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Archive for the ‘Indoor Air Quality’ Category
Monday, October 24th, 2011
Indoor air quality is increasingly coming to the forefront of discussions on the effects of environment on human health. Consider the role of radon.
Radon is a colourless and odourless gas that’s completely undetectable to human senses. It can be produced by the environment surrounding your home, or even by certain products and materials inside the house. It’s also estimated to be the cause of about 10% of all lung cancers, and is considered the second highest source of the disease. To top off the alarming news, radon almost certainly already exists in your home.
So what can you do about it? Education and information are your keys, along with radon testing & inspections performed by the experts.
What is Radon?
Radon is a gas that is produced naturally during the decaying process of uranium. There are traces of uranium all over the globe in a wide range of areas, and it can exist in the underlying rock bed in varying concentrations. It may also be present in small amounts in some building materials, including concrete, bricks, tiles and gyproc. Your granite countertop may contain trace amounts of uranium. As time goes by, it begins to decay and break down, producing compounds that humans and animals may inhale.
Radon seeps into your home through any cracks that may exist, and particularly where the house has contact with the soil, including basements and foundations, the joints of gas and water connections, and other areas.
Some areas may be more prone to radon gas exposure than others, including:
- Areas where the rock bed is uranium-rich
- Hills or slopes
- Areas where the ground forms deep cracks during dry weather
- Very permeable soils
- Areas with underground limestone caverns
Radon is present virtually everywhere on the earth, however, and it’s not possible to tell if your home is prone simply by assessing the area. You’ll need actual radon inspection & testing to know for sure.
How can I minimize the risk of Radon contamination?
Outside, randomly occurring radon gas is typically quickly diluted and made harmless by the natural passage of air. Inside the home, poor ventilation is the main cause for radon gas to collect and concentrate to dangerous levels. Ensuring proper ventilation is your first and most important step.
Here are some other tips:
- Help to reduce emissions from the ground up by sealing and caulking any cracks, holes and fissures in your basement floor and walls
- Paint your basement floor with two coats of paint and a sealer – unfinished floors are at risk of radon gas seeping in
- Increase ventilation by simply opening windows and allowing air to circulate
Radon Inspection & Testing
Radon levels can vary even in the same location depending on the season, climate, and HVAC systems you use. At Environmental Services Group, we recommend that you test during the cooler months of the year – from October to April – and Health Canada recommends that testing continue for a three month period. We strongly suggest you include radon testing in your pre-purchase home inspection.
You’ll never know if there’s a radon problem in your house unless you take the test.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in identifying and remedying environmental hazards such as radon gas, mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Radon: A Guide for Canadian Homeowners (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation)
Health Canada Radon Fact Sheet
Tags: Environmental Consultants in Toronto Ontario, Indoor Air Quality Testing Toronto Ontario, radon risks, Radon testing, Radon Testing Toronto Ontario
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
The Canadian Committee on Indoor Air Quality and Buildings recently commissioned Environics Research Group to conduct a survey among building professionals and get a deeper understanding of just how much or how little they know about indoor air quality. Doing so could give us all a sense of whether Canadian building professionals are on our side and ready to battle indoor air quality problems or in the dark and in need of major education.
Overall, the findings suggest that Canadian building professionals are in the know about the importance of indoor air quality, but they also suggest that many professionals don’t know how to properly remedy it and have rose-colored glasses on when assessing their own dwellings.
Most professionals at least understand that bacteria, second-hand smoke, and toxic mold are threats to indoor air quality and have a solid understanding of the breathing problems they create. Many of them also acknowledge that they get complaints from tenants relating to air quality and that they provide guidance to rectify the problems.
But there are some crucial knowledge gaps in other areas. The ERG survey suggests that most building professionals underestimate the threat caused by volatile organic compounds, which could include cleaning products in carpets, lead paint, and so on.
Worse yet, the majority of building professionals incorrectly identify the best way to repair indoor air quality. Only three in 10 know that “pollutant source control” is most effective, whereas almost half think “increasing ventilation” is the key and roughly a quarter believe “air cleaning” is best.
Almost every building professional reports that his or her space’s overall air quality over a typical year is good. However, only a third rate their air quality as “very good,” the highest possible rating.
So, these findings tell us that:
1) Most building professionals acknowledge that indoor air quality is important;
2) Most building professionals offer guidance to their tenants to help improve their indoor air quality;
3) Most building professionals don’t know the best way to improve indoor air quality;
4) Most building professionals believe their indoor air quality is satisfactory but has room to improve.
In other words, they know that bad indoor air quality is undesirable but don’t know how to fix it, don’t think their own building has it, and give incorrect advice on how to correct it when asked by their tenants. That’s an obvious generalization, as not every building professional is guilty of those traits, but it still illustrates a clear problem.
Thankfully, one key stat suggests there’s hope: the majority say that, when they need more information, they will in fact turn to environmental consultants and other indoor air quality experts. The key is to inform them enough that they realize they’re uneducated. That way they’ll turn to the certified professionals and take their indoor air quality to new heights.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Environmental Consultants in Toronto Ontario, indoor air quality, Lead Based Paint
Posted in Environmental consulting, Indoor Air Quality, Lead Based Paint | No Comments »
Sunday, October 9th, 2011
Last week, the World Health Organization released a study on worldwide pollution. It primarily discussed the rising levels of outdoor air pollution; given all the discourse on Global Warming over the last decade, that type of finding isn’t a huge surprise.
What was a big surprise, however, was the WHOs statement that more than two million people die per year from breathing in tiny particles present in indoor and outdoor air pollution. If that’s not a grave warning for us to improve indoor air quality, nothing is.
The point the WHO makes is many of the harmful particles we inhale are so tiny – 10 micrometres or less – that they penetrate into the lungs unnoticed, both inside and outside. They cause heart disease, asthma, lung cancer and acute lower respiratory infections.
The battle to combat outdoor pollution is easier to see. For example, the greenhouse gasses emitted from cars and trucks are usually visible, difficult to inhale and striking enough that they can motivate us to hop on a bike or take public transit.
But the effect of harmful particles inside is much more subtle. You could have volatile organic compounds in your home, emitted from cleaning products or even the lead paint on your children’s toys. You may have toxic mold spores causing respiratory troubles. You may be trapping “bad” air in your house by sealing it off to boost your air conditioner’s functionality.
Because indoor pollutants are tougher to detect, it’s especially prudent to hire an environmental consulting company for a thorough home inspection. A certified expert can identify all the sneakily dangerous compounds that might be in your home. For any families out there: considering that more and more studies these days show how bad indoor air quality hinders children’s development, the time to act is now!
It doesn’t get much more trustworthy than the World Health Organization. Respect its word and hire an expert to ensure your indoor air quality is tip-top.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: environemental consulting, environmental consulting company, indoor air pollution, indoor air quality
Posted in Environmental consulting, Indoor Air Quality | No Comments »
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency recently stated that homeowners should commission professional cleaning companies to tackle mold-damaged areas in homes affected by disasters like flooding.
While the principle behind the suggestion is smart – homeowners aren’t educated about mold and should hire experts to take care of it – the cleaning-company idea is a dangerous one.
If moisture in your damaged home has fostered toxic mold growth and damaged your indoor air quality, it’s absolutely smart to get a cleaning done. But the key is to have an actual expert to the job.
An environmental consulting firm won’t just clean out mold for you. Its experts understand what mechanisms cause mold growth in the first place and how to avoid accidentally spreading spores during a cleanup. An expert cleanup doesn’t simply wipe away the mold; it eliminates it and disposes of it in a way that ensures it won’t return.
A cleaning company may do a fine job on the surface but it may also make some uneducated choices, such as using bleach to fight mold. A certified environmental expert, on the other hand, would know that the bleach method is a myth, and that bleach doesn’t not kill mold entirely.
It’s not that a thorough cleaning after a natural disaster isn’t a good idea; anything that removes moisture and/or debris from your home is helpful. However, if you do decide to hire a cleaning company, consider also hiring an environmental consulting company to finish the job. The real experts will eliminate mold and check for other environmental threats like lead, radon and asbestos.
Cleaning companies may save you backbreaking labor but, in most cases, they don’t know anything more about mold than you do!
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Environmental consulting, indoor air quality, Radon testing
Posted in Environmental consulting, Indoor Air Quality, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
What better way to fight indoor air quality problems in the home than to build a home that fights indoor air quality?
Avalon Master Builder has finished constructing its Discovery 4 House – the company’s first-ever net-zero home. So what does that mean?
It means the house produces at least as much energy as it consumes, meaning the net energy exchange is zero. It relies on renewable resources like solar energy to power itself.
The Calgary-based home is now on sale for $564,000. Its main goal is to create the ultimate green indoor living space, one that drastically reduces allergens and pollutants. It’s a worthy cause considering that Canadians spend 90 per cent of their time indoors and that poor indoor air quality can cause asthma, migraines, nausea and congestion.
The house’s heat recovery and ventilation system continuously exchanges air throughout the whole house, ensuring that residents are constantly breathing the freshest air possible. The system is crucial because the home is so tightly sealed to ensure no energy is wasted. A tight seal is energy-efficient but can damage indoor air quality by not releasing pollutants outside; the heat recovery and ventilation system remedies that problem.
The home also includes an energy-efficient appliance package and uses a water furnace fan coil to distribute solar-heated, filtered air through the home without using natural gas.
In theory, living at the Discovery 4 Home would give you the ultimate experience in indoor air quality. To ensure that things stay that way, whoever moves in will have to keep track of any basement moisture and consider hiring an environmental consulting firm to ensure the home isn’t at risk for any mold development. Mold spores are among the greatest threats to indoor air quality.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: environmental consulting firm, indoor air quality
Posted in Environmental consulting, Indoor Air Quality | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
As we’ve mentioned before on the Environmental Services Group blog, the Environmental Protection Agency says that we spend 90 per cent of our time indoors on average. In all likelihood, that number is even higher when the cold weather arrives.
Indoor air quality is therefore very important. We usually understand the more obvious threats to it, such as certain cleaning products, ventilation problems, smoking, and so on, but what about the lesser-known dangers? Here are five relatively ignored threats to indoor air quality for you to remember, as inspired by a piece on Care2.com.
1. New electronics
This one may blow your mind. But the truth is that many new electronics, including televisions, video game consoles and computers, are coated with polyvinyl chloride, which can cause hormonal abnormalities and reproductive problems. That “new plastic” smell when you take something out of the package actually means something. Ideally, you can ventilate the space with the device until the fumes relent. Also, be sure to polish and vacuum around the devices regularly.
2. Newly pressed wood and upholstered furniture
We think of hardwood as natural – come on, it’s wood! – but it’s often polished and treated in a way that causes it to emit formaldehyde later. After installing new hardwood, airing out your home is a good idea. An even better idea: seeking out formaldehyde-free wood.
3. Glues and other adhesives
Cleaning products are the more obvious threats but glues and adhesives often emit volatile organic compounds. It’s tough to find glue that won’t affect your indoor air quality. If you can’t, make sure you work in well-ventilated areas. Do your gluing beside an open window!
4. Compact fluorescent lights
If broken, these lights can release mercury into the air. Scary stuff, as it’s a serious neurotoxin. We know how brittle fluorescent lights are, so anyone with children or pregnant women should avoid them altogether.
5. New carpet
New carpet may be the sneakiest of all. If it’s new, it’s clean, right? Not exactly. New carpet is often treated with volatile compounds and should be aired out before installation.
There you have it. You probably know about the obvious threats – paint with lead, for example – but the aforementioned “sneaky” threats can harm your breathing and nervous system, too.
If you’re unsure about any potential indoor air quality threats, an environmental consulting firm can run a full inspection for you and tell you what’s what.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: chemical toxins and exposure indoors, IAQ Testing Toronto, indoor air quality, indoor air quality threats, indoor pollutants, Lead testing, Ontario
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Lead Based Paint | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
At Environmental Services Group, we’re always pleased when we hear about new homeowners diligently checking their indoor air quality, undergoing proper lead testing, eliminating moist conditions that breed mold, or partaking in any other generally “safe” and “green” home strategies.
But it’s time we encouraged home owners to take their green approach to living a step further. Instead of fixing problems when they come up or even working hard to protect your existing home from environmental threats – why not make the green choices before your house is even built?
Mike Holmes of Holmes on Holmes himself offered some profound advice on Canada.com this week when he challenged the notion that every “upgrade” during the building process should be geared toward upping resale value.
The traditional logic is to go for the finished basement, the fancy countertop, the kitchen island, and so on. However, while the prettier, more attractive options in theory can boost your resale price down the road, they may not actually save you money.
The reason: you’re not factoring the repairs along the way into the equation. Home number one may feature all the pretty frills and be worth $600,000 five years from now – but what if it requires $50,000 worth of repairs to reach that point? A low-standard basement finishing may lead to paying for mold removal a year later. Same goes with a standard drywall installation.
On the flipside, going the green route with home number two may not give you the big price you want down the road but it may prove more profitable because you won’t have to make so many fixes along the way. Eschewing the jazzy kitchen for mold-resistant drywall will save you the repair cost down the road. So, while home number two’s asking price may be lower when you sell, your net gain may be higher. By going green, you’ll take better care of your home (and your health) and spend less money on the path to selling.
Featured in Holmes in Holmes, Global TV (Toronto) and CTV, Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Green Home Advice, indoor air quality experts, Lead testing, mold removal, mold testing, Ontario, Toronto
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal | No Comments »
Friday, August 19th, 2011
One of the greatest possible threats to indoor air quality is asbestos. The fire-retardant material’s tiny fibers harm our lungs immediately after exposure and can cause several forms of cancer, including mesothelioma, a cancer that attacks the protective lining covering the body’s organs.
One person who understands the true danger behind asbestos: Michaela Keyserlingk. Asbestos gave her husband mesothelioma after he worked for years on Canadian naval ships. It killed him. And she’s not happy about it.
Keyserlingk recently ruffled the Canadian federal government’s feathers; she used the PC Party logo in an online popup ad she created, stating: “Canada is the only western country that still exports asbestos!”
The Conservatives aren’t upset that she told a lie. She didn’t. After all, they’ve made their own bed this spring and summer by publicly taking the position that, even though we demand asbestos removal in our own country, it’s OK to export it to developing nations. The stance has drawn some of the worse worldwide criticism for Canada in recent memory; even Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show attacked Canadian asbestos mining with a vicious segment.
For that reason, Keyserlingk figured it was justified to simply post an ad stating the government’s established position. She got under the Tories’ skin quickly. Dan Hilton, executive director of the Conservative Party, warned her for “unauthorized use of trademark” and insisted that failure to stop using the logo immediately “made result in further action.”
Is their dissent in the Conservative ranks? Why should they be upset over an ad stating a complete true fact? If the Tories are worried about the mention of their asbestos exportation tarnishing their image, here’s an idea: stop doing it.
Keyserlingk knows she’s in legal trouble but insists that she’ll only take the ad down when the government properly explains why it supports asbestos exportation. The Keyserlingks are direct evidence of the horrible death asbestos cause; maybe their tale will cause the government to finally take asbestos seriously.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: asbestos, asbestos exportation, asbestos removal, asbestos risks, indoor air quality
Posted in Asbestos, Asbestos sampling Toronto, Indoor Air Quality | No Comments »
Friday, August 12th, 2011
There are few worse feelings than slogging through your workday in an unbreathable indoor work environment. As we’ve previously stated on the ESG blog, indoor air quality has a direct impact on workplace productivity. What are some ways to improve your breathing conditions while you work?
Minimize your controllable pollutants
The little things add up and we can often control them ourselves. Try to purchase and use “green” or natural cleaning products to release fewer chemicals into your office atmosphere. Disposing of garbage quickly, storing food in the proper places and ensuring your doormats don’t trap too much dirt from outside will add up to make a solid impact on your indoor air quality.
Be aware of ventilation points when arranging furniture
An easy way to get your employees breathing polluted, stale air: accidentally covering your vents with desks, tables, chairs and so on. You can waste a perfectly good ail filtration or ventilation system if you don’t keep it exposed and let it do its job.
Maintain active communication with maintenance staff
Keeping in touch and in harmony with your custodial or maintenance staff can go a long way. If they’re in tune with you, they’ll do a better job of regularly checking and cleaning all major ventilation areas.
Hire outside help to give your workplace a clean sweep
To really give your workplace A+ indoor air quality, contract an environmental consulting firm to do an expert assessment and major sweep of your building. They’ll identify any ventilation hindrances and go above and beyond what custodial staff can do, including mold, asbestos, radon and lead testing. Scheduling this type of maintenance will also get your employees out of the building to breathe fresher air for a little while.
During the hot, sticky summer, building maintenance is especially important for your indoor air! Follow those tips and you – plus your employees – won’t be sorry.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: indoor air quality, indoor air quality in the workplace, Lead testing, mold testing, Radon testing
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Study: indoor air cleaners can reduce asthma in children
In the summer months, we’re particularly sensitive about any threats to our indoor air quality, including mold caused by excessive moisture or contaminated air as a result of sealing a home for air conditioning.
But what about some positive news for a change? A recent study by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center suggests that indoor air cleaners can greatly reduce air pollution in the home and significantly lower the rates of daytime asthmas symptoms – even to the same level that anti-inflammatory asthma drugs can.
The study was done by plugging free-standing air cleaners into 41 different Baltimore-based households for six months. While the findings are encouraging, they still suggest that the air cleaners are most effective if used in conjunction with other environmental protection measures.
The air cleaners didn’t reduce the effects of agents such as second-hand smoke. By the same logic, an indoor air cleaner’s effectiveness could be reduced by the presence of mold, asbestos, lead, radon or other environmental threats.
The study should serve as an extra motivator to have an environmental consulting firm sweep your home. If you install an indoor air cleaner and undergo mold removal, lead testing and so on, you could have the cleanest home — and the healthiest family – on your block! Taking the proper diligence to have the experts inspect every threat to your indoor air quality will ensure that your indoor air cleaners will be as effective as possible.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: asbestos removal, indoor air quality, Lead testing, mold removal, Radon testing
Posted in Asbestos, Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal, Radon Testing | No Comments »
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