School Districts Saving Thousands of Dollars Utilizing the IAQ Screen Check

Tampa, Fl.  -- Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp., Stachybotrys sp., Alternaria sp.; the list goes on. These are the names of many mold pathogens and mycotoxins that have become household names in recent years as a result of the concern of the potential exposure that they present.

According to a new study conducted by researchers from the Brown School of Medicine in Providence, R.I., published in the American Journal of Public Health indicated people living in a moldy home may be more likely to suffer from depression. Molds are causing waves though the local, national, and international communities.

Schools, office buildings, business owners, and homeowners are having to deal with these issues each and everyday. There is good news though.

The San Bernardino School District in California has been using the evalu-aire and IAQ Screen Check products for some time stated: "Our IAQ toolkits (IAQ Screen Checks/evalu-aire) are a big hit.  We've used them for a year now and they have saved our school districts thousands of dollars.  And thanks again." 

News stories of “TOXIC MOLD” indicate a problem with pandemic proportion, whether real or perceived. This Mold monster has caused the young, the old, the rich and the poor to flee their homes and businesses, all the while creating havoc for consumers, business owners, the insurance industry, lenders and lawyers. Residential and commercial exposures and toxic mold claims are rivaling construction defect claims.

There is little doubt that mold can and has been devastating to homeowners and business owners across the country causing billions in damage structurally and physically, and will continue to be problematic. The Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that asthma affects 17.3 million people (10 million adults and 7 million children each year), costs over $10 billion for medical care, causes over 10 million missed school days and more than 5000 deaths per year. It is a wonder why the media has created a mass hysteria condition regarding indoor molds causing health concerns.

And a recent Finnish Institute of Occupational Health study concluded that indoor dampness and mold shows “new evidence of the relation between workplace exposure to indoor molds and the development of asthma in adulthood.” Mold exposure can trigger common allergic reactions ranging from wheezing, sneezing, shortness of breath, skin rashes, upper respiratory irritation, coughing, eye irritation, headaches, lethargy and more.

Allergic Bronchopulmonary Mycosis, Allergic Fungal Sinusitis, Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, Pulmonary Mycotoxicosis and Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis are examples of medically defined uncommon allergic syndromes. Mold related law suits, over 10,000 and counting (300 percent increase since 1999) are occurring all over the country and totaling in the billions of dollars..  

The causes of mold propagules range from:

• Building construction deficiencies (resulting in water intrusion, inadequate window installation, improper exterior coating, negative pressure design condition, building materials, sloping landscape);
• HVAC installation (over/under sizing, faulty drains, improper duct sizing);
• Reconstruction practices (build while tenant occupancy, water leaks not cleaned within 24 hours, deferred maintenance practices, no O & M practices, no containment protocols while remediation is occurring);
• Insurance companies (slow response to water intrusion or bulk water intrusion, no concern for secondary issues resulting from occurrence, low budget mentality to identify or fix environmental deficiencies). The list goes on.....

A very reputable Arkansas environmental consultant recently asked: “People are asking me to do mold/IAQ evaluations. What can I do to help them?” 

The answer to her was simple, "the IAQ Screen Check or evalu-aire product line" (www.indoorairtest.com).   The IAQ Screen Check or evalu-aire product line is designed to quickly and cost effectively evaluate an environment for the type of mold as well as other allergens.  The products can be administered by professionals or consumers.

The IAQ Screen Check product line includes:

• Mold Screen Check -  identification of precipitated molds in cts/m3
• Allergen Screen Check - identification of precipitated allergen e.g. molds, pollens, insect biodetritus, fiberglass fibers, skin cell fragments in cts/m3
• Fiberglass Screen Check - identification of precipitated fiberglass fibers in cts/m3
• Dust Mite Screen Check - identification of dust mite allergen dermataphagoids (p1) in cts/m3
• FAST Screen Check - field identification of Aspergillus sp, Stachybotrys sp (results in 5 minutes) in ppm and in cts/m3
• RAPID Screen Check - field identification of Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. (results in 5 minutes) in ppm and in cts/m3
• Trichothecene Mycotoxin Check (TMC) - identification of mycotoxins in parts per billion (ppb)
• Ozone Screen Check (OSC) – indentification of Ozone in parts per million (ppm)
• Formaldehyde Screen Check (FOSC) – Identification of Formaldehyde in parts per million (ppm)
• Organic Vapor Screen Check (OVSC) – Identification of Organic compounds in parts per million (ppm)

The www.IndoorAirTest.com - IAQ Screen Check products were developed by the scientists at Building Health Check/EdLab, a professional interdisciplinary indoor air quality environmental firm with over 500 million square feet of indoor air quality experience. 

Laboratory analysis is provided by the award winning environmental microbiology laboratory, Environmental Diagnostics laboratory (EDLab.org) which is accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association EMLAP program and directed by Dr Rajiv Sahay .  Dr Sahay stated: "We are proud to be working with Building Health Check on this phenomenal product line.  The IAQ Screen Check product line provides the consumer with an inexpensive quantitative, qualitative analysis of the indoor environment".

Who should use the IAQ Screen Check product line?  Due to the popularity, it’s easy of use and low cost the following have been utilizing the IAQ Screen Check product line:

• Educators
• HVAC Contractors
• School and Plant Operators
• Industrial Hygienists
• Teacher
• HVAC Engineers
• Home Inspectors
• Building Maintenance Supervisors
• Test and Balance Professionals
• Real Estate Professionals
• Insurance Claim Adjusters
• Homeowners
• Hospital Engineers
• Physicians
• Occupational Health and Safety Professionals

Where can I buy the IAQ Screen Check product line?

The following on-line distributors carry the IAQ Screen Check product line:

• www.IndoorAirTest.com
• www.schoolfacilities.com
• www.igreenbuild.com
• www.BuyMax.com
• www.air-purifiers-superstore.com
• www.allerybuyersclub.com
• www.HealthyHome.com

The following fine HVAC distributors carry the IAQ Screen Check product line:

• Carrier Corporation – Indianapolis, IN; Dallas, Texas; Houston, TX, Miami, FL; Tampa, FL
• Victors Distributing - Florida
• Yandle-Witherspoon - North Carolina/South Carolina

Call 1-800-422-7873 ext 303 to order your IAQ Screen Check products today.  Distributors interested in carrying the IAQ Screen Check product line call Cy Garner at 1-800-422-7873 ext 303 or Ed Ziegler ext 806. 

Visit the IAQ Screen Check prodcut team at ASHRAE AHR Expo booth # 7750 - January 22 - 25, 2008.

About Pure Air Control Services:

Pure Air Control Services (www.pureaircontrols.com) has an in-house accredited microbiology laboratory, EDLab (www.edlab.org) accredited  by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the first in Florida.

Pure Air Control Services is under contract with the General Services Administration (GSA), Contract #GS-10F-0488R, linking them directly to federal governmental agencies as a provider for IAQ consulting, expert laboratory analysis, as well as HVAC system cleaning and mold remediation services.  The firm is also a certifed SBA 8(a) contractor.

The firm has offices in Tampa, FL, Atlanta, GA, West Palm Beach, Fl., Houston, TX and Washington, DC, that services the entire country.

Pure Air Control Services provides the following indoor environmental services on a national basis:

·    Building Sciences Evaluation
·    Building Health Check
·    Environmental Microbiology Laboratory (AIHA Accredited)
·    Environmental Project Management
·    IAQ-Screen Test Kits/EvaluAire and EvaluAire Pro
·    Mold Remediation Services
·    HVAC System Remediation

Clients of Pure Air Control Services include: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), General Services Administration (GSA), Johnson Controls, Allstate Insurance, Carrier Air Conditioning, Siemen's Building Systems, Naval Air Warfare Center - Orlando, Naval Air Station - King's Bay, Georgia; The Haskell Company, Leon County Government, Tallahassee, Florida, Pinellas County Government, Clearwater, Florida; Collier County Government, Naples, Florida; Bayfront Medical Center, St. Pete, Florida; US Army - Ft. Bragg, Kentucky; Naval Station - Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Montgomery County School District, Maryland; Citrus County School District, Florida; and many others.

For additional information, please contact:

Mr. Alan Wozniak, President/CEO
Pure Air Control Services, Inc.
(800) 422-7873 x 802
www.pureaircontrols.com
www.edlab.org
www.buildinghealthcheck.com
www.indoorairtest.com