Air pollution from transport has hogged the spotlight in recent months, but poor air quality inside our homes and workplaces can be even more damaging, reports Jamie Hailstone.

Even the most battle-hardened environmental sceptic will accept that there is air pollution on Britains streets.

Anyone who is a regular visitor to London, or any other of the UKs larger cities, cannot fail to notice the faint aroma of exhaust fumes as they traverse this nations highways and byways. But how many of us think about the air that we breathe inside our homes? Is it as clean as you might think?

Research published last year by the Clean Air Day campaign claimed ultrafine particle pollution levels are on average 3.5 times higher inside than outdoors and at some points in the day, it can peak at 560 times outdoor air pollution.

The research also found that 55% of parents said their children spent more time indoors when they are not at school or college than they did at their age, which means they could be exposed to more indoor air pollution than previous generations.

With children spending increasing hours indoors exposing them to ultrafine particles of pollution, which can enter the bloodstream and could have a greater impact on vital organs, urgent action needs to be taken to address this issue of indoor air pollution, says leading expert, Professor Stephen Holgate.

Indoor pollution can come from some unexpected sources and everyday activities. Even burnt toast can send indoor air pollution through the roof.

Most people are aware that dust and pollen can cause allergies and breathing difficulties, such as asthma but there are other sources that are less well known and equally as toxic, explains the chief executive of air quality monitor manufacturer Airthings, yvind Birkenes.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), like formaldehyde, are off-gassed by common items such as furniture and mattresses.

Traditional paint and related products, such as polyurethane, can include a whole host of toxic chemicals which are slowly released over time and carpets emit high levels of VOCs in the first few days after they have been installed, he added.

Asking for low VOC products and educating yourself on how some products are made is a good way to better understand what you are bringing into your home. Scented candles, wood-burning stoves, chemical cleaning products and air fresheners all emit VOCs.

We dont want people to think they cant use their favourite products, but we want people to know when chemical levels are rising so they can take control and keep their family safe and healthy, adds Birkenes.

Cooking up trouble

The social media manager of air quality masks manufacturer Airinum, Maria Ahnlund, says the kitchen is also another unreported source of indoor air pollution.

People use a variety of heat sources to cook food, including gas, wood, and electricity, she tells Air Quality News. Each of these heat sources can create indoor air pollution during cooking. Natural gas and propane stoves can release carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other harmful pollutants into the air, which can be toxic to people and pets.

Cooking can also generate unhealthy air pollutants from heating oil, fat and other food ingredients, especially at high temperatures. Self-cleaning ovens, whether gas or electric, can create high levels of pollutants as food waste is burned away. Studies show that air can be unhealthy to breathe when people cook in kitchens with poor ventilation, adds Ms Ahnlund.

She also adds it is important to have a properly installed, high-efficiency hood over a kitchen stove to ensure good ventilation.

But it is not just in kitchens that poor ventilation can be a problem and contribute to poor indoor air quality, as the founder and CTO of heating systems manufacturer Logicor, David Bowen, explains: In all homes, we find (VOC) present.

Furthermore, we see humidity occurring, an inevitability of the current practice of creating air-tight homes. This provides a perfect breeding ground for many difficult to see creatures such as dust mites to thrive, he adds.

When their waste comes into contact with our skin or is inhaled, it can result in a range of allergic reactions that we can visibly see such as watering of the eyes, itching, asthma attacks, eczema, sneezing and a runny nose.

Equally, many homes are affected by Radon gas, particularly in areas with high proportions of granite. It is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas formed by the decay of small amounts of uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils.

When this occurs it produces other radioactive elements which attach themselves to dust particles in the air and, if inhaled, they will stick to the airways of the lung.

Musty smells

The World Health Organization has linked Radon exposure to between 3-14% of all lung cancer cases.

Damp in our homes most commonly occurs because of condensation, and if left untreated will eventually lead to mould growth. This is because if it is left to develop over time then damp patches may start to appear on walls and in the end black mould will grow.

This leads to musty smells, damage to the fabric of the house and it can also result in health problems.

Good ventilation is key to resolving the above issues, says Mr Bowen. The problem we face is that, historically, we have heated our homes with convection heating (warming the air) which has led to a practice of making our homes as airtight as we can to trap hot air for as long as possible.

For decades we have looked at solving the problem of reducing our heating bills with scant regard for the effects it could have on our health, instead of looking at technologies that would allow ventilation and heating to co-exist such as infrared central heating.

To me, its worse because Im not entirely convinced that we didnt know what we were doing. Its entirely understandable that a baker or candlestick maker might not know that poor ventilation could lead to a raft of health problems but, I find it difficult to believe that others, responsible for our health policies, didnt know, adds Mr Bowen.

As building techniques evolve and new homes become more energy-efficient, the issue of ventilation will become even more important, but there are plenty of simple steps to help improve indoor air quality, like opening the windows from time to time and where possible, keeping a lid on a frying pan.

That way, to paraphrase Arthur Daley, you can stay out of trouble with air indoors.

This article appears in Issue 2 of theAir Quality Newsmagazine which you can readhere.

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06.03.2020 Are you having trouble with 'air indoors'? - AirQualityNews

WADESBORO- Religious, political, and community leaders from across Anson County met at South Piedmont Community Colleges Lockhart-Taylor Center on Thursday, February 27 to celebrate one of their own: Grammy-award winning composer and Anson County educator, Richard Lewis Spencer. The event was the culmination of events throughout late January and February planned and coordinated by the Anson County MLK, Jr./Black History Month committee.

The event was presided over by Rev. Anthony Hall and Min. Christine Hall. Special guests walked the red carpet before approaching the stage. Attendants of all races were encouraged to dress in African attire and many wore garments emblazoned with vibrant colors and featuring elaborate patterns and designs. Richard Spencer was unable to attend due to health issues so his brother, Joey Spencer, accepted awards in his siblings honor.

Were here to honor a great man and I want you all to really get into the program, said Min. Hall, who added, Were here to have a good evening, okay? So, were not here to just be sitting still, were here to enjoy the festivities in honoring Mr. Richard Spencer, alright? Were here to celebrate! And as a celebration, we have fun!

The festivities included live music performed by Mr. Spencers siblings, Joey, Rodney, and Sherrie Spencer with keyboard accompaniment by Mitchel Patton. Kenya Miles from the HOLLA Organizations production of The Lion King, Jr. gave a thunderous rendition of The Circle of Life from the play. Sylvia Pratt gave a live reading of Langston Hughess poem Mother and Son. Betty Huntley choreographed an interpretive dance piece. There were also lip-syncing performances of hits by Tina Turner and The Emotions.

Richard Spencer received awards honoring his achievements in music, writing, education, and ministry. Leon Gatewood, of the HOLLA! Organization, and NC House candidate Gloria Harrington Overcash presented a replica of the Grammy Spencer received in 1970 as bandleader of the R & B group The Winstons for their song Color Him Father. In addition to the Grammy, Spencer received awards for his book The Molasses Tree and his tenure teaching at Anson High School.

I was doing pretty good until Color Him Father came out, said Joey jokingly, That record deprived me of the right to live in poverty like the rest of my friends. You know, its because of that record that I was deprived of the privilege of cutting firewood. What kind of brother wakes his six-year-old sibling at 3 oclock in the morning? Who does that? And next thing I know Im on a 747 jet on the way to Washington D.C. And when I got to this mansion, there was a Christmas tree, it was so tall I thought it was growing through the floor. I remember my brother, Richard, coming down the stairs saying, Joey, no, you dont climb that.

Brenda Broadway and Cornelia Liles presented Joey with Richards Lifetime Achievement Award. Lets go back to the 1970s. In 1970, we were in the throes of the Vietnam War. Richard Nixon was president. This building were in now was a fully-functional textile mill. A 16 oz coke was 25 cents and so were cigarettes and a gallon of gas. There were no cell phones. The source of music in your car was the radio unless you were lucky and someone installed an 8-track in your dash, said Liles,

One of the favorite activities in Wadesboro at that time was cruising around Salisbury Street. Despite all this, word had spread around Wadesboro real good that one of our homeboys was coming out with a song and that it would be released on Fathers Day. We couldnt wait to hear it. After that release, cruising had a new meaning. We turned our radios up a notch whenever that song came on. Years later a seasoned young man returned to Wadesboro and taught at the high school in the Social Studies department, said Liles. That man was, of course, Richard Spencer, and all of Anson County is proud to call him one of their own.

Attendants to the Lifetime Achievement Award were encouraged to wear African attire.

Rev. Dannie Montgomery quoted James Brown, Say it loud, Im black and Im proud!

Betty Huntley choreographed an interpretive dance piece to the song Glory by Common and John Legend.

Kenya Miles performed a rendition of the song Circle of Life from Disneys The Lion King.

Candidate Gloria Harrington Overcash and Leon Gatewood, of HOLLA!, presented Spencer with a replica of the Grammy he received in 1970 for the song Color Him Father.

Spencers siblings, Sherry and Joey Spencer, were the honored guests of the event.

Spencers other brother, Rodney Spencer, sang during the event as well.

Reach Charles Wood at 704 994 5471 or at cwood@ansonrecord.com

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Anson honors one of their own - Ansonrecord

A Toronto infection control physician says there is no evidence in Canada that travelling on public transit increases the chances of contracting novel coronavirus.

While Dr. Alon Vaisman, an infection control physician at University Health Network, applauded the extra measures being taken by the TTC and GO Transit to clean their buses and trains, he says the likelihood of someone getting the COVID-19 during their daily commute is already very low.

Things that increase risk is having face-to-face contact, having surfaces where the virus does not easily die and areas that are not easy to clean, he said.

Right now, there isnt much of a concern, because there hasnt been a single transmission thats unrelated to (overseas) travel, he said. Riding on a GO Train from Ajax to downtown, is very low risk at this point.

He said if cases start popping up in the community then exposure during daily commute may become more of a concern.

If a bus or subway is not being cleaned at all, then that increases the risk, he said. Its hard for me to say that it increases it by this much, or that much.

Vaisman said the vast number of cases documented are of people who have travelled overseas and if it was transmitted, it was from direct contact.

We have not seen a single Canadian who acquired the illness by travelling on a bus, train or by using the subway, he said.

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That kind of tells us something about whats going on, he said.

A passenger who later tested positive for COVID-19 travelled on a GO bus from Pearson airport to Richmond Hill last week. The other passengers were contacted and the bus was cleaned with an anti-microbial cleaner as an extra precaution.

We will see if anything comes out of that, he said, adding that its unlikely more cases will arise as a result.

He said coronaviruses are transmitted predominantly through droplets, which means that coughing and sneezing leads to the suspension of particles in the air, that then quickly fall to the ground.

It all comes down to the amount of contact commuters are having with an infected person.

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Someone touching those surfaces then putting their hands in their eyes, mouth or nose, increases the likelihood of infection. Thats why constant handwashing is critical to general disease prevention, he said.

Hospitals tend to avoid surfaces that are hard to clean such as carpets, Vaisman says, adding that its good protocol to clean crevices, cloth seating and carpeted areas throughout the transit system.

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Thats going to be a different risks versus a subway where youre have more concentration of people face-to-face, he said.

He said the move by Metrolinx to install hand sanitizers for GO Transit buses and stations is a good measure to promote good hygiene habits that reduce risk.

Part of that is showing the public that they are taking it seriously, he said

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Does your risk of coronavirus exposure increase on public transit? We had a Toronto doctor explain the risk - Toronto Star

A pair of landlords have been ordered to pay their tenant $7020in compensation and rent rebates after renting out a property with an illegal bedroom, a leaking roof and no insulation.

Tenant NawalKishoresaid the roof leaked at the Papatoetoe, south Auckland property for more than a month, causing "significant mould".

He told the Tenancy Tribunal the property, for which he paid $650 per week in rent, also suffered from damp conditions, especially in the third and fourth bedrooms.

The Tenancy Tribunal said the leak caused mould, dampness and "unhealthy living conditions" for Kishore and his family.

READ MORE:*Auckland landlord accused of treating tenant like his 'personal butler'*Auckland tenants' compensation claim over damp, mouldy house rejected*Landlord fails in attempt to raise rent on Auckland property by $400

"The tenant's chattels have also been damaged due to the failure by the landlord to maintain the premises in a reasonable state of repair," it said.

Kishore claimed his landlordsShantilal Jattan and Manjula Jattan, trustees for Jattans Family Trust, had also failed to insulate the property.

Google Maps/Supplied

A roof leak at a Papatoetoe property caused mould, dampness and unhealthy living conditions for a man and his family.

Insulation has been compulsory in all rental homes, except where installation is impossible, sinceJuly 1, 2019.

Since the requirements came into effect, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has received a total of 394 "inquiries" from tenants nationwideclaiming a landlord breach in relation toinsulation.

The tribunal said the trusthad not provided any evidence to indicate it had complied with mandatory insulation requirements.

It awarded Kishore a total of $2000in compensation for the leaking roof and the damage it caused, and a further $2000 in exemplary damages over the lack of insulation.

Kishore also received $4350 as a rent rebate for the 87-weektenancyas the landlord had rented out a fourth bedroom which was not legally consented as one.

The Tenancy Tribunal said the fourth bedroom had been converted from a sitting/rumpus area.

Auckland Council had only consented the property as a three bedroom. The fourth bedroom did not have "adequate protection" against the elements, insulation or a proper ceiling.

"The property should not have been rented out to the tenant at all as a four bedroom house," the tribunal said.

Kishore himself was ordered to pay his landlord $1330 for rubbish removal, repairs to the front sliding door, carpet cleaning and one week's rent in lieuof 21 days notice.

The landlord also claimed Kishore was subletting the property and sought compensation and exemplary damages asKishore was allegedly using the grounds of the property as a "demolition yard". Both of those claims were not proved.

The tribunal said Kishore had parked his work vehicle a tow truck at the home, and sold used chattels and vehicles, which was his right.

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South Auckland tenant awarded $7k over illegal bedroom, roof leak, no insulation - Stuff.co.nz

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) If youve been down the 800 block of Lyell Avenue, you know that you have to watch your step. The sidewalk drops off into a deep crater where a house locals called The Yellow Brick Road once stood.

The demolition took place a few days ago and had a ripple effect on surrounding properties, like the one Daniel Torres owns and operates.

You cant live like that. Its not safe, its not healthy, said Torres who runs the apartment building behind the crater.

Torres said when G. Frederico Wrecking did their work, it severed water and sewer lines to his complex, leaving Torres five tenants without water for three days. The water line was just restored Thursday afternoon by the City.

But now, he says the sewage is draining out into the hole.

Torres said he cant figure who ordered the demolition, or why it was planned so poorly. Nobodys owning up to whats happening and now Ive just been told its going to cost the owner $40,000 to re-connect for a problem that we had zero to do with, said Torres.

Carl Polisseni, a plumber brought to the site, said the new sewage and water lines will involve digging up an already busy road a huge project.

Its going to have to be engineered now. Because we have to have a brand-new sewer and a brand new water line out into Lyell Ave., said Polisseni.

Residents who wanted to remain anonymous say the sewage is attracting rats, and that water restoration today by the city Thursday didnt help.

There was black water. When they turned the water on it was all black water coming out, one resident said.

Torres said he has to put each tenant into a hotel until the issues are resolved.

Both the City and the demolition team were on-site and said they have no comments. Torres said someone needs to take responsibility for permanently fixing this issue.

We didnt cause it, we didnt ask for it, nothing. It just happened and the citys just like were sorry well help you as much as we can,' said Torres.

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Lyell Ave. demolition leaves crater, severed sewer and water lines - RochesterFirst

HAZEL PARK (WWJ) -Weather permitting, both directions of I-75 through Hazel Park will be closed this weekend for another bridge demolition and an upcoming traffic shift.

Beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, March 6, northbound and southbound I-75 will be closed between 8 Mile and Square Lake roads. The closure is needed to demolish the John R. Road bridge and the turnaround structures for John R and 9 Mile Road.

MDOT says crews will begin closing entrance ramps at 9 p.m., with freeway lane closures starting at 10 p.m.

During the closure, both directions of I-75 traffic will be detoured using 8 Mile Road, M-1 (Woodward Avenue), and Square Lake Road.

By 5 a.m. Monday, March 9, two lanes of the freeway will reopen in each direction between Adams Road and 8 Mile Road.

For the latest from the roads, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. >>LISTEN LIVE!

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I-75 Closed This Weekend For Another Bridge Demolition - WWJ Newsradio 950

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Road changes will be in effect starting on Monday, March 9 in downtown Davenport. City officials say this is part of the process for the demolition of the former Kraft Heinz facility on West 2nd Street.

City officials say lane reductions will be placed next week for utility disconnections.

Westbound River Drive will be closed between Marquette and Division beginning on Monday. A lane reduction will also be placed on Rockingham Road/2nd Street between Marquette and Taylor Street.

Officials say the contractor for the project estimates utility disconnections to be finished by Friday, March 20.

On Friday, TV6 confirmed Kraft Heinz is in the process of obtaining a demolition permit for the former lunch meat plant. Kraft Heinz built a new, multi-million dollar facility in an industrial park located near the interstate and moved operations a couple of years ago.

The city says once the permit is approved, demolition would need to happen within a year.

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Traffic alerts to be in place in Davenport; part of former Kraft Heinz's demolition process - KWQC-TV6

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) The former home of the Detroit Pistons is in the process of being torn down.

The Palace of Auburn Hills will be torn down to make way for corporate redevelopment.

Residents say it's bittersweet. The palace held a special place in the hearts of people who watched the Pistons play there, along with other special events.

"It is sad," said Dennis Haines from Shelby Township. "I took my son there to see the Globe Trotters once. A lot of memories of firsts for him. It is sad."

In December, crews began taking down lettering on the outside of the building as part of the six-month demolition project. The first phase also involved moving items inside the building.

Crews are now working to take down steel framing and concert walls ahead of demolition.

There are plans to turn the space into offices for research and technology. However, there is no timeline yet on when the rebuild will be happening.

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Demolition begins on outside of The Palace of Auburn Hills - WXYZ

Commuters who regularly travel through Burbank on the Golden State (5) Freeway can expect a few major closures over the coming months.

State officials said they plan to announce on Thursday the weekend when Caltrans will be closing both sides of traffic on the route for 36 hours to allow for demolition of the Burbank Boulevard bridge.

The bridges demolition will allow Caltrans crews to complete the widening of the freeway from the 134 to the 118 freeways.

That portion of the project will include straightening the 5 and adding a carpool lane to both sides of the freeway.

Once the widening is completed, commuters will have access to about 13 miles of carpool lanes, Caltrans spokesman Michael Comeaux in a statement said on Monday.

Leading up to the closure of the 5, which will be the largest since the 405 Freeways Carmageddon in 2011, Caltrans will be implementing a long-term closure of the Burbank Boulevard bridge in all directions starting on March 14 until the new bridge is completed.

The freeway closure is expected to occur several weeks after the Burbank bridge is closed to bicycle, pedestrian and vehicle traffic this month.

Caltrans has implemented several ramp closures at the Burbank Boulevard bridge the southbound off-ramp to Burbank at Front Street, the northbound off-ramp to westbound Burbank and the westbound Burbank on-ramp to the southbound 5.

Like the closure of the 405, commuters are being asked to avoid taking the 5 toward Burbank when the full freeway closure goes into effect.

Comeaux said the agency is confident the construction of the new, longer Burbank Boulevard bridge which will have a total of 10 travel lanes, bicycle lanes and wider sidewalks will be completed and opened by summer 2021.

However, he added there could be unforeseeable obstacles that may delay the project, which has already been pushed back several years due to weather and contractor issues.

Once the crews begin working below ground level as they work on the foundation for the new bridge, it is possible that things will be discovered that might present challenges, Comeaux said.

The site has been surveyed and studied, of course, but sometimes there are things that are discovered as they work down there, he added.

As construction crews work to complete the Burbank bridge by the deadline, Comeaux said drivers who travel around Burbank are encouraged to avoid Burbank Boulevard as much as possible, and to use other freeway crossings, such as the recently completed Empire Interchange.

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Caltrans to announce closure of the 5 Freeway in Burbank for demolition of bridge - Los Angeles Times

West Main Street in Hillsboro reopened to traffic Friday evening, with the Parker Hotel almost completely demolished.

Although crews are still working to clear the former building site, barriers were taken down Friday, and the fence blocking the demolition area was moved out of the roadway. Traffic was yielding to the last of Evans Constructions work crews before shutting down for the evening, shortly after 5 p.m.

The closure of West Main Street in uptown Hillsboro was extended by several days as a result of extenuating circumstances following a building demolition that began on Feb. 24, the Ohio Department of Transportation said this week.

As previously reported, the city of Hillsboro said Due to unforeseen circumstances with the party wall during the demolition of 137 W. Main Street, the demolition has been put on hold. We are working diligently to resolve and continue demolition as soon as possible.

After encountering some delays on Wednesday, Feb. 26 the day of the Parker Hotels planned demolition crews from Evans Landscaping had continued working on bringing the building down until the most recent delay.

Meanwhile, West Union attorney David Osborne, Jr. told The Highland County Press on Friday, March 6 that Evans Landscaping has been taking down parts of the building that houses Momma's West Main Street Cafe, which has been closed during the ongoing demolition.

On Friday morning, the west exterior wall of the restaurant building showed several openings and cracks in the wall.

Hillsboro mayor Justin Harsha said Friday afternoon that West Main Street would be open by the evening of March 6.

The Parker Hotel is mostly on the ground now, Harsha told The Highland County Press. The dangerous part of the demolition is over.

Harsha said crews from Evans Construction are working to clean the streets off in order to open U.S. 50 Friday night and help the city get back to normal.

Regarding neighboring structures, Harsha said that there was not really anything I can comment right now, although he spoke about the ongoing issues with separating the hotel from its adjoining building, particularly in an area where a stairway corridor had been built where there formerly was an alley separating the building.

Thats kind of where we ran into some problems, Harsha said. It wasnt really part of the original structure. But were moving forward and got the dangerous building out of the way.

According to the city, Evans Landscaping invoiced the city $92,350 on Jan. 21 for the building demolition and cleanup. The city said at its Nov. 12, 2019 council meeting Evans Landscaping provided an estimate of $97,000 for the former hotels demolition.

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UPDATED: West Main Street reopens to traffic as Parker Hotel 'mostly on the ground' - The Highland County Press