Clearing The Air

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Let's Clear the Air about air quality testing and secondhand smoke

One of the current modus operandi of the pro-smoking ban movement is to conduct PM 2.5 (micron) air quality particle testing in newly mandated non-smoking establishments.....this is a highly misleading method which the media seems eager to publish. Here are some facts to consider before believing this dishonest and disingenuous PM 2.5 AQ data.

Air quality testing of specific secondhand smoke components like nicotine is the proper way to conduct AQ testing, but because such factual AQ testing shows that there is no health hazard (see American Cancer Society test results link ) , the pro-smoking ban activists have concluded that factual and scientific air quality testing is the last thing they want to do......it doesn't support their agenda.

So now all pro-smoking ban activists use the PM 2.5 particle size measurement method. PM 2.5 is a designation by the EPA referring to particles sized at 2.5 microns.
http://www.epa.gov/pmdesignations/

Particles measured at 2.5 microns do not differentiate what type airborne dust particles are in the air, it could be clothing dust, saw dust, chalk dust, machine coolant mist, dead skin cells etc. etc. This type of AQ testing can IN NO WAY determine if a health hazard exists, because it does not determine what is in the air..... in a recent study dead skin cells were found to make up the greatest percentage of airborne pollution.

Airborne Dead Skin Cells

Human skin is constantly regenerating, and in the process a single person will shed billions of dead skin cells each day. About 80% of the visible airborne particles in a room (for example highlighted in a ray of sunshine) is comprised of dead skin cells. These dead skin cells contain bacteria, and can cause allergic reactions in some people.

Therefore, remove a large percentage of people from an establishment by passing smoking bans and you will also remove up to 80% of the airborne pollution from the PM 2.5 micron range. As this testing data by the pro-smoking ban Minnesota organization MPAAT/ClearWay MN proved:

(click to enlarge)

Further to note, this particle chart (below) from the American Society of Industrial Hygiene which lists arborne pollutants by their particle sizes, shows that AQ testing of PM 2.5 (microns) doesn't measure for the full spectrum of secondhand smoke components.

(click to enlarge)

link to particle chart:
http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/01/airborne-particle-chart-from-american.html

I hope that journalists, lawmakers, and the general public begin to see through the dishonest and misleading tactics being used by the pro-smoking ban activists. The fact that activists are now using these questionable tactics even though they are familiar with sound scientific methods, shows that they will resort to any and all underhanded means to accomplish their agenda.......facts and science be damned.

Update: Correct AQ testing method for secondhand smoke.
http://www.astm.org/Standards/D5075.htm