In the past, indoor air quality (IAQ) was a concern largely for those who suffered from allergies. Today, virtually everyone—including building occupants and operators—has taken note of the impact of IAQ, and many are currently taking steps to create a healthy environment. Researchers have led this interest
Read more →Another topic focused on in the exclusive teacher survey on Channel 3 was the condition of schools across the state. According to teachers, some schools are falling apart and making students, teachers, and staff members sick. Channel 3 even got some disturbing photos, showing classrooms with mold,
Read more →Indoor air quality is always a concern for employers and facilities managers. Poor IAQ impacts the mental and physical health of building occupants. Volatile organic compounds, released into the air from both indoor and outdoor sources, also contribute to low IAQ. Understanding what VOCs are, where
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The University of Vermont Medical Center is closing operating rooms at its Fanny Allen Colchester campus for the month of December, and shifting surgeries to its main hospital campus in Burlington, while hospital staff work with state officials and an outside consultant to investigate air quality concerns
Read more →When kids away at college get sick, Mom’s chicken soup can’t be a handy option. Yet parents can help to mitigate a myriad of illnesses. Describing a college dorm room as a petri dish is not far from the truth. Just take the average kids’ room at
Read more →Brrrr, it’s getting nippy outside. Now is a good time to seal up drafts for a cozy warm home. Spray foam insulation or spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation is very effective in boosting home energy performance and comfort. Unfortunately, it has numerous downsides, including its effects on indoor air quality. As more
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In California and other U.S. western states, wildfires have become more frequent and intense, adversely impacting air quality and human health. Smoke from wildfires contains many toxins and irritants, including particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, which, due to their size, penetrate deep into the lungs
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The chemical industry is growing rapidly in Louisiana at the same time that the state is backsliding when it comes to toxic levels of cancer-causing chemicals in the air. We investigated. Here’s what we found. 1. Louisiana is approving new chemical plants in areas that already have the state’s
Read more →Emili Potts first noticed the mold outside of Craige dorm, trailing the wall below her leaky air conditioning unit. When the UNC-Chapel Hill junior began having trouble breathing, she looked inside her AC unit and saw mold growing on the vents. She went to the doctor because
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As fires continue to burn across large swaths of California, preserving indoor air quality in commercial and institutional facilities with vulnerable populations, such as schools, requires special attention. Indoor air scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Indoor Environmental Group offer some strategies to follow to improve indoor air quality. In residential,
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