ET&T Indoor Environmental Surveys » Asbestos Testing

Lead Against Lead

Peter Sierck — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:29:36 +0000

Lead is a dangerous element that is estimated to be found in 25% of all homes nation-wide (U.S. EPA 2001; U.S. HUD 1999). Excessive exposure to children can cause reduced intelligence, impaired hearing, reduced stature, and many other adverse health effects. There are two major pathways in which children are exposed to lead paint: either direct consumption such as eating paint chips or more likely the indirect ingestion from hand-to-mouth contact of lead-contaminated house dust or soil. Most parents know to stop their child from eating paint chips, but many are oblivious to the fact that the degrading paint on their walls slowly makes dust-lead, which is easily and unknowingly inhaled or ingested. Any remodeling, reconstruction, paint-removal or re-painting is a huge risk for releasing lead particles into the air. Although lead in new residential paint was banned in the United States in 1978 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a previous study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1990 showed that lead-based paint still remained in an estimated 64 million dwelling units (U.S.EPA 1995; U.S. HUD 1990).

(Click the Link below for full story)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241046/pdf/ehp0110-a00599.pdf

The Silent Science Behind Off-Gassing

Peter Sierck — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 21:48:17 +0000

The process of off-gassing is the evaporation of volatile chemicals in non-metallic materials. This means that the building materials in your home can release chemicals into the air, which then become part of the air you are breathing. Such suspect materials include: carpet, insulation, paints, varnishes, flooring, cabinetry, particle board, plywood, paint strippers, etc. With our state of the art equipment, we can assess all areas of your work or residence for VOCs (volatile organic compounds), Formaldehyde, Carbon Monoxide and more. How is the Indoor Air Quality in your home? Please call us if you have any questions or concerns!

Asbestos Facts & What If Asbestos Is In Your San Diego Home?

Peter Sierck — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:40:36 +0000

What Is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral fiber that has been used in a wide variety of building products in both residential and commercial buildings, particularly if the structure was built prior to 1980. Asbestos was used in building products in San Diego and across the country to provide strength, durability, fire resistance and insulation. Some of the most common building products where asbestos was used are popcorn ceilings or acoustical ceilings, fire proofing, air ducts and ducting insulation, pipe insulation, flooring, roofing materials, plaster, drywall tape and joint compound and insulation in walls and attics.

There are a lot of questions and misunderstandings about asbestos, so lets get you the asbestos facts. If asbestos containing building materials are in good condition, avoided and left undisturbed then it is not likely to cause harm. Asbestos materials can become damaged or disturbed from accidents, fire damage, water damage, remodeling, construction, old age, weathering, vibration, abrasion, occupancy, etc… If asbestos materials are damaged or disturbed then asbestos fibers can be released. Airborne asbestos fibers are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye. Exposure to asbestos fibers through inhalation can be extremely dangerous and harmful to your health. There is no known safe level of exposure to asbestos.

You want to have building materials inspected and tested for asbestos by a trained and accredited asbestos professional prior to any removal or disturbance of suspect asbestos containing materials. Asbestos inspectors are individuals who can inspect a home or building, assess the conditions and take samples of suspect materials for asbestos testing. Asbestos inspectors collect samples from suspect materials to determine if the building materials contain asbestos or not. If asbestos is identified in building materials then a certified asbestos contractor should be used to remove or repair asbestos materials. The removal process is complex and must be done only by a trained and accredited asbestos professional.

What If You Think Your Home Has An Asbestos Problem?

In general you can’t tell if building materials contain asbestos just by visually inspecting them. When dealing with asbestos materials or suspect asbestos materials you should always have it inspected and tested prior to removal or disturbance by a trained and accredited asbestos professional. Removal of asbestos materials should be conducted by a certified asbestos contractor to prevent exposure of potential asbestos contamination to the building, occupants or workers. After the work is complete, a trained and accredited asbestos professional may perform air monitoring to make sure there is no increase of asbestos fibers in the air which may be necessary to assure that the contractor’s job was done properly.

Improper removal, disturbance and cleanup of asbestos are neglecting the indoor environmental hazard that asbestos brings intoyour home, condo or building. Improper disposal can also come with law penalties and fines since asbestos can be considered a hazardous waste. You always want to take care of asbestos as soon as possible and in the appropriate manner with trained and accredited asbestos professionals.

ET&T has a California State Licensed Certified Asbestos Consultant on staff. If you have areas in your home, condo or building that you’re unsure about, or have questions or want more facts about asbestos testing in San Diego call the experts at ET&T 760-424-2259. Our friendly staff is waiting for your call.