Keeping Your Family Safe - Dangers in the Basement

Monday, March 9, 2009, we had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Bob Krell, President and Certified Indoor Environment Consultant for IAQ Technologies for our internet radio program “Keeping Your Family Safe” (find it at www.voiceamerica.com on the Green Talk Network). IAQ Technologies is an indoor environmental and building performance firm offering consulting, mitigation, and training services to a variety of clients throughout the country. Mr. Krell discussed various dangers we can find in basements that homeowners should be aware of and some ways to protect themselves. In our program, we covered the following points:

• Asbestos
• Radon
• Mold and Bacteria (Differences between black, grey, and clear water)
• Better Building Materials and Dehumidification to help prevent mold growth

This Monday, March 16, 2009, we will be discussing “Audubon at Home” with Aaron Virgin Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center.

Keeping Your Family Safe Program - Talks about Mold Sampling

Monday, January 19, 2009, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Harriet Burge, formerly from Harvard’s School of Public Health and the current Director of Aerobiology at Environmental Microbiology Laboratories for our internet radio program “Keeping Your Family Safe” (find it at http://www.voiceamerica.com/ on the Green Talk Network). In our program, we discussed the mold (microbial) sampling. We covered the following points:

• General discussion on fungi and molds.
• The most common health effect of molds is an allergic reaction.
• Other health effects include infections and fungal sinusitis. Health effects of mycotoxins are controversial.
• Fungi need water and food to grow. When fungi grow in places we do not want them we call them molds. Fungi and molds spread by spores.
• Three types of sampling (bulk, surface, and air).
• There are no standards.
• Each method has advantages, but air is the only way to document exposure.
• Viable (culturable) versus nonviable (particulate).
• Culturable sampling are strongly biased.
• Particulate sampling can be a very powerful tool.
• There are new methods but not commonly used yet.
• A number of samples are needed to get representative results and document exposure

This Monday, January 26, 2009, we will be interviewing Mr. Charles Wiles the executive director of the American Indoor Air Quality Council regarding certification in the indoor air quality and mold industry.