Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:49:56 -0600
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Alan Hall <ahalltoxic**At_Symbol_Here**MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: Odor
In-Reply-To: <F7700FBD6385EE44AD95343829AF74C1BAD6F4**At_Symbol_Here**e14mbx11n.Enterprise.emory.net>

Rachel,
 
Since it is a microbiology laboratory, have you considered any of the bio logical organisms that contribute to the problem of "Athlete's foot" (some are odoriferous fungi) that might be being grown/incubated?  Could t here be some cultures of such in there?  Certainly, many "moldy" o dors are actually from biological organisms.  Could it in fact be th at "dirty socks" are actually dirty socks (as in someone's overlooked gym b ag)?
 
I'm reminded of a case at a major IBM facility a friend of mine investigate d some years ago of "sick building syndrome" in an office area that turned out to be a "lost" mouldy orange buried beneath paperwork in a worker's low er desk drawer (after an expensive IH evaluation of multiple worker odor co mplaints had already been done). 
 
Just a thought.
 
Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
Medical Toxicologist.
 

Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:57:04 +0000
From: patty.olinger**At_Symbol_Here**EMORY.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Odor
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU

Hi Rachel,  Obviously from the responses you=92ve received there could be several poss ibilities.  Dry traps are usually a good one to start with.  If you (and your facilities and research staff) have exhausted all possibil ities there is also something called =93dirty sock syndrome=94.  Goo gle it and you will see many reference and discussions.  Here is a l ink with an explanation.

 

http://www.f oxservice.com/austin/knowledge_base.asp?ID=1291219433792&_perPg=4 0&view=articles&_category=Residential%3A%3AAir%20Conditioni ng%20%26%20Heating%20&_filterField=Categories

 

We recently had an i ssue that people described as dirty socks, sewer gas, etc. After severa l months found the odor by reviewing the floor plan of the building an d following the pipes in the walls.  We found a couple of uncapped p ipes that were no longer in use.< /SPAN>

 

Good luck,< /P>

 

Patty

 

 

Patty Olinger, RBP

Director EHSO

Emory University

1762 Clifton Rd., Suite 1200

M.S. 0940-001-1AB

Atlanta, GA 30322

404-727-5690 office

404-727-9778 fax

www.ehso.emory.edu

 

 

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"Harrington, Rachel" <rachel.harrington**At_Symbol_Here**ROS ALINDFRANKLIN.EDU> wrote:

We have a strong =93dirty socks=94 odor present in one of our micro labs.  It=92s a pretty typical lab using media and cultures, etc.  and we are systematically removing everything and deconning but this odor is persisting.  I know I have smelt this che mical before, maybe back in my undergraduate days, but it is really a s ickening odor.  Any ideas?  Any help is greatly appreciated.& nbsp; Thank you!

 

Rachel E. Harrin gton, MPH, CHMM

Director- Office of Environmental, Health and Safety

Rosalind Frankli n University of Medicine and Science

3333 Green Bay R oad

North Chicago, IL  60064

847-578-3420 wor k

224-622-4244 mob ile

847-775-6548 fax

LIFE IN DISCO VERY

 




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