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SAN JOAQUIN DELTA COLLEGE SAMPLE RESULTS SUMMARY For Hydrocarbon Sample Tubes (cont.) COMPONENT OSHA PEL RESULTS BLANK NIOSH TWA TLV 08/20/00 m m Benzene 0 l0 <10 Cyclohexane 300 <10 Cyclohexene 300 <10 Heptane 400 <10 Hexane 50 <i0 Methylcyclohexane 400 <10 Octane 300 <10 Pentane 600 <10 Toluene 50 <10 TABLE VII(cont.) I would like to offer the following facts, information,observations, and test results as additional information Three potential sources of indoor air contaminants are (1) contaminants released from the building or its contents - such as asbestos, formaldehyde, carpentry materials,radon,refrigerant leakage or dust, (2) contaminants generated by human activities- such as the chemicals released from heating, cigarette smoke, cosmetics, cleaning products or office machines,and(3) infiltrated contaminants-contaminants entering the work environment from the outside air, such as pollen, dust, fungal spores, industrial pollutants or vehicle exhaust The most common symptoms are those associated with mucous membrane irritation and headaches Eye irritation, nasal and sinus congestion, nose and throat irritation, chest tightness or burning, nausea, headache, sneezing, coughing, skin irritation, dizziness and fatigue are frequently experienced Treatment for the individual patient consists of reassurance with an explanation of the apparent source and benign nature of the symptoms, and temporary removal from the environment if necessary Successful "treatment" of the building typically involves increases in ventilation rate and particularly fresh air intake An important property of many substances is odor, manifested by a physiological sensation due to contact of their molecules with the olfactory nervous system Odor and flavor are closely related, and both are profoundly affected by submicrogram amounts of volatile compounds Attempts to correlate odor with chemical structure have produced no definitive results Objective measurement techniques involving chromatography are under development Even potent odor must be present in a concentration of 1 7 X 107 molecules per cc to be detected It has been authentically stated that the nose is 100 times as sensitive in detection of threshold odor values as the best analytical apparatus Many compounds have a characteristic odor that is an effective means of identification Toxic and noxious gases have distinctive odor often utilized for warning purposes An important exception is carbon monoxide, which is almost odorless The penetrating banana-like odor of amyl acetate has been used in mine rescue work Among the most powerful unpleasant odors are those of organic sulfur compounds, especially ethyl mercaptan (skunk) Organic substances having a pleasant odor are broadly designed as aromatic, regardless of chemical nature The cyclic aromatic(benzene)series of hydrocarbons was so named for this reason Page #14