Pollution Risks from Indoor Soil Work

How Air Cleaning Can Help

When you think of soil, you may think of excavator trucks unearthing mounds of dirt. Or you may envision landscapers digging holes to plant trees, or home gardeners, noses to the ground, working with their hand trowels and weeders. However, soil is used inside, as well. Many businesses and industries use soil indoors – for interior gardening and landscaping, food production, or vertical farming.  Companies manufacture soil for consumer use, while others study it for plant research or biotech applications. Many people work with, or work near, indoor soil every day. This can be problematic if soil emits hazardous pollutants because those contaminants can make people sick.

Soil: what’s in it?

Made up of water, air, minerals, and organic matter, soil is a complex mixture of substances that supports plant life by providing nutrients, structural stability, and oxygen storage. Unfortunately, soil can also include toxins and contaminants that hurt both nature and humans. Examples include pollutants from heavy metals (arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium); chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides); microorganisms (molds and bacteria); and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Working with Soil Indoors: industries

Many businesses and trades work with soil in an indoor setting. Examples include:

Commercial Greenhouses supply plants to retail outlets such as garden nurseries and grocery stores. Some grow specialized plants such as marijuana for medicinal purposes.

Grocery Retailers, particularly small local outlets, may favor local growing for peak freshness. Growing their own food ensures the freshest and most sustainable products.

Research Facilities, such as those at universities, study soil and its impact. They also use it to provide an in-person educational experience and for agricultural research.

Restaurants may use indoor farming to grow their own food rather than relying on outside vendors.

Soil Manufacturers create their products by blending both organic and inorganic matter with nutrients for other industries to use.

Vertical Farming is employed by numerous businesses to lower environmental impact by using less space, requiring less water, and avoiding the use of pesticides.

Health Risks

Soil, such as potting mix, can emit harmful vapors as well as fungi and bacteria that can cause serious health problems. Fumes and dust inhaled by workers can result in respiratory illnesses such as Legionnaires’ disease (a severe form of pneumonia) that can cause symptoms such as fever, headaches, coughing, and difficulty breathing. Other health problems include fungal infections, lung problems, and even tetanus.

These problems can occur from both long-term and short-term exposure, making soil emissions particularly problematic.

Mitigation Strategies

In order to truly protect someone from toxic emissions while working with soil indoors, employers should do the following:

• Employ a thorough risk assessment to identify specific health hazards associated with soil emissions
• Require workers to wear personal protective clothing (PPE), including breathing masks, when necessary
• Ensure that control measures, such as proper ventilation, are in place
• Install air cleaning equipment, such as source capture and fume extraction products

At AIR Systems, we serve our customers by providing indoor air quality management solutions, which include products such as our SP-400 Portable Air Cleaner. Contact us today for a free air quality assessment with one of our skilled and experienced indoor environmental specialists.

SP-400 Portable Air Cleaner

The SP-400 portable fume extractor is ideal for direct source capture of smoke, dust, fumes, and other airborne contaminants from industrial applications. Its powerful yet efficient 350W motor, adjustable fume extractor arm, and versatile filtration system make the SP-400 the ultimate portable air cleaning system.

Shop