Pupils Fumigated & Hosed Down After Asbestos Fears

A former headteacher has informed MPS how pupils were fumigated after strong winds lifted asbestos ceiling tiles which potentially contaminated a school in Sunderland. Pupils were asked to go through a decontamination unit to remove any possible asbestos fibres. The school has since been demolished and rebuilt, however the issue has been raised to highlight that there is still a problem with asbestos in schools.

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Drinking Water Supplied Through Asbestos Cement Pipes

29% of Cranleigh’s drinking water is supplied through old asbestos cement pipes. The Drinking Water Inspectorate and Thames Water have assures residents that there is no reason for concern. This is conflicted by a statement from the Wold Health Organisation (WHO) that all asbestos is bad and should be eradicated.

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Air Pollution in London – What can we do?

It has been noted in recent news that London has exceeded its annual air pollution limit within recent years and millions of habitants are suffering from respiratory diseases such as asthma due to exposure to particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants. Some areas of London are the most polluted areas in Europe and air quality in and around the city have become a real health issue.

It is not just the air we breathe while out and about in the open that we must be concerned with but also the air we breathe while in the workplace. Poor air quality in offices, schools and other places of work has been associated with headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating and irritation of the respiratory system. Factors such as poor ventilation, temperature control, humidity control and proximity to contaminants such as dust and bacteria can all contribute to health problems.

Envirochem offer services to help measure these contaminants and help to pinpoint where the pollution issues lie. Monitoring of airborne dust in the form of inhalable or respirable particulates, humidity, temperature and airborne bacteria (bioaerosols) are all types of testing and analysis Envirochem offer, both in the workplace and in the wider environment. Please contact us if you have any issues with air pollution in the workplace in London or anywhere else in the UK and we can help.

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Landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria Tests at Envirochem

At Envirochem we have been experiencing an increase in soil and waste samples being analysed under the WM3 requirements. In addition to Landfill Waste Acceptance Criteria test (WAC test or Leachate test), this guidance helps in the classification process of hazardous waste and informs individuals what analysis they will require. The requirement for analysis under the WM3 guidance depends on a number of different factors such as; sample type, location and history of the site. Therefore every sample will have a different scheme of analysis. Envirochem offers a wide range of soil and waste analysis which includes but not limited to metal contact, anions, speciated TPH and PAH, BETXs , PCBs and volatile organic compounds.

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Phosphine Analysis at Envirochem

We were recently provided with samples for phosphine analysis, which had been sampled on a charcoal tube. We were able to employ a documented method, which used hydrogen peroxide to oxidise the phosphine to phosphate. This was then analysed using ion chromatography. A similar method has also been employed to analyse for sulphur dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.

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Monitoring in Listed Buildings

Alongside the work Envirochem carry out on construction and demolition sites and other industries, we have recently been required to work at a grade 1 listed building in a historic town in Hampshire.

During installation of a new lift, contractors were concerned of the exposure of their employees to inhalable dust and potential metals released from the materials used to build this building back in 1090. After chemical testing of materials to be taken as waste in our UKAS accredited laboratory, it was discovered that a high lead content was found. This resulted in the need for a continued monitoring program while excavation works are carried out of the listed building.

Using our UKAS accredited procedure, Envirochem are carrying out static and personal monitoring for total inhalable dusts to ensure workplace exposure limits are not exceeded. We are also testing the exposed filters for lead content to monitor the levels of lead in dust released as a result of these excavation works.

Envirochem’s care and ethical approach ensure works in sensitive buildings are carried out in a careful, safe and sincere approach. If you require monitoring of any sort in a listed building or any other building or site, please contact Envirochem for more information using the form below

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Eyemouth Recycling Centre Shut Due to Dumped Asbestos

Eyemouth Recycling Centre was forced to close for three days due to asbestos being dumped in a skip resulting in the need for a licensed asbestos removal contractor to come and dispose of the material.

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Occupational Hygiene Within the Food Industry

As well as services we provide for industry monitoring involving the use of heavy machinery or chemical monitoring, the occupational hygiene team has a regular annual client who is based within the food industry.

The client provides products for well known leading fast food franchises, by completing a three stage production within their various premises. The annual monitoring consists of three visits to monitor each of the production processes to check for inhalable dust and bio-aerosols.

The first stage of primary production led us to monitor for bioaersols and inhalable dust which involves the machinery processes of slaughtering, to indicate the levels of which the employees are exposed to throughout the chain of process.

The secondary production covers the creation of various raw poultry products, in which the team monitored for inhalable dust. This monitoring set up was then repeated on the final visit during the further processing stage which involved making the final product ready to be, exported to the fast food chains. For each of these both static and personal monitors were set up to measure the average dust concentration around the area of the machine, and to measure the time weighed dust average concentration for the employees operating the machinery.

As an additional service we have booked in to test for noise levels from their various pieces of machinery. This is monitored through static monitoring around the equipment during the process to measure the decibels for equivalent continuous level (LAeq) and max level.

These services within this fast food industry business, along with the previous site visits can be used to determine if employees are exposed to levels of dust, noise or bio-aerosols above the EH40/2005 rev. 2011 limits and whether extra measures need to be put in place to prevent exposure.

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Arsenic in Paint and Wallpaper

Occasionally we get requested to test wallpaper or paint for arsenic content.

Some Victorian properties still contain wallpapers with a the specific dark blue/green colour or pattern called Scheele’s green. When in-situ and in good condition it does not pose a health threat. In this way it is similar to lead containing paints – when they are in good condition or over painted with new paint there is little risk unless you have small children keen on chewing the skirting board. But when the surface starts to break down there is the potential for lead containing dust to be released, disturbed and inhaled.

However, with arsenic containing wall papers there is an additional and interesting effect. If the paint or wall paper becomes damp, then a mould can grow on the wall paper that can metabolise the arsenic in to a volatile form of arsenic called arsene. This arsene can then be inhaled by the occupants. Even if concentrations are low, prolonged exposure can lead to arsenic bio-accumulating in the body. It was this that is believed to have contributed to the death of Napoleon when imprisoned on the island of Elba.

We have had a example when owners of a hotel were experiencing a range of health issues months after a flood. Envirochem found the classic green Victorian wall paper in some rooms and behind a wardrobe it was still damp and mould was growing on the wall paper. Hospital tests found elevated levels of arsenic in the two hotel owners.

The method of analysis for arsenic in paint is analogous to our recently UKAS accredited method for lead and chromium in paint.


Market Hall Cinema Closed Due to Asbestos

123 year old Market Hall Cinema in Wales was shut down in November due to the discovery of asbestos. Blaenau Gwent council are working to resolve the issue in order to be able to re-open the cinema.

The cinema is one of the oldest in Wales and has received a lot of public funding in order to remain in use, due to it’s popularity a new crowd funding appeal has been released in the hope this will enable it’s reopening.

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