Seasonal Allergens Can Cause Respiratory Irritation

According to a recent estimate more than 35 million Americans suffer each year from seasonal allergies. Changes in the season from winter to spring, spring to summer and then summer to fall and winter, is a natural phenomenon; however, in between the changing seasons the environmental factors vary.  The adaptation by living beings sometimes does not occur as quickly as the changing pattern.  Sometimes, some individuals identify these changes with symptoms like sneezing,

wheezing, runny nose, fever and itchy watery red eyes, etc. which are rather common and are referred to as “allergies.”   It has been observed that the floristic and faunistic composition of the surroundings change according to the shifting season.  When the spring season is taking over the fall or winter, many biological and abiological entities including pollen from trees, grass, flowers, and plants makes it way into the air.  In susceptible individuals, upon exposure, these airborne particulates may cause “respiratory irritation” as a result of allergy-like symptoms.

Obviously, it becomes essential to know the potential contaminants/allergens of the indoor environment for managing the seasonal allergy.  These contaminants/allergens not only are the factor for human allergy, but may also be a risk factor from a building-health and hygiene point of view.  The identification and quantification of these entities is essential in order to maintain a good indoor environment.

It has been well proven that water is one of the essential factors for life. Although the availability of water goes down during the drier months, the microorganisms spur and disseminate their spores during that time. The growth of microorganisms is imminent, even under the harsh environmental conditions.  Other a-biogenic, and/or biogenic materials become airborne round the year depending upon the prevailing conditions.  If these spores or other plant and animal bond materials come into the indoor environment, they may be problematic. It is in this context, the following steps are suggested to manage a good indoor environment.

Investigating Indoor Environment:

A comprehensive understanding of building-related problems can only be achieved by knowing information about dwellers, biological agents and building conditions. This can be accomplished through a proper investigation by formulizing a good hypothesis. Viruses, mycoplasma, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and other plant and animal-borne particulates, along with other a-biological materials, are identified as common contaminants/allergens of the indoor environment. The major microbiological and health concerns in an indoor environment are the proliferation of microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. Bacteria and fungi both have three major requirements for growth, i.e. water, nutrients and proper temperature, besides several other environmental and biological factors. These microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) are the main source of the results of indoor bioaerosol assessment and are often reported from the indoor environment.

In recent years, the building-related symptoms (BRSs) are on the rise. These symptoms are often linked with bioaerosols, mycotoxins, endotoxins, and other indoor

toxins, besides several chemical, physical issues like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and damp and moist environments, etc.

In order to address and manage building-related symptoms, it is essential to understand the extent of the above-mentioned causes. However, there are numerous ways to investigate a building for finding the causal factors for the aforesaid reasons. Not one common master plan fits into every need, hence, it is essential to have some prerequisite is helpful in the development of a master plan in order to evaluate the building-related symptoms (BRSs). These include, but are not limited to, hypothesis development, a walk-through, sample collection, existing guidelines, other health and hygiene-related information and their correlation with existing conditions.

Many hypotheses about hosts, agents and their environments are to be considered for investigating particular problem buildings. Apart from biological factors (proliferation of micro-organisms and their products) other conditions, such as unsuitable ventilation system design, moist and damp environments, etc are important and can influence building health and hygiene. However, inadequate ventilation rates, improper ventilation system maintenance, off-gassing of volatile compounds from building materials and furnishings, as well as the omission of a multitude of airborne substances from occupant activities, and accumulation of dust containing biological agents are some of the minute details that are often overlooked. Ideally, a baseline development is an important factor for the root cause analysis.

During the drier months, due to low temperature and less humidity, the proliferation of the microorganisms, various bioparticulates, and other environment-related issues are less prevalent. Therefore, these seasonal periods are one of the best times of the year to consider preemptive actions for baseline development, as it has a strong effect on “respiratory irritation”. Some comprehensive steps are important and are recommended to initiate in order to develop a baseline which serves as a proactive measure for managing health and hygiene. Environmental monitoring and evaluation can be performed as easy as 1-2-3 with the help of do-it-yourself (DIY) screen tests to a detailed environmental diagnostic assessment, collecting and testing the environmental samples obtained from the area of concern.

For additional information on preemptive IEQ sampling you can contact Dr. Rajiv Sahay, Director, EDLab, Pure Air Control Services, www.pureaircontrols.com 1-800-422-7873 ext 303.

About Pure Air Control Services, Inc.

Alan Wozniak founded Pure Air Control Services, Inc. in 1984 as a small mechanical contracting firm. Today, the firm sets the industry standard for indoor environmental quality diagnosis and remediation.

Pure Air’s nationally performed services include: Building Sciences Evaluation; Building Health Check; an AIHA accredited Environmental Microbiology Laboratory; Environmental Project Management; and Mold Remediation Services, among other indoor environmental services.

The company’s expanding client roster includes the FAA, Walt Disney World, General Services Administration (GSA); Allstate Insurance; CBRE, Carrier Air Conditioning; NAVFAC, DOT, USACE, US Army, and many other Fortune 500 companies, school boards, and city, state, and county governments, making Pure Air Control Services the reliable industry leader.

For more information on Pure Air Control Services, Inc. please contact Alan Wozniak or Cy Garner at (800) 422-7873 ext 802 or 804 respectively, or visit www.pureaircontrols.com.