Along the Gulf Coast, in the towns and fishing villages from New Orleans to Mobile, survivors of Hurricane Katrina are suffering from a constellation of similar health problems. They wake up wheezing, coughing and gasping for breath. Their eyes burn; their heads ache; they feel tired, lethargic. Nosebleeds are common, as are sinus infections and asthma attacks. Children and seniors are most severely afflicted, but no one is immune.
There's one other similarity: The people suffering from these illnesses live in trailers supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
An estimated 275,000 Americans are living in more than 102,000 travel trailers and mobile homes that FEMA purchased after Hurricane Katrina. The price tag for the trailers was more than $2.6 billion, according to FEMA. Despite their cost of about $15,000 each, most are camperlike units, designed for overnight stays. Even if the best materials had been used in their construction - and that is a point of debate -they would not be appropriate for full-time living, according to experts on mobile homes. The interiors are fabricated from composite wood, particle board and other materials that emit formaldehyde, a common but toxic chemical.
Is this true of all trailers or just the FEMA trailers?
In addition to composite wood products, formaldehyde is very common in interior furnishings. This is can also be a problem in new (or newly refurbiished) office buildings.
The main sources of exposure to formaldehyde in the home are furniture, which may contain formaldehyde in the glues, resins and board materials used in its manufacture, and urea formaldehyde foam products used in upholstery. Formaldehyde based resins are also used as a binding agent for mineral fibre based insulation products used for cavity wall and loft insulation and gap filling foams. HSE have published guidelines on work with urea formaldehyde. Formaldehyde vapour can be emitted for several years after installation. Additional exposure may come from formaldehyde-containing cosmetics and cleaning agents. Some carpets and soft furnishing textiles and wall coverings also contain formaldehyde based adhesives, finishes and preservatives which can also raise domestic exposure levels.
One way to deal with the volatile organic compounds is to turn up the heat (way up) and open up ventilation after a building has been painted, carpeted and furnished but before it's occupied.
-allergy boy
SBS
if the building has windows that open. we would get off-gassed out in the wtc when ever a new company moved in within a floor or two of ours. carpet! they also used a closed loop hvac system. air deja vu. "didnt i just exhale this stuff?"
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- bill 2-28-2007 5:51 pm
Is this true of all trailers or just the FEMA trailers?
- tom moody 2-28-2007 6:33 pm [add a comment]
In addition to composite wood products, formaldehyde is very common in interior furnishings. This is can also be a problem in new (or newly refurbiished) office buildings.
One way to deal with the volatile organic compounds is to turn up the heat (way up) and open up ventilation after a building has been painted, carpeted and furnished but before it's occupied.
-allergy boy
- mark 2-28-2007 10:56 pm [add a comment]
SBS
if the building has windows that open. we would get off-gassed out in the wtc when ever a new company moved in within a floor or two of ours. carpet! they also used a closed loop hvac system. air deja vu. "didnt i just exhale this stuff?"
- bill 2-28-2007 11:03 pm [add a comment]