Smoke Impact Presentation

•Forensic Analytical
Environmental Health Consultants

Evaluating Wildfire Smoke Impact

Presented by:
Michelle Rosales, MPH, CIH

August 3, 2012

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© Forensic Analytical Consulting Services  www.forensicanalytical.com

Who am I?

Michelle Rosales, MPH, CIH
Senior Project Manager at Forensic Analytical
Consulting Services
Environmental Health Consulting Agency

Masters of Public Health at UCLA
Certified Industrial Hygienist


Agenda
Background
Smoke Impact Assessment
Background Information
Visual Investigation
Sampling & Analysis
Conclusions & Recommendations
Unethical/Fraud Issues
Litigation


Background


Two types of claim
Actual fire in the residence in claim
Thermal Shock/Heat damage
Burning of plastics and other materials that will produce toxins
and or caustic ash
Damaged materials
Heavy Odors
More black carbon, dark colored particulate
Impact from nearby fires (e.g. wildfires)
Minimal or no thermal damage
Burning of mostly bio / wood material
Typically not as great potential to be caustic
Most cases, minimal odors if any (dependant on proximity and
infiltration)
More char / carbonized material, dark, grey or white
5


Structure Fire Assessment

6


Wildfire Property Assessment

7


Components of Wildfire Smoke
Contaminants of wildfire
smoke can include:
carbon monoxide
hydrocarbons
polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons [PAH] (e.g.
benzo[a]pyrene)
nitrogen oxides
volatile oxygenated organic
compounds
acids
ketones
alcohols
aldehydes (e.g. acrolein
and formaldehyde)

8


Definitions
(Smoke Related Particulates)
Combustion By-Products: Solid, liquid, and gaseous
products of combustion
Smoke: Solid, liquid, and gaseous products of combustion
released into the air
Soot (aka Black Carbon): Unwanted combustion
product. Opaque/black particles of mostly carbon. Also
may consist of ash, organic materials, metals, etc.
Ash: Inorganic (e.g. minerals) material from
combustion (can be part of soot) or a high carbon
containing particulate that does not maintain its original
form.
Char / Carbonized Material: Particles of partially
burned material retaining some of it’s original form
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Gather background information regarding the subject
property (distance from fire, date of loss, etc…)
Visual Assessment
Pathways
Odors Observed (Cigarette? Wildfire?)
Presence/Absence of Macroscopic Fire Related Debris
Level and Color of Dust Deposition on Surfaces
Other Sources of Combustion By-Products
Collect samples as needed from representative areas
Analysis: Composition of the settled dust
Make recommendations based on observations,
background information and data

11


Background Information
Name of Fires in Area
Distance to Fire Perimeter
Predominant Wind Direction
Building History
Reported Impact
Cleaning to Date
For Insurance: What is included in claim?

•Information provided via interview with homeowner or claims adjustor
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Fire Perimeter

13


Visual Inspection –
Tools of the Trade (FACS)
Flashlight
Job Notes
Camera
Paperwork
Sampling Equipment
Ladder (for attic, or roof areas)
N95 Mask (for attic)
Gloves

14


Visual Inspection

Staining indicative of
smoke infiltration
Corrosion
Smoke related
particulates (i.e. ash)
Pathways

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Physical Impact
Staining
Pigmentation by soot particles
Smoke Particulate
Corrosion
Soot/ash can be corrosive
Dependant on fuel source
Burned plastic (PVC) leads to HCL and then
can corrode metal
Wildfire ash typically not very corrosive but
can be (smoke can contain organic acids)
•16

Physical Impact
Soot is attracted to
cooler surfaces
thermophoresis, a
process in which
particles migrate under
the influence of forces
created by
temperature and
moisture.


Visual - Staining


Visual –
Smoke Related Particulates

19


Can you tell?

20


Additional Combustion Sources

Interior Sources
Burning candles
Gas stoves
Fireplaces
Smoking devices

•21

Additional Combustion Sources

Exterior Sources
External heaters
Barbeques
Fire pits
Smoking devices


Wipe Test?
Dry (chemical) sponge wiped upon surface
Dark coloration on sponge indicative of
soot?  Other particles unrelated to
combustion are dark.
Smoke and soot deposits could be black,
brown, gray, white or clear.

23


Sampling
What is the objective of the sampling?
Scientific Method:
Choose Hypothesis
Is there potential smoke residue on the wall surface in
residence?
Test Hypothesis
Sample methods (surface)
Tape Samples
Wipe / Swab Samples
Bulk Samples
Micro-vacuum Samples
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Sample Collection: Where?
In general:
areas of dust accumulation and/or physical damage,
areas of concern,
representative areas
– Flooring/Thresholds/Baseboards
– Contents/Furnishings/Fixtures
– Wall/Ceilings
– Window Sills/Sliders
– Attic (near to vents if possible)
– Exterior surfaces
– HVAC
 Supply and return side

•25

Laboratory Analysis
Stereomicroscopy
Polarized Light Microscopy (PLM)
Scanned Electron Microscopy (SEM)
Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrscopy
(FTIR)


Making Conclusions
No standards or exposure limits exist specifically
for carbonaceous material or combustion
product settled on surfaces. In this case, these
particle types are used as indicators of potential
deposition of smoke related particles and may
be representative of the contaminants (e.g.
metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc.)
that may be associated with them (though this
representation is not well studied).


Making Conclusions
FACS recommends cleaning/restoration in cases of
Visible smoke impact (e.g. macroscopic debris,
staining, and/or corrosion)
Observable smoke odor
Sample analysis that indicates
“Uncommon” (>10%) prevalence of combustion
products; or
In cases where sample results indicated “less
common” prevalence of combustion products (1-
10%), cleaning may be recommended depending
on other assessment factors.

29


Combustion Products
% of Combustion Product Prevalence on Typical Surfaces
(Char+Ash+Soot)
Uncommon - Indicative of an unusual
percentage of the dust composition (but
> 10% (Major) may or may not contribute to corrosion
potential or environmental health risk) and
likely due to a large source of combustion
particles (e.g. wildfire).
Less common (but found from time to
time) - Indicative of less common
1 – 10 % (Minor) percentage of the dust composition;
however, can be found on surfaces from
time to time due to other combustion
sources (other than wildfires)
Common - Indicative of a recently cleaned
< 1% (Trace or ND) surface or absence of a significant
contribution to dust composition


Composition of Dust from
Combustion By-Products


FACS Recommendations for
Restoration
In general, cleaning will consist of the
removal of surface dust and cleaning of
staining (if applicable) using methods
appropriate for the subject surface. For
most surfaces, this will entail vacuuming
with a HEPA filtered vacuum and damp
wiping as appropriate.

34


FACS Recommendations for
Restoration
Other surfaces (e.g. exterior,
carpets, attic, etc.) may
require additional cleaning
methods (e.g. power washing
with detergent mix, steam
cleaning) as determined
appropriate.
Including painting of
surfaces, replacement of
items (e.g. insulation), etc.
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Unethical/Fraud Issues


Leading / Unethical Actions
Using scientific terms to scare home
owners
Making health claims with no professional
knowledge of environmental risk
Writing “ASH” in house dust
Cherry picking third party investigators
Calling investigators to voice dismay with
opinions

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Potential Fraudulent Actions
Planting “ash” from other sources on
surfaces of claimants residence.
Colluding with cleaning company to pump
up estimates

38


Fraud Case

39


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Litigation

Lawyers On-site
Class Action Lawsuits
Appraisal Hearings
Rebuttal Letters


Questions?


Thank You!

Forensic Analytical Consulting Services

“The Solution is in the FACS.”
www.forensicanalytical.com


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