of
interest, stop by
the office and
learn more about
the rewarding
experience of
working on the
Cultural Forum.
These are volunteer student positions
offering intense practical experience
coordinating major events.
Applications and job descriptions are now
available in Suite 2, EMU. Deadline for
applying is Thursday, April 1.
4