In response to symptoms exhibited recently by a limited number of faculty and students, extensive air quality testing by multiple independent agencies has been done in A. E. Burdick Hall on the UCA campus. On June 22, the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH) collected air samples from inside and outside of Burdick.
Preliminary results were received Thursday. The CTEH Principal Toxicologist, Dr. Alan Nye, stated that “there were no detections of a chemical regarded as toxic in any of the air samples.”
Low levels (parts per billion volume, ppbv) of several chemicals were reported in some samples, but Dr. Nye indicated that the presence of some of those compounds could have been caused by unavoidable contamination by the laboratory during the analysis, while others are normally present in low levels in human breath as a product of food metabolism.
A final report will be delivered to UCA next week. While the testing results do not point toward any specific action, the university will install air circulating ceiling fans in each classroom in A. E. Burdick Hall to increase air flow in those rooms and to help ensure that comfortable conditions exist.
Dr. Steven Runge, UCA’s interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, said that “all second summer term classes scheduled to meet in Burdick Hall will be moved to other buildings on campus to allow our Physical Plant personnel time and access to install the circulating fans in the classrooms.”
Burdick Hall is open and university offices will continue normal operations in the building. Offices housed in Burdick include Information Technology, the Dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Athletic Academic Advising, and Veteran’s Affairs.
