The Quality of the Air Inside the NIEHS Building in April 1981

NIEHS does not have data showing what the air quality was inside its new facility when employees began moving into it on April 11, 1981, or during the first 5.5 months that the building was occupied. The initial monitoring, which took place on September 28 and 29, 1981, found that the formaldehyde levels on the second floor of module A ranged from 0.1 to 0.34 ppm—well below OSHA’s standard in effect in 1981. NIEHS officials said that adjustments were made to balance the air flow and introduce more outside air in module A during the first 5.5 months to alleviate respiratory problems that some employees reported. Health Effects Associated With Exposure to Formaldehyde

The short-term effect of formaldehyde is irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract—in particular the nose and throat and, possibly, the lungs with concentrations as low as 0.41 ppm. Moreover, the effects it has on the eyes and respiratory tract usually pass quickly once the exposure ends. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, short-term exposure to concentrations of 20 ppm of formaldehyde is immediately dangerous to the life and health of humans. Long-term exposure of laboratory animals to formaldehyde at a concentration of 2.0 ppm has not been shown to produce nasal cancer. But at concentrations of 14.1 to 14.3 ppm, studies have shown sharp increases in cancer of the animals’ nasal linings. NIEHS’ Current Management Practices for Monitoring Air Quality

NIEHS’ current management is more aware of the need to have adequate air handling systems in buildings and to better monitor indoor air levels to reduce employees’ exposure to indoor air pollutants. For example, before moving into a recently completed laboratory module at Research Triangle Park, NIEHS initiated a number of health and safety measures to ensure the quality of the module’s indoor air, including improved air handling and monitoring measures and the use of less polluting building materials and furnishings. In addition, according to EPA officials, the manufacturing standards for building materials and office furnishings are more stringent today to ensure that the off-gassing levels of chemicals, such as formaldehyde, are much lower than in past years.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the: (1) quality of air inside the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) building when it was occupied in 1981; (2) health effects associated with exposure to formaldehyde; and (3) current management practices at NIEHS for air handling and air monitoring.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) NIEHS does not have data showing what the air quality was inside its new facility during the first 5.5 months that the building was occupied; (2) however, in response to some employees' concerns, the agency began monitoring the air in September 1981; (3) the agency found that formaldehyde levels ranged from 0.1 to 0.34 parts per million (ppm), well below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's safety standard in effect in 1981; (4) officials of the NIEHS said that during the first 5.5 months, they made adjustments to the air handling system to balance the air flow and introduce more outside air to help alleviate the respiratory problems that some employees were experiencing; (5) formaldehyde is a known irritant; (6) short-term exposure to formaldehyde at concentrations as low as 0.41 ppm can irritate the eyes and the respiratory tract; (7) such effects usually pass quickly, however once exposure ends; (8) according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, short-term exposure to very high concentrations of formaldehyde at levels of 14.1 to 14.3 ppm has produced cancer in the nasal passages of laboratory animals; (9) because it is carcinogenic in animals and is known to damage genetic material in cell cultures, formaldehyde has been classified as a probable human carcinogen; (10) however, examination of epidemiological evidence has not demonstrated a firm relationship between formaldehyde and cancer in humans; (11) the NIEHS' current managers are more aware of the need for adequate air handling systems in buildings and for routinely monitoring indoor air levels to protect employees from exposure to indoor air pollutants than managers were in 1981; (12) for example, prior to a recent move into a new laboratory module at Research Triangle Park, the agency took a number of steps to ensure the quality of the building's indoor air, including improved air handling and monitoring measures; and (13) the manufacturing standards for building materials and office furnishings are more stringent today to ensure that the off-gassing levels of chemicals such as formaldehyde are much lower than in the past years.