Let’s take a look at the real—and exaggerated—dangers of the new compact fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs that the US is in the process of transitioning to.
Earlier this week, I received an email which contained some extremely graphic images of a man’s foot which had allegedly been horribly injured by stepping on a broken CFL bulb. I will decline to post those photos here. Believe me, they are gross and if you feel compelled, here is a LINK.
However, there is evidence that the man’s injuries were not really from the broken bulb, nor from the Mercury contained in it, but probably a result of “flesh-eating bacteria” or necrotizing fasciitis, not from Mercury.
There is a huge debate going on about the switchover to CFLs and with this story making the rounds, it seems like a good time to tackle some of the myths and truths about these energy saving devices.
Truth: CFLs contain Mercury. Mercury is present on the inside surface of the glass used to make the bulbs.
Myth: The amount of Mercury in CFLs is dangerous if released into the home via a broken bulb.
Although it has been found that Mercury molecules can indeed be released into the home at higher levels than are recommended by the EPA, this can only happen if the broken bulb is not cleaned up or disposed of properly. Please see cleanup instructions below.
Truth: Following proper cleanup and disposal procedures is essential to being safe from injuries from a broken CFL.
Myth: You need to hire a professional cleaning crew to dispose of one broken CFL bulb.
If you broke a case of these, sure. But one bulb can be handled by a homeowner without any health affects by following this advice:
First:
1. Clear the room of people and pets.
2. Turn off the air conditioning or other ventilation system.
3. Air out the room by opening doors and/or windows for 5-10 minutes.
You will need:
1. Stiff paper or cardboard
2. Tape
3. Damp paper towels or disposable wipes (another good use for baby wipes!)
4. Glass jar or sealable plastic bag
5. Gloves
Cleaning up:
1. Use the cardboard or stiff paper to scoop up fragments and powder and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
2. Use the tape to pick up any remaining tiny pieces or particles of debris and put it in the jar or bag.
3. Wipe down the area thoroughly with damp paper towels or wipes and put these in the jar or bag also.
4. DO NOT VACUUM—unless the broken pieces are in carpeting. If you have to vacuum, try to use only the hose. Wipe down the vacuum and dispose of the vacuum bag outside immediately after. Remember that many vacuums distribute tiny particulates into the air when they are picking up larger items. Do not let Mercury get into your indoor air any more than necessary!
Disposal:
1. Take the jar or bag of debris and put it in your outside trash container for soonest pickup. If your state requires you to take CFLs to a recycling center, take it there. Do not keep the material in your household trash. Mercury vapor is not stopped by the plastic bag and could continue leaching into your indoor environment.
2. Wash your hands!
The total amount of Mercury in a CFL is about 5 milligrams, about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. In comparison, a Mercury thermometer (hope you already got rid of those!) contains about 500 milligrams of Mercury and we used to all own those without worrying about it.
There is no doubt that Mercury is poisonous, that you should be careful with broken glass, and that necrotizing fasciitis is gross. However, the benefits of CFLs to your energy bill and our planet outweight the risks in this writer’s opinion.
We would love to hear your opinion of CFLs in the comments!
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!
Federal Emergency Management Agency inspectors are disputing Orange County, NY officials’ claim that millions of dollars of damage—including mold—are due to a storm and not to delayed maintenance.
A team of consultants hired by Orange County, NY to inspect their Government Center concluded that there had been $10.5 million in damage from a storm last September, which was solid evidence to County Executive Ed Diana that they needed a new building—a building which would cost $75 million to complete.
There has been an ongoing conflict about whether to renovate or replace the Government Center. The FEMA inspectors did their investigation in January, but the findings were not released until the vote last Thursday on the $75 million building, which failed by 3 votes.
Although the inspectors hired by the County found high levels of mold in the building, the FEMA mold specialist contends that the County’s inspectors used inappropriate sampling and analysis methods to achieve their findings. Apparently, the original inspectors banged on the walls to loosen mold before measuring. Loosening the mold elevates the number of spores in the air enormously, skewing air samples much higher. They also failed to compare the amount of mold inside the building to the amount outside the building, which was higher.
There is no doubt that there is mold in the Orange County Government Center, some from water damage that occurred on the 3rd Floor during the September storm, some from a renovation project in 2009 and some from the dirty ducts in the building. FEMA will help with the storm damage, but they will not step in to pay for mold that has spread due to improper or delayed maintenance. They contend that roof is in the same condition after the storm as it was before and water which leaked from the storm was due to not doing necessary roof repairs.
We cannot stress enough that prompt attention to any water leakage into a building, whether storm related or from the water system, is essential to preventing mold growth. Mold will grow literally anywhere there is moisture. You can’t avoid it, but you can prevent it’s spread by making sure that leaks are repaired and damp areas are dried out as quickly as possible.
Alliance Environmental Group offers mold remediation services for times when mold has attained a toehold in a structure and also ThermaPureHeat for drying out water damaged buildings and building materials before mold can grow. Our Indoor Air Division, AirTek, can also keep your ducts clean and mold-free!
Remember, if you can see evidence of mold, the problem is much worse where you cannot see it! Don’t leave mold to damage your building—and your health—for another minute! Contact Alliance anywhere in California for help with structural mold issues!
Everyone at Alliance Environmental Group hopes that you and your mom had a wonderful Mother’s Day!
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!
Now that the school year is romping to a close—and oh, yes, it is romping! I’ve never been at school this much volunteering even in kindergarten—it is officially time to acknowledge the amazing teachers who touch all of our lives so profoundly.
Thank you, teachers!
Today we found out that our own Carlos Sanguinetti’s wife, Shana Sanguinetti, has been named the Teacher of the Year for the San Diego Unified School District and we are so proud of her!! And Carlos, who is famous on the blog for putting on the Ronald McDonald House Dinner with Friends in March. What a terrific family!
My family is lucky to have experienced a year with the 2012 National Teacher of the Year and we dearly hope that when our younger child gets to 7th grade, he will have Rebecca Mieliwocki as well, and the rest of terrific TNT team at Luther Burbank Middle School, Nicholas Lundy and Stephanie Enokian. I’m sure Mrs. Mieliwocki would say that she couldn’t do it without the support of her colleagues, students and parents. In fact, I’ve heard her say so!
Since we are celebrating educators, it is definitely time to talk about the teachers we have at Alliance Environmental Group. Did you know that we offer a training course for insurance adjusters that has been certified by the Department of Insurance?
Our amazing teachers, CEO Joe McLean, Bill Wood and Jeff McLean provide a 5 hour hands-on training course in our own onsite facility on dealing with asbestos, lead and mold issues.
Very soon we will be releasing a video with all the details about training opportunities available at Alliance Environmental for any insurance adjuster, whether from an insurance company or an independent adjuster. Please contact us for more information!
And thanks, Joe, Bill and Jeff and for helping insurance adjusters all over California continue their path of lifelong learning! And Shana for being so great!
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!
There are reports all over the US about bed bugs invading correctional facilities of all kinds, from prisons to county jails to police station “holding tanks.” There is also evidence that structural pasteurization by way of ThermaPureHeat is the best treatment for these structures.
Bed bug reports abound and come from all over:
Hawaii’s Halawa Correctional Facility
The Capitol Motel in Wisconsin
Graham Correctional Center in Illinois
Work Release center in Indiana
Riker’s Island in New York
Kintock House in New Jersey
Monroe County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania
Police Lockup in Pontiac, Michigan
Metropolitan Transition Center in Maryland
...the list goes on and on.
A recent article in Corrections Forum, a corrections trade publication, talks about the dangers of bed bugs and the microbes they can carry, and how ThermaPureHeat can help:
“The Natural Link Mold Lab (NLML) study collected several groups of bedbugs gathered from geographically diverse locations in California and Nevada. Employing cultures, incubators, and Petri dishes, the bedbugs were examined for the presence of microbial vectors, including bacteria and yeasts, which were carried by the insects.”
Previously, bed bugs were not thought to carry any pathogens, but that is no longer the case. They can carry Staph and bacteria that cause gastrointestinal illness.
They also studied the effectiveness of high heat as a treatment for bed bug infestations:
“Employing both laboratory and field data, results demonstrated this heat process as the most effective modality for killing microbial pathogens carried by bedbugs. ‘In one case, we subjected some adult specimens and one nymph to a temperature of 122ºF for four hours,” describes Abbott. “All the bedbugs were dead following the heat treatment. More importantly, no bacteria were isolated from the heat treated specimens.’”
Another study has shown that heat kills bed bugs at all stages of development, making it impossible for the infestation to recur due to bed bug eggs remaining viable and hatching later. “A single application of structural pasteurization proves effective, obviating the need for repeat visits required of chemical processes.
Here’s my favorite part:
“Alliance Environmental, based in Azusa, Calif., employs heat pasteurization as the only way to ensure that both bedbugs and any associated pathogens are being addressed, says Joe McLean, CEO. He says they use the ThermaPureHeat process because ‘we have consistently obtained the most effective results with it.’”
The ThermaPureHeat system, used by Alliance Environmental Group as a treatment for bed bugs (among other services) has been nominated for a National Medal of Technology and Innovation from the US Department of Commerce.
I hope we could all agree that being in prison is bad enough without also having to suffer the horrors of bed bugs. No one should be locked up anywhere with a bed bug! Alliance Environmental Group is proud to offer ThermaPureHeat services all over California for any size and type of structure, including correctional facilities.
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!
The City of San Diego’s Historical Resources Board has Alliance Environmental Group as a recipient of a 2012 Excellence in Historic Preservation Award!
We were nominated in the Architectural Rehabilitation category for work performed on the restoration of the David Louis and Susan E. Kretsinger House. The home was built in 1896.
The house was recently named a Historical Resource because it “contributes to the understanding of the citrus orchard economic development of South San Diego"resource is a special element of the San Diego’s citrus orchard agricultural industry” and “embodies the distinctive characteristics through the retention of character defining features of Queen Ann Free Classic and retains a good level of architectural integrity from its 1896 period of significance.” They particularly mentioned the roof gables, dormers, tower, porch, chimneys and widow’s walk.
The Queen Anne Free Classic style is characterized by an asymmetrical interior plan. It may have a “Palladian window in the front gable, a porch with classical columns, and a pediment over the front entry.” The Queen Anne Free Classic style can be thought of as a step between traditional Queen Anne and the Arts & Crafts style.
You can see the porch columns in the above photo. I wish I had a plan of the interior to see the asymmetry, but if I find one, I will post it!
Although we have been officially named as Award Winners, the awards have not yet been presented. The Awards ceremony will be held on May 24th and from May 14-25, we will have a display in the lobby of the City of San Diego Administration Building to showcase our contribution to the restoration project.
Congratulations, Matt Kelly and everyone in our San Diego office on this honor! We look forward to pictures from the Awards Ceremony!
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!
We are proud to announce that Alliance Environmental Group was recently given an award by the Automobile Association of America (AAA).
I sat down with Orange County Branch Manager Jimmy Nguyen to find out more.
Alliance Environmental Group was one of only four vendors recognized at the recent award ceremony for Outstanding/Legendary Service. Two vendors came from the Los Angeles area and two from the San Diego area.
Usually the AAA awards are reserved for the auto side of AAA insurance and 30 automobile shops from LA to San Diego were also recognized for their outstanding customer service.
2012 also marks the first year that AAA included home owners insurance vendors in their awards. Corporate officers were there to present awards to both auto and home owners insurance vendors.
The award ceremony was held at the Auto Club Fontana Speedway. We were treated to a lovely buffet lunch and then the real fun began! All of the recognized vendors were given the opportunity to drive high performance go carts on an actual race track! Not the NASCAR track, but still!
Alliance Environmental Group would like to congratulate fellow award recipients Oakwood Construction (LA), ESN Restoration Services (San Diego), and Triskell Restoration (San Diego) for their Outstanding Service!
Onward and upward!
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!
Did you hear this story?
When a woman returning from a trip to Uganda was overheard talking about “bites” and “pustules” on a flight in Detroit, an eavesdropper thought that she meant that she had Monkeypox! Can you imagine? The flight was held up and quarantined for hours!
One, eavesdropping is not nice. Two, really? People are way too easily freaked out.
The above photo is someone with Monkeypox. Here is a picture of someone with bed bug bites:
Monkeypox is a virus which most frequently is found in Central and West Africa. It does not involve bugs. It is usually spread to humans via pets, rodents or contact with primates and usually by a bite or contact with blood. It is communicable from human to human, but although related to smallpox, is much less infectious than that deadly disease. There was an outbreak of Monkeypox in the US in 2003 which started with some pet prairie dogs. No one died in that outbreak.
Bed bugs, however, are ubiquitous. Found in every country of the world and difficult to eradicate, it is not surprising to hear that someone was talking about finding and being bitten by bed bugs in their hotel room in Africa or indeed anywhere. Here is our blog about inspecting your hotel room for bed bug infestations.
I hope this poor woman unpacked her suitcase outside and laundered everything she brought with her before putting it away!
Lots of news about Alliance and AirTek coming up in our next blog! Come back and see!
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!
We attended the BOMA Silicon Valley monthly luncheon on April 20th and were presented with a huge amount of important information about the new provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act!
Great thanks to BOMA volunteer Kent Goetz for the photos and Steve Winkel of The Preview Group, Inc. for a fantastic presentation. If you would like to see his PowerPoint, click HERE!
Alliance Environmental Group always keeps up with the latest changes in regulations for construction, hazardous materials, and other topics relevant to our areas of expertise. You can count on us to be knowledgeable about the newest rules and following them scrupulously.
Happy Monday!
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!
We had some excitement yesterday on an asbestos abatement project!
It seemed like an ordinary day, a bit cooler than usual, cloudy in Burbank, but Wildomar was lovely!
We were there to remove some dangerous asbestos material in an abandoned building in Wildomar, California and were well on our way when we discovered…there was something else in there! Owlets!
Aren’t they cute? Shouldn’t the project come first? No!
We took a break to call the local Animal Control and make sure that this little fellow was relocated safely! But he wasn’t the only wildlife we found in the building!
A baby turkey vulture!
Happily both of these little guys have been moved to a safer location to grow and thrive! And a good thing, too! I’m sure their lives would have been cut tragically short by living in a building full of asbestos fibers, as comfortable as they were there.
There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, for man nor beast!
Have a great weekend!
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!
Here is the rest of the CNN story about mold in military housing in Norfolk, Virginia. I sure hope all these people can get their health back!
Every home has mold on occasion, but if you see it, there’s more you can’t see. Never clean mold with bleach—it just makes it look like it’s not there. And you can’t really get rid of it unless you get rid of the moisture that is necessary for it to stay alive. Be sure to repair leaks quickly, remove or dry damp and damaged areas and materials and take mold seriously. Left unabated, mold can become a toxin to you and your family.
ThermaPureHeat treatment is an effective way to deal with an out-of-control mold situation in any structure. The high temperatures permeate every surface, getting deep into the wood itself and treating inside walls and ceilings where the only other alternative is to rip it out and start over.
Alliance Environmental Group is happy to offer ThermaPureHeat for mold remediation, as well as inspection and containment and removal of wet materials in California. Contact us if you need help getting rid of toxic mold!
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!
One of our lovely Facebook friends, CNM Training Solutions in the UK, led us to an article about where asbestos deposits can be found in California! Thanks!
You can see from our featured image that California is home to large deposits of asbestos, not to mention large numbers of mines. There are also many deposits in the Eastern part of the US.
It is important to know where asbestos can be found in your home, but also to know where it can be found in your outdoor environment. When ground was broken for new soccer fields at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado, California, a vein of asbestos was disturbed. Asbestos was released into the air in El Dorado during the project, but the problem was exacerbated by the use of the soccer fields for activities, kicking up asbestos dust which was breathed in by students, athletes, coaches and spectators on a regular basis, taken home on their clothes and definitely posed a great danger to this California community.
Clear Creek, California hosts the largest US deposit of asbestos and over 35,000 visitors every year for outdoor activities like driving offroad vehicles, camping and hiking, but the recreation area has been closed since last summer to give the Bureau of Land Management a chance to figure out how to make it safe. Dangerous levels of asbestos dust were being released into the air by off-road vehicles and motorcycles and the area was found to be especially dangerous to children.
Since there is such a huge deposit of asbestos at Clear Creek, of course it is the site of a former mine, the Atlas asbestos mine, now a Superfund cleanup site.
You can check this document at the US Geological Survey for information on asbestos deposits in California.
If asbestos becomes exposed because of renovation, building or natural disaster, remember there is no safe level of exposure. Call a professional asbestos abatement company like Alliance Environmental Group to take care of it without any danger to you, your family or your community!
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!
I was watching CNN last weekend and they did a story on terrible mold problems in military housing in Norfolk, Virginia. Rather than covering it up, they should have killed it!
Molds produce allergens and other toxins. People who are sensitive to mold can experience:
* sneezing
* runny nose
* coughing
* wheezing
* tearing and redness of the eyes
* skin irritation or rash
* asthma attacks
* fever
* difficulty breathing
* infections of the lungs
People’s sensitivity varies as does the toxicity of different types of mold.
It looks like the company charged with renovating and maintaining these properties for our military families has not taken the danger of mold seriously and has concentrated on cosmetic solutions, rather than proper remediation.
We recommend ThermaPureHeat treatment for mold infestations. Heat reaches into all areas of a home, including into wood and inside walls, places no other treatment can reach. Of course, other repairs are also necessary since, where there is water, there is mold. But it is extremely important to make sure that all mold is killed before doing painting or other cosmetic repairs.
Everyone at Alliance Environmental Group wishes you a fantastic Earth Day this Sunday! We would love to hear what you’re doing to celebrate and promote the health of our planet in the comments!
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!
There is a terrific article in the latest issue of Condo Management California about using ThermaPureHeat for reducing levels of biological organisms in a building. That means it kills bugs and bacteria! Take a look!
Alliance Environmental Group offers ThermaPureHeat treatment for bed bugs, termites, mold, odors, bacterial contamination and structural pasteurization anywhere in California. Contact Alliance for help with any biological organisms you would like to wipe out in one day!
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!
We have some great new people on our team at Alliance Environmental Group and we would like to tell you about them!
We would like to introduce you to our newest Bed Bug Specialist in the Bay Area office, Marko Rush. Marko comes to us with over 7 years of pest-control experience. He was recognized at Circuit City and at T-Mobile for sales success. Marko has worked in marketing and advertising as well as in the mortgage industry.
In his pest control career, he has performed outside and Inside sales as well as a technician. He is committed to exceeding customer expectations on every project. If you have a bed bug project in the Bay area, ask for Marko!
Jon-Michael Nelson has joined Alliance Environmental Group as a project manager, where he is responsible for our Thermapureheat Division. He is also a certified asbestos abatement supervisor, certified microbial remediation supervisor, water damage restoration technician, applied microbial remediation technician and a licensed operator for termite and pest control.
Prior to joining Alliance, Jon was the general manager of Precision Environmental, Inc., where he was responsible for overseeing and directing all functions of the company, including managing 50 employees and projects totaling $4 million or more per year. He has also served a consultant to a variety of legal firms, insurance firms, school districts, homeowner’s associations, real estate brokers and property managers and some government associations.
Jon is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a degree in Economics.
Welcome to the Alliance Team, Marko and Jon!
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!
This infestation got WAY out of hand!
This video is a good reminder to take care of any bed bugs you encounter RIGHT AWAY. Do not panic, but do not delay!
If you have a bed bug issue anywhere in California, Alliance Environmental Group is ready to come to your rescue! We use Thermapure heat treatment to kill all stages of bed bugs, eggs, nymphs and adults, without dangerous chemicals or the need to move out! One treatment of high temperatures and they are all dead, dead, dead!
Contact Alliance for help! We are here for you!
Today is the last day of National Networking Week and we would like to thank all of you who have connected with us on Social Media! It’s not too late (see below)!
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!
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