Chem/Biohazards Risks Reduced By Building Retrofits

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Chem/Biohazards Risks Reduced By Building Retrofits

6/15/2007

Gaithersburg,MD - A new report from the National Institute of Standards and

Technology (NIST) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers

building owners and managers information on retrofit options to improve the

safety of buildings against airborne chemical and biological hazards. The new

guide can be used to determine whether or not - and how - to harden existing

buildings against accidental chemical releases or possible terrorist threats.

NIST researchers evaluated 14 alternative retrofit techniques based on data from

simulated airflow and contaminant transport computer modeling as well as a case

study in which retrofits were designed for a high-rise and single story

building. In conjunction with the report, NIST also developed a life-cycle cost

analysis tool for chemical and biological protection of buildings that helps

building owners and managers to compare life-cycle costs of installation,

operation and maintenance to determine the most cost-effective combination of

retrofit options for their structure.

Retrofit options considered include enhanced particle filtration, sorbent-based

gaseous air cleaning, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, photocatalytic

oxidative air cleaning, work area air capture and filtration equipment such as

mail handling tables, ventilation system recommissioning, building envelope

air-tightening, building pressurization, relocation of outdoor air intakes,

shelter-in-place, isolation of vulnerable spaces such as lobbies, system

shutdown and purge cycles, and automated heating, ventilating and

air-conditioning (HVAC) operational changes in response to contaminant sensing.

Potential advantages, disadvantages and knowledge gaps are discussed for each

technology. For example, the researchers note that filtration and air cleaning

options have the advantage of being always in operation. But, as the report

notes, their disadvantage is a current lack of standards for testing and rating

gaseous air cleaning systems and other air cleaning approaches. The study also

notes the potential for increased energy efficiency and improved indoor air

quality results from various retrofit options, which could play a role in

life-cycle cost comparisons of different strategies.

The analysis of retrofit strategies useful against chemical and biological

building contamination and the development of software tools to select

cost-effective ways to mitigate the hazards was performed under an Inter-Agency

Agreement (IAG) with the EPA's National Homeland Security Research Center,

Decontamination and Consequence Management Division.

SOURCE: National Institute of Standards and Technology

http://www.chemicalonline.com/content/news/article.asp?docid=e1cc5d6d-03ee-4924-\

8fbc-ab8751d605cc & atc~c=771+s=773+r=001+l=a & VNETCOOKIE=NO

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