From: "Woodring, James L." <jWoodring**At_Symbol_Here**ANL.GOV>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] odor question
Date: September 19, 2012 4:28:22 PM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <BLU171-W370909B00F7B62F79D8E50C89B0**At_Symbol_Here**phx.gbl>


We had a similar complaint in our credit union.  Air sampling did find dichlorobenzene.

After much looking we discovered that the suspended ceiling tiles were littered with the deodorant cakes used in urinals.

Some occupants had complained of stuffiness and the custodian was trying to help…..

There could be similar products left or hidden in or above the office---or in an air supply.

 

Jim Woodring

Industrial Hygiene Manager

Argonne National Laboratory

jwoodring**At_Symbol_Here**anl.gov

 

 

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Dan Herrick
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 3:08 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] odor question

 

Greetings all,

We are investigating an Indoor Air Quality issue in an infrequently used faculty office which is full of books, papers, a computer server, etc.  The odor is mothballs, and we cannot locate the source.  (Believe me, we've been trying!)  We've done a lot of work already, investigating, ruling things out, etc.  My question to this list is:

Has anyone had an odor issue where a mothball odor was caused by something other than mothballs?

I am aware that the chemical which causes the distinctive odor in mothballs is either naphthalene (older products) or 1,4-Dichlorobenzene (newer products).  This faculty member is not doing any chemistry but rather investigates materials and their mechanical properties.

All thoughts are appreciated.


Thank you,

 

Dan

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

Daniel C. Herrick

EHS Coordinator, MIT

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Laboratory for Manufacturing & Productivity (LMP)

Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE)

Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

email   herrickd**At_Symbol_Here**mit.edu

phone 617-253-2338

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 3-056

Cambridge, MA 02139-4307

 

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