Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has been
cited by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as a
major environmental concern. The Agency estimates that the average citizen
spends, at a minimum, 70 percent of their time in an indoor environment.
This environment, due in part to energy costs, has become increasingly
dependent upon recirculated air. The result has been increased occupant
complaints from exposure to: stagnant air and odor, increased concentrations
of volatile organic compounds, allergens, ozone, radon, mold/mildew, and an
abundance of added environmental factors. The fungal and bacterial activity
range from simple to highly sophisticated contamination which may produce
opportunistic pathogens causing disease in humans.
These complaints, increased public
awareness and expanding regulatory controls have compelled those in charge
of buildings to seek improved health and safety for their building occupants
and effective strategies to minimize liability and costs.
American Engineering Testing, Inc. (AET)
can help you solve your indoor air quality problems. We have helped
organizations and building owners assess and improve their building
environments. We perform a large number of standard protocol tests as well
as one-of-a kind programs to address specific requirements. We bring this
experience and superior service to focus on your environmental problems.
Through a comprehensive program, we will assess the issues, develop and
employ sound protocols to monitor the problems/contaminants, design a
remediation plan, assist in implementing new management programs into
existing building maintenance programs, and, if desired, monitor your
progress.
IAQ services include:
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Conducting a custom-designed
baseline survey
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Carbon dioxide, temperature,
relative humidity surveys
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Total and respirable particle
monitoring
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Formaldehyde testing
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Total volatile organic compounds
surveys
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Monitoring chemical contaminations
caused by external sources, such as combustion by-products CO, NOx, & SOx
-
Sampling for air contaminants caused
by sources internal to the building such as furniture and carpet
off-gassing and the presence of chemicals used in other work, such as
lubricants, laboratory chemicals and cleaning agents
-
Radon monitoring
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Microbiological/bioaerosol sampling
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Inspecting for allergens such as
pollen, dust mite allergens, cat dander, cockroach allergens and common
dust that can cause discomfort for susceptible humans
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Moisture surveys
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Evaluation of HVAC systems,
including tracer gas studies and air exchange rates, when necessary
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Program development for mitigation
of contaminants
-
Indoor Air Quality
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Providing assistance to management
regarding in-house communications, reporting to regulatory agencies and
public relations
This is only a sampling of the IAQ
services available from AET, and each service category has many
sub-categories. There are also substantial differences in assessing various
types of buildings for indoor air quality complaints: factories and
industrial facilities are substantially distinct from office buildings.
Schools are distinct from apartment or residential buildings. All have their
own idiosyncrasies
which can be distinguished by experience and expertise. AET provides an
indoor air quality consultant with the experience and capability to
distinguish symptoms of each category, the method to confirm these issues
through appropriate sampling and analysis, and the ability to remediate the
problem.
We maintain an extensive inventory of
support equipment, including equipment for personnel sampling, area
sampling, numerous direct-reading instruments, sampling supplies, and
culture media.
The emphasis of all our services is to
solve problems. We present you with a written survey report, test results
and recommendations to deal effectively with the IAQ problem. Reports are
either written by or reviewed by a certified industrial hygienist.
Please call us for more information on
the ways American Engineering Testing can help you solve indoor air quality
problems. You are assured high professional standards, complete
confidentiality, fast turn-around and competitive pricing. |
The fungal and bacterial activity in some indoor environments may produce pathogens causing disease in humans
There are substatial differences in assessing various types of buildings for indoor air quality complaints
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