Articles Of Interest

Let us get acquainted with few facts about lead - Are you aware to the following facts? LEAD PERILS: 1. Exposure to lead can severely affect health of young children and even babies in mother’s womb. 2. Seemingly healthy children can have high levels of lead in their bodies. 3. Inhaling or swallowing lead dust and/or eating contaminated soil and/or paint chips are common sources of lead exposure. 4. Lead hazards can be reduced in many ways, more often than not lead-based paints which are in good condition do not comprise of a hazard. Though removing these paints in improper manner can cause serious lead hazards. After reading some of very common facts about lead you must be inquisitive to know more, especially about how to protect your family from its hazards; you just need to go through below mentioned few simple steps...

Invisible little critters live in our homes with us. Dust mites can be found in pillows, bedding, carpets, drapes, and upholstery. They love a dusty and moist environment. Others only come out in the dark—cockroaches. Both are very common allergies, and we can test for these too. Bedbugs are increasingly common in the US and health officials are urging vigilance and testing for them. These pests have become a real problem for people in their homes, apartments, hotels, motels, health and elder care facilities, colleges and classrooms. They can travel with you (or someone else) to your wherever you sleep! Bedbugs are increasingly common in the US and health officials are urging vigilance and testing for them. These pests have become a real problem for people in their homes, apartments, hotels, motels, health and elder care facilities, colleges and classrooms. They can travel with you (or someone else) to your wherever you sleep! Bedbugs can get into your home in used clothing, furniture, mattresses, box springs, bedding and luggage. They are small and hard to see and like to hide in the tiniest crevices. They can live for months without feeding, but when they do, they rapidly breed and spread. Some individuals get infections from scratching the itchy bites and even scaring.

Allergens - Household cleansers, pesticides, paints, new furnishings and construction materials off gas into our environment. Chinese drywall off gas sulphur dioxide. New furniture, carpets, drapes, and upholstery off gas formaldehyde. Birds, mice, rats, ferrets, squirrels, dogs and cats all produce and shed animal dander. If you have any of these in your home, you could suffer an allergenic reaction to animal dander, and our inspectors can test for the presence of animal dander. Invisible little critters live in our homes with us. Dust mites can be found in pillows, bedding, carpets, drapes, and upholstery. They love a dusty and moist environment. Others only come out in the dark—cockroaches. Both are very common allergies, and we can test for these too. Pollens and dust are also common causes of allergies. You will want to talk with your doctor and possibly test for these.

Dander from animals may worsen your asthma. Pets produce dander that can put asthmatics at risk. These pets include dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and rodents. Pet dander is the protein in skin flakes, urine, feces, saliva, and hair, and it can trigger asthma symptoms. These proteins are tiny, and they travel through the air and can land on a body part. They can then easily be transferred to the nose or the mouth and thus inhaled. Symptoms may occur immediately, or they may not develop until 8 to 12 hours later.

What is asbestos? Asbestos is a long thin flexible silky fibrous magnesium silicate material which is toxic. It is strong enough to resist high temperatures, chemical attack and wear. A poor conductor, it insulates well against heat and electricity. It is mined from the ground. Asbestos exposure becomes a health concern when high concentrations of asbestos fibers are inhaled over a long time period. Asbestos exposure is primarily dangerous when the fibers become airborne and are inhaled. Asbestos fibers are usually released in asbestos-containing materials that are damaged or otherwise compromised. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious illness –…

What is Asthma? Asthma is a lung disease that causes difficulty in breathing and can sometimes lead to death. In the US, around 20 million people are affected by asthma, many of whom are children. When asthma is under control, the airways are clear and open. When asthma is not under control, the muscles around the airways inside the lungs tighten and the airways fill with mucus. This causes people with asthma to wheeze, cough, and suffer from a shortness of breath. Many things can trigger an asthma attack – several of them can commonly be found in the home. Pet hair and fur, second-hand smoke, mold and mildew, roach and rodent droppings and excessive dust can all trigger asthma episodes (attacks). While asthma has no cure, it is treatable. Effective medications, paired with environmental modifications to reduce exposure to common triggers, can enable most people living with asthma to lead normal, active lives. The home is an important front in the battle to control a person’s asthma.

Bed bugs are small and wingless insects that feed upon the blood of warm-blooded animals. Hatchling bed bugs are the size of a sesame seed, while adults are around a quarter of an inch long. Bed bugs are oval in shape and flat. Bed bugs can range from white to tan to brown to burnt orange. They are not known to carry any diseases. Bed bugs feed at night when their hosts (animals and humans) are asleep. When they feed, they inject a tiny amount of saliva into the skin, which can cause allergies or desensitization over time. If you are bitten by a bed bug, refrain from scratching the area, which can lead to greater irritation or infection...

Infrared Explained Infrared can be described as light we can’t see. This is because infrared light waves have longer wavelengths than those of visible light. Visible light we can see with our eyes, but infrared light waves need to be detected and processed with the advanced technology found in infrared cameras known as a bolometer. An infrared camera processes infrared light waves, unlike our eyes, and produces a thermal (heat) image of an object from the infrared. All objects that produce a heat signature are measurable and we use an infrared camera to capture its thermal image. This thermal image…

Outdoor air pollution in cities is a major health problem. A great deal of effort and money are spent cleaning outdoor air pollution. Air pollution can be a problem where you least expect it, in the place you may have thought was safest — your home. Ordinary daily activities, like: cooking, heating, cooling, cleaning, and decorating, can release pollutants in your home. Studies have shown that indoor air can be even more polluted than outdoor air. Many Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors. Breathing clean indoor air can have an major impact on your health. People who…

Carbon dioxide (chemical formula CO2) is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom. It is a colorless odorless incombustible gas present in the atmosphere, CO2, formed during respiration, combustion, and organic decomposition and is used in food refrigeration, carbonated beverages, inert atmospheres, fire extinguishers, and aerosols. It is also responsible for global warming. Measuring CO2 concentration is one of the most practical investigative tools available to a practitioner for determining that specific occupied spaces are adequately ventilated. Building design may provide for appropriate ventilation on paper, but in the real world…

Energy efficient buildings require less energy to operate than buildings that are not energy efficient. In todays homes and businesses there are numerous things that can be done to improve the efficiency of the building. These translate to cost savings! The Facts Seventy-two percent of all energy consumed in the United States is consumed by buildings. This tells us that our buildings are NOT very efficient and that are many things we need and can do to improve this. Simply consider the energy loss from leaky buildings. If you seal around windows and doors, electric outlets and switches, outside penetrations…

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable, pungent-smelling gas, disinfectant, preservative, and a common chemical used in manufacturing. Formaldehyde is an intermediate in the oxidation (or combustion) of methane as well as other carbon compounds. SOURCES OF FORMALDEHYDE Indoor sources of formaldehyde include fuel-burning appliances, tobacco smoke, glues and adhesives; permanent-press fabrics, paper product coatings, other textiles such as carpets, upholstery, drapery material; urea-formaldehyde foam insulation, particleboard (used as sub-flooring and shelving and in cabinetry and furniture); hardwood plywood paneling (used for decorative wall covering and used in cabinets and furniture); and medium density fiberboard (used for drawer fronts, cabinets, and furniture…