Maintaining Healthy Indoor Air Quality During Fire Season
Monday, 02 December 2019
I’ve lived in California for over 30 years. Most of that time I never really thought about wildfires; their destructive flames seemed only possible in the movies. That has changed, not just for me, but for most Californians, who have become brutally aware of the very real threat wildfire poses. While fire itself is by
- Published in Environmental Testing, Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
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Lead Dust Testing Outside?
Monday, 08 April 2019
Dust Settling on Outside Patio or Furniture? I was sitting on my porch in San Francisco watching kids play on the wooden deck and started to wonder, “is the dust on my porch contaminated with lead dust? If so, how best to clean it up?” So I did a little experiment and tested for lead
Air Quality Index (AQI) and You
Wednesday, 06 February 2019
Air Quality Index (AQI) and You During the 2018 Paradise Fire smoke wave, many in the Bay Area obsessively checked online for air quality information and updates. Here is an overview of a handful of real-time air quality websites I found helpful and how they compare. Keep in mind that climate change plus newer and cheaper
- Published in Environmental Testing, News
Wildfire Smoke and Indoor Air Quality
Friday, 16 November 2018
Bay Area Wildfire Smoke and Indoor Air Quality I am writing this on November 13, 2018. For the past week the state of California has been cloaked in thick, noxious smoke from the wildfires burning out of control. Northern California is mostly affected by the Camp Fire near Chico, CA and Southern California by the
- Published in Environmental Testing, Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Cleaning Up a Cannabis Grow Operation
Thursday, 15 November 2018
With the legalization of marijuana, some black-market growers are abandoning their illegal cannabis grow operations. Grow ops, often set up in rented properties, can leave a mess for landlords to clean up. Many of these properties are put up for sale and then become the responsibility of the home buyer. Identifying a grow op is
- Published in Environmental Testing, Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Interesting Things About EMF Testing
Friday, 09 November 2018
5 Interesting Things About EMF (Electromagnetic Fields): There are 5 different types of “EMF” that are commonly tested in buildings: low frequency magnetic fields low frequency electric fields “dirty electricity”, “high-voltage transients” or “electrical noise” radio frequency (RF) radiation alpha, beta and gamma ionizing radiation Each of the above types of radiation originates from unique
- Published in Business, Environmental Testing, Green Building Consulting, News
6 Tips for Water Quality and Water Testing
Friday, 09 November 2018
6 Tips for Water Quality and Water Testing: Source matters – One of the most important variables in water quality is the source. Does the water come from an open water source like a lake or reservoir? Is it treated and delivered to a site via the municipal or county water service? Is it a spring
- Published in Business, Environmental Testing, News
Soil Testing and Contamination Top 10
Friday, 09 November 2018
Top 10 things people should know about soil quality and soil contamination: Site history matters! If your lot is over an orchard, old landfill or leaking underground storage tank, there will likely be pollution indicators present. Building history matters. If there is (or was) a structure built before 1980 on the property, there have likely
- Published in Environmental Testing, Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Home Renovation: Tips for How Avoiding Lead Dust When Doing Repairs Yourself
Friday, 09 November 2018
How To Avoid Lead Dust During Home Renovations Containment, Wet Methods, HEPA Vacuum and Prompt Clean-up are the main work practices to follow in order to reduce exposure to lead dust during renovation. Sticking to these concepts will help avoid most common pathways of exposing your family to lead dust. Whether or not the paint
- Published in Environmental Testing, Healthy Building Inspections & Testing