Indoor Air Pollution and Health
Indoor Air Quality Assessment and Remediation Protocols
Problems related to indoor air quality (IAQ) and mold have become a major concern across many industries, and can dramatically reduce building habitability, workplace productivity, and worker/occupant safety and morale.
NOW Environmental Services uses our state of the art expertise in the field of IAQ and mold issues to work with each client to develop effective and economical IAQ (Indoor Air Quality,) Mold Assessment, and Mold Remediation plans.
As a member of the American Indoor Air Quality Council (AIAQC) and a Certified Mold Assessment Consultant, NOW Environmental Services stays current on the latest IAQ, mold testing and sampling techniques along with up to date scientific information and proposed Federal and Local legislation regarding IAQ and mold related issues.
Even though NOW Environmental Services conducts each IAQ and fungal growth site assessment using the latest equipment and techniques we choose to begin each of our investigations by personally interviewing the affected individuals in order to learn the history of their concerns and possible symptoms. Based upon this information and the results of our initial site inspection, we then develop a testing, evaluation, and remediation plan that is custom tailored to each individual client’s needs. Services which are provided may include:
Indoor Air Quality Assessments
Moisture and Fungal Growth Assessments
Non Fungal Particulate Analysis
Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Testing
Temperature Analysis
Relative Humidity Analysis
Mold Remediation Protocols
Post Remediation Clearance Assessments
Health effects from indoor air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure or, possibly, years later.
Immediate effects
Immediate effects may show up after a single exposure or repeated exposures. These include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. Such immediate effects are usually short-term and treatable. Sometimes the treatment is simply eliminating the person’s exposure to the source of the pollution, if it can be identified. Symptoms of some diseases, including asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and humidifier fever, may also show up soon after exposure to some indoor air pollutants.
The likelihood of immediate reactions to indoor air pollutants depends on several factors. Age and preexisting medical conditions are two important influences. In other cases, whether a person reacts to a pollutant depends on individual sensitivity, which varies tremendously from person to person. Some people can become sensitized to biological pollutants after repeated exposures, and it appears that some people can become sensitized to chemical pollutants as well.
Certain immediate effects are similar to those from colds or other viral diseases, so it is often difficult to determine if the symptoms are a result of exposure to indoor air pollution. For this reason, it is important to pay attention to the time and place symptoms occur. If the symptoms fade or go away when a person is away from home, for example, an effort should be made to identify indoor air sources that may be possible causes. Some effects may be made worse by an inadequate supply of outdoor air or from the heating, cooling, or humidity conditions prevalent in the home. 
Long-term effects
Other health effects may show up either years after exposure has occurred or only after long or repeated periods of exposure. These effects, which include some respiratory diseases, heart disease, and cancer, can be severely debilitating or fatal. It is prudent to try to improve the indoor air quality in your home even if symptoms are not noticeable.
While pollutants commonly found in indoor air are responsible for many harmful effects, there is considerable uncertainty about what concentrations or periods of exposure are necessary to produce specific health problems. People also react very differently to exposure to indoor air pollutants. Further research is needed to better understand which health effects occur after exposure to the average pollutant concentrations found in homes and which occurs from the higher concentrations that occur for short periods of time.
Measuring Pollutant Levels
For pollutants other than radon, measurements are most appropriate when there are either health symptoms or signs of poor ventilation and specific sources or pollutants have been identified as possible causes of indoor air quality problems. NOW Environmental Services can perform a whole home IAQ investigation in just under 4 (four) hours and have the certified laboratory results back to you in as little as 48 hours