Environmental Hazard Inspections
Our job as your professional home inspector is to alert you to unknown problems and potential environmental hazards in your current or potential property.
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ap Inspections & environmental services provides comprehensive mold inspections at an affordable rate – call us today!
Our certified, trained professionals use the latest equipment to detect and locate the following:
MOLD
There are many types of mold, and none of them will grow without water or moisture. Molds can produce allergens, irritants, and in some cases, potentially toxic substances. See Mold FAQ for more information.
Mold (fungi) is present everywhere, indoors and outdoors. There are more than 100,000 species of mold, at least 1,000 of which are common in America. Species of Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus are some of the most commonly found species. Mold most likely grows in bathrooms, basements, and anywhere else where there is dampness or water. Many types of mold routinely encountered aren’t hazardous to healthy individuals. Too much exposure to mold may cause a worsening of such conditions as asthma, hay fever, or other allergies. Fevers and breathing problems in a vulnerable individual are possible but unusual. When moldy material becomes damaged or disturbed, spores, which are reproductive bodies similar to seeds, can be released into the air. Exposure can occur if people inhale the spores, directly handle moldy material, or accidentally ingest the spores. Since all molds need water to grow, mold can grow almost anywhere where there is high humidity, dampness, or water damage. Most often molds are confined to areas near the water source. Removing the source of moisture through repairs or dehumidification is crucial in preventing mold growth. Correcting underlying water damage and cleaning the affected area is the best way to treat mold. If mold contamination is extensive, a professional abatement company may be needed. Excerpts from The New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Environmental & Occupational Disease Epidemiology, “Facts About Mold”.
Biological Particles
- Sources:
- Dust Mites
- Mold
- Cat Dander
- Health Effects/Symptoms:
- Allergy
- Asthma
- Nose & throat irritation
- Fever
- Skin irritation
- Most at Risk:
- Occupants of buildings with moisture problems or high relative humidity
Combustion Particles
- Wood smoke
- Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
- Automobile Exhaust
- Smokers
- City dwellers
- Presence of black soot on horizontal surfaces
Source: Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority Weatherization
For FAQ about mold, click here
ASBESTOS
Asbestos is a mineral fiber that can be positively identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added to many products to strengthen them and provide fire resistance and heat insulation. If disturbed, asbestos material may release asbestos fibers which can be inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos material that crumbles easily if handled or which has been scraped, sawed, or sanded into a powder is more likely to create a health hazard. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma (cancer of lining of chest and abdominal cavity), and asbestosis (lungs scarred with the tissue). Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos insulation. Most of today’s products do not contain asbestos. If asbestos material is more than slightly damaged or you plan changes that might disturb it, you require a professional for repair and removal. Before home remodeling, find out if asbestos is present. Excerpts from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Asbestos and Vermiculite”.
- Sources:
- Furnace & boiler insulation
- Ceiling & floor tiles
- Siding
- Plaster
- Health Effects:
- Mesothelioma
- Asbestosis
- Lung cancer
- No immediate symptoms, diseases have long incubation period
- Most at Risk:
- Asbestos workers, especially smokers in these industries
Source: Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority Weatherization
For FAQ about asbestos, click here
RADON
Radon is a radioactive gaseous element produced in the disintegration of radium, a radioactive metallic element. It cannot be detected by the senses and can be confirmed only by sophisticated instruments and laboratory tests. The gas enters a house through pores and cracks in the concrete or through floorboards of poorly ventilated crawlspaces, especially when wet ground allows the gas to escape easily through the soil and disperse in the atmosphere. Radon is a lung carcinogen: the National Academy of Sciences estimates radon causes some 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths annually. The U.S. Surgeon General and the EPA recommend all houses be tested for radon. Houses with high radon levels can be fixed.
Excerpts from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Indoor Radon”.
- Radon gas molecule splits into other radioactive compounds that attach to dust particles
- Health Effects:
- Radioactive dust particles damage lung tissue
- Earliest recognized cause of lung cancer
- Source:
- Soil under homes
- Most at Risk:
- Long–term occupants of buildings with high Radon levels
- EPA exposure limit in homes is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l)
Source: Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority Weatherization
For FAQ about radon, click here
LEAD BASED PAINT
Before Lead-based paint (LBP) was banned in 1978, its popularity with high durability, fast-drying, multi colors, and resistance to corrosion made it a great product. The health effects of LBP made it worse for people as they lived with the LBP in their homes and affecting children’s health.
Lead is a toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead also can be emitted into the air from motor vehicles and industrial sources, and lead can enter drinking water from plumbing materials. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children six years old and under are most at risk.
LEAD DUST (Pb)
- Health effects:
- Damage to kidneys, nerves, and red blood cells
- Sources:
- Lead–base paint
- Outdoor residues from leaded gasoline
- Most at Risk:
- Toddlers who ingest lead hand–to–mouth
- Workers in dusty environments
- Pregnant Women
- Pets
- Children 6 years and younger
- EPA/ASHRAE 3–month exposure limit:
- 1 ug/m3
Source: Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority Weatherization
GASES
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.
Organic chemicals are widely used as ingredients in household products. Paints, varnishes, and wax all contain organic solvents, as do many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, and hobby products. Fuels are made up of organic chemicals. All of these products can release organic compounds while you are using them, and, to some degree, when they are stored. Excerpts from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality”.
- Respiratory irritants, allergens, and possible carcinogens
- Sources:
- Cosmestics
- Building materials
- Wood smoke
- Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
- Carpet & furnishings
- Symptoms:
- Eye irritation
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Depression
- Irregular heart beats
- Health Effects:
- Damage to cardiovascular system, nervous system, and other organs
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. These symptoms include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure. Excerpts from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality”.
- Substitutes for oxygen (O2) on hemoglobin
- Health Effects:
- Decreased reaction time
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Asphyxiation
- Brain damage
- Death
- EPA 8–hour limit:
- 9 ppm
- EPA 1–hour limit:
- 35 ppm
- OSHA Instantaneous limit:
- 200 ppm
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted in a number of ways. It is emitted naturally through the carbon cycle and through human activities like the burning of fossil fuels.
Natural sources of CO2 occur within the carbon cycle where billions of tons of atmospheric CO2 are removed from the atmosphere by oceans and growing plants, also known as ‘sinks,’ and are emitted back into the atmosphere annually through natural processes also known as ‘sources.’ When in balance, the total carbon dioxide emissions and removals from the entire carbon cycle are roughly equal. Excerpts from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Carbon Dioxide”.