JUST LIKE A CAVE-DWELLER’S COOKING FIRE!
Even though Roman Emperor Justinian I declared that clean air was a birthright way back in 535 A.D., for many people it remains a privilege. As I said on Pg. 1, not every society in the world has progressed to the point we’ve reached in the U.S., where we have indoor air quality standards, experts, and solutions. Some people are still stuck in the past …
5,000 YEARS IN AIR QUALITY HISTORY
Not long ago, when I chatted with a friend about my job, they asked me, “Travis, how long has indoor air quality been a problem?” I think my friend expected me to point back to the Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 or maybe even the formation of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in 1894. But those would have been bad …
Concerns involving dust are taking the forefront of indoor air quality (IAQ) investigations. It is so important that 2 out of every 5 surveys that we have done in the last five years have somehow been related to dust in the indoor air.
MY ADVENTURES IN A 37-YEAR-OLD MESS
My wife Kaye and I have lived in our current home for 37 years — and this year, we’re moving! I’m excited about the new house we’ve chosen nearby, but there’s one thing I didn’t bargain for when we started browsing real estate listings:
I moved from California to Greenwood, Wisconsin, in eighth grade, and everyone called me “The California Kid.” I guess I seemed like hot big- city stuff in our rural area! The name stuck all the way into high school.
10 WACKY HOLIDAYS WORTH READING ABOUT
Sometimes, when I’m trying to decide what to write about in this newsletter, I go online and check out all of the strange and unusual holidays coming up.
LEARN MORE IAQ SECRETS FOR YOU!
For my entire life, I’ve missed the boat on New Year’s resolutions. The closest I’ve come to setting an annual goal was when I resolved to get up at 5:30 a.m. every morning and walk 3–5 miles down the bike trails near my house — in March!
WATER QUALITY
There are three main avenues of personal exposure to contaminants. They include dermal exposure (through our skin), respiratory exposure (through our lungs), and ingestion, commonly done by eating or drinking.
MOM’S LEGACY COVERS OUR CHRISTMAS TREE!
My family is pretty good at avoiding drama, but way back in 2001 we almost had our very own World War III — over Christmas ornaments! That might sound crazy, but the truth is they weren’t — and aren’t — just any ornaments.
A large majority of the indoor air quality (IAQ) problems that we investigate are caused by airborne particles. Also known as particulate matter, this involves the smaller dust, dirt, and debris found in the indoor air.