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0 0 <br /> contamination site. In some extreme cases, health symptoms can be <br /> experienced as a result of exposure to chemicals stored in the home. <br /> What are the health concerns with vapor intrusion? <br /> The health effects from chemical exposures vary based on the individual <br /> exposed and the chemical involved. When chemicals build up In indoor <br /> air (at levels high enough to cause a strong petroleum odor, for <br /> example), some people will experience eye and respiratory irritation, <br /> headache, and/or nausea. These symptoms are temporary and should <br /> go away when the person is moved to fresh air. Usually, health officials <br /> are most concerned about low level chemical exposures over many <br /> years, as this may raise a person's lifetime risk for developing cancer. <br /> The likelihood of indoor air contamination by vapor intrusion is low at <br /> most cleanup sites. When vapor intrusion does occur, the health risk will <br /> often be lower than that posed by radon or by chemicals owned and used <br /> by the resident. Even though the risk is quite low, the Wisconsin <br /> Department of Health Services (DHS) considers these risks to be <br /> unnecessary and avoidable. <br /> What should I expect if vapor intrusion Is a concern near my <br /> home? <br /> If you live near a site with VOC contamination, such as a gas station or <br /> dry cleaner where petroleum or chemicals have contaminated soil or <br /> groundwater, you should expect that the potential for vapor intrusion is <br /> also being Investigated. You may be contacted by the cleanup site owner <br /> or others working on the cleanup with Information about the project. <br /> Your cooperation and consent would be requested before any <br /> testing/sampling would be done on your property. You may ask the <br /> person contacting you any questions about the work being done, or you <br /> can contact the DNR cleanup project manager, or a DHS employee. <br /> Telephone numbers and Internet addresses for DHS and DNR are <br /> provided below. <br /> How is vapor intrusion investigated? <br /> In most cases, the potential for vapor Intrusion can be ruled out by <br /> collecting soil gas or groundwater samples near the contamination site. <br /> In some cases, sampling closer to your property and/or home may be <br /> necessary. DHS and DNR do not usually recommend indoor air sampling <br /> for vapor intrusion. Indoor air quality changes a lot from day to day. <br /> Therefore, sampling one day may not show a problem even though <br /> sampling a day later might show contamination. Since a variety of VOC <br /> sources are present in most'hom6s, testing will not necessarily confirm <br /> that VOCs in the Indoor air are from VOC contamination in soils nearby. <br /> Instead, soil vapor samples are taken from areas outside of the home to <br /> see if vapors are near the home. Samples may also be taken from <br /> beneath the home's foundation (called sub-slab samples), to see if <br /> vapors have reached the home. Sub-slab samples are more reliable than <br /> indoor air samples and are not as affected by other Indoor chemical <br />