Children, the elderly, people with allergies, compromised immune systems, and current illnesses are at a higher risk of opportunistic infections. We know about “hyper susceptibility” due to genetic factors, age or personal factors, medications, or previous exposure… but we also know that healthy individuals can respond to a concentration of chemicals, biological, and particulates depending on his/her sensitivities.
If you are constantly coughing at work and your coworkers in the next office do not show any symptoms, it may be because of existing contamination in your office but not in theirs. Even if your coworkers in the same area don’t show any symptoms, it can be because of your higher sensitivity to a contaminant, such as mold.
Building-related Symptoms or Sick Building Syndrome are groups of medical symptoms in people whose illness causes are unknown but are attributed to time spent in a particular building. The symptoms vanish shortly after occupants leave the building. They include the following symptoms:
- Eye, nose, and throat irritation
- Headaches
- Dizziness, Fatigue
- Dry skin or rashes
- Itchy skin
- High frequency of lung infections and cough
- Hoarseness
- Wheezing
- Sensitivity to odor
- Nausea
Risk factors include malfunctioning air conditioning, insufficient ventilation, allergies, asthma, and indoor air pollutants.
Building Related Illness is a specific illness that can be traced to a specific cause, such as a chemical or biological agent in a building. The illness generally persists even when removed from building. Legionnaires Disease, Pontiac Fever, Mycosis, Aspergillosis, Histoplasmosis and Anthrax are some Building Related Illnesses with building airborne infectious building sources.
Indoor contaminants contributing to Building Related Symptoms or Building Related Illness may include any of the following:
Biological Contaminants
- Mold spores, hyphae fragments and total fungi.
- Different types of bacteria such as Legionella, Coliforms, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, and Clostridium.
Chemical Contaminants
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as paints, wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, cleaners and disinfectants, air fresheners, fuels dry-cleaned clothing, pesticides, fungicides, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, including glues and adhesives, permanent markers and photographic solutions and also formaldehyde from building materials or occupational environments
- Microbial VOCs (MVOCs) from wet and actively growing colonies of mold or bacteria.
- Arsenic (As), Barium (Ba), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Selenium (Se), Silver (Ag) and other toxic heavy metals.
- Toxic gases.
Allergens
- Skin fragments (dander), insect fragments.
- Biological allergens such as cat, dog, mouse, rat, cockroach, dust mite.
- Pollen.
Particulates and smoke
- Dust and respirable particles.
- Fibers such as asbestos and fiberglass.
- Fire smoke and tobacco smoke.
Your home should give you comfort. It shelters your family and it’s your refuge. We perform an indoor air quality inspection for you. We can inspect and test your home for all of the above allergens, microbial and chemical contaminants by air, dust, swab, tape and bulk sampling. If you have any particular disease and are concerned that your illness may be related to any particular material in your building, please contact us to do our research for you and find any possible causes in your building. We are able to remove all contaminants from your place. Even after fire and smoke damage, we can clean your entire home and neutralize smoke odor. We ease your mind and help you to have a healthy indoor with our expertise. Consult with us.