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Farcial codes - Limiting values for air pollution and air cleaners Rentschler REVEN GmbH

The fine dust pollution in the outside air has been a matter of discussion for several years now. Vehicle and industry emissions are in the focus of attention; the pollution of indoor air at workplaces is obviously neglected. The related discussions and regulations are becoming more and more grotesque: The Federal Emission Protection Act (BImSchV) stipulates limiting values for the outside air, which remain dramatically below the permissible WELs for indoor air. Obviously, nobody has noticed that until now. It is high time to point out this absurdity.

In order to ensure health protection, limiting values for outside air concentrations have been introduced by the authorities. Since 2005, a limiting value for daily exposure of 50 mg/m³, with maximum 35 exceptions per year, has been adopted Europe wide. The permissible average annual value was set to 40 µg/m³ in 2010. This code of standards is also included in the Federal Emission Protection Act (BImSchV) and has statutory force in Germany.

And which are the limiting values applying to workplace air? According to the Technical Rules for Hazardous Materials TRGS 901 the permissible WEL is 10 mg/m³ of vapours and aerosols from cooling lubricants with a flash point above 100 °C that are used in metal processing in accordance with DIN 51385. The same limiting value also applies to processing machines with minimum lubrication. This limiting value is two hundred times higher (!) than that stipulated for the outside air by the Federal Emission Protection Act.