Indoor Air Quality Testing Tampa can identify the presence of harmful chemicals, pollutants and irritants like mold, radon and carbon monoxide. This helps ensure a safe and comfortable environment for everyone in your home or business.
An IAQ assessment can help reduce absenteeism in schools, improve the health of occupants in doctor’s offices and hospitals, and prevent outbreaks of respiratory illnesses in restaurants and government facilities.
Volatile organic compounds are a group of chemicals that are emitted as gases from solids or liquids. These chemicals have a wide variety of short- and long-term adverse health effects, including cancer, liver and kidney damage, and central nervous system disorders. VOCs are found in a broad range of products, and concentrations of these chemicals are typically higher indoors than outdoors.
When VOCs are inhaled, they can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This can lead to shortness of breath, eye, nose and throat irritation, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and loss of coordination. In high enough concentrations, these chemicals can cause permanent damage to the liver, kidney or lungs.
These chemicals are commonly emitted from products in the home and office, including paints and lacquers, varnishes, varnish strippers, furniture polishes and cleaners, carpeting, air fresheners, deodorizers, hair sprays, and cosmetics. Office equipment such as printers and copiers may also emit VOCs.
As a result, VOCs are frequently investigated in response to complaints from individuals living or working in an environment where they perceive odours or have a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, headache, dry skin, and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. While specific sampling methods are usually reserved for contaminants with more serious effects, many of the same techniques can be used to identify and measure VOCs in the home or office.
EPA Method TO-15 samples the air in stainless steel canisters that are evacuated to reduce pressure and then sent to a lab for analysis via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This is a relatively rapid and cost-effective method, but it has lower detection limits for some compounds than other methods.
A more comprehensive measurement is TVOC, or total volatile organic compounds. This includes the sum of the concentration of all of the individual VOCs present in the air, and is usually reported in parts per billion or milligrams per cubic meter. These measurements are often used to help determine if a particular source of VOCs is contributing to a negative effect on the indoor air quality. Once the sources are identified, specific recommendations can be made for removing or controlling them.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as natural gas, gasoline, wood or oil. It is emitted into the atmosphere by motor vehicles, coal-fired power plants, wildfires and other sources of thermal pollution.
Concentrations of CO in indoor air are generally much lower than those found in outdoor air, but can still be a concern. This is because CO can cause poisoning by reducing the amount of oxygen available to the bloodstream. Inhaling CO fumes reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, leading to hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the body). Symptoms of CO poisoning may be absent or obscured by other illness, and can occur both shortly after exposure and years later.
At low concentrations, CO can also affect the brain and central nervous system. This can lead to drowsiness, headache, dizziness and fainting. The duration of exposure and the level of CO inhaled determines the severity of symptoms and the effect on mental abilities. In severe cases, CO poisoning can lead to death by asphyxiation.
Studies on human responses to chronic long-term carbon monoxide exposure are very sparse. Most reports involve acute studies of accidental or peak exposures. The results of these studies vary widely and do not necessarily represent typical human responses to indoor exposures at current concentrations.
For these reasons, it is generally not necessary to measure carbon monoxide in buildings. Instead, other pollutants such as radon should be monitored if health symptoms and signs of poor ventilation have been identified. Testing for pollutants other than radon can be costly, however.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a colourless, strong-smelling gas produced by some building materials and consumer products. These emissions, which are highest when the materials and products are new, decrease with age. Exposure to high concentrations of formaldehyde can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat; cause headaches, sneezing, and breathing problems; and may increase the risk of respiratory infections. Children and people with respiratory diseases are at greater risk of these effects.
Formaldehyde exposure also has been associated with cancer in laboratory animals. However, long-term studies in humans are needed to determine whether exposure to formaldehyde causes cancer. For this reason, the National Toxicology Program has not classified formaldehyde as a human carcinogen.
In a controlled human exposure study, no subjective sensory irritation was observed at concentrations of formaldehyde below 1 mg/m3. This level is well below the threshold for sensitisation. Moreover, it is far below the concentrations typically encountered in indoor environments.
A few studies have reported an association between formaldehyde exposure and the development of lymphohaematopoietic malignancies, but the results do not support a causal link. One study found no increased risk at exposure levels below 5 mg/m3. The authors note, however, that the results should be taken cautiously as the relative risks were not adjusted for the co-factors of smoking and alcohol use.
The majority of human exposure to formaldehyde occurs through inhalation. The odour of formaldehyde is strong and unpleasant and can be detected at concentrations as low as 0.01 mg/m3. Olfactometric measurement of odour thresholds are subject to variation, but recent olfactometric studies show less inter-and intra-individual variability than in the past (93).
Indoor sources of exposure to formaldehyde include building materials that emit formaldehyde, such as particleboard and fibreboard, and pressed wood products. Burning of wood and kerosene also produces formaldehyde. In a large-scale indoor survey in 876 homes in the United Kingdom, Raw et al. (11) found that the highest concentrations of formaldehyde were in homes with recently refurbished dwellings. Clarisse et al. (12) measured aldehydes in bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens in 61 Parisian apartments. Their data showed that the formaldehyde concentrations were a function of the age of the dwellings and the type of furniture.
Radon
Radon is a radioactive gas that results from the natural radioactive decay of uranium in soil, rock, and water. It can also enter a home through cracks in the foundation or walls. Over time, radon can damage the lungs by releasing small bursts of energy that break down the atoms within cells. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Indoor Air Quality Program advises and assists homeowners, radon mitigators, and other professionals to mitigate high levels of radon in homes or commercial buildings. The program receives funding from the EPA’s State Indoor Radon Grant Program to assist in these efforts.
Radon testing can be done with a do-it-yourself kit purchased in hardware and home improvement stores. These kits are placed in the home for a period of time before being returned to a laboratory for analysis. Alternatively, you can hire a professional to test for radon in your home or business. Qualified contractors can be found through the EPA’s website or through your state radon office.
The EPA recommends that homes be fixed if the long-term average radon level is 4 picocuries per liter or higher. This is a standard used in the nuclear industry and represents the number of radioactive disintegrations in one cubic meter of air over a year. It is important to note that any level of radon exposure carries some risk and that a reduction in radon levels is the only known way to lower your risk.
In addition to testing for radon in air, you should also have your home’s well water tested for radon as radon can seep through the ground into drinking water. If the water is found to have elevated radon, it can be treated with various methods.
The EPA’s “Test. Fix. Save a Life.” campaign reminds people that the best way to protect their health from radon is to take action and have it tested. The EPA estimates that fixing elevated radon levels reduces the risk of lung cancer by up to 50%. The cost of reducing radon levels is much less than the cost of treating other common indoor pollutants, such as asbestos, lead paint, and mold spores.