June 2008 from IAQ

For The IAQ Industry
July, 2008 Vol. 1

Common Occurrence

Even with all the national media attention that has alerted the public to the destructive and possibly toxic dangers of mold that could affect family health, it is often not considered as a possible cause of common ailments. A recent magazine article repo rted that there was a child who was sick for weeks. The child was being treated for an upper respiratory infection but was not betting any better. Through a reference, an indoor air quality spec ialist con ducted an air quality test in the home along with visual inspection and found black mold. The mold was remediated and the child immediately began to improve.

Mold exposure as been related to the following conditions:

• Itching or irritation of the nose, eyes, throat or skin
• Mysterious skin rashes
• Sinus infections or congestion
• Respiratory problems, sneezing/coughing
• Upper or lower respiratory infections
• Fatigue
• Frequent headaches
• Trouble concentrating, memory lapses, confusion
• Mood swings, anxiety, depression
• Chronic aches and pains
• Digestive problems

Fires and Particles and Air Cleaners

Wildfires and prescribed burns are receiving increasing attention as sources of fine particulate matter (PM). This study measures residential indoor and outdoor concentrations that occur during a prescribed burn. This pilot-scale study solicited participant pairs of residences impacted by smoke from prescribed burns and monitored the PM inside and outside of the houses. The effect of using an appropriate sized air cleaner on indoor PM was also measured. During the fire, inside PM levels were 4 times higher than normal levels. Using an air cleaner reduced the PM levels inside during the fire by 83%.