Cornelia Umland 
Small combustion plants are usually operated with fossil fuels such as natural gas, heating oil, coal or wood. They are designed for private use and small businesses.
According to the 1st BImSchV (Ordinance on Small and Medium-Sized Combustion Plants), all plants with a rated thermal input of less than 1000 kW are considered small combustion plants.
Mold is often found after renovation work and can pose a health risk. Depending on the mold infestation and health sensitivity, allergic reactions or infections can be triggered. The formation should therefore be treated professionally without delay. In order to localize the spread and concentration, it is advisable to take samples with the GSA measuring devices SG5200 to measure the mould.
The Industriegewerkschaft Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (IG BAU) warns of a new danger from asbestos in buildings. With the imminent major renovation wave for modernization, conversions and energy saving, an “asbestos wave” threatens to hit the construction industry in the coming decades. Construction workers and DIY enthusiasts will be exposed to major health risks if they inhale the asbestos fibers that are released.
From August 2023, retailers in the EU will only be allowed to sell remaining stocks of conventional T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes. After that, these can only be purchased as LED tubes. This is intended to further reduce the mercury contained in the old tubes and promote the use of environmentally friendly LED lamps.
Fiber cement boards that are traded and installed today are generally considered to be harmless to health, as they are made of modern substitute materials and are free of carcinogenic asbestos fibers. However, for houses built from the mid-1960s to the 1990s, it is often suspected that the fiber cement panels installed still contain the asbestos fibers that were previously mixed in and are harmful to health. These can be released with increasing weathering during renovation or refurbishment.
In order to better protect human health and the environment from damage caused by long-term and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), a new EU-Regulation was adopted on December 29, 2022, which came into force on June 10, 2023. It introduces limit values for some persistent organic chemicals (POPs) for the first time and tightens them for certain pollutants.
Serpentinite, a dark greenish natural stone with characteristic spots and whitish bands, is mainly used as a decorative stone. Serpentinite is still used today for flooring, cladding and other decorative products. However, serpentinite can release harmful asbestos fibers under certain conditions. These dangers exist above all when serpentinite is worked or broken .
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were until the 90s as insulating agents in old capacitors, fluorescent lamps, household appliances, paints, plastics and plasticizers. They continue to pose a health risk today. In many cases, old devices such as fluorescent tubes with PCB-contaminated small capacitors are still in use. The harmful PCB-contaminated insulating fluid can leak out of these.
The new Building Energy Act (GEG) – “Act on Energy Saving and the Use of Renewable Energies for Heating and Cooling in Buildings” came into force on November 1, 2020 and merged the previous laws and ordinances (EnEG, EnEV and EEWärmeG).
The incorrect handling of hazardous substances often poses a potential health risk to employees and patients in hospitals and in everyday medical practices. Especially in these areas where sick people are treated, comprehensive hygiene precautions are required. The disinfectants and cleaning agents used for this purpose, as well as medical products and substances for treatments, often contain chemicals that can cause irritation, skin burns, allergies and other health problems.