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| Assessing existing buildings for mold contamination As one of the thousands of facility managers and owners affected by the hurricanes of 2005, you are undoubtedly facing the challenges of determining if your building is safe for re-occupancy. If you have suffered water damage or had your building closed up with uncontrolled humidity, your first concern is whether or not mold contamination is of concern. The presence of extensive amounts of visible mold indicates that qualified and experienced consultants need to review the situation and provide advice on clean up and development of remediation plans. If the building visually appears free of mold, one should not assume that it is not present, but confirm. Certain molds such as Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus versicolor, which often result from water damage, have known human toxins associated with them, and they and many other molds are triggers for numerous respiratory illnesses including asthma and allergies. These molds may have grown and developed in porous materials such as upholstered furniture, carpet, ceiling tile and wallboard, and may not be easily observed. One of the most effective ways of looking at this level of contamination is the evaluation of settled dust in the building. This dust that is shed from the porous materials, accumulates in flooring materials, furniture, and on the tops of cabinets and bookcases. In addition to molds, the presence of moisture may also result in excessive growth of dust mites that can be highly allergic to many adults and children. Air Quality Sciences, Inc. (AQS) has developed an economical and effective test kit to help you measure the levels of mold and allergens in settled dust. The AQS Mold & Allergen IAQ Test Kit measures mold and five common allergens (dog, cat, cockroach and two major dust mite species). Each user-friendly test kit comes with the necessary sampling media, step-by-step instructions with illustrations, and materials for returning the samples to AQS for analysis. It is frequently used by school systems, homeowners, and commercial facilities to assess current mold and allergen status. The collected dust is sent back to the laboratory and results are provided with an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand report, detailing the types and levels of pollutants found in the facility and comparison to existing standards. The Mold & Allergen IAQ Test Kit is a practical and fast step to assessing the situation. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Construction News :: home page |