Building Materials

Kathleen Hess-Kosa, MS, CIH, is an industrial hygiene/environmental consultant with Omega Environmental Consulting in Canyon Lake, Texas. In 1972, she earned her Bachelor of Science in microbiology with a minor in chemistry from Oklahoma State University. In 1979, she earned a Master of Science in industrial hygiene from the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University. After her travails through the education system, she finally entered the real world and became challenged with all problems great and small within an insurance company. While working for Firemen’s Fund Insurance Companies, she had the opportunity to become involved in a variety of unique industrial hygiene assessments including her first indoor air quality study which involved a newly constructed 800-occupant high rise office building. This was back in 1982, and the 90% complaint rate dropped to 10%—after throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the problem. Her success sparked that which has become her passion for indoor air quality. Subsequently, she has pursued multiple avenues to effectively respond to the new challenges. Upon starting her own consulting firm in 1986, Ms. Hess-Kosa has continued to pursue her passion, added to her list of curiosities mold/moisture damage, sewage contamination, and all things out of the ordinary. She has taken several courses in construction techniques at the local community college. She has designed and been involved in construction projects involving two of her own homes. One of her hobbies it that of building massive southwest wood doors. She has also been a consultant to several construction firms. Beyond this book, Ms. Hess-Kosa is credited with several other technical books. They include Environmental Sampling for Unknowns, Indoor Air Quality: Sampling Methodologies (2nd edition), Environmental Site Assessment Phase I: A Basic Guide (2nd edition), An Environmental Health and Safety Auditing M

Contents



Preface.................................................................................................................... xiii



Acknowledgments.................................................................................................xv



Author................................................................................................................... xvii



Section I All Things Considered



1. Building Material Components: Old and New, Natural and



Synthetic............................................................................................................3



Natural Building Products..............................................................................4



Asbestos.........................................................................................................5



Lead................................................................................................................7



Crystalline Silica..........................................................................................8



Non-Emission Toxins..................................................................................9



Plastics’ Most Notorious..................................................................................9



Formaldehyde............................................................................................. 10



Modern Building Materials........................................................................... 11



Summary.......................................................................................................... 12



References........................................................................................................ 13



2. Product Emissions and Evolution of Indoor Air Pollution................... 15



Evolution of Public Awareness......