And hoping for the best possible outcome, especially with the children trapped in the elementary school. So devastating!
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Monday Links: May 20, 2013
Happy Last-Week-of-School to those of you who celebrate! We are celebrating our first graduation from Middle School with the joy that only no more projects for a while can bring!
Some people have other things on their minds:
Here is an interesting response to an article in the Wall Street Journal about fraud in the asbestos trusts set up to compensate victims.
Students and parents visiting Penn State came home with more than they bargained for–bed bug bites!
Community pools will soon be open–Yay!–but we should all be aware that some public pools are cleaner than others. Where we live, the pools close down quickly when they test positive for contaminants. What about yours? Check with your pool staff and find out about their testing program and policies before you dive in.
Demolition has been halted on a building at the campus of Michigan State University after a fire at the site may have exposed asbestos.
The Vermont Department of Public Health is trying to raise awareness of lead-safe work practices at pre-1978 buildings to minimize exposure to lead and cases of lead poisoning.
Bill Moyers is doing the same, as you can see in an interview with Gerald Markowitz and David Rosner about how to protect yourself and your family from toxic chemicals, including lead. There is a link to the video in this extremely informative blog post.
The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that indoor air quality is one of the five top environmental risks to public health. “[I]ndoor air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, dust mites, pollen, radon, mold, excessive carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds and other chemicals identified by the EPA [are] contributing to poor indoor quality that causes or contributes to health concerns such as asthma, headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea and fatigue…”
Moving on to a new chapter in life can bring anxiety, but also the prospect of building new relationships and happy memories of new adventures. We hope you and yours are having a wonderful week of happy endings and new opportunities to recharge your batteries!
Wendy Stackhouse is the Online Community Manager for Alliance Environmental Group and AirTek Indoor Air Solutions. We welcome your comments! For more news and tips or to ask questions of our experts, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! For updates on indoor air challenges, Like us at AirTek on Facebook!
Bed Bugs: Not the Best Summer Vacation Souvenir!
School is almost out and you have probably already made your summer travel plans. We are waiting for dates on a summer program, you may be luckier!
Whenever you travel, however, it is a good idea to take some precautions against bringing home unwanted stowaways–bed bugs!
Here is a short video with some travel tips. After you watch, scroll down for some of ours!
Our travel tips for avoiding bed bugs hitching a ride:
Before you go, check the Bed Bug Registry and make sure that there have been no reports of bed bugs where you are planning to stay.
Inspect your hotel room before you bring your luggage in: check mattresses, head and foot boards for any signs of bed bug infestation like stains or skins that have been left behind. It’s a good idea to also examine couches and upholstered chairs.
If you find signs of bed bugs, ask for another room, but make sure it is not adjacent, directly above or below the infested room.
When you get home, launder or dry clean everything you took with you, even if you didn’t wear it. Don’t put anything straight into the drawers or closet.
When your suitcases are empty, vacuum them before putting them into storage.
If you think you have brought home a bed bug infestation, call a professional as soon as possible. The earlier they are discovered, the easier they are to eradicate.
Alliance Environmental Group uses ThermaPureHeat to kill bed bugs at all stages of development, eggs, nymphs and adults, in one treatment without dangerous chemicals or their residue. No need to move out for days, wash all of your curtains or bag all your food. We raise the interior temperature to over 130 degrees and keep it there long enough to kill bed bugs, roaches, termites—any pests that might be anywhere in the house. Heat penetrates wood, gets behind drywall and reaches into every crack and crevice.
If you discover that you have brought a bed bug infestation home with you from your vacation, don’t panic. Call Alliance!
Wendy Stackhouse is the Online Community Manager for Alliance Environmental Group and AirTek Indoor Air Solutions. We welcome your comments! For more news and tips or to ask questions of our experts, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! For updates on indoor air challenges, Like us at AirTek on Facebook!
Is Mineral Wool the New Asbestos?
Since asbestos was exposed as a known carcinogen, the search has been on for other substances to replace asbestos for many uses:
Cement Pipes
Elevator Brake Shoes
Cement Wallboard
HVAC Duct Insulation
Cement Siding
Boiler Insulation
Asphalt Floor Tile
Breaching Insulation
Vinyl Floor Tile Ductwork
Flexible Fabric Connections
Vinyl Sheet Flooring
Cooling Towers
Flooring Backing
Pipe Insulation
Heating and Electrical Ducts
Acoustical Plaster
Electrical Panel Partitions
Decorative Plaster
Electrical Cloth
Textured Paints/Coatings
Electric Wiring Insulation
Ceiling Tiles and Lay-in Panels
Chalkboards
Spray-Applied Insulation
Roofing Shingles
Blown-in Insulation
Roofing Felt
Fireproofing Materials
Thermal Paper Products
Packing Materials
Fire Doors
High Temperature Gaskets
Caulking/Putties
Laboratory Hoods/Table Tops
Adhesives
Laboratory Gloves
Wallboard
Fire Blankets
Joint Compounds
Fire Curtains
Vinyl Wall Coverings
Elevator Equipment Panels
Spackling Compounds
I was going to make this a shorter list, but since it is only a sample list from the EPA, it had better all stay there.
What are we using to replace asbestos in those products and materials?
In a continuing series, today we are looking at another substance which is being used in many applications that previously used asbestos: Mineral Wool.
What is Mineral Wool?
According to Wikipedia, “Mineral wool, mineral fibers, or man-made mineral fibers are fibers made from natural or synthetic minerals. The term “man-made mineral fibers” is generally used to refer solely to synthetic materials including fiberglass, ceramic fibers and stone wool.”
The first Mineral Wool was called Slag Wool and it was made in 1840, but the production process soon had to be discontinued because the fibers “floated about the works with the slightest breeze” and caused illness in the people who worked with it. Sounds like they were more proactive with slag wool than anyone has ever been with asbestos.
Stone Wool is made from molten rock blown by steam or air into a fibrous form. It can also be spun in a process similar to that for making cotton candy. But don’t eat it!
You can read about Fiberglass on our blog: Is Fiberglass the New Asbestos?
It has taken literally hundreds of years for us to understand that it is important to stop using and working with asbestos, but have we really learned our lesson? We are producing other fibers similar to asbestos from both natural and man-made substances, but they may very well come with the same dangers.
Ceramic fibers are “reasonably anticipated to be human carcinogens.”
Glass wool fibers are also classified by the National Toxicology Program as ”[r]easonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” Workers in fiberglass factories suffer from more lung cancer than other workers. Fiberglass may even be more carcinogenic than asbestos and the danger is exacerbated by the fact that fiberglass is literally everywhere. There are measurable levels of fiberglass particles in the air we all breathe. –Is Fiberglass the New Asbestos? on the Alliance Blog
Stone Wool is currently listed as ”not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans” but we are hoping that the necessary studies will be done.
Insulation is important and asbestos is everywhere because its properties are so valuable. But we need to be careful replacing asbestos and remember the millions of people who have been made sick and died of asbestos-related diseases already and those still to come when we replace it with other materials.
If you find exposed asbestos in your home or other construction or renovation project or want to replace asbestos-containing materials with something safer, do not do the work yourself! Working with asbestos is not safe! Call a professional asbestos removal company like Alliance Environmental Group to remove it, contain it and dispose of it properly. Don’t take any chances! Even one exposure to airborne asbestos can be dangerous!
Wendy Stackhouse is the Online Community Manager for Alliance Environmental Group and AirTek Indoor Air Solutions. We welcome your comments! For more news and tips or to ask questions of our experts, Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! For updates on indoor air challenges, Like us at AirTek on Facebook!
Monday Links: May 13, 2013
Hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend!
We came across some interesting news stories and thought you might like links to a few:
First ever Class Action Suit for bed bugs moving forward in Des Moines, Iowa–Hundreds of tenants in two apartment buildings have been suffering with bed bugs since at least 2008. The State Supreme Court is deadlocked on whether to certify the case for class-action status so the lower court’s ruling in favor will stand. Stay tuned!
Plaintiffs lost an expensive case against the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara for exposure to mold and asbestos. The court dismissed all neurological, neurobehavioral and psychological claims as well as all evidence relating to mycotoxins and poisons.
Are you sneezing already? My daughter is coughing up a storm and the 2013 Allergy Season is Expected to be Worse than Normal. [cough]
We’ve been reading about hefty fines for asbestos violations, but an Illinois man has been sentenced to 8 months of confinement for violations of the Clean Air Act as well as safety rules related to asbestos removal and labeling. Hire a professional asbestos removal company!
San Marino City Hall’s renovation has been delayed due to one of the bidders on the contract not listing a sub-contractor for asbestos removal. Wonder if we will get the call!
Putting in a new floor is a great renovation project, but some older floor tiles contain asbestos. Read in the Chicago Daily Herald about the dangers of removing asbestos floor tiles yourself–not a DIY project!
It’s another hot one out there and we are out today playing golf with the International Facility Management Association. It might be too hot for golf…in May…at 91° at 10:08am. Just saying. Stay cool!