by Anika D | Jun 10, 2021 | Air Quality, Data Science
A professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Dominici presents the Henry W. Kendall Memorial Lecture at MIT. She reveals how leveraging huge amounts of data in the United States affects air pollution levels on human health.
For providing a data-driven foundation, their efforts are critical to building environmental regulations as well as human health policy. But they say that the results will be excellent when they use data science and evidence to notify policy.
How Data Science to Gather Air Pollution Insights
Source
In the past 20 years, air pollution is dramatically dropping in nationwide. Dominici says on average, we all are breathing clean air. But some research also shows that even with relatively low air pollution levels, it may be harmful to health.
In addition, current patterns of diminishing air pollution left some geographic areas worse off than others. In the various studies, Dominici hone on some specific type of harmful air pollution called fine particulate matter.
These tiny particles are less than 2.5 microns in width. They come from multiple sources like industrial facilities that burn fossil fuel and vehicle emissions.
These particulate matters can go in very deep into the lungs and then get into your blood. Further, it can lead to cardiovascular disease, systemic inflammation, and a weak immune system.
To examine the risk PM2.5 poses on human health, Dominici made data about people and the environment they experience. One dataset provides information for more than 60 million Americans who sign up for Medicare. It includes not only their health history but also other factors, including Zip code and socioeconomic status.
On the other side, a team of Joel Schwartz, who is a professor of environmental epidemiology, combines satellite data on weather. This data also includes air pollution, land use and unite them with air quality data from the EPA’s national network.
This helps them to create a model that offers a daily level of PM2.5 for every square kilometer. In this way, they can assign people’s daily exposure to PM2.5 who registers themselves in the Medicare system.
For acquiescing several findings, it is vital to combine and analyze these datasets. On the basis of present NAAQS for PM2.5, levels which are less than 12 micrograms per cubic meter are safe.
Final Words
Dominici’s team also says that even levels less than standard may possess a higher risk of death. Further, they say by reducing the standard to 10 micrograms per cubic meter, the air quality becomes more rigorous. It will help to save approximately 140,000 lives over a decade.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, problems regarding both environmental injustice and air pollution are at harsh relief. They also say that how long-term exposure increases the risk of dying from Covid-19.
Data scientist is the best way to find all those factors that are influencing serious environmental policy decisions. Moreover, this pandemic can also provide an additional source to control emissions regarding fossil fuels. In this way, scientists are using data science to gather air pollution insights.
by Linda Rawson | Sep 9, 2019 | Air Quality
Household plants can improve indoor air quality. People lined their windowsills in growing numbers with greenery after NASA published a series of research dating back to the early 1980s, saying that indoor plants could purify the air. Sadly, a little wishful thinking seems to have been going on back then.
Researchers now claim that you would need 680 plants in a 1,500-square-foot home for the leaves to fight toxins. Indoor plants have other health and air boosting benefits that you don’t need to build a jungle wall-to-wall to enjoy.
Even a small quantity of foliage could improve the quality of indoor air.
Because Americans spend most of their time indoors, a top priority should be good air quality. So why not add to your living room a few easy-care plants?
The following 10 plants help remove pollutants like formaldehyde, benzene, trichloroethylene, and carbon monoxide.
English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
The classic, elegant, English ivy is lovely as a ground cover or as a house plant, which is ideal for removing dangerous chemicals from the house. It can grow in complete shade to full sun, it can be formed, and it will likely survive several years with the proper care.
Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea Seifrizii)
Because of its preference for the proportion of sun and shade, the bamboo tree or red palm produces a large house plantation, which also helps remove harmful components such as benzene and formaldehyde. Palm trees thrive away from cold drafts in pleasant amounts of light. They can bring plenty of greenery to your space and reach 12 meters high but are growing slowly. Keep your bamboo palm in a larger container at least three years before re-potting.
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema Modestum)
The Chinese evergreen is a healthy plant with low to medium-light conditions. It usually reaches 1 or 2 feet. While it helps keep the Chinese evergreen atmosphere safe, it is essential to remember that an irritant is present in the Chinese evergreen that can be poisonous to animals.
Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera Jamesonii)
This famous annual is helpful when placed indoors to remove the gasoline and to improve the mood of the house. Be aware, however, that Gerbera daisy is best in warm temperatures at or above 75 degrees F.
Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)
A beautiful office plant, the Dragon Tree would be a great complement both indoors and outdoors with a green to purple leaf color. It would also fit in perfectly in the office because it can withstand low light. The Dragon tree is among the best for removing trichloroethylene and xylene from indoor air.
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (SansevieriaTrifasciata ‘Laurentii’)
A sturdy and succulent mother-in-law tongue is a good home plan for beginners and is capable of surviving under certain harshest conditions, including a broad range of light and temperatures. Be cautious, however, not to over water or not to water at all.
Mum (Chrysanthemum Morifolium)
Not just for memorials, Mums have lovely flowers, which are accessible and inexpensive in garden shops in the spring. These perennials are also suitable for interaction with plants because they sometimes take a deadhead (the pinch of spent flowers). Display it in a cool place under the sun for 10 hours. These plants are toxic to animals if consumed, so keep it out of reach. You can plant it outside in spring when the risk of frost goes away.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum ‘Mauna Loa’)
One of the best plants to combat poisonous substances is the Peace lily. Known for their ability to battle formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, are relatively simple plants that handle and even show indications of dropping when need to be watered. This plant may be slightly poisonous to animals and people, so after touching the plant, it is essential to clean your hands.
Spider Plant (ChlorophytumComosum ‘Vittatum’)
The spider plant is one of the simplest air-purifying indoor plants for beginners or forgetful owners to grow. Spider plants fans of light, indirect sunlight shoot with flowers that ultimately develop into baby spider plants. The child plants can be placed in their pot while still connected to their mother plant. Then once they are rooted, you snip them off. Please give the plant to your friends, or increase your collection of plant life.
Dracaena (Fragrans ‘Massangeana’)
A common species, Dracaena is known for their beautiful foliage, which varies from green to yellow and has proven to prevent formaldehyde. It looks fantastic in the shape of tree but can also be cultivated as shrubs.
Whatever your choice of house plant is one of these plants will help indoor air quality.
Linda Rawson, is the Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises, inventor of WeatherEgg, and the author of The Minority and Women-Owned Small Business Guide to Government Contracts: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
by Linda Rawson | Aug 27, 2019 | Air Quality, Industrial Hygiene
DynaGrace Enterprises, a WOSB, professional services company has added another quality line of products, Respirator Fit Test products, to the GSA Schedule 66 – Scientific Equipment and Services Schedule Contract. DynaGrace Enterprises is the first women-owned firm in Utah to be a vendor on that prestigious GSA schedule.
This federal government contracting vehicle enables us to reach more occupational health and safety managers as well as those agencies concerned with worker safety, regulation, and compliance,” stated Linda Rawson, President, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises. “Our newest vendor, Accutec-IHS, increases our ability to provide products that keep workers safe.
Accutec-IHS, with their AccuFIT9000™ Quantitative Respirator Fit Tester, is ready to be the smart choice for Quantitative Respirator Fit Tests.
The AccuFIT9000™ is an ideal solution for the industrial, pharmaceutical, first responder, and mining respirator users who are looking for one product that can address all their fit testing needs affordably. The newly developed high-efficiency CNC device, the AccuFIT9000™ uses the OSHA protocol as outlined in 29 CFR 1910.134, Respiratory Protection Programs.
A quantitative fit test measures the “goodness” of the respirator-to-face seal of the person being tested. In the case of the AccuFIT9000™ the challenge agent is naturally-occurring ultrafine particulates. The AccuFIT9000™ measures the concentration of the particulates in the ambient atmosphere and the breathing zone of the respirator. The measurement is done while the test subject is performing a series of exercises as described in 29 CFR 1910.134. The “Fit Factor” is then calculated which is a ratio of these two values.
Since the test results do not depend on the ability of the test subject to taste, smell, or sense an irritation caused by an artificially-introduced challenge agent, the test itself is entirely objective. The test provides a defensible analysis including metrics. The administrator of the Respiratory Protection Program is able to maintain a log of employees and fit test results.
Linda Rawson passionately says, “If you are working in a toxic or hazardous atmosphere where a respirator is required, and if the respirator doesn’t fit, you will breathe in toxins. It is that simple. Let’s face it. We want to keep workers healthy for years to come. We are deeply concerned about the air quality of the nation. We are concerned with the air people breathe both at work and in their daily lives and want to make sure the employee is as safe as possible.”
The press release is located here: DynaGrace Enterprises Adds Respirator Fit Test Product to GSA Schedule 66
Customers can learn more about DynaGrace Enterprises by visiting the company’s website at DynaGrace.com or by calling the company directly at 888-676-0058.
by Linda Rawson | Apr 13, 2019 | Air Quality
Throughout history, air pollution has been a problem. Not only smog but fumes from excessive coal use in households as well as dirty air released from manufacturing, mining and increased emissions from industrial processes. Respirators were invented.
Londoners even coined a phrase, “pea-soupers,” because, since the 14th Century, London has been affected by thick smog.
Because of poor air, civilizations learned to deal with air pollution by using respirators of different types whether basic or technologically advanced.
![Pliny the Elder, Library of Congress [Public domain]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Pliny_the_Elder.png)
Pliny the Elder, Library of Congress [Public domain]
In the 16th century, Leonardo da Vinci proposed using a woven cloth dipped in water over the face to protect against the toxic chemicals used in chemical warfare.
Expanding on the need for protection of the industrial worker’s lungs, inventors offered other solutions in the centuries that followed.
In 1849, Lewis Phectic Haslett invented the “Lung Protector” which allowed a mouthpiece fitted with two clapper valves and used a wool filter to keep out dust. The first U.S. patent, US 6529, for a “Lung Protector” was recorded in 1849 and was for a respirator that utilized one-way valves moistened with sheep wool to filter dust.
In 1860, A Scottish chemist, John Stenhouse, decided to use charcoal in a wide variety of air-purifying devices. He invented the first respirator that captured toxic gases from the air. He especially wanted to protect firemen and first responders.
John Stenhouse Mask, Public Domain
As even more, innovative scientific minds gained interest in air purifying devices, a race occurred to develop respirators that could protect against a broader range of air pollutants, such as hazardous gases.
In 1871, British physicist John Tyndall took Stenhouse’s mask, added a filter of cotton wool saturated with lime, glycerin, and charcoal, and invented a “fireman’s respirator,” a hood that filtered smoke and gas from air. Mr. Tyndall exhibited this respirator at a meeting of the Royal Society in London in 1874.
Also in 1874, Samuel Barton patented a device that ‘permitted respiration in places where the atmosphere is charged with noxious gases, or vapors, smoke, or other impurities.’ The first to include rubber and a metal hood structure, the Samuel Barton Respirator had a filter located in front and two eyepieces made of glass. The metal canister design contained lime, glycerin-soaked cotton wool, and charcoal.
Haslett Gas Mask, Frogstorm
In 1879, Hutson Hurd’s design improved on the design of the Haslett Lung protector and invented the design of the cup-shaped mask. The Hutson Hurd’s H.S. Cover Company manufactured these cup-shaped masks well into the 1970s.
Respirator Inventions World War I
After World War I, the military became much more involved and developed an intense interest in the use of respirators primarily as a defense mechanism against chemical warfare. Because of the military interest and money, the advances in the creation of inexpensive, useful filters increased in the 1930s. The filters were initially made with resin-infused dust and were further developed using fine particulates of glass fiber that could eliminate particulate matter. The design of the filter helped with the breathing ability that was not inhibited by the filters.
Post World War I
After World War I, the United States and the United Kingdom faced some of the worst air pollution cases in history.
In 1943, Los Angeles, California (LA), long known for its poor air quality, suffered from its first smog incident. LA’s factories and massive vehicle industry were to blame for the smog.
Nelson’s Column during the Great Smog of 1952
In December of 1952, the “great smog” or “big smoke” caused the city of Long to be engulfed in a thick layer of air smog which lasted for five days and resulted in 12,000 plus fatalities and 100,000 reported cases of respiratory illness. The smog was caused by the cold weather, lack of wind and the subsequent use of too much coal to heat the country.
In 1965, the Army provided an Emergency Respirator that consisted of Lucite, machined channels and a cover place that was secured by screws or adhesive. The mask did not have any moving parts but did have an amplifier that air could flow through. The technology was developed by the Harry Diamond Laboratories which later became part of the United States Army Research Laboratory.
The Future of Respirators
According to the World Health Organization, the top three of most air-polluted cities in the word rated by Particulate Matter (PM) concentration are 1) Kanpur, India, 2) Faridabad, India, and 3) Gaya, India. Other countries have issues including Pakistan, Uganda, China, and Qatar. Global air pollution problems and continuing climate change will put pressure on developing countries and will allow more advancements in the use of respirators.
The bigger the monetary fine, the more public health exposure, the more advancement of air pollution initiatives will continue. Labor laws, like the OSHA’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard standard for both Construction and General Industry, will become more refined to help protect workers. Because of the laws, respirators will continue to advance technologically.
Respirator technology is becoming sleeker, and most people wear primitive forms of respirators, like surgical masks, for protection. Surgical masks only work for airborne viruses and not air pollutants. In Japan, young people have used surgical masks as a fashion accessory to not only cover the face but protect from airborne viruses.
The human factor of respirators of the future will depend on comfortable fit, the mood of the wearer, and the actual protection the respirator provides, especially in an industrial environment.
The need for raising awareness of protecting your lungs from air pollution continues to be profound. Surgical masks will not work to eliminate PM, and in industrial situations, specific processes should always have the employee where a respirator mask.
To learn more about DynaGrace Enterprises mission for Helping People Breathe Cleaner Air visit this page -> https://dynagrace.com/capabilities/air-quality/
by Linda Rawson | Apr 9, 2019 | Air Quality, Federal Government Contracting
GSA Schedule 66 Announcement
DynaGrace Enterprises, a WOSB, professional services company has been awarded the GSA Schedule 66 – Scientific Equipment and Services Schedule Contract. The first women-owned firm in Utah to be a vendor on that prestigious GSA schedule.
It’s more than DUST. The employee who works in a dusty environment is exposed to a deadlier form of dust, silica. The average person is also exposed to a massive amount of air pollution that you can see with the human eye. DynaGrace Enterprises helps people breathe cleaner air by providing products and services for monitoring respirable dust particles and visible emissions.
“This federal government contracting vehicle enables us to reach more occupational health and safety managers as well as those agencies concerned with worker safety and air quality regulation and compliance, “ stated Linda Rawson, President, and Founder of DynaGrace Enterprises.
The arduous process of getting the prestigious GSA schedule was made easier by utilizing the State of Utah’s, Governor’s Office of Economic Development program of offering a referral to LSI’s GSA consulting assistance from PTAC. Linda Rawson states, “LSI was another member of our team, and I consulted with them often to ensure I was answering the questions appropriately.”
The respirable dust products surround the Nanozen DustCount 8899, a real-time, wearable, respirable dust monitor. Instantaneous reporting makes compliance with OSHA Respirable Crystalline Silica
Master Sgt. Donnie Bogan saws cutting lines in concrete, licensed under the terms of the United States Government Work.
standard easy. The Nanozen DustCount 8899, a real-time, wearable, respirable dust monitor detects air particulates down to a microscopic level in real-time.
OSHA has recently changed the Respirable Crystalline Silica Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) to 50 mg/m3 for 8 hours and the Action Limit to 25 mg/m3. Employers need to evaluate and control the exposure limit for their employees.
One way to do that is to have a worker wear the DustCount, for 8 hours and obtain the Total Weight Average (TWA). The rugged DustCount fits into a vest pocket or clips on a belt. The results can be analyzed real-time and downloaded at the end of the shift. The filter is then sent to an AIHA approved lab to be analyzed for silica levels.
The second product line surrounds visible emissions and offers a Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) called Digital Opacity Compliance System (DOCS) by Virtual Technology LLC out of Arizona. The system can determine plume opacity from smoke, soot, and visible dust. Some of these are necessary, but the software helps determine how much is too much. The software ensures EPA Method 9 compliance and EPA Method 22 for the frequency of emissions.
Scientific professional services are also available including Data Security Analyst, Software Systems Engineer, Technical Writing and Editing, Technical Support and Visible Emission Consulting.
Linda Rawson passionately says “Let’s face it. We don’t want anybody years from now spitting a piece of their lung on the sidewalk from silicosis. We are deeply concerned about the air quality of the nation. We are concerned with the air people breathe both at work and in their daily lives and want to make sure the air is safer.”
Customers can learn more about DynaGrace Enterprises by visiting the company’s website at DynaGrace.com or by calling the company directly at 888-676-0058. DynaGrace Enterprises will be at the AIHA conference in the Nanozen booth #1502.
Read the official press release here -> DynaGrace Enterprises Awarded the GSA Schedule 66 – Scientific Equipment and Services
