Indoor Air Quality and Occupational Risk

A 2024 Year End Review

Chemical vapors, metal dust, toxic gases. Particulate matter, germs, and VOCs. Whether the emissions are fumes or particles, visible or not, all can create a working environment that poses an occupational risk to workers if indoor air quality measures are not in place.

Let’s focus on three of the top hazardous indoor air pollutants and the 2024 topics where they were featured.

Volatile Organic Compounds

VOCs are carbon-based gas emissions from products or processes. They possess a high vapor pressure in even normal temperatures and humidity levels and can enter a person’s respiratory tract.

Examples Include:

Benzene, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride, and chloroform.

Sources

VOCs may be found outside, such as when chemicals that offset from different plants interact. Or from greenhouse gases like methane that occur from manure on cattle farms.

VOCs are most common and most threatening in indoor situations where concentrations are higher and fresh air is limited. Emissions can stem from paints and adhesives, textiles and perfumes, copy machines and printers, and countless household products. But they are most prevalent – and therefore most dangerous – in industrial settings.

2024 Topics

Conformal Coating, Micro-welding, Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing, Animal Anesthesia, and Lab Pipetting.

Metal Fumes

Metal fumes are created when a metal is heated above its boiling point and enters the atmosphere where it can be absorbed into the skin or eyes and can be inhaled.

Examples Include:

Manganese, iron and aluminum oxides, chromium, and lead.

Sources

Metal fumes are most commonly found indoors where metalworking occurs or where products with metal are being processed or manufactured.

2024 Topics

Die and Investment Casting, Robot Manufacturing, Welding, Soldering, and Brazing.

Particulate Matter

PM is a complex mix of liquid and solid particles that have been released and suspended in the atmosphere, where they are an inhalation and eye irritation risk.

Examples Include:

Dust mites, dirt, soot, pollen, mold spores, and smoke.

Sources

Particulate matter may be found either inside or out. Inside sources of particulate matter include construction, home renovation, sanding, baking, and textile cutting.

2024 Topics

Industrial Ovens, Laser Ablation, Compounding Pharmacies, Laser Cutting, and Micron Sizes.

Occupational risks are not limited to only VOCs, particulate matter, or metal fumes. Threats to an industrial worker’s health and safety as a result of indoor air pollution can also be found in the cosmetic industry (“Eyelash Extensions,” “Nail Salons”), aerospace sector (“Toxic Exposure”), and the art world (“Art Conservation”).

The Solution

Regardless of your industry, application, or type of pollution, the solution to indoor air pollution is the same. For a safe and healthy IAQ, companies must invest in safeguards and protections for their workers. Beyond simply using personal protective equipment and having proper ventilation, businesses should invest in one additional measure to remove pollution at its source – before it becomes an occupational hazard: air cleaning.

At AIRSInc., we pride ourselves on our stellar line of air cleaning products. From fume extractors to dust collectors, air purifiers to advanced filter media, we provide a variety of options for any air cleaning need. Contact us today for a free air quality assessment from one of our indoor environmental specialists.