Measuring Baseline IEQ Conditions

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Measuring Baseline IEQ Conditions

by Facilities Safety Management Magazine

http://www.imakenews.com/pureaircontrols/e_article000638033.cfm?

x=b7SmSTK,bvtv58G

August, 2006 -- For more than 20 years, health problems stemming

from building-related biological and non-biological materials have

been on the rise, yet indoor air quality professionals and consumers

have lacked a starting point by which to compare bacterial and

fungal bioaerosol results in a presently unregulated industry. Until

now.

" To date, the industry, both private and public, has not been able

to establish a basis by which to measure the baseline conditions for

indoor airborne bacteria and fungi, " said Alan Wozniak, president

and CEO of Pure Air Control Services. " With our extensive

environmental background and multiple disciplined experience

spanning over 500 million square feet of residential and commercial

building space, we have been able to provide bioaerosol guidelines

that are being used to determine what is normal in a home or

building environment. "

As one of about 25 Ph.D. aerobiologists in the world, Dr. Rajiv

Sahay, Laboratory Manager for the Environmental Diagnostics

Laboratory (EDLab) in Clearwater, FL, has spent the past 10 years

collaborating with colleagues Dr. Monroe King, Alan Wozniak, CIAQP,

Francisco Aguirre, CIAQP, Dr. Kimbrough, Mark Wozniak, MBA,

CIAQP and Dr. Tomas Tamulis regarding bioaerosol issues. They

collectively recognized the importance of introducing IEQ guidelines

to assist in establishing normal background bioaerosol numbers for

building indoor environments and thus began compiling data for this

important aerobiological exploration.

" There are many charlatans and shamans in the indoor air quality

industry today. In an unregulated industry, this can wreak havoc to

the uninformed consumer, " said Wozniak. " It was for that reason,

among others, that we felt compelled to diligently assess our inter-

relational database and provide industry guidelines. "

The Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory has gone through the steps

to become one of the elite American Industrial Hygiene Association

(AIHA) accredited environmental microbiology laboratories in the

U.S. " Upon establishing the laboratory, it was our intent to

accumulate the data to begin documenting realistic microbiological

guidelines and standards, " said Mr. Wozniak.

" Since it's inception, we have invested a lot of time and money in

developing not only a state-of-the-art microbiology laboratory, but

also in developing the proprietary inter-relational database called

Computer Assisted Air Management Program (CAAMP) by which to compare

airborne culturable bioaerosols. "

Throughout the decade-long study, more than 11,000 indoor and

outdoor bacterial and fungal samples were taken in and around over

7,000 commercial and residential test sites bacross the United

States. The outcome of Dr. Sahay's study provides important

normative data on culturable bioaerosols for both fungi and bacteria

that have been applied to other sectors of business.

" Our industrial hygiene protocols and laboratory guidelines have

been utilized in many important indoor environmental quality expert

testimony cases, " said Wozniak.

Dr. Sahay's suggested guidelines for airborne culturable bioaerosols

for indoor environmental quality are designed to help consumers, IAQ

technicians, building diagnosticians, environmental scientists and

other air quality professionals gain a better understanding with

relation to building conditions, indoor air quality and

bioaerobiology.

" Since Dr. Sahay's indoor environmental quality presentation at last

year's AIHA conference in Anaheim, CA, hundreds of industry

professionals have requested a copy of the proposed guidelines; a

clear indicator of the need for guidelines and standardization, "

stated Mr. Wozniak.

" Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ): A 10-Year Case Study for

Industry IEQ Guidelines " is the first of many indoor air quality

studies presented by the Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory from

the data garnered over the 10-year time period.

For more information, contact the Environmental Diagnostics

Laboratory by calling (800) 422-7873 ext. 806. To obtain a copy of

Dr. Sahay's 10-year study presentation, visit Pure Air Control

Services website at www.pureaircontrols.com, click on the 10-year

study icon and enter the required information. FSM Pure Air

Control Services is interdisciplinary indoor environmental

consulting firm providing IEQ consulting services to city, county,

state and federal governments, school boards and the private

sectors. They have an in-house AIHA accredited environmental

diagnostics laboratory providing environmental

microbiology/microscopy services as well as building/HVAC system

remediation services.

For a free copy of the 10 year study go to:

http://www.pureaircontrols.com/request_guidelines.html

Pure Air Control Services

800-422-7873