Healthy Homes

Are you on city water? Do you want to know what is in that water? Each utility is required to publish a testing report annually. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has created a Tap Water Database that is very helpful in understanding these reports. 

The seriousness of dealing with mold has been around since the Old Testament. Leviticus 13 and 14 give a snapshot of how important mitigating mold was. From allergies, asthma, and skin reactions to serious mycotoxin issues. Mold Toxicity is more common than you think. Fortunately we now we have a great deal of resources available to help:

Brian Karr - Mold Finders Radio Podcast

Dr. Andrew Campbell - mymycolab.com

https://iac2.org/mold-inspection-standards-of-practice/#5.7

https://sporecyte.com/fungal-glossary/

https://www.environix.com

https://library.bustmold.com

https://www.emlab.com/resources/fungal-library/

https://www.nationlabs.com/resources/mold-library/

https://www.mymoldmasters.com/mold-library#Aspergillus

The U.S. Government's Healthy Homes program has establish guidelines to create a healthy home. The guidelines state a healthy home is:

1. Dry
2. Clean
3. Safe
4. Well-ventilated
5. Pest-free
6. Contaminant-free
7. Maintained
8. Thermally Controlled

According to the EPA, radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States every year. Radon exposure is not elective like smoking. Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that may be harmful to humans.  The amount of radon in the air is measured in picocuries of radon gas per liter of air, or “pCi/L.”  While any radon exposure creates some risk to health, the EPA considers a level of 4 pCi/L or higher dangerous and recommends that you take remedial measures to reduce or eliminate radon.

Radon testing professionals must be licensed with the state of Indiana. We are currently pursuing training and certification to offer this testing. Until then we recommend our clients purchase a residential home monitoring unit from EcoSense starting at $170. These units provide continuous monitoring and provide more accurate results over time. Be sure to purchase in time for delivery and at least 48 hours of testing at the property. 

Another option is to use a simple radon test kit and set them out for 48-96 hours at the property. Lab results are usually available 3-5 days after you ship to the lab. This only provides a snapshot in time and is inferior to the continuous monitoring method.

https://www.in.gov/health/files/RADON_FACT_SHEET_12-20-17_-_Indiana_focusedrevisedbyIB.pdf