Indoor Air Quality
Indoor Air Quality
Clearing the Air About Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
You take over 20,000 breaths each day (18,000 of those breaths are taken indoors). The air we breathe is as precious as life itself. And yet, every day millions of people are subjected to indoor air pollutants that not only make them sick, they may even be life-threatening. Naturally, this has become an important quality-of-life issue that has resulted in millions of dollars of litigation. Of course, everyone would prefer to live and work in a healthy building. Contractors and developers would prefer to build healthy buildings right from the start. That is where we can help. CSC can show you how to clear the air at your site and advise you of how to build “Green Buildings” that do not emit harmful chemicals or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We provide the cure At CSC, we are experts at determining what causes uncomfortable and unhealthy indoor air. For example, we have diagnosed buildings that do not “breathe properly”, do not provide enough fresh air through the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, were made with harmful synthetic materials, or simply were too hot or too humid. New reasons for indoor air problems are being discovered all the time.
The Facts About Indoor Air Quality
“Sick Buildings” can lead to serious illness Not too long ago, a “sick” building wasn’t a concern for builders. It is now. In an ever-increasing effort to become energy efficient, modern buildings are sealed tight, thus trapping harmful contaminants. The result is Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), which really means that the people inside are getting sick. Occupants develop headaches, irritated eyes, exhaustion, and a host of other symptoms that threaten their health, work output and quality of life. Even more disturbing is the occurrence of Building Related Illness (BRI). These are clinically diagnosed illnesses like lung cancer, chemical allergies, asbestosis and Legionnaire’s Disease that are most likely a direct result of long-term exposure to a “Sick Building”. We know that a thorough inspection is an important first step. This includes both a visual walk-through of the building and then a careful measuring of pollutant levels utilizing on-site diagnostic instruments. Once we have determined any and all sources of contaminants, we will devise an abatement and maintenance program that will ensure that your building occupants always have clean air to breathe. Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is a fundamental topic worldwide. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) adapted the well-known principles of human rights to the indoor environment field. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Prtection Agency (EPA) has listed poor indoor air quality as the fourth-largest environmental risk in our country. According to researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the United States, the economic losses caused by poor IEQ due to illness, absenteeism and lost of production is significant. They estimate that U.S. companies could save as much as $58 billion annually by avoiding sick building illnesses and could, as a result, realize at least $200 billion in productivity increases each year. Indoor environmental problems may include a combination of one or more of the following factors: inadequate housekeeping conditions, contaminants emitted from sources and activities within the building, poor urban air quality, insufficient ventilation, and biological contamination attributable to deficient moisture control. By the same token, inadequate control of temperature, humidity, and lighting, or excess of noise, occupant density, job dissatisfaction, lack of personal privacy and control over the environment can also commonly increase or add to the stress that occupants experience in a particular environment.
We Provide the Cure
At Clark Seif Clark (CSC), we are experts at determining what causes unhealthy indoor air. For example, we have diagnosed buildings that do not “breathe properly”, do not provide enough fresh air through the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, were made with harmful synthetic materials, or simply were too hot or too humid. And new reasons for indoor air problems are being discovered all the time. We know that a thorough inspection is an important first step. This includes both a visual walk-through of the building and then a careful measuring of pollutant levels utilizing on-site diagnostic instruments. Once we have determined any and all sources of contaminants, we will devise an abatement and maintenance program that will ensure that your building occupants always have clean air to breathe.
What Does CSC Do?
Clearing the Air About Indoor Air Quality
Questions
- Do you feel sick when you are at work, but the symptoms go away when you leave work?
- Are your tenants complaining of poor indoor air quality?
- Do you smell an odor that causes you to be uncomfortable?
The air we breathe is as precious as life itself. And yet, every day millions of people are subjected to indoor air pollutants that not only make them sick, they may even be life threatening. Naturally, this has become an important quality-of-life issue that has resulted in millions of dollars of litigation. What is “Good Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)” or what does CSC verify in your building? If needed, CSC can verify that your building is:
- As good as, or better than, outdoors
- Comfortable for 80% or more of the occupants
- No offensive odors reported
- The temperature is acceptable
- The humidity is acceptable
- Free of known hazards at concentrations of concern, including:
- Chemical contaminants
- Biological contaminants
- Dust/particulate matter
- Energy (Noise, UV, EMF, Microwave, etc.)
- Does not violate laws, standards, or accepted guidelines (i.e. ASHRAE, NESHAPS, OSHA, JCAHO, etc.)
At CSC, we are experts at determining what causes unacceptable indoor environmental quality. For example, we have diagnosed buildings that do not “breathe properly”, do not provide enough fresh air through the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, were made with harmful synthetic materials, or simply were too hot or too humid. New reasons for indoor air problems are being discovered all the time. We know that a thorough inspection is an important first step. This includes both a visual walk-through of the building and then a careful measuring of pollutant levels utilizing on-site diagnostic instruments. Once we have determined any and all real or potential sources of contaminants, we will devise an abatement plan and maintenance program that will ensure that occupants of the building always have clean air to breathe.
Examples of Services
- Ammonia
- Anthrax
- Asbestos
- Bioaerosols
- Building Related Illness (BRI)
- Carbon monoxide
- Chlorine gas
- Clandestine laboratories (i.e. Methamphetamine)
- Concrete moisture testing
- Construction dust control/testing
- Creosote
- Dust mites
- Ergonomics
- Fiberglass exposure
- Floods (Category 1, 2 and/or 3)
- Formaldehyde
- Hormone exposure monitoring
- Industrial hygiene
- Infrared moisture surveys
- Isocyanates
- Litigation support
- Lead Based Paint
- Legionnaires disease
- Mercury contamination
- Mercury vapor bulbs
- Mold/Fungal contamination
- MSDS review
- MRSA Vector control
- Nosocomial & occupational infection
- Odor investigations
- Off-gassing of building materials
- OSHA Personnel exposure monitoring
- OSHA Workplace compliance survey
- Pesticides
- PCBs
- Pollution prevention
- Post mortem scene
- Radon
- Regulatory agency violations
- Respirable dust
- Ricin
- Sewer gas infiltration
- Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)
- Smoke contamination
- Unknowns
- Ventilation efficiency monitoring
- Vermiculite
- Vector Control
- Vinyl-backed carpet
- VOC’s
- Wood rot fungi
- Zinc whiskers
Case Studies
Case Study: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Excerpt: CSC was requested to assess the indoor air quality of an office. The majority of employees in a 10,000 square foot office reported indoor air quality-related health complaints and were granted a workman’s compensation leave of absence. As a result, almost all of the employees of a company were absent, and the office space was un-occupiable until the source of the problem was identified and repaired…
Case Study: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) #2
Excerpt: Several employees working in a department of a public building complained of respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and asthma flare-ups while at work. Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC) was requested to investigate the area to determine if any indoor air quality deficiencies might have contributed to these symptoms….
Case Study: Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) #4
Excerpt: When a medical clinic spilled almost 200 gallons of acid, sending three of their own personnel and several responding firemen to the hospital, it was Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC) that conducted the post-clean-up testing to confirm that the clinic was in condition acceptable for re-occupancy and address the environmental concerns of the staff…
How is CSC Qualified?
Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC) professionals possess the pertinent education, relevant certifications, and appropriate licenses that qualify us to provide you with highest level of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) consulting. We perform your work in line with applicable industry standards and guidelines at a fair price. Beyond our firm foundation, CSC personnel has the education, experience and credibility that set our bar of excellence high. Our experts in the field have completed many projects at schools, hospitals & health care facilities, industrial, clean rooms (ISO), commercial and residential properties. Our clients in this field are from the public and private sectors.
To add to our appeal, take a moment to consider our diversity of services, our highly rated insurance coverage, our multiple office locations, our flexible hours, and our in-house scientific equipment. It’s easy to see why so many clients rely on CSC to help them get the job done.
- Examples of our personnel’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Certifications
- American Council for Accredited Certifications – Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC)
- American Council for Accredited Certifications – Certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE)
- American Council for Accredited Certifications – Certified Microbial Consultant (CMC)
- American Council for Accredited Certifications – Certified Indoor Air Quality Consultant (CIAQC)
- American Council for Accredited Certifications – Certified Indoor Air Quality Investigator (CIAQI)
- Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Certified Indoor Air Quality Professional (CIAQP)
- Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Certified Indoor Air Quality Technician (CIAQT)
- American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABH) Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)
- Board Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
Indoor Air Quality
Useful Links:
Residential Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
Excerpt: You take over 20,000 breaths each day (18,000 of those breaths are taken indoors. Common issues that can negatively impact residential indoor environmental quality (IEQ)…