If you are a business owner, we don’t have to tell you how much you depend on your employees – especially these days! In turn, your employees depend on you to provide a healthy and safe work environment. Indoor air quality testing and mold inspections are important steps you can take to ensure that you are living up to your end of the bargain.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors,1 where the concentrations of some pollutants are often 2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations.2” A big chunk of that time is spent at work, so testing the indoor air quality at your business can have a big impact on the health and wellness of your workforce.

Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions at the start of every year. And lots of people abandon those resolutions by the time February rolls around. (Not all of our environmental testing experts make resolutions, but most of those that made resolutions this year are still going strong!)

Threats to Indoor Air Quality

As the EPA explains, “Indoor concentrations of some pollutants have increased in recent decades due to such factors as energy-efficient building construction (when it lacks sufficient mechanical ventilation to ensure adequate air exchange) and increased use of synthetic building materials, furnishings, personal care products, pesticides, and household cleaners.”

In other words, the carpeting you walk on every day at work might be emitting volatile organic compounds. The desks where your employees work might be releasing formaldehyde into the air. The supplies your cleaning crew uses could also be releasing VOCs.

Typical pollutants of concern, according to the EPA, include:

• Various volatile organic compounds
• Combustion byproducts such as carbon monoxide, particulate matter and tobacco smoke
• Mold
• Pesticides
• Asbestos and lead contained in older buildings and materials
• Ozone (from some air cleaners)
• Naturally occurring radon
• Pet dander (You don’t have to have a pet-friendly facility for this to be a concern. Pet-loving employees and guests coming to your building could bring dander in on their clothes and footwear.)

Resolve to Protect Your Workforce

You don’t have to limit New Year’s resolutions to your personal life. Businesses large and small can also benefit from making resolutions. And, according to the calendar keepers at BrownieLocks, January just happens to be International New Year’s Resolutions Month for Businesses.

If you have made a resolution to protect your employees – and yourself! – from threats to the indoor air you breathe all day, contact the indoor air quality testing experts at AirMD for information about our commercial services, including asbestos testing and surveys, lead testing, mold assessments, volatile organic compound (VOC) testing and comprehensive environmental air testing.

The post Make a Resolution to Monitor the Indoor Air Quality at Your Business appeared first on Air Quality Testing by AirMD Since 2007.

Have you ever wondered what our talented AirMD environmental testing experts do when they’re using their skills to conduct tests for asbestos, water quality testing, VOC testing or mold inspections? We may be science geeks, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy hopping on a bike, enjoying a nice dinner on the town or catching a movie.

We do have one asbestos tester who is into apiculture, which is a fancy way of saying that he likes to keep bees. And he would like us to wish all of you a very happy National Honey Month.

What’s the Buzz?

Lots of people don’t like bees, which is really a shame. Honeybees are among the hardest working and most needed creatures on the planet. About a third of the food on your typical dinner plate couldn’t be produced without the pollinating efforts of bees.

But, while not everyone is interested in beekeeping, just about everyone is interested in the honey these busy little buzzers produce.

Honey not only tastes delicious, it offers a number of benefits, including:

• Honey is a source of vitamins, minerals and amino acids in honey. The National Honey Board also says that honey contains antioxidants as well as flavonoids and phenolic acids that act as antioxidants. “The amount and type of these compounds depend largely on the floral source,” the Honey Board says.
• Honey gives you energy. There are 17 grams of carbohydrates in a single tablespoon of honey. Those carbs provide the fuel you body needs.
• Honey makes you feel better. For centuries, people have been turning to honey when they have a cold. Research backs up this timeless wisdom. According to the National Honey Board, “Honey offers an effective and natural alternative to over-the-counter cough medicine. Though time is the most important healer of a sore throat, a spoonful of honey can help relieve the irritation,” they say.

In addition to being National Honey Month, September also happens to be the height of fall allergy season. Allergy sufferers may be disappointed to learn that the overlap is nothing more than a coincidence.

As the health experts at the Mayo Clinic tell us, there is no research to show that honey will ease your allergies. “The idea isn’t so far-fetched, though,” James T C Li, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Division of Allergic Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Mayo Clinic and a board-certified asthma and allergy specialist. “Honey has been studied as a cough suppressant and may have anti-inflammatory effects.”

If you have questions about the health benefits of honey, check with your doctor. And if you have questions about testing the indoor air quality of your home or office, contact the environmental testing experts at AirMD.

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This time of year can be a challenge for allergy sufferers as ragweed, mold and other irritants fill the air. Of course, the fall allergy season this year, as the environmental testing pros at AirMD point out, will be more challenging than most.

Have you been out at the grocery store and looked askance at someone who sneezed? No one can blame you for wondering and worrying about the army of respiratory droplets infected with Covid-19 that might have just been released into the air.

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, on the other hand, you might have been the person getting all the dirty looks when you sniffle or sneeze. Maybe you’ve even wondered if your symptoms are attributable to something other than your usual fall allergies.

Are your allergies acting up – or is it something else?

The Allergy and Asthma Network offers advice on how to tell the difference between allergies and Covid-19. “Some COVID-19 and fall allergy symptoms overlap, such as cough and shortness of breath,” they say. “But a primary symptom of COVID-19 is a fever of 100.4 or higher. Fever is not a symptom of allergies.”

If you are suffering from a tightness in your chest, a cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, your symptoms could be attributable to fall allergies, Covid-19 or the flu.

If you are suffering from seasonal allergies, you may also experience the following symptoms:

• Sniffling and sneezing
• Itchy nose
• Sinus congestion
• Scratchy throat
• Red, itchy, irritated eyes

Likewise, there are particular symptoms – like a loss of taste and/or smell – that will indicate that you have Covid-19. If you are in doubt, see your doctor or arrange to have a covid-19 test.

Common triggers for fall allergies include ragweed and mold. If you notice your symptoms are better or worse in particular settings, that might also be a clue as to the cause of your symptoms.

And, if you notice that your symptoms flare up when you are at home or work, you may be interested in the allergy testing services, mold inspections or other environmental testing services offered by AirMD. Call us at 888-462-4763 for more information.

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Our environmental testing experts in South Florida start to get a lot of calls for mold inspections this time of year.

May is the official start of the rainy season in the region and, on June 1, the 2021 hurricane season officially begins. Unofficially, the humidity levels usually start to climb upwards this time of year. And all that moisture provides the perfect breeding ground for mold.

As the Environmental Protection Agency says in their Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, “The key to mold control is moisture control.”

Do You Need a Mold Test?

“Molds are part of the natural environment. Outdoors, molds play a part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees, but,” as the EPA explains, “indoors, mold growth should be avoided.”

Unfortunately, that can be easier said than done.

“Molds reproduce by means of tiny spores; the spores are invisible to the naked eye and float through outdoor and indoor air. Mold may begin growing indoors when mold spores land on surfaces that are wet. There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture,” the EPA says.

The prognosticators at Colorado State University’s Tropical Weather and Climate Research department have issued their very first forecast for the 2021 hurricane season. It looks like it’s going to be a busy season, folks.

The Colorado State University Seasonal Hurricane Forecast for 2021 indicates that we can expect above-normal activity, with a total of:

• 17 Named Storms
• 8 Hurricanes
• And 4 Major Hurricanes (that’s a storm that is Category 3 or higher)

It doesn’t take a direct hit from a Category 3 storm to make mold a problem in your home. The humid, damp conditions associated with summer in South Florida increases the chances that you will find mold growing in your home or business.

If you see or suspect that mold has begun to spread, you may want to invest in a mold inspection. Mold testing will help you identify any problem areas and our environmental testing pros can help you understand the problem and suggest steps you should take to remediate it. If you need help navigating this situation, please feel free to contact us.

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Asbestos testing is serious business (which is not to say that volatile organic testing or mold inspections aren’t). Asbestos has been linked to cancer. Its use has been banned in more than 50 countries. In the United States, it is strictly regulated, but, as long as it accounts for less than 1% of the product, it is still being used in a large number of consumer products.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that affects the mesothelium, which is a thin layer of tissue covering almost all of your internal organs. The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lungs and can cause shortness of breath and pain when coughing, among a number of other symptoms. There is no cure.

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral that can be found in nature. It became popular in manufacturing because of its heat-resistant properties. And, because asbestos was cheap, it was widely used, not only in manufacturing but also in heavy industry and things like construction and shipbuilding.

According to the Mesothelioma Center, “For most of the 20th century, asbestos was a primary component in almost all types of insulation. No device was too big to insulate with asbestos — or too small.”

How Did Asbestos Get into Our Homes?

“Historically, most asbestos exposure has occurred on the job. Asbestos miners and factory workers who handled raw asbestos on a regular basis have suffered the worst health consequences,” the Mesothelioma Center says. “However, asbestos-containing consumer products have extended the risk of exposure to people from all walks of life.”

Here in the United States, we love our gadgets, right? Well, following World War II, when more and more of those gadgets were coming to market, asbestos was being used for insulation. As long as the products that contained asbestos remained intact, there was no concern, but if they were damaged or broken, the risk of contamination was there.

Some of the many products that contained asbestos insulation included:

• Ovens and stoves
• Toasters
• Coffee pots
• Baby bottle warmers
• Popcorn poppers
• Dishwashers
• Washing machines and dryers
• Ironing boards
• Curling irons
• And get this, according to the Mesothelioma Center, “Fluffed chrysotile — commonly known as white asbestos — was once sold as fake snow for Christmas decorations.”

If you think your home or workplace might be in need of an asbestos inspection, please don’t delay. Contact our environmental testing experts – or another qualified asbestos testing company – with your questions and concerns as soon as possible.

The post What Is Asbestos and How Did It Get into Our Homes? appeared first on Air Quality Testing by AirMD Since 2007.

Here at AirMD, a science-based environmental testing company based in Boca Raton, Florida, when we think about indoor air quality, we are usually thinking about things like home allergen tests, VOC testing and mold inspections. But there are other ways to look at the quality of the air in your home.

“Pause a moment from the holiday hustle to take a deep breath. Turns out, the smells you’re taking in could be doing wonders for your body and brain,” the folks at Real Simple say. 

That’s right, some of the scents that we most closely associate with the holidays bring gifts of their very own. 

It’s not just the sight of a sparkling Christmas tree that can lift your spirits. “The scent of pine could help bust some of the stress that goes hand-in-hand with this time of year,” Real Simple reports. “Researchers at Japan’s Kyoto University found that participants who took two 15-minute walks through a pine forest reported improved moods and lower feelings of depression and hostility.” 

You don’t have to invest the time and money to put up a live Christmas tree to get these benefits (if you haven’t been to the tree lots yet, you’ll find the trees are on the pricey side this year). You can enjoy the scent of pine with essential oils and candles. 

Here in South Florida, we are a little short of pine forests, but don’t worry. Nature isn’t stingy when it comes to offering stress relief. 

As the folks at National Geographic report, “Forest bathing is not just for the wilderness-lover; the practice can be as simple as walking in any natural environment and consciously connecting with what’s around you.”

If you live in Boca Raton, you might want to stretch your legs at the Yamato Scrub Natural Area.  You can definitely ease your stress by spending a little time exploring the grounds of the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, which offers some beautiful green pathways to explore. 

And, of course, there is Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. Mounts is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest botanical garden. It offers 14 acres of tropical and subtropical plants for you to explore. In the 25 different display gardens, you can find more than 2,000 different types of plants, including Florida native plants, exotic and tropical fruit trees, herbs, palms, roses, cactus, bromeliads and more.

If you would like more information about indoor air quality testing, we hope you will contact us.

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At AirMD, a full-service indoor environmental testing company based in South Florida that has locations across the country, we like to emphasize the fact that our approach is firmly grounded in science. From asbestos inspections and water quality testing to home wellness assessments, all of our services are performed by professional technicians with a thorough understanding of the science involved.

We want you to know that, when it comes to science, we’re not just talking the talk. As members of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), we are happily walking the walk!

What Does Microbiology Have to Do with Environmental Testing?

The Oxford dictionary defines microbiology as “the branch of science that deals with microorganisms,” which isn’t really very helpful unless you already know that microorganisms are living organisms that are too small to be visible with the naked eye. There are a wide variety of microorganisms or microbes, including everything from bacteria and viruses to fungi, protozoa and parasites.

These microorganisms can be used to do some amazing things – like make life-saving drugs, clean polluted waterways and make the manufacture of biofuels possible. Not all microbes are a force for good, however. There are any number of the little rascals that you would definitely not want in your home or workplace!

The American Society for Microbiology

The ASM, which is one of the largest life science societies in the world, was established in 1899. One of the sessions at its first meeting, held in December of that year, was called “On the Use of Steam for Sterilization.”

Today, the organization has more than 30,000 members, including researchers, educators and health professionals as well as the environmental testing experts at AirMD. In addition to advancing the field of microbiology, the ASM is making a difference by advocating for evidence-based policies and helping to find solutions to pressing public health issues.

If you would like to chat about microbiology and how AirMD’s membership in the American Society for Microbiology helps us to provide our commercial and residential clients with effective environmental testing solutions based on the highest standards in scientific practice, such as indoor air quality testing, asbestos assessments and mold inspections, we would love to hear from you.

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Kids aren’t the only ones who will be enjoying Halloween celebrations this month. Over the years, the holiday has increasingly tempted adults to get into the spirit. We now spend more on Halloween than any other holiday, except Christmas. Here at AirMD, our indoor air quality tests, mold inspections and our allergy testing – from Austin to West Palm Beach – are firmly rooted in science, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun with Halloween with its myths and superstitions.

If you’re among the many who will be decorating your home or office for Halloween, there’s a good chance that the image of a black cat might pop up somewhere. According to the Billings Animal Family Hospital, “In the Middle Ages, it was a commonly held belief that witches could disguise themselves as black cats and these dark felines became associated with witchcraft.”

Black Cats Are Nothing to Sneeze At

The truth is that you don’t need to be afraid of black cats – unless you’re allergic to cats. And if that’s the case, it doesn’t matter if they’re black, orange or polka dotted, you should avoid our furry feline friends. According to WebMD, “About 10% of the U.S. population has pet allergies and cats are among the most common culprits. Cat allergies are twice as common as dog allergies.”

Cat Allergy Symptoms

The health experts at WebMD report that the symptoms of cat allergies can include:

• coughing and wheezing
• hives or a rash on the chest and face
• red, itchy eyes
• redness of the skin where a cat has scratched, bitten, or licked you
• runny, itchy, stuffy nose
• sneezing

If your home is feline-free but you or a member of your family is still bothered by these symptoms on a frequent basis, there may be some other allergy involved. Pollen, dust mites and mold are the most common allergy triggers. But having allergies doesn’t mean you are cursed to suffer forever. Call the allergy-busters at AirMD! Our pros can perform home allergen tests that can help you get to the bottom of any mysteries. We are also experts in residential mold inspections and mold removal.

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