Purchase District Health Dept., KCSP facilitate Fulton County indoor, air quality assessment

With funding provided by the Purchase District Health Department, between Aug. 6 - 23 2019, indoor air quality was assessed in five indoor workplaces located in Fulton County. Of the five workplaces, sites were of various sizes and they were individually owned establishments.

This “Breathe Clean Fulton County” initiative was announced last week at an informational meeting at West Hickman Baptist Church.

A TSI SidePak AM510 Personal Aerosol Monitor (TSI, Inc., St. Paul, MN) was used to sample and record the levels of respirable suspended particles in the air.

The equipment was set to a one-minute log interval, which averages the previous 60 one-second measurements.

For each venue, the first and last minute of logged data were removed because they are averaged with outdoor and entryway air. The remaining data points were summarized to provide an average PM2.5 concentration within each venue.

The Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy (KCSP) staff trained Fulton County community advocates who did the sampling and sent the data to KCSP for analysis. Sampling was discreet in order not to disturb the occupants’ normal behavior.

Descriptive statistics including the venue volume, number of patrons, number of burning cigarettes, and smoker density were averaged for all workplaces.

The workplaces were visited on Tuesday through Friday for an average of 64 minutes (range 55- 76 minutes). Visits occurred at various times of the day from 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

The average size of the Fulton County workplaces was 378 m3 (range 160-737 m3) and the average smoker density was 0.10/100 m3.

On average, 42 patrons were present per workplace and 0.4 burning cigarettes per workplace were observed. Descriptive statistics for each workplace are summarized in the Table.

The average level of indoor air pollution in the Fulton County workplaces (213 µg/m3) was approximately 11.8 times higher than Hardin County, Ky. and Lexington, Ky. after implementing their smoke-free laws, the report states.

Further, the level of indoor air pollution in Fulton County workplaces was 6.1 times higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (35µg/m3) for outdoor air for 24 hours.

The average level of indoor air pollution in each of the five tested workplaces in Fulton County, the average PM2.5 levels ranged from 47 to 375 µg/m3.

Air pollution in all five of the workplaces exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for outdoor air (NAAQS; 35µg/m3).

The average PM2.5 level in five Fulton County, Kentucky workplaces was 213 µg/m3, which is 6.1 times higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for outdoor air set by the EPA.

There were over 80 EPA cited epidemiologic studies in creating a particulate air pollution standard in 1997. To protect the public’s health, the EPA set a new limit of 35 µg/m3 on Dec. 17, 2006 as the average level of exposure over 24-hours in outdoor environments. There is no EPA standard for indoor air quality.

At least two Kentucky air quality studies have demonstrated significant improvements in air quality as a result of implementing a comprehensive smoke-free law.

Hahn et al. showed a 91% decrease in indoor air pollution after Lexington implemented a smoke-free law on April 27, 2004.

The average level of indoor air pollution was 199 µg/m3 pre-law and dropped to 18 µg/m3 post-law.

Average levels of indoor air pollution dropped from 86 µg/m3 to 20 µg/m3 after Georgetown implemented a comprehensive smoke-free law on Oct. 1, 2005.

Similarly, other studies show significant improvements in air quality after implementing a smoke-free law. One California study showed an 82% average decline in air pollution after smoking was prohibited. When indoor air quality was measured in 20 hospitality venues in western New York, average levels of respirable suspended particle (RSP) dropped by 84% after a smoke-free law took effect.

According to the report, Indoor Air Quality in Fulton County, Kentucky Workplaces 2019, a copy of which was provided to The Current, many millions of Americans, both children and adults, are still exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes and workplaces.

Approximately 40.1% nonsmokers in the United States have biological evidence of SHS exposure.

U.S. Surgeon General Carmona said, “Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke.

Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.” The 2014 Surgeon General’s report recommends that comprehensive smoke-free indoor protections be extended to the entire U.S. population.

This study demonstrated that workers and patrons in Fulton County workplaces are exposed to harmful levels of SHS.

On average, workers and patrons in Fulton County were exposed to indoor air pollution levels approximately 6.1 times the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for outdoor air, and the level of indoor air pollution in these workplaces was 11.8 times higher than Hardin County and Lexington’s average PM2.5 levels after implementation of their smoke- free laws.

When smoking is completely prohibited, air quality significantly improves for all workers and patrons, the report states.