exposure to indoor mold growth are risk factors for developing asthma

[Guest guest]

First thought that comes to mind, hallelujah! I just got off the

phone with Kelley Gullison to thank her and the team behind her and

to personally thank Elliott Horner, whom I had met several times.

This is a great step and maybe it's the first step to start bringing

these researchers, physicians and members of IAQA, along with many

other organizations out of that little box and their comfort zone,

and that they will start taking us seriously. Our voices are being

heard.

Building Owners, Managers Take Note: Damp Buildings, Mold Can Cause

Asthma

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=97605

ATLANTA, GA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10/11/2005 -- Two landmark studies

released earlier this year provide the first solid evidence that

damp buildings and exposure to indoor mold growth are risk factors

for developing asthma and not just in making asthma symptoms worse.

Other studies demonstrate that current methods for sampling and

analyzing indoor air for mold may be underestimating the amount of

airborne material that can trigger asthma attacks.

" These are extraordinary findings, with serious implications for

building owners and facility managers, " said W. Elliott Horner, PhD,

FAAAAI, principal scientist and microbial laboratory director for

Air Quality Sciences, Inc. These studies are highlighted in a free

new report from AQS titled, " Asthma and Damp Buildings: Making the

Connection. "

The results from these studies indicate that the risk for developing

asthma appears higher for, but is not limited to, people who are

sensitive to mold allergens or who have parents with asthma. Also,

spores are not the only particles in the air that come from moldy

surfaces. These studies showed that for every one intact spore in

the air, more than 300 particles of dead parts of the mold colony or

digested bits of the substrate on which the mold grew also may be in

the air. These particles can carry the substances that can cause

immune system and allergic reactions. And because these particles

are much smaller than mold spores, they can be inhaled more deeply

into the lung.

" What this means for buildings owners and facility managers is if

your buildings are damp (have moisture or water intrusion problems),

your buildings can support indoor mold growth and the people living,

working or going to school in your buildings have a higher potential

risk for developing asthma. This in turn puts you at higher risk for

liability and bad publicity, " Dr. Horner said.

Although these results send a powerful message, the news is not all

bad. Building owners and facility managers will soon have an

exclusive opportunity to attest that their buildings are designed,

constructed and operated in a manner that prevents indoor mold

growth.

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI), a non-profit

organization that develops and promotes standards for indoor air

quality, recently announced its intent to develop a national

standard on the prevention of mold during the design, construction

and occupancy of buildings. The uniqueness of GEI's efforts is that

1) its standard covers practices throughout buildings' lifecycles

and 2) it will certify that the buildings comply with these

practices. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute is presently

piloting this standard and expects to finalize it early next year.

" Asthma and Damp Buildings: Making the Connection, " is available

free of charge from the Aerias-AQS IAQ Resource Center website,

under Premium Content at www.aerias.org.

Air Quality Sciences, Inc. is a fully integrated indoor air quality

(IAQ) company that provides solutions to create healthy indoor

environments and avoid potentially dangerous indoor pollution. As

the only IAQ firm with internal labs, microbial and chemical, that

are both ISO 9001:2000 registered and AIHA EMLAP accredited, AQS

sets the standard for effective diagnoses and solutions. AQS also is

a test laboratory for both the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute

and the Blue Angel Labeling programs, which provide independent,

third party certification for low-emitting products used indoors. To

learn more about AQS, Blue Angel and GREENGUARD, visit www.aqs.com,

www.blauer-engel.de or www.greenguard.org, respectively. To learn

more about indoor air quality, visit Aerias-AQS IAQ Resource Center

at www.aerias.org.

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Contact:

Kelley Gullison

(770) 933-0638 x 239

Email Contact

www.aqs.com

SOURCE: Air Quality Sciences, Inc.