Testing EMF and Magnetic Fields on BART

I have seen blogs and articles on the increase in RF (Radio Frequency) radiation in public places, especially Public Transportation, due to the ubiquity of Wi-fi and personal devices containing transmitters such as smart phones & tablets.  However, I have not seen any information on the low frequency magnetic fields that may be emitted on
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Radiation Exposure – How much is too much?

Quartzite radiation test
Radiation Exposure How Much Is “Too Much” Alex Stadtner, president of Healthy Building Science, wrote a blog in April 2012 entitled “Radioactive Granite and Quartzite – Risks from Radon” about discovering high levels of radiation in Quartzite and Granite used in residential building for items such as countertops, flooring, and bath and shower enclosures.  While
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Smog and Particulates

Particles_Blue Oxygen
Smog and Particulates How Fine Particulates Affect Exterior and Interior Air Quality No matter how well our “Green and Healthy” homes are designed and built, our interior air quality can only be as good as our exterior air quality (our “source air”), unless we add active air filtration into our building design.  But how do
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EMI and LEDs – Not all LEDs are the same!

Dirty Electricity from LEDs
EMI and LEDs –  Not all LEDs are the same! Electromagnetic Interference (EMI, aka: “Dirty Electricity,” or “High Voltage Transients”) is a term coined for quick transient pulses, harmonics, spikes and dips in the electrical power in a home’s wiring that deviates from a purely 60Hz sine wave.  These often occur due to computers, other
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How to Clean Up Mold?

Mold Clean Up - When to Call in Professional Remediators
Most of this blog on how to clean up mold is from the “Help Yourself to a Healthy Home” guide from HUD. We generally suggest hiring an established remediation company with professionals certified by the IICRC… but many cannot afford to pay for that service or don’t feel it’s necessary. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for
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Blown-in-Cellulose Insulation

blown-in-cellulose insulation
Blown-in-Cellulose Insulation Test Results On a recent project, we recommended a homeowner try Blown-in-Cellulose insulation as a healthy alternative to other insulation choices. Blown-in-cellulose is known in the healthy materials world as a pretty safe insulation choice. But just to be sure the product was safe, we sent a wet sample to a lab for
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Mold in the Home – What to do?

mold in the home
Mold in the Home – What to do? What to do about mold in the home, how to avoid it, how to clean it up, is mold testing a good idea? etc. This blog focuses on residential mold tips. Many of these best practices are drawn from the following government-sponsored resources on healthy homes: Help
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Residential Wiring Issues & High Magnetic Fields

residential wiring issues
PART 3: Tracking Down Unnecessarily Strong, Stray Magnetic Fields Many people are concerned about the Low Frequency, Alternating Current, Magnetic Field Radiation (further referred to as Magnetic Fields or MF) that is emitted by our modern electrical system and the devices we use every day. The following blog tracks down what can cause residential wiring
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Sick Building

What is a Sick Building?
What is a Sick Building? There is often confusion over the definition of a sick building syndrome. We hear questions like, “Is my building sick?,” and, “How do I know if my building is sick?” Therein lies much of the confusion. Buildings don’t get sick, people do! Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Determining if occupants suffer
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CO2 in Air – Why is my Air Stale and Stuffy?

CO2 in the air
CO2 in the Air – Why is My Air Stale and Stuffy? Carbon Dioxide and Its Relation to Your Interior Air Quality. CO2 in the Air. Why is my air “Stale?” Many of my clients often complain of either specific symptoms, general malaise, or “just not feeling right” when in a building they spend a
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