WATER DAMAGE ARDMORE PA

MOLDS IN FALL – PART 3

If symptoms are severe or unusually persistent, your doctor should probably test you to find out exactly what’s causing the trouble. The real culprit might not be ragweed at all, but another environmental allergen or even certain foods, such as chamomile and banana.

Two allergy tests are widely used:

• A blood test checks for the presence of antibodies to ragweed. It’s reliably accurate, but takes up to two weeks to get results.
• A skin-prick test is fast, but can yield a false negative result if you are taking an antihistamine. Minute quantities of various substances are injected into the skin. If a wheal forms that’s larger than the control substance, the test skin prick is considered positive.

The ultimate weapon against ragweed allergy (and allergies in general) is immunotherapy. In this tried-and-true therapy — effective in about 85% of allergic rhinitis sufferers — the patient receives a series of injections of the allergy-causing agent until the body no longer mounts an immune response. The injections are typically given for several months before determining responsiveness to treatments

In recent years, American doctors — following the lead of their counterparts in Europe — have begun treating ragweed allergy sufferers with sublingual immunotherapy instead of allergy shots. Drops of liquid are placed under the tongue. Sublingual immunotherapy can be more convenient than traditional immunotherapy — no need to come in for shots — and it takes less time. Results are often seen within weeks or months.

For more information, visit our website by safely clicking here:  BIOWASHING.com

OUR SPONSORED EVENT

We sponsored the St. Mary’s Hoedown Fundraiser yesterday, and here’s a couple of pictures showing the good time had by all.   

SURFACE SAMPLING FOR MOLD

Surface sampling is the most common technique used to test surfaces for mold during a mold inspection.  It provides valuable information.  The species of mold, the relative degree of contamination, and the potential for airborne spore production may all be determined by tape sampling. This method can be performed using either standard, clear cellophane tape or a packaged kit specifically designed for mold sampling.  Both types involve sampling by direct contact to visible mold.  The tape or a slide prepared with adhesive is pressed against a moldy surface in order to collect the sample, which is then sent to a laboratory for analysis. This method is non-invasive and will not damage materials or surfaces, when performed properly.  Depending on the material, tape samples can be obtained from the surfaces of valuable furnishings and materials of historical provenance that have visible fungal growth, usually without risk of damage.

Advantages

• Surface sampling is inexpensive and (for a direct examination) may be analyzed immediately.
• A direct microscopic examination of a surface shows exactly what is there.
• Surface sampling may also reveal indoor reservoirs of spores that have not yet become airborne.

Disadvantages

• The presence of biological materials on a particular surface is not a direct indication of what may be in the air.
• Health problems related to indoor microbial growth are generally caused by the inhalation of substantial numbers of airborne spores, sometimes over a substantial period of time (exceptions being, for example, situations involving small children or immuno-compromised individuals).

For more information, visit our website at BIOWASHING.com

ASBESTOS EXPOSURE

It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that researchers officially established the connection between asbestos exposure and serious respiratory conditions (although evidence was presented as early as the 1920s). But by then, millions of workers had already been exposed in the workplace and in other locations. While federal asbestos exposure limits were imposed in 1972, an estimated 10,000 people in the United States continue to pass away each year from related illnesses.

Asbestos exposure occurs when someone inhales or swallows asbestos fibers. Just about everyone breathes in asbestos from the outside air, but these trace amounts rarely cause health problems. While no level of asbestos exposure is considered safe, most asbestos-related illnesses arise after heavy, repeated exposures. Harmful exposures happen in a wide range of occupational settings. Construction work and home renovations can be especially hazardous because many common building materials contain asbestos. When asbestos products start to deteriorate, or someone cuts, sands, drills or otherwise disturbs them, microscopic fibers enter the air.

For instance, the sandblasting practices of Alaska-based shipbuilding and repair facility Seward Ship’s Drydock have come under fire by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC). The ADEC issued a notice of violation to Seward Ship’s Drydock for uncontrolled “fugitive particulate emissions” at its sandblasting operations. If workers were sandblasting asbestos-containing materials such as paint, insulation or joint compounds off of a vessel, the asbestos fibers released were no longer confined to the sandblasted area and possibly inhaled by individuals elsewhere in the shipyard. Fibers can remain airborne for hours, placing anyone nearby in danger. Once inhaled, they become trapped in the respiratory tract and lungs, where they may stay for life.

For more information, visit our website at BIOWASHING.com

JERSEY SHORE FLOODING

Here’s a set of photos from the recent storms down the Jersey Shore, and one showing the beginning stages of the cleanup.