Feb 26
2008

Asthma has increased 300 percent in children in the past ten years. Research by WHO, in Germany, finds prostate cancer, breast cancer, and other cancers increasing due to mold-related problems.

Mold is the number one health problem with one in every three persons affected by mold and one in ten with a severe problem related to mold. These can range from the common cold, tonsillitis, otitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia, to cancer.

Check your home’s humidity levels; buy or borrow a hygrometer and watch the changes in R.H. that occur throughout a typical day in different rooms of the house and over the heating season. To inspect your home for mold growth, winter is the best time except for basements which should also be inspected in the summer. With a flashlight and some simple tools, go through the entire house, both inside and outside, searching for moisture damage and mold growth and their potential causes.

The Stachybotrus species of mold is dangerous; it will start growing in 80 percent humidity but, once established, can grow at 55 percent humidity. This mold can develop from the decay of building materials and is much harder to control. If more than ten square feet develop, it is advised that a professional clean it up. When you see a small speck of mold, that’s only part of the problem – the remainder being inside the walls.

‘Frog Page’ is a manual of the health of the environment and states that frogs are declining because of mold.

Some of the causes of mold are brush and trees within 30 feet of the building; venting the clothes drier inside the home; furniture against outside walls; old fill, causing building movement leading to cracks causing water ingress; concrete will wick up water even to several feet above ground; ventilation not directed outside, such as the kitchen range hood, which should be vented outside; plants and aquariums; drying clothing indoors; standing water, such as keeping cold water in the kitchen sink; hot tubs; using several gallons of water to wash floors.

‘Sick Building Syndrome’ is caused by moisture and mold growth. It migrates through foundations up from the soil. A dehumidifier is not the final answer as it only does the air and not the walls. What is required is a combination of ventilation, circulation, and heat.

Carpenter ants and termites will smell moisture from miles away and they only attack damaged wood.

Ventilation alone won’t help a crawl space. In the summer the vents bring in warm, moist air.

Mold forms on the coldest space. The only
way to deal with it is with heat. Wall heaters with fans are more efficient than baseboard heaters.

Pull furniture and store material away from exterior walls and off basement floors; leave closet doors ajar; leave bedroom doors open as much as possible; undercut doors; don’t block or deflect warm air registers; open drapes, blinds, and curtains; set the furnace fan to run continuously. This will use more electricity but can be offset by installing a two-speed energy-efficient motor; don’t cut off the heating supply or close off unused rooms.

Uninsulated or poorly insulated areas such as exterior corners or foundation walls, should be improved with additional insulation. Be sure to install an air-vapor barrier, usually polyethylene, on the room side of the insulation to prevent hidden condensation behind the insulation. Seal hidden opening into the attic, tighten the attic hatch, weatherstrip and caulk around windows and doors, gasket electrical outlets, caulk baseboards and seal the top of foundations. Using an air conditioner on muggy summer days also helps take out the moisture.

Humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air-conditioning units and filtration systems can be a source of mold growth if they are not regularly cleaned.

Key areas to check for moisture sources leading to condensation inside the home are roof leaks [especially at chimneys, flashings, skylights and eavestroughing]; wall leaks [especially at window and door flashing and sills]; foundation leaks [especially where the ground slopes toward the foundation]; and plumbing leaks [especially at toilet bases and under sink drains].

Check any fuel-burning equipment – furnaces, hot water heaters, boilers, fireplaces, and wood stoves – to ensure that they are venting properly. A blocked chimney could mean that combustion products, including large amounts of water vapor, are spilling into your house. Along with that moisture come dangerous combustion gasses, such as carbon monoxide, which cause deaths every year. Have heating equipment and venting systems checked by a trained service person.

If your moisture remedial work includes extensive air sealing, be sure that all fuel-burning equipment has an adequate supply of combustion air. High efficiency furnaces, for example, have their own air supplies and exhaust fans but conventional equipment may rely on house air for combustion and on ‘natural draft’ to move combustion products up the chimney flue. If starved for air or overpowered by an exhaust fan somewhere else in the house, such equipment can spill combustion gasses indoors. Examples of this include stains near the vent of a gas water heater, smoke entering the room from a wood-burning fireplace or stove, and pilot lights being blown out.

Mold growth often occurs in out-of-the-way areas like closets, corners, walls behind furniture and unused rooms. Increasing air circulation to these areas warms the cold surfaces and lowers local humidity levels.

To solve moisture problems, cover any exposed earth in a crawl space or basement with heavy polyethylene, sealed and weighted-down; slope soil away from foundations to keep basement walls and slab dry; patch any foundation leaks; don’t use humidifiers, unless humidity levels are below 30 percent R.H.; avoid drying firewood indoors; operate bathroom exhaust fans during a bath or shower; use your range hood exhaust when cooking; avoid steam-cleaning carpets in winter; clean mold from wood and gyproc with a 10 percent to 30 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide applied with a spray bottle. This is more effective than bleach and water.

If you use chlorine bleach, mix one part bleach with two parts water and a little detergent to clean nearby surfaces. Leave for 15 minutes and rinse well. Use gloves and protective glasses and good ventilation. Badly mildewed carpets, furnishings and books will probably need to be thrown out.

Molds are parasitic micro-organisms that appear as black, white or multi-colored stain or fuzz. In addition to causing asthma, they can cause other allergies and serious health problems. There are tens of thousand of varieties of molds and are difficult and expensive to identify, even for experts. Health officials recommend eliminating all molds from inside your home.

Most mold spores need condensation or damp materials to germinate and once are established, many colonies generate their own moisture and can continue to survive even under dry conditions. They also need mild temperatures and a source of food, such as house dust or drywall paper.

Resources:

1. Natural Resources Canada [NRCan] “Air-Leakage Control” Pg. 11 [20 Feb 2002]

2.WHO [World Health Organization] [20 Feb. 2002]

3. Cormier, Dr. Y., Centre de Recherche, Hopital Laval, 2725 Chemin Ste-Foy, Ste Foy, Quebec Canada, G1V-4G5 Institut de Recherche en Sante et Securite du Travail (IRSST), Quebec Canada July 21, 1999; revised; accepted for publication November 26, 1999.

4. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/ [20 Feb. 2002]

5. http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/qa/105-10news/NIEHSnews.html [20 Feb.2002]

6. http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/FS/fs-043-01/
[20 Feb. 2002]

About the Author

Margot B, Writer, Information Broker, Web Developer at Margot B & Associates mailto:margotb@wonderport.com http://www.writers.Org-HQ.com

Written By: Margot B

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Apr 14
2007

An air purifier is a device, which helps to free air from contaminants. The environment researchers claim that the air inside the house is dirtier than the air outside the house. Thus the popularity of sir purifiers increased. Air purifiers are beneficial to those who suffer from allergies and asthma. Even those who want to reduce second hand smoking use air purifiers. Allergens, that cause allergies, come in the form of dust, pollen, from pets and mold spores. It is essential to purify the air in your home from hazardous smoke particles and airborne gases.

There are various techniques of purifying the air with the help of air purifiers. Mechanical filters, use of absorbents like charcoal, electrostatic charges or ionizers are some of them. The other setups that are required are germicidal UV light and the emission of ions into the air. These ions react with the contaminants and make them harmless enough to breathe.

Many asthma medications that asthmatics take are reactive since they are taken to relieve asthma attacks (generally caused by environmental triggers). Removing environmental triggers such as airborne allergens and contaminates will decrease asthma problems, enabling a reduction in medication.

There are several factors that a consumer looks for while selecting an air purifier. They are visual appeal, noise level and frequency of filter replacement. There are different types of air purifiers.

Home Air Purifiers – Protect your home from airborne pollutants. It is Perfect for asthma, smoke, pet dander, mold, or other home pollutants.

HEPA Air Purifiers – HEPA purifiers are time tested air purification solutions that offer one of the best filtration systems for removing airborne particulates and organics. HEPA filters are specially made high grade filters which enable it to captured 99.7% of contaminates and particles that are 0.03 microns and larger in size.

Ionic Air Purifiers – Ionic purifiers filter out small particles such as dust, smoke or pollen, and pump many negative ions into the air to provide optimal clean air performance. Studies show that a room with high concentration of negative ions promotes health, helps with sleep, tension, exhaustion, depression, allergies, exhaustion and many other ailments.

Commercial Air Purifiers – Commercial purifiers are geared towards larger square footage applications and high pollution zones. They work well for large enclosed areas.

Ultraviolet Air Purifiers – UV light tends to break down organic compounds extremely well. Using ultraviolet light, these UV air purifiers sanitize bacteria in the air.

The CADR, or Clean Air Delivery Rating, is a standardized indicator of how well the air purifier can function as compared to the others. The higher it is, the stronger is the power of purification. They are rated by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers based on the stringent requirements as produced by the association.

About the Author:

Barney Garcia writes about many different topics. He is a proud contributing author and invites you to his websites. www.air-purifiers-stop.info and www.air-purifiers-forever.info.

Written By: Barney Garcia

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Trackback  •  Posted in Asthma  


Feb 13
2007

For sufferers of asthma, allergies and other respiratory diseases, indoor air pollution in the form of dander, dust and pollen particles can be a real irritant. Purifying the house along with proper indoor ventilation and filtration system is essential for a healthy home atmosphere. Keeping your house clean of dust, dander, smoke, pollen, and other airborne particulate matters will help to reduce the irritation and other respiratory difficulties. Air purifiers, filters and heap filters are beneficial to control and reduce the exposure to indoor allergens.

There are several health authorities that recognize the types of filtration systems that are beneficial in reducing the amount of airborne particulates. The Mayo clinic recommends an air particle filter for household ventilation systems. The American lung association recommends using a heap air filter purifier for the bedrooms of asthma sufferers. Ionic filters and heap filters have been recognized by the Asthma and allergy foundation of America (AAFA) and the British Allergy Foundation.

Selecting the right type of air purifier for your home is the most important task. The air we breathe plays a dominant part in our health. While selecting air purifier, we need to look at dependable and reliable technology. The best way to test air is to test it inside the submarine! The submarine needs to be purified and the technology used must be the best system that is proven, tested and reliable. An air purifier with the technology that can capture and destroy bacteria, viruses and mold, and capture irritating cooking odors, harmful chemical fumes, unwanted pet odors, second-hand cigarette smoke and other indoor air pollutants such as dust and pollen; is the best of the lot that can deep clean the air you inhale.

It is not necessary to be an allergy sufferer to enjoy the benefits of an air purifier. Air purifier is essential to remove dust, cigarette smoke and other allergens. There are different models available for home and office use. The HEPA and electrostatic air purifiers use activated carbon and sometimes UV purification. It removes 99.97% of all dust and pollen particulates that pass through the filter. Depending on the design of your hoe, your economic constraints and the level of allergies that your family members possess, There are different types of air purifiers that will work for you.

About the Author:

Barney Garcia writes about many different topics. He is a proud contributing author and invites you to his websites. www.air-purity-forall.info and www.air-purity-forall.info/sitemap.htm

Written By: Barney Garcia

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Trackback  •  Posted in Asthma  


Jul 29
2006

Definitely yes would be the answer. There are a lot of reasons and they all have to do with the fact that the problem of people who suffer from asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions. These people may be discomforted by the particles of dust or pollen. For them air purifiers are necessary, as a main form of protection of indoor air pollution. Air purifiers are great useful tools in your fight with direct irritant sources or materials in your own home environment. One should not ignore the air purifiers when one designs modern indoor ventilation or filtration systems. They offer a very good environmental control and reduce exposure dust, dander, smoke, pollen particles and many others particles that may be found indoors or outside your home. Air purifiers have different shapes and various designs. They can be: air cleaners, air filters and hepa filters, and they play an important part in the reduction and elimination of the danger of exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens. Usually, the air purifiers are chosen in accordance with the pollution sources and the quality filtration you want to get. Before going and buying such a device, you should think about what exactly you want for your home. You should not forget that choosing the wrong type of filtration system can lead to an exacerbation of the problem by agitating and circulating the particulate matter in your house throughout the place.

You should not consider the air purifiers systems a complete solution for any respiratory condition you may have. Using an air purifier should not make you ignore medical advice and guidance that can lead to the removal of the irritant sources and allergen habitats in your house. At the same time, they are not a substitute for thorough and regular cleaning of the air. However, they can help you to diminish the number of air particles and to maintain a healthier environment inside your house.

About the Author

This article may be reproduced on websites subject to credit being given to the author, and a link to his website. If you would like more information go to http://www.airpurifiersources.com and http://www.achristmassite.com

Written By: The Source

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