Research into Ceiling Dust

Jeffrey Davis is a research student from Macquarie University (resides at CSIRO) who has been studying ceiling dust for the past 4 years. His research involves looking at 35 house sites across the Sydney urban environment, where homes have been selected from, heavy industrial, industrial, urban, non-industrial and rural locations. Some of the methods and techniques Jeff has been using within his research include; microscopy and mineralogy of the ceiling dust, size fractionation from 4mm to <2.5 microns, x-ray diffraction and chemical analysis for 56 elements. The 56 elements analysed are:

Presently the results of this research are very near publication and will soon be released [as long as funding becomes available].

Editorial: Building Cavity Dust - Treat it with Respect!

By Elizabeth O'Brien, National Coordinator, The LEAD Group

What is the fate of air pollution? Does it just drift off into space once emitted? Some might. But most comes back to haunt us - either as contamination of water, sediments, soils or as a fine dust on surfaces (what goes up - must come down). In Australian houses the air pollution fallout accumulates in building cavities as a very fine dust. Until the museum of contamination (cavity dust) is fully analysed, we won't know what else it contains. The worst place for this toxic dust to be is above our heads, in the ceiling cavity - because it can, with very little provocation, come down into our living space (see LEAD Action News vol 7 no 2 "Ceiling Dust and Hail Storms").

This issue of LEAD Action News has numerous articles on the ramifications of us "collecting" our air pollution in our houses and further contaminating the dust with fibres and pesticides. We have articles on two previously under-estimated major contributors to air pollution - woodsmoke and aircraft; as well as an update on what the federal government plans to do on Air Toxics. Unfortunately, federal Environment Minister Robert Hill has decided not to fund The LEAD Group's proposed Toxics Information and Referral Service of Australia (TIRSA) so please go and see your federal member about that and write to Senator Robert Hill. Phone (02) 9716 0014 for a copy of the proposal. Even the NSW EPA funding for the Lead Advisory Service is severely threatened (once again) so while you're writing letters, send one to NSW Environment Minister Bob Debus and also see your state member of parliament to seek protection for the service that's doing the most to protect children and the environment from lead. We believe we can use our talents, experience, knowledge, systems and network to provide a service about all manner of toxics but we're currently only funded until March 2000 by NSW EPA and June 2000 by Environment Australia

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