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Offices - Air Quality InspectionOur average customer either feels, reacts, smells or sees something in the indoor environment which they perceive might be affecting their health or the environmental safety of their home or workplace. Some of the main questions that come up being:
Although mold has made the headlines during the 90's and presently, there are also a number of other factors that can and do affect our indoor air quality (IAQ). Indoor Air Services personnel have been trained to look at the whole indoor environment rather than one or two areas which may be in question. This procedure enables us to assess the total picture. Our company provides a complete indoor air quality survey which may consist of some or all of the following: Structure Materials, age, water events, remodeling, pest control service, etc. Visual Inspection: Building structure, landscape, HVAC, plumbing fixtures, crawl spaces, etc. Interview with Customer: General health and or complaints, medical history (used to help in identifying an allergen or irritant). Airborne Particle Counter: Comparisons between outside air particulates and inside particulates. This test is necessary in determining the time length required to do airborne testing. In addition the overall air quality in the occupied space can be evaluated by the amount of particulate matter that is airborne and a possible irritant to susceptible individuals. Environmental Conditions: Temperature, Relative Humidity, Carbon Monoxide & Carbon Dioxide Moisture Meters: Invasive and non-invasive methods of determining moisture in building materials. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Testing: A method of determining the source of one of 108 VOC’s. Infrared Thermography: A non-invasive means of monitoring and diagnosing the conditions of buildings, providing immediate high-resolution thermal imagery revealing potential structural and moisture issues, energy efficiency and even rodent and pest discovery. Allergen Testing: Dust mite, mold, cat or cockroach. Especially important for allergy or asthma suffers. Mold Testing: Active, dormant, surface, wall cavities, dust or bulk. Each method, if deemed necessary, will help in determining the presence of microbial contamination. PCR: To verify a molds DNA. Usually only requested by a health professional or an attorney. Bacteria Testing: E. Coli, Sewage. For health and insurance issues. Legionella: Potential health concerns in buildings with water towers. MoldVOC: Microbial Volatile Organic Compound Assay. Some species of mold can produce Mycotoxins which may affect certain individuals. Environmental Monitor: Rather than taking a "grab sample" of the current environmental conditions, this gives the investigator data over a number of days. Fiber Optic Boroscope: A method of examining wall cavities. Quick Environmental Exposure and Sensitivity Inventory (QEESI Questionnaire): Developed as a screening questionnaire for multiple chemical intolerance (to be interpreted by a trained health professional). Indoor Air Quality Sampling: Identifies airborne contaminates from a library of over 75,000 compounds. Industrial Hygiene Monitoring: As requested. Many times a team approach is required to determine the cause of a complaint and a solution to fix the problem. The team members may consist of an Indoor Environmental Professional, Health Professional, HVAC technician, Professional Engineer, Certified Air Duct Cleaning Specialist, Certified Mold Remediation Contractor or any other trades which may be necessary. When we have all the necessary data, then we compile a detailed written report to our customer. This report will contain sampling methodology, all results, pictures, conclusions and any recommendations. As you can well appreciate, most customers only require a small percentage of our services, thus the pricing will vary. Usually a phone conversation can determine the estimated cost of our services. Some occasions require extensive testing as most likely litigation will be involved. We have on our staff an individual qualified as an expert witness in these types of cases.
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