INDOOR AIR QUALITY TESTING (IAQ) – MOLD, RADON

The quality of indoor air can be affected by a variety of conditions and contaminants including ineffective ventilation, excessive moisture, interior processes and equipment use, materials storage, and naturally occurring contaminants.  Indoor air quality issues are often manifested by adverse symptoms experienced by building occupants.  Sometimes the problem is obvious and easily determined; however, many indoor air quality issues are complex and difficult to identify.

Allied scientists are trained and experienced in the evaluation of indoor air quality issues.  Using the latest methods and technology, Allied can effectively evaluate conditions within a building to determine the likely source(s) of the problem.  Once indoor air quality testing has been completed, and the problem source has been determined, a sensible and cost-effective solution can be developed and implemented.

Mold

Mold is a natural part of our environment.  Outdoors, mold plays an important role in nature by breaking down dead organic matter.  However, indoors, mold growth can result in elevated airborne spore concentrations.  Persons exposed to high spore levels may develop allergies to the mold and other health issues.  Unchecked mold growth can also damage interior finishes and furnishings and, in time, cause serious damage to the structural elements of a building.

If mold growth is found, that means there is, or was, a source of excessive moisture.  There are many types of mold, and none will proliferate without a significant source of water or moisture.  To eliminate mold growth, the moisture source must be eradicated.  Only after the moisture source has been eliminated can mold growth be effectively dealt with.

Allied consultants are trained in the investigation, sampling, and remediation of microbiological contamination through the American Conference of Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and MidAtlantic Environmental Hygiene Resource Center (MEHRC).  Our inspection services include: visual inspection and testing of moisture content in building materials with protimeter (i.e. moisture meter); air sampling via non-culturable and culturable media; bulk and surface sampling; and post remediation clearance inspections.

Allied maintains an in-house fungal identification laboratory that provides timely and reliable analytical results through direct microscopic examination of non-culturable air samples, bulk samples, wipe and lift samples.  These analyses include identification of genus and quantification of spore concentration.

For more information regarding mold and indoor air testing, please visit U.S. EPA , Indoor Air Quality Association , American Industrial Hygienists Association, or Residential Air Check.

Radon

Radon is a radioactive element formed by the natural decay of small amounts of uranium in subsurface soil and rocks throughout the United States.  Radon can enter structures, typically through penetrations in the foundations, as a colorless and odorless gas.  Decay of radon, which has a half-life of 3.8 days, results in daughter products polonium, bismuth, astatine and lead.  If inhaled, these radioactive daughter products become trapped in the lungs, resulting in an increased risk of lung cancer.  Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

Radon gas may enter structures through construction joints, foundation cracks and penetrations, sump pits, and even through the water supply. Due to dilution, radon gas expelled from the subsurface to the atmosphere typically creates no health risk.  However, the concentration of radon entering a building can quickly rise to a dangerous level.  The U.S. EPA considers a radon concentration of greater than 4.0 picouries per liter of air (pCi/L) to be excessive and a risk to human health.  U.S. EPA estimates that 1 out of every 15 structures in the U.S. contains radon exceeding 4.0 pCi/L.

Allied’s staff includes professional technicians certified and licensed by the Ohio Department of Health to develop radon testing protocol, conduct radon sampling, evaluate and interpret the collected analytical data, and design and implement a radon mitigation system if needed.

For more information regarding radon and associated indoor air testing, please visit the Ohio Department of Health , or U.S. EPA.