Enmedex Chemical Testing for IAQ

chemical & dust testing

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Chemical Testing

A common customer statement is:

“We’re not feeling well indoors. I want a test to find out what’s in my air”.

Most of us would not go to our doctor and ask for a blood test without allowing him or her to first ask questions and perform an examination.

An air quality test is like a blood test for your home or building. There are thousands of chemicals in daily use throughout North America and hundreds of those are common components of indoor air. Which ones, if any, are making you ill?

This is when a qualified air quality specialist can save you unnecessary costs and time delays. Studies conducted by the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) indicate that approximately 80% of IAQ problems in commercial buildings are solved by an inspection by a qualified investigator. Of the remaining 20%, only about half are ever solved by testing.

Enmedex prescribes testing for specific chemicals or chemical groups upon compiling a short list of “suspects”. Test results are compared to applicable standards and a report is compiled containing options and solutions.

Compounds common in building materials include:

>>>>> Formaldehyde >>>>> Benzaldehyde
>>>>> Acetaldehyde >>>> > Terpenes
>>>>> Toluene >>>>>>> >> Xylene
>>>>> Butyl acetate >>>> > Acetone
>>>>> Methyl ethyl ketone
>>>>> Propanal >>>>>>>>> Hexane
>>>>> Pentanal >>>>>>>>> Benzene

Particulate (Dust) Testing

Airbourne particles can present a serious health threat to people with asthma or allergies. Size matters when talking about airbourne particles, as larger particles (5 microns and larger) tend to settle out of the air sooner, and are often captured by the mucous membranes in the upper respiratory tract.

Smaller particles (5 microns and less) stay suspended in air much longer, some almost indefinitely, and can reach the deepest recesses of our lungs. Common indoor contaminants that can enter our lungs in particulate form are:

>>>>> ~ Construction dusts (cedar sawdust, gypsum, paint, carpet fibres, concrete)
>>>>> ~ Workplace dusts (metals, asbestos, toner)
>>>>> ~ Animal dander (bird, mammal, reptile)
>>>>> ~ Dry fecal matter (rodent, bat, bird, dust mite)
>>>>> ~ Chemical dusts (carpet treatments, outdoor fertilizer, insecticide, herbicide)
>>>>> ~ Other (pollen, dry organic debris, moulds, sea salt)

Particulates can be sampled in a number of ways; each dependent on the type of particle and environment. Enmedex uses five primary techniques, involving:

>>>>> ~ Swab surface samples.
>>>>> ~ Bulk samples from air filters.
>>>>> ~ Passive sampling on personal collection badges.
>>>>> ~ Active sampling with a vacuum pump and sampler.
>>>>> ~ Real-time total dust measurements using laser counters.

Contact Enmedex to discuss your unique air quality issues. We can tell you which tests, if any, would be appropriate to meet you IAQ goals.

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