Document VkRnMkpe3v3wdLpQjY5jELK8

Industrial Hygiene Digest May, 1966 first regulation by the Commission was adopted to control the operation of coal refuse disposal areas which often catch fire and emit sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other gases. Burning coal refuse fires are major air pollution problems in anthracite and bituminous regions of Penn sylvania. Two other statewide regulations adopted by the Commission relate to open burning of refuse and industrial open burning and to the installation of incinerators, boilers, and other com bustion units. Also a year ago, the Division installed three towers (two, 146ft. high and another 75ft. high) in Johnstown as part of an air pollution meteorology research project to determine the effects of weather conditions on the build up of pollutants in a community. It is hoped that this re search can lead to a reliable system for predicting high pollution potentials and to institute a warn ing system. -- Cond. from APCA Absts. Editors Note: A fourth regulation controls the emission of particulate matter from industrial and domestic sources of pollution. It limits the amount of suspended particulate matter and particle fall from a source. Copies available by June 10. Write to: Division of Air Pollution Control, Pennsylvania Department of Health, P.O. Box 90, Harrisburg, Pa. 517 Public Awareness and Concern with Air Pollution in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. Jane Schusky. J. Air Poll. Control Assn. _1_6, 72-76 (Feb, 1966). The public attitudes survey involving St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois, was completed and published in the fall of 1964. A total of 1, 002 respondents gave needed information for the development of an acceptable abatement program. Substantial proportions from the study area expressed the view that they have had some negative reaction to the quality of the air. These respondents indicated that air pollution meant, primarily, odor and smoke with residents of some localities indicating other significant elements. The interviewed persons felt that factories and businesses were the prime causal agents in the existence of air pollution. Over 90% of all respondents felt that some governmental agency should do something about air pollution in the St. Louis area, with some bi-state metropolitan agency being the principal choice. The residents also expressed a willingness to pay minimal tax support for such a program. Indications as to the significance of air pollution in a general problems context, difference in atti tudes between sub-sections of the study area, and more detailed analysis of the problem, its causes, and possible cures are contained in the study report. -- Author's abst. 518 On the Determination of Odor Thresholds in Air Pollution Control--An Experimental Field Study on Flue Gases from Sulfate Cellulose Plants. R. Cederlbf, Marie-Louise Edfors, L. Friberg, and T. Lindvall. J. Air Poll. Control Assn. _1_6, 92-94 (Feb. 1966). From the hygienic point of view, not only the health hazards caused by air pollutants but also the odor from emitted flue gases should be reduced to a minimum. An effective control of the risk of odor at ground level presupposes knowledge of the source concentration of the odoriferous gas as well as its odor threshold. This threshold has to be estimated empirically, as the flue gases often contain a complex mixture of different odoriferous substances, the odor thresholds of which are in most cases unknown. For this purpose a method has been developed for estimating the odor thresholds of flue gases emitted from different industrial processes. The method, a field method, is based on an exposure procedure, a number of subjects compare different concentrations of the flue gas with samples of fresh air and decide at what concentration the flue gas is no longer notice able. The gas samples used are neither compressed nor absorbed or heated before the exposure test. The method has been used in two studies on gases from Swedish sulfate cellulose plants. In order to estimate the effect on the odor threshold of different deodorizing measures, gas samples were taken not only from the stack but also from different phases in the production process. The results and a brief discussion on the practical applications of the method are given. -- Authors' abst. MANAGEMENT ASPECTS 519 Alertness Management in Industry. J.A. Moody and B.C. Duggar. Am. Ind. Hyg. Assn. J. 27, 17-24 (Jan.-Feb. 1966). Alertness management is of interest in industry because of its criticality to production rate,' quality contrc' and operator safety. Alertness management includes: (a) elimination of factors conducive to aler-.ness decrement, (b) addition of conditions or procedures which enhance alertness, (c) re duction of the consequences of alertness decrements, and (d) personnel monitoring when necessary. The criteria for evaluating the controlling elements in the task, physical environment, social en vironment, and procedures which may lead to decrements in alertness are discussed. Monitoring procedures are described and recommendations suggested which should lead to improved alertness management in the industrial situation. An alertness checklist is presented for use in analyzing particular job situations. There are 35 references. 24. -- Authors' abst. 03122145