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 - wood smoke 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