Where Is Asbestos In The Home?
Where is Asbestos in the home? Asbestos, a naturally occurring silicate mineral, was once called the “miracle” fiber, because of its fire-resistant, thermal insulating, non-conductive, flexible, strong, and wear resistant properties. The ancient Greeks and Romans both used asbestos for tablecloths, napkins, towels, and linings for suits of armor. It is rumored that early Roman Emperors
- Published in Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Mercury Spills in our Homes – How to Clean Up
Mercury Spills in Our Homes Accidental Release and Clean-up of Small Quantities of ( less than 3 grams) Mercury is a unique metal and has some rather amazing properties. It’s the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature. It was originally described as “silver water” in ancient Greece. Because it is both a
- Published in Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Lead: An Introduction
Lead is a natural elemental metal that has many uses and has been used through antiquity. Though it has many uses it is extremely toxic to humans and as such, has been regulated by government agencies throughout the world. Awareness is growing, but people are still exposed to lead. Lead: an introduction to help you
- Published in Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Watch a Funny Video About Healthy Building Science!
We decided to lighten the mood at Healthy Building Science by creating a funny building science video about what we do. What started off as a standard informational video soon turned into something very different. We hope you enjoy the results of this building science video. In October 2013, we assembled a team consisting of
- Published in Green Building Consulting
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
Antioch College Internship
Healthy Building Science has officially employed two Antioch College students. I did my first “co-op” in 1996 in a peace camp deep in the heart of Chiapas during the Zapatista uprising. Funny how the circle comes all the way around. Dustin Mapel is an Antioch student currently interning with Healthy Building Science. Antioch has long
- Published in Business
Healthy Building Checklists
This is the second in a series of blogs diving deeper into the Healthy Building Rating System’s Healthy Home Standard. There are four healthy building checklists within the Healthy Home Standard: Qualification Checklist, Indoor Air Quality Checklist, Electromagnetic Radiation Checklist, and Water Quality Checklist. This blog reviews the first and perhaps most important of the
- Published in Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
IEQ Investigations – The 4 P’s
IEQ Investigations – The 4 P’s Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is critical for occupant comfort, productivity, and well-being. An IEQ investigation should be performed proactively in order to avoid occupant complaints and decreased productivity, and to minimize long-term damage to building materials. Too often, IEQ investigations are made reactively – in response to occupant complaints or known
- Published in Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Exposure Limits in US – Alphabet Soup
Exposure Limits in US – Alphabet Soup Exposure Limits in US should be super simple. “Do not exceed #.” But it’s a government regulatory issue… so how simple could it be? Here is a summary of the primary exposure limits used by our government and industrial hygienists in the United States. Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) – OSHA
- Published in Environmental Testing, Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Mold Testing is a Bad Idea?
Mold Testing is a Bad Idea? “Mold testing” is commonly requested. People like the idea of collecting samples and getting actual data back from a microbiological lab, but mold testing results are highly variable and easily misinterpreted. For there to be statistical significance in the results there must be many samples collected, and most project
- Published in Environmental Testing, Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
Who is Healthy Building Science?
We are an environmental consulting firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area, a group of scientists working to make your indoor spaces healthier. We test your building or property to find harmful pollutants.
Healthy Building Science
Environmental Testing Services at HBS
- Air Quality Testing
- Water Quality Testing
- Soil Testing
- Asbestos Testing
- Lead Testing
- Mold Testing
- RF Testing – EMF Testing
- LEED IAQ Testing
- Silica Air Testing (OSHA)
- Compliance Testing USP 797
- WELL Building Verification Testing
- Environmental Testing
- Industrial Hygiene and Compliance
- Cleaning, Verification & Coronavirus Testing
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