Back To School Basics For Food Allergic Children

More than 2.2 million school-age children have life-threatening food allergies and that number is expected to rise according to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. For these children, heading back-to-school can spell increased risks unless prepared.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/81146.php

Avoiding Allergies And Asthma In The Classroom

"Allergies and asthma account for over 14 million missed school days, millions of dollars in medical bills and even lost work days for parents of children who suffer from allergic disease,"

"Musty odors are caused by volatile organic compounds. While mold is a common source for these compounds, they can come from other sources. If there is no water anywhere in the basement, then musty odors are probably not caused by mold. If there is water, mold probably plays a role, but may not be the entire problem.

First, let's talk about mold. Actively growing mold produces a wide range of volatile compounds, some of which can impart a musty odor. Many of these compounds can be detected by the human nose at very low concentrations. The mold colonies do not have to be sporulating to release these compounds, so that nearly invisible mold can be the source. When I see carpeting on a basement floor, I usually assume that it is the source for any musty odors that might be present, even if the carpeting looks new and dry and clean. Removal of the carpeting usually ends the odor problem. Mold does occur behind paneling if the wall is damp, and drying the wall is the only solution. Such drying may or may not involve removing the paneling. In both of these cases, airborne spore concentrations can be very low. This is an indication either that the mold producing the odors is not sporulating, or that any spores that are produced are trapped and not entering the air.

Wet concrete has an odor that could be interpreted as musty. While mold can grow on the surface of concrete, it isn't always present, and just the dampness may be producing odors. Standing water usually doesn't result in mold growth, but bacteria may grow and produce volatiles with "musty" odors.

Dehumidification is one means for controlling both mold and the damp concrete odors discussed above. I use a dehumidifier that keeps my entire 1000+ square foot basement odor free, and that drains directly into my stationary washtub. It could also drain into a floor drain. Otherwise, the reservoirs of dehumidifiers have to be emptied regularly, and if they are not, they could become odor sources in themselves.

High court: Insurers not responsible for flood damage

·          Certified Indoor Environmentalist - third party assessment:  Inspector should not perform any type of remediation so there is no conflict of interest. Our goal is to provide accurate information without bias so that educated decisions can be made.

·          Defined "Scope of Work": Defines the boundaries of the affected area(s) needing remediation. Additionally, knowing if the airborne levels are in a range of thousands, or hundreds of thousands may affect decisions regarding the timeliness of remediation, and the continued occupancy of the home.

·          Documentation: Many insurance adjusters will not authorize or undertake mold remediation if the presence of mold growth is not scientifically demonstrated. We identify the presence or absence of mold growth with AIHA EMLAP accredited laboratory analysis. Elevated moisture presence is identified through non-intrusive visual inspection with the use of infrared thermal imaging and other moisture detection equipment.

·          Recommendations for corrections: Know the extent of cleaning and what specific items/materials can be saved and how, plus what items/materials should be disposed based on nationally accepted industry standards.

·          Receive accurate remediation proposals: Saves homeowners and insurance companies money.

·          Achievement of "Clearance" is a significantly higher percentage: Providing useful information to remediation companies equals a successful project and allowsoccupants to return home quicker since additional cleaning after post remediation inspection and testing is reduced or eliminated.

·          Assessment cost is covered by most insurance companies:

·          Cross contamination? Many times when remediation is performed without a preliminary assessment and a containment is used; the post remediation air quality will pass inside the containment but will fail outside the containment. Knowing the extent of airborne microbial amplification before remediation begins eliminates questions of whether cross contamination occurred.

•  Can be used as part of the Seller's Disclosure: Detailed documentation gives the prospective buyer a sense of comfort knowing the entire process was handled appropriately from start to finish while following accepted industry standards.

AmIAQC

 

Certified Indoor Environmentalists (CIE)

       http://www.iaqcouncil.org/locator/certificantsbyzip.htm   (CIE locator)              

 

                     Some of the 18 CIE's  listed

                 within 100 miles of Naples, FL

John Cosgrove,  Radon & Mold Professionals, CIE/CRMI, 239-498-4619

Douglas Wall, Radon & Mold Professionals, CIE/CRMI,    239-498-4619

Sean Dyer, Clean Air Inspections, Estero, CIE

J.D. Thompson, CoolZone, Naples, CIE

Michael Casanova, Lee County BOCC, Fort Myers, CIE/CMR

Joe F. Smith Jr., J.F. Smith Building Contractors Inc., Sanibel, CIE/CMR

David Radford, Thrifty AC & Refridgeration, Fort Myers, CIE/CMR

David Radford Jr., Thrifty AC & Refridgeration, Fort Myers, CIE

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Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIH)  that work in the Naples / Ft Myers Area

Paul L. Osley, Chastain Skillman,  Tampa