Construction fumes

We have ongoing renovation construction in our building with
contractors that are not always monitored.  Recently noxious fumes
began to pour into the lab from the ventilation system resulting in
people working there getting severe headaches and nausea before we
could get out and shut down the lab.  The headaches lasted all day.
One person also nearly blacked out.  We later found out that the
contractors were cutting galvanized steel with a torch at our air
intake.  Does anyone out there know what it was we were breathing
and how dangerous it was?

Beth Richwine
Preservation Services
National Museum of American History

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 9:60
                   Distributed: Monday, March 4, 1996
                        Message Id: cdl-9-60-026
                                  ***