Breath of fresh air

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Ciara Wymbs
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The bioenvironmental engineering mission is to provide operational health risk assessment expertise to enhance commander decision making and health services support capabilities. Bioenvironmental technicians perform many tests to ensure the environment we work in is safe and the air we breathe is healthy. There are three main sections: occupational health, environmental compliance and emergency response. The technicians base the standards in which they work off of Air Force guidelines that are equivalent to the occupational safety and health administration, the environmental protection agency and the nuclear regulatory commission. 

The agency is also responsible for the quality of the base water supply that is provided by the city of Goldsboro. It is estimated that the base uses an average of 600,000 gallons of water each day. The water supply is sampled each week to ensure it is healthy and meets the required standards for drinking and other uses. If positive readings of bacteria or harmful chemicals are found, it is sent to a lab in Greenville, N.C., for further testing.