Alternaria spores

Can increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) have an effect on mold spore levels? A new study suggests that increased CO2 will, in fact, lead to a greater number of mold spores outdoors with a resulting effect on allergies. As CO2 levels rise, can we expect to see more allergies to mold?

The article describing the research is titled “Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentrations Amplify Alternaria alternata Sporulation and Total Antigen Production” and is found in this month’s Environmental Health Perspectives. The researchers were looking at just one species, Alternaria alternata, so we need to be cautious about drawing big conclusions from such a small study (sorry about the sensationalist blog title!). Continue Reading…

Have you ever asked a doctor about an indoor air quality problem? Let’s just say their knowledge is typically lacking. However, some interesting initiatives are educating healthcare providers and public health professionals on the importance of IAQ.

The American College of Preventive Medicine launched an entire website dedicated to Indoor Air Quality thanks to a grant from the EPA’s Indoor Environments Division. The site allows users to view a few free webcasts. I would recommend the following: Continue Reading…

• My latest blog post on Environmental Tobacco Smoke: http://goo.gl/W5os #
• I'm heading out to perform an indoor air quality assessment in the home of someone who will be housebound for 3 months. #
• Today's IAQ assessment uncovered an improperly sloped drain pan, condensation on the drain line, a moldy humidifier pad & more #
• My latest blog post on indoor #mycotoxins http://goo.gl/0Rry #
• Just finished teaching a class on IAQ and HVAC in NJ. 36 people were in attendance. Now flying back to Chicago. #
• Anyone going to the A&WMA Vapor Intrusion Conference Sept. 29-30 in Chicago? http://goo.gl/0o1b #
• I just watched Harriet Burge's MoldScore video http://goo.gl/4lTz Good explanation of mold sampling limitations #
• My latest blog article about radon maps http://goo.gl/atO2 #

Radon is a radioactive soil gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers according to the EPA.  The US Surgeon General issued a Health Advisory a few years ago to warn the public about radon’s health risks.  To read more about the health effects of radon, you can visit the EPA’s website.  In this blog post I want to discuss how radon levels vary geographically.

Radon is a decay product of radium (which, in turn, is a decay product of uranium).  Because uranium is found in the soil at different levels throughout the world, radon concentrations vary quite widely.  A few maps are publicly available that display the average radon levels throughout the US.  The problem with these maps is that the average concentrations are for an entire county or region.  Your home, school or office may be in a neighborhood with levels significantly higher or lower than the region’s average.

Nevertheless, I think that radon maps can be a useful tool to understand the geographic trends.  Here are the three radon maps in the US that I like to reference: Continue Reading…

This week I read a great blog post on mycotoxins from the Aspergillus Website. There has been considerable debate regarding the health effects of airborne mycotoxins through the years. In this post I will hit the main points related to mycotoxins indoors. Continue Reading…

More than two years ago, Chicago banned smoking in public buildings as part of the Chicago Clean Indoor Air Ordinance.  Why then were my eyes burning from heavy cigarette smoke while innocently sitting in my office yesterday?  I wasn’t the only one working late.  The neighboring tenant, a commercial cleaning company, had their lights on and their cigarettes lit up.

When the smoke-free ordinance passed, all the smokers in the Chicagoland area did not disappear.  It merely shifted the location of their activities.  Most building owners stopped worrying about environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), checking it off their list of concerns.  However, without a dedicated area for smoking, people may chose a location convenient for them and inconvenient for other occupants.

A very prominent LEED certified building in Chicago has only one place to smoke outside: under a sheet metal awning.  But wait, that’s not an awning… that’s the outdoor air intake!  Although the building is smoke free, it isn’t really smoke free. Continue Reading…

• #Mold and Health. My lastest blog post http://goo.gl/oA0y #
• Heading off to teach a Certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE) course in Hartford, CT tomorrow and Wednesday. Still a few spaces open! #
• I just purchased the latest versions of ASHRAE Standard 62.1 and 62.2. They cover IAQ in general and ventilation in particular. #
• Carbon dioxide levels in our classroom were at 2,850ppm. Read about the details: http://goo.gl/WpV5 #
• I had students from Gray Wolf Sensing Solutions in my class. I learned more about the functions of my IAQ monitor/PID. #

Atmospheric CO2 Levels from Mauna Loa

Today I was teaching a Certified Indoor Environmentalist course in Connecticut when we measured carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the meeting room.   When I read 2,850 parts per million (ppm) on my meter, I immediately assumed something was wrong with the device.   That was upsetting because it had just come back from factory calibration.  In such a well conditioned, modern meeting room, we couldn’t really have CO2 levels that high, could we? A typical meeting room ranges from say 800-1,200 ppm.

When taking the device outdoors, we were getting readings around 380 ppm as one would expect (see chart).  In other areas of the hotel, levels were more in line with expectations (around 1,000 ppm).  Our high levels were not a computer glitch, but an accurate reading of the CO2 levels in the space.

Here is a key point learned by the class today: Continue Reading…

Mold can be a touchy subject. There is a hot debate over what exact health problems can result from an excessive exposure to mold. In fact, a lot of the research and interest has shifted to damp buildings in general to include other microorganisms and their byproducts.

The current issue of the journal Indoor Air has an interesting article, “Culturable mold in indoor air and its association with moisture-related problems and asthma and allergy among Swedish children” by authors J. Holme et al.

Air samples for mold were taken in 382 homes in Sweden and compared to parental reports of asthma/allergy in children. The spore concentrations were also compared to inspector observations of mold odors and visual signs of moisture. The homes were almost evenly divided into symptomatic children and non-symptomatic controls.

The results of the study may be surprising! Continue Reading…

• “… there is no reason for one-time air sampling of #mold .. ” http://goo.gl/SAei I’ll blog about this next week. #
• I have a new blog post on #filtration http://goo.gl/Sb7B #
• Ultrafine Particle Concentrations in Schoolrooms and Homes: http://goo.gl/yfGr #
• Good article on insulation in the latest ASHRAE Journal from Joe Lstiburek. Also discusses air barriers and cathedral ceilings. #
• Superbugs vs. our Super Immune System. My latest blog post: http://goo.gl/DZxW #
• Energy Audits in Large Commercial Office Buildings. Free ASHRAE article: http://goo.gl/zvft #
• Edmonton study looks at indoor air quality http://goo.gl/XPOW #