Originally Posted By: Caoimh?n P. Connell
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Mr. Kelly:
Yes ? epidemiology can be an integral part of industrial hygiene. So too can viral exposures, I just haven?t taken any projects requiring viral assessments; usually because I talk the client out of the need.
In fact, epidemiology is a big part of IEQ (IAQ), and is one of the assessment tools I use prior to determining if sampling is even appropriate (harkening back to Mr. Rand?s questions to me).
For example ? in a big case involving a college, several instructors and employees became concerned about the prevalence of cancer among the staff. Essentially, employees from one area of the college began to compare notes and realized that many of them had cancer. The group naturally concluded that since they were near the chemistry labs, and microlabs, etc, they were being exposed to airborne carcinogens (that word again?) that was resulting in their cancer. My task, as defined by the college, was to determine what was in the air that was causing the cancers. Remember, I mentioned that I almost never end up testing what the client asks for? Case in point.
I began the ?IAQ? assessment by interviewing the college staff, and, in particular, the ?cases? (those with cancer). I segregated the cancers by type. I then did some mathematical jiggery-pokery (epidemiological biostatistics) and found that the prevalence of cancer in the facility was actually significantly lower (or, at worst, the same) as would be expected for any given facility with the same work population from the same area. That is, I addressed the ?IAQ? problem by first addressing the
true problem ?which was
not the air but the
perceived (and erroneous) premise that the prevalence of cancer among the staff was higher than normal.
Having shown the staff that there was no elevated prevalence of cancer in the facility, the IAQ problem went away without a single air sample needed. Naturally, my report was not well received by some of the cases who cried ?foul? and submitted my report to the State epidemiologist for external review. However, following her confirmatory technical review, the hold-outs reluctantly agreed to withdraw their threats of law suits against the college (two employees quit claiming the whole thing was a conspiracy and I was an evil person for "participating in their death";
c?est la vie.) However, the IAQ problem went away with those who left.
As far as viruses go ? they scare the willies out of me. I believe the next major kill-off of humans (truly major; numbering in the millions) will come from a simple virus out of Asia; probably a 'flu virus. However, I am particularly fascinated by the temperate lysogenic phages, and transposable element phages and find their insidious nature particularly disturbing. (Daughter reads over my shoulder? ?Chill out Dad??) ? 
But that?s just me and my old fashioned imagination?
Cheers!
Caoimh?n P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
www.forensic-applications.com
(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)
AMDG
