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Indoor Environmental Hazard Detection, Testing, Cleanup, Illness, Symptoms, Diagnosis EnviroAPedia © This website provides consumer advice on environmental hazard inspection, detection, remediation. Indoor Air quality, gas testing, mold contamination, sewage backups, water contamination, other health & safety topics Environmental & health/safety hazard topic links at page left Environmental safety advice for home owners & home buyers Un-biased advice from a neutral party

Environmental Hazard Testing, Effects, Remedies, Prevention Articles

Environmental hazard inspection, detection, and remediation advice from an un-biased expert. See links at page left or scroll down. We provide authoritative, in-depth, un-biased online articles about environmental hazard detection, inspection, testing, research, health effects, cleanup & prevention: Allergens indoor, Animal dander, Asbestos, Carpet dust, Cell Phones, Carbon Monoxide, Disinfectants, Drinking Water, EMF, Electromagnetic Fields, Electrical Hazards, Exteriors of buildings, Fragrances, Fiberglass particles and Fiberglass Insulation, Fiberglass mold contamination, Formaldehyde, Toxic Gases, Hazmat maps, Indoor Air Quality Testing & Improvement, Lead paint, lead in water, MCS, multiple chemical sensitivity, Mold inspection, testing, cleanup, prevention, MVOCs, Odors, Oil Tanks buried/above ground, Pet illness, Rodents mice urine fecals dust, Septic Systems, Sewage spills sewage contamination, Smells & Odors, odor source detection, sewage and septic odors, UFFI or Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation, Water contamination testing and correction.

The photo above shows steel chemical drums that we discovered on a residential property during a home inspection. Not only did these steel drums raise a question of possible environmental contamination of this site, even worse, they were uphill and close to a stream, raising a still more broad question of area contamination. © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

• Go to: EMF - Fiberglass - Gases, toxic - Chimneys - Lead - IAQ, Mold Insp Test - Oil Tanks - Septic Systems - Water Testing - or scroll down for other environmental topics
  
  
• Air Filtration choices of filter types and filter location for optimum indoor air quality (IAQ) on hot air heating and air conditioning systems
• Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality.
• Asbestos: visual identification of asbestos-suspect materials in buildings - a photo guide
• Asbestos HVAC Ducts and Flues field identification photos and guide
• Asbestos Transite Pipes, Chimneys & Flues and safety hazards in buildings
• Asbestos Transite Pipe HVAC Ducts and safety hazards in buildings
• Asbestos Under the Microscope
• Careers in Environmental Science: list of resources, potential jobs, work areas on environmental topics and using environmental science, chemical, engineering, or environmental science degree
• Carpet Dust or Dust from HVAC? An Investigation of Indoor Dust Debris Blamed on a Heating/Cooling System Reveals Carpet Dust
• Cell phones cellular phone towers and possible health or cancer risks
• Chernobyl Nuclear Plant flaws in the Chernobyl Nuclear Facility before the reactor meltdown
• Disinfectants and Sanitizers in HVAC systems - use of, U.S. EPA advice
• Drinking Water Quality, Testing, and related health concerns: Inspection, Maintenance, Repairs, Product Failures
• Drinking Water Supply, Contamination Levels, Water Testing Procedures
  • Drinking Water testing, contamination, correction - all topics
  • Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
  • Choices of Water Tests & Fees: A Summary of Types of Water Tests, Degrees of Comprehensive Water Testing, Details of Water Test Parameters
  • Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is validGeneral water testing and corrective measure advice: contact your local health department
  • .Interpreting Drinking Water Test ResultsCorrecting Contaminated or Unsatisfactory WaterDrinking Water Contamination and Pollution How to Detect, Test, Correct, and Prevent Well Water Contamination - US EPA - Groundwater
  • Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum AllowedHow to Reduce Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: how to test & correction lead in drinking water
  • Lead Contamination from Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains, Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
  • When and How to Shock or Chlorinate a Well - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
  • Extreme Lead Poisoning Symptoms Suggested by Feb 2006 NY Times Article on Kosovo Roma Camps
  • Water and Waste Water Test Methods, US EPA
  • Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living ATSDR: Nitrate/Nitrite Toxicity [Big, Slow-Loading File] U.S. Government ATSDR Science Corner - 2.5MB PDF
  • Water Supply & Drain Piping, wells, Pumps, Water Supply EquipmentSeptic Systems Information Website, septic system maintenance, inspection, testing, repair, & alternatives, preventing septic system failures
• Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer, and Enviro-Scare: the relation of cycles of public fear and property values for Asbestos, UFFI, Radon, EMF, Lead hazards - "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
• Electromagnetic Field Measurement Procedures, a Recommended Electromagnetic Field EMF Survey Protocol and Procedure to document site conditions and to improve measurement reliability for the assessment of potential EMF exposure risks
• Electromagnetic Fields in the Workplace a good NIOSH document on EMFs, links to other NIOSH docs.
• Environmental Illness, support and health info database [this link is under revision--DF 1/06]
• Exteriors: conditions contributing to moisture, mold, mildew, mites, insects, water entry, ice dam leaks, basement water entry, dampness, and related health concerns for allergy and asthma or other respiratory distress
• Fiberglass building insulation and HVAC duct work insulation hazards
• Fiberglass insulation mold: occurrence of mold contamination in fiberglass insulation can be impossible to see with the naked eye, but can be significant
  
• Fragrances, and burning scented candles can deposit "soot-like" marks on walls/ceilings and can contribute to health and respiratory complaints. Sometimes the soot marks (thermal tracking) left burning candles, especially scented candles, is mistaken for mold on surfaces. [In Process - DJF]
• Flooding: Mold Action Guide after Flooding: How to Minimize Mold Damage After a Building Flood
• FORMALDEHYDE HAZARDS - exposure sources, exposure limits, reducing exposure


• Gases: Toxic gases, indoor exposure levels, testing, identification
  •  Carbon Dioxide - CO
  •  Carbon Monoxide - CO
  • Gas Toxicity Levels - at what level is exposure to a particular gas considered hazardous or toxic?
  •   Gas Exposure Limits - what are the allowable toxic gas exposure levels? OSHA, NIOSH, etc.
  •   Volatile Organic Compounds - issues of exposure to VOC's and MVOC's from mold
  • Toxic Gas Exposure Effects - what are the effects on humans when exposed to various levels of various gases?
  •   Ammonia Gas exposure effects on humans
  •   Arsine Gas exposure effects on humans
  •   Bromine Gas exposure effects on humans
  •   Carbon Dioxide Gas exposure effects on humans
  •   Carbon Monoxide Gas exposure effects on humans
  •   Ozone Gas exposure effects on humans
  •   Nitrogen Oxides Gas exposure effects on humans
  •   Propylene Gas exposure effects on humans
  •   Sulfur Dioxide Gas exposure effects on humans
  • Toxic Gas Test Procedures for screening non-workplace environments
  •   Toxic Gas Test Selection suggestions for choice of instrument and method
  •   Indoor Air Tests for mold, particulates, gases, odors, chemicals
  •   Particulate Testing for house dust, mold, allergens, fiberglass, other problem particles
  •   Non-regulated particulates - what exposure standards or limits should we consider
  •   Common indoor allergens - how to test for and recognize dust mites, animal allergens, mold, etc.
  • Oxygen - O₂- details effects of exposure at high levels
  • Ozone Warnings regarding use of ozone generators for odor removal or mold control
  • Ozone Hazards - risks to humans when ozone is used indoors
• Sampling for gases in air such as VOC's, MVOC's, toxic chemicals, and combustion products.
  Unfortunately no single test or tool can detect all possible building contaminants. We use methods and equipment which can test for common contaminants. If the identity of a specific contaminant is known in advance we can also test for a very large number of specific contaminant gases in buildings. We use gas sampling equipment provided by the two most reliable companies in the world, Draeger-Safety's detector-tubes and Drager accuro™ bellows pump, the Gastec™ cylinder pump and detector-tube system produced by Gastec or Sensidyne, and we also use Sensidyne's Gilian air pump. For broad screening for combustibles and a number of other toxic gases and for leak tracing we also use Amprobe's Tif 8850 and TIF 8800. All of these instruments, their applications, and sensitivities (minimum detectable limits) for specific gases are described in our Gas Sampling Plan online document.
• Radon Gas U.S. EPA Radon level maps
• Hazardous Material Waste Site Maps from ATSDR - U.S. CDC Gather - "Geographic Analysis Tool for Health and Environmental Research" online public access to data pertinent to public health


• Heating, Cooling, Air Filtration, Air Conditioning - common sources of both bioaerosol reservoirs and mold amplification in buildings [In Process-DJF]
• Air Conditioning system diagnosis and repair
• Chimneys, Flues, Woodstoves & Fireplaces: Safety Concerns, safe and proper venting of combustion gases, carbon monoxide hazards
• Disinfectants and Sanitizers in HVAC systems - use of, U.S. EPA advice
• Heating Systems: Inspection methods, Product Warnings
• HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS exposure risks, hazards, allowable exposure limits for home heating oil
• Heating System Safe and Unsafe Venting & Carbon Monoxide - article by DJF on CO testing devices and the calculation of allowable carbon monoxide leakage from gas fired furnaces (Original: ASHI Technical Journal) [To be added here]
• Humidity: How Low Should You Keep Indoor Humidity to Avoid a Mold Problem
  
  
• INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE in-depth article on strategies for cleaning up indoor air and other indoor hazards
  •   Whole House Ventilation Strategies
      Air Filtering Strategies
      Particles in Indoor Air - Chart
      Air-Cleaner Types
      Air Filter Effectiveness
      Finding & Reducing Air Pollutants
      Radon Hazards
      Formaldehyde Hazards
      Biological Pollutants
      Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs
      Pesticide Exposure Hazards
      Lead Exposure Hazards
      Asbestos Hazards
      Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality
      Combustion Appliance Contaminants
      Backdrafting Appliances
      Fireplace & Woodstove Contaminants
      INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE
      INDOOR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ
• INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED comparing various air quality inspection and test methods shows which ones are reliable and which should not be trusted
• Insulation Material Identification
  
• Insulation Mold in Fiberglass - occurrence of hidden Penicillium & Aspergillus contamination in fiberglass insulation
• Insulation Mold Resistance of Foam - resistance of some foam insulation products to moisture & mold
• Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI - is UFFI a health hazard? how good an insulation product was it anyway?

• Lead Hazards: Advice, evaluation, mitigation, services - lead paint, lead in plumbing, lead in water, air, dust
• How to Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home U.S. CPSC publication with additional links and resource references
• Lead Hazards in Buildings, Dust, Paint, Water: General Advice, Testing Procedures, Illnesses with additional links and resource references for Lead Hazards
• Lead in Drinking Water : Advice
• Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
• Legionella sp. Health Concerns and advice, cleaning air conditioning systems, when to test for Legionella


• Mold, Toxic or Allergenic Inspection, Testing, Remediation, Prevention
• What to do about mold in buildings Main page for this topic
• Expert Toxic Mold Field Investigation & Mold Testing Service: Our senior expert goes where no one else wanted to look
• Our Toxic Mold Laboratory Analysis Service includes identity, photomicrographs, medical details, remediation advice. On-Site Mobile Lab Service is available for immediate on-premises particle determination.
• Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to a lab
• Action Guide for Mold: easy step by step what to do about mold.
• BUYERS GUIDE - home inspections for mold - when where how and why to check for mold in a building being purchased
• Clinical Atlas of Mold Toxicity - An Online Description of Toxic, Pathogenic, Allergenic Fungi, Fungal Diseases, and A List of Mold Related Illness Symptoms & Complaints
• Common Indoor Molds Found in Buildings, Table of most frequent molds in surface samples
• Flooding: Mold Action Guide after Flooding: How to Minimize Mold Damage After a Building Flood
• Floods in Buildings Basic steps - how prevent mold contamination after a building flood
• Hiring a mold or IAQ consultant - When to Hire Someone
• House Dust from an HVAC system frightened building occupants unnecessarily
• How to Find a Mold or IAQ Consultant, to guide the mold remediation & mold cleanup
• How to Look For Indoor Mold & Other Indoor Contaminants
• How to Recognize Indoor Mold - what mold looks like, mold identification photos - choosing what to sample, stuff that is not mold but is often mistaken for it, examples of harmless black mold
• How to use Your Flashlight to Look for Mold - Proper use of lighting discloses hard to see but toxic light or white mold colonies on walls.
• How to Prevent Mold - priorities, repairs, products
• How to Test For Mold - Which Mold Testing Methods are Valid & Which are a Waste of Time and Money
• How to send a mold test sample to our mold testing laboratory
• Mold Classes, & Mold Contamination Levels - Degrees of Severity of Mold Contamination in Buildings and in Lab Samples
• Mold-Resistant Building Practices - "Mold-proof" construction methods
• Mold Removal by Media Blasting - A test report (complete article, with illustrations) on the effectiveness of baking soda media blasting for cleaning fungal contamination in buildings
• Other Indoor Air Quality Concerns - Allergens, Animals, Asbestos, Carpets, Fiberglass, Toxic Gases, MVOCs, Humidity levels, Lead, Pollen, Rodents, Sewage Backups
• Reporting the Results of Mold and IAQ Investigations, what should be included in your mold inspection and mold test report to make it useful
• Technical & Laboratory Procedures for examining mold
• Products to Reduce or Remove Mold & Allergic Materials to reduce exposure to allergens and improve indoor air quality
• Frequently Asked Questions About Mold - find a quick answer to your mold concern

Stain Diagnosis on Indoor Surfaces, how to diagnose stains on walls, floors, carpets, and how to determine the stain source

SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS - principles of sound transmission, soundproofing designs, materials, details

The Septic System Information Website - Home Owners and Home Buyers Guide to Septic Systems, Septic Inspectors Guide, Septic Repair Guide, Septic Design: Extensive, Detailed Consumer and Industry Information on Septic System Inspection, Testing, Maintenance, Repairs, Alternative Designs for on-site waste disposal

• Additives & Chemicals for Septic System Maintenance , Are they even needed? Are they even legal?
• Alternative Onsite Wastewater Disposal (Septic System) Designs for Septic Systems - design engineers, consultants, products, books for special problem situations, difficult soils, old system repairs
• Biomat Formation in the Septic System Drainfield Absorption System - what leads to drain field clogging and expensive drainfield repairs
• Buyer's Guide to Septic Systems for home and other Building buyers
• Capacity: Determining Needed Septic Capacity - Septic Tank Capacity vs. Usage: What size is required?
• Capacity: Determining Needed Septic Capacity - Water Usage: Typical residential water usage for people, appliances, and activities.
• Clearances Required - Well distance to Septic, Septic clearance from well, trees, lakes, streams, property boundary, etc.
• Clogged Drain Diagnosis - is the problem the septic system or the Building drain system?
• Contaminants, Septic identifying water and soil contaminants produced by onsite waste disposal systems
• Contamination in Buildings from Sewage and Septic backup: inspection, testing, remediation, & references
• Dye Tests: how to perform a Septic Loading and Dye Test - a septic function test
• Inspecting and Testing Septic Systems: How to inspect and test onsite waste disposal systems Book materials: Detailed step by step procedures for owners and septic inspectors; inspection safety, procedures, problems, clearances, reports
• Inspecting Onsite Waste Disposal Systems Class Materials: Explaining Septic System Operation to Clients; Visual Inspection, Testing, Invasive Inspection , Evaluation, Reporting; Future Trends, Legislation
• Septic Contaminants, identifying - what are the contaminants produced by septic systems and what can be done about them if they escape initial treatment?
• Library, Septic Drawings © These are educational, not engineering drawings and are © protected. Sample engineering drawings and plans wanted for the website.
• Pumping Septic Tanks: When, How, What to Watch For when pumping or cleaning septic tanks
• Septic System Inspections, Diagnosis, Repair, & Maintenance:: Septic Testing, Loading & Dye Tests, Septic Tank Pumping, Clearances, Septic System an online book, details of inspection and testing procedures.
• Septic System Maintenance - Tank Pumping: When, How, What to Watch For
• Septic System Maintenance - Additives & Chemicals, Are they even needed? Are they even legal?
• Sewage and Septic backup contamination in Buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources
• Tank Size, calculating septic tank size required by occupants and anticipated usage
• What is a Septic System An Engineer's View, provided by Lockwood Engineering, & Septic System FAQ's

Sewage and Septic backup contamination in buildings: inspection, testing, remediation, & references to expert sources

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Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Books, Complete List of Environmental Inspection, Diagnosis, Cleanup, Air Quality & Design, Inspection, Repair Books at the InspectAPedia Bookstore
• Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.

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InspectAPedia® Home & Site Map - Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice: In-depth research & advice on diagnosing, testing, correcting, & preventing building defects & indoor environmental hazards. Unbiased information, no conflicts of interest.

The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems

Use this simple, economical mold test kit by following our instructions on how to collect and mail mold samples to our lab

Environmental Inspection, Testing, & Diagnosis On-Site IAQ, Gas, Air Testing, Mold Investigation, Sick Building Diagnosis, Lab Services, & Remediation Plan Preparation - indoor air quality testing, problem source determination, supporting lab work, written remediation plan addressing removal of environmental and other hazards and prevention of their recurrence.

Building Inspection, Problem Diagnosis, Forensic Investigation & Testing, Repair Consulting

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