The blog covers issues broadly related to sustainability in Minnesota and the world both from an environmental perspective and from an interpersonal perspective. It also covers issues related to mycology (the study of fungi) with a specific emphasis on the interaction with fungal organisms and buildings.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found a more efficient way of first producing Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) from inedible lignocellulose parts of plants. The TCA is then converted to butanediol (BDO) The raw material of orange peels, corn or sugar beet stover are digested by modified E. coli bacteria in a 5 part process to produce butanediol BDO.
Over a billion pounds of BDO containing spandex are produced each year for clothing and furniture. The pathway could also be used to produce chicken feed and food additives.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be providing solar feasibility grants to eight college campuses including the University of Minnesota Duluth. As part of the Department of Energy's Sun Shot Initiative, NREL will assess possibilities and economic payback for the installation of photovoltaic cells on campus. This will also provide learning opportunities for students and faculty on campus.
DOE Sun Shot - SHINE initiative for Solar Power - 2 min. Jan. 2016.
There will be changes to how building codes handle the location, monitoring and ventilation of carbon dioxide cylinder storage. The changes are the result of fatalities at several locations where carbon dioxide cylinders were venting into small spaces. The carbon dioxide displaced the oxygen and death resulted. For small restaurants, the cylinders can be located outside the building. This may be a concern for larger buildings where the cylinders can not be stored outside.
Carbon dioxide should not be confused with carbon monoxide which is produced by incomplete combustion. According to US OSHA the carbon monoxide 8 hour exposure limit is 50 ppm. The eight hour exposure limit for carbon dioxide is 5,000 ppm.
Carbon dioxide connections inside an enclosure at a Sanford Florida McDonald's
restaurants in January of 2005 led to the death of two individuals - Orlando Sentinel
Suspected mold growth on drywall in a records storage area (photo - N. Carlson)
Close-up view of suspected mold growth (photo - N. Carlson)
Previous problems with leaks in this space caused suspected mold growth on the wall and pipe insulation in this records storage space. 3M Scotch Transparent Tease tape samples were taken from the surface. The tape was placed on a microscope slide using clear fingernail polish as a mounting fluid. Photos were taken with Foldscope microscope attached to a Samsung S-5 Cell phone. Photos were cropped using Adobe Photoshop Elements 12. Click to enlarge photos.
Uncropped photo of Chaetomium spp. (N. Carlson
Cropped Foldscope image of Chaetomium spp. from wall (N. Carlson)
Cropped Foldscope image of Aspergillus spp. from wall (N. Carlson)
Suspected mold growth on pipe insulation in records storage area (photo - N. Carlson)
Cropped Foldscope image of Stachybotrys spp. (N. Carlson)
Suspected mold growth on sheetrock after repeated water events - N. Carlson
A rental property had sustained repeated water damage from a roof leak. Suspected mold growth was noted behind the vinyl baseboard. Tease tapes were taken from the surface and clear nail polish was used as a mounting fluid for clear transparent tape on a microscope slide. Click on any photo to enlarge.
Foldscope image of Chaetomium spp. spores from Samsung S-5 camera -click to enlarge - N. Carlson
Cropped photo of Chaetomium spp. spores with Adobe Photoshop elements - N. Carlson
Foldscope photo of Chaetomium spp. perithecia - N. Carlson
Cropped photo of Chaetomium spp. perithecia with Adobe Photoshop Elements - N. Carlson
Suspected mold growth in the adjacent room behind the vinyl baseboard - N. Carlson
Foldscope image of Stachybotrys spp. using Samsung S-5 camera - N. Carlson
Cropped photo of Stachybotrys spp. using Adobe Photoshop Elements - N. Carlson
These samples were taken after a weekend water event. These particular organisms typically growth on paper products receiving repeated water damage. The growth observed is unlikely to be as a result of a single water event.
The Foldscope images were clear enough to allow me to identify the organism to the genus level. After taking the picture, I used the zoom feature of the camera to make the field identification. I used an overhead fluorescent light bulb to back light the microscope slides.
Research on sleep patters from our paleolithic ancestors found that an 8 hour sleep pattern was not the norm. This according to CNN - Sleep like your ancestors.
According to the Washington Post, three of the existing hunter gatherer tribes slept an average of 6.5 hours per night. This is very similar to the average measured hours of sleep for the UK. The British sleep times average 6 hours and 39 minutes per night according to the Great British Bedtime Report - 2013.
From the Washington Post, the paleolithic ancestors were much healthier on measures of chronic disease indices of BMI, and blood pressure. The authors speculate that the we are unhealthy because we are unhealthy and it may not be due to lack of sleep.
Conclusion:
Cut yourself a bit of slack if you aren't sleeping 8 hours. It is important to sleep as fatigued individuals have more accidents, it allows people to reduce toxins in the brain and allows the brain to work on diffuse learning wiring connections while you sleep. It is a myth that our ancestors slept more.
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has an AIHA online mold resource center. The page provides links and general facts about mold and includes past references to articles in the Synergist for AIHA members. The articles about proper health and safety precautions after the cleanup after Hurricane Sandy are useful. The site provides good information useful for first responders and safety professionals after a water related natural disaster. .
Mold in homes - 5min.
The discussion in the video mentions keeping the relative humidity (%RH) between 40% and 60% in the home. This is acceptable for summer time but indoor humidity levels above 20 to 30% in winter climates can cause problems with moisture condensation on cold surfaces.
Soot damage from a small fire in a building - Another reason to stay low in a fire.
Soot damage after a fire is common. Soot particles have been linked to health problems in chimney sweeps as far back as the 18th century (AIC News 09-2010)
Sampling the soot can be done with a swab or an air sampler with later chemical analysis done by a laboratory. As a preliminary test, an Air-o-cell cassette air sample can be taken from the area. The soot particles have a fairly easily recognizable shape. The individual soot particles are often less than 2.5 microns but will be attracted together in larger masses as seen in the photo below.
Air-o-Cell air sample of a soot particle - microscope photo: The distance between 0 and 1 is 25 microns.
As an experiment a co-worker assisted me with sample soot particles on a floor some distance from the source of the fire. We noticed that the particles had a strong static charge and were easily sampled from a distance of 1/4 to 1/2 inch (approximately 1 to 2 cm).
This two day course offered April 13 - 14, 2016 by the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is designed to train individuals who are or who anticipate being employed at a mold remediation work site. Individuals in charge of building maintenance and public health officials inspecting water damaged buildings have also benefited. Past attendees have also come from Hospital Facilities Management.
Activities in this course include implementing the emergency response plan, identifying specific molds and associated health hazards, selecting protective equipment, and performing advanced control containment or confinement. Additional site-specific training for emergency response must be provided so individuals can carry out any role, which may be assigned during a response.
For more information sign up at the U of MN HazMat and Hazwoper Training site: Mold Remediation Course.
