毒气

上个月，佛罗里达州政府的环保部门跟我联系，在我的公寓进行空气污染测试。前几个月就读到公寓管理部门发的传单，汇报环保部门对我所住的公寓进行气体污染检测的报告，好像是没有问题。现在又来打电话，而且抽到我住的单元，出于好奇，我欣然答应了。

上网做了一点调查，此次空气污染测试是因为雷神(Raytheon)公司在我住的公寓旁边拥有一家工厂，排出的废水污染了地下水[图]。有关部门在1999年就发现了这样的问题。今年年初，环保部门抽测了我们公寓的室内气体质量，发现了可能导致癌症的1,2-dichloroethane(1,2-二氯乙烷)含量严重超标，但是并没有做出毒气和雷神公司污染排放有直接联系的结论。超标原因有可能是抽烟。于是10月份，雷神公司和州环保部门再次进行测试。

气体抽样的程序还是比较严谨的。当我一答应测试，负责这个项目的susan skye就从州首府塔拉哈西给俺打电话，解释各种注意事项，包括测试前72小时不得使用各种带喷雾装置的产品，比如香水，摩斯，空气清新剂等等；测试当天不得开窗，进入门要“迅速”。听说我不抽烟，她异常高兴，说这样的测试会更加准确，因为香烟里的有毒化学成分都高出正常值的百倍。第二天，公寓还送来一份材料列出种种禁用物品和一份同意书。遇到这样严肃的问题，俺心里也开始打鼓，是不是真的有毒气，是不是测试前三天不做饭了，省得菜烧糊了散发毒气。

测试当天，早上6点就不得不起了床，等待环保部门来放置一个采集空气的仪器[图]。来了俩男的，一高瘦中年，一矮胖老头。他们看我厨房案头堆满了东西，不得不找了张椅子，把铜球放到椅子上。瘦高的很吃力地蹲下身子，调试铜球，纪录数据，胖老头就顾着跟俺聊天，问我干啥的，还说认得我们学校一中国老师，就是想不起名字了。临走，瘦的提醒我，千万别动那铜球，他们过12个小时后来置换另外一个。说得俺更好奇了，好好把铜球观摩了一下，后来得知，那只不过是个真空罐子，阀门控制着罐子吸收外界的空气。晚上约莫7点，他们又来了，置换了罐子，矮胖的高兴地告诉我他想起来哪个中国老师的名字了，俺一听，明明是个日本人。第二天早上7点，他们取走了铜球。据说铜球将被送到尤他州的一个化学试验室进行分析。他们一走，我立马开窗通风，补了个回笼觉。

几天前，susan打电话通知我结果出来了，说了半天，大问题没有，少量毒气还是存在的。今天susan给俺发来具体的报告。简单的说，雷神公司污水里的有毒化学物质没有影响我的室内空气，不过公寓内确实存在一些常见的有毒物质，不过含量都不高，不至于导致非癌症的病症：

甲基乙基酮(?)2-butanone
丙酮acetone
苯benzene
甲基氯chloromethane
乙苯ethylbenzene
己烷hexane
聚苯乙烯styrene
甲苯toluene
二甲苯xylenes (total)

其中苯的含量超过了美国环保局的安全标准，但是报告说苯导致癌症的几率是很小的。susan还解释说这些有毒物质主要来自家庭物品，包装塑料，洗涤用品，家具，地毯等等。目前我能做的自我保护措施就是多开窗子通风。

如果不进行这次测试，我还真不了解我们日常是生活在这么多有毒物质周围。就连空气清新剂这样的东西都保不准存有有害物质。从此以后要多开窗通风。susan说吸烟的屋子所有有毒物质都要番百倍，为了健康，更没有道理吸烟了或容忍周围人吸烟了。

以下是susan发来解释有毒物质的信息。

Information on Chemicals Found in Indoor Air in Your Apartment:

Acetone - used primarily as an intermediate in chemical production and as a solvent; manufactured chemical also found naturally in the environment; used to make plastic, fibers, drugs and other chemicals; found in vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, particle board, household chemicals, nail polish, paint, certain nail polish removers, particle board, some paint removers, many liquid of paste waxes or polishes, certain detergents or cleansers, carpet backing, adhesives, carburetor and choke cleaners; occurs naturally in plants, trees, forest fires and as a product of the breakdown of body fat; in air, about one-half of the total amount breaks down from sunlight or other chemicals every 22 days.

Benzene– found in certain plastics, glues, paints, furniture wax, resins, nylon and synthetic fibers; used to make some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides; a natural part of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke; it reacts with other chemicals in the air and breaks down within a few days

2-Butanone - used in paints and other coatings, glues, and as a cleaning agent; made by some trees and found in some fruits and vegetables in small amounts; released into the air from car and truck exhausts and cigarette smoke; in air, one-half of it will break down from sunlight in 1 day or less; also known as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)

Chloromethane - found in cigarette smoke, polystyrene insulation, aerosol propellants, chlorinated swimming pools; created when grass, wood, charcoal and plastics are burned; it is present at very low levels throughout the atmosphere; breaks down slowly in air

Ethylbenzene – found in inks, gasoline, carpet glues, varnishes, insecticides, paints, natural products such as coal tar and petroleum; used as a solvent, in fuels and to make other chemicals; it takes about 3 days to break down in air to other chemicals

Hexane – These solvents are also used as cleaning agents in the printing, textile, furniture, and shoemaking industries. Certain kinds of special glues used in the roofing and shoe and leather industries also contain n-hexane. Several consumer products contain n-hexane, such as gasoline, quick-drying glues used in various hobbies, and rubber cement.
Styrene - found in rubber, plastic, insulation, fiberglass, pipes, automobile parts, food containers, carpet backing, building materials, tobacco smoke and naturally in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beverages and meats.

Toluene - found in paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, gasoline, kerosene, heating oil, lacquers, adhesives, rubber and in some printing and leather tanning processes; toluene usually does not stay in the environment long

Xylene – occurs naturally in petroleum and coal tar and is formed during forest fires; found in cleaning agents, paint thinner, paints, varnishes, shellac, rust preventatives, cigarette smoke, vehicle exhaust; used in printing, rubber and leather industries; in air, it is broken down by sunlight into other less harmful chemicals

Reference a – ATSDR TOXFAQs http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html