Toxic Smell in Workplace

[jdylan423]

I rent a space in a building full of workshops.
My workshop seems to be the only one that has this terrible toxic tar-like smell that hits you right when you come in. It will stay in your clothes and get in your skin.
It seems to be getting much worse with the summer months.
Exhausts fans aren’t working.
I don’t use anything that smells like that.
I believe it might be something in flooring. It is very old rotting wood.
I read about a chemical compound called creosote.
Can that be in old wood flooring?

[Handyman]

Is used in Railroad ties I have not heard of it used in flooring.

Have you found out what kind of shop was in your space before you?

Was it a metal shop? Some of the lubricants they use when tooling parts can have a similar smell (to me at least) of creosote.

But you would think there would be some sort of floor stain where the floor was especially odoriferous.

[tomh]

The odors you are describing are usually associated with coal tar, asphalt (petroleum tar), and similar derivatives. Creosote was a pretty good answer. This can include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons like naphthalene or antracene that are especially pungent and persistent. These materials were used for treating wood against pests and rot, sealing roofs and as preservatives. Another possibility is that there was some kind of spill by a previous tenant that has soaked into the wood floors.

These materials have very low odor thresholds and are noxious to many people. While it would be possible to identify the contaminates with some analyses, you are looking at a few hundred dollars in testing. Identifying it isn’t going to solve the problem anyway. The solution lies in identifying the contaminated materials (flooring?) and removing and replacing it, or seal it. That is most likely something the property owner should participate in financially.

[Author]

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