HOW TO BATTLE LEGIONELLA IN LOW-OCCUPANCY BUILDINGS
This fall, I’ve spent a lot of my working hours inside of lonely buildings. In the last week, I visited six different buildings in South Texas with startling low occupancy rates. One of them normally had 1,500 people on site but was down to just 25 occupants because of the pandemic.
If your building has Legionella in its water, would you want to wait 10–14 days to find out? That’s how long it would take to complete a culture sample, the traditional method to test for Legionella bacteria in a water source. This means that if your building does have a Legionella problem, it could be almost two weeks before you know for sure.
OR IS IS AN OUTBREAK WAITING TO HAPPEN?
The indoor air quality consulting business was pretty slow this summer, mainly because most office buildings have been empty. As things start to reopen, many building owners are looking for ways to protect their tenants when they return to their buildings.
NEW TEST DETECTS COVID-19 ON ENVIRONMENTAL SURFACES
Last month we featured an article about how adenosine triphosphate (ATP) tests can be used to measure the cleanliness of surfaces after cleaning. While ATP tests are effective, they only test for the presence of bacteria and other microorganisms. More recently, a new molecular-based test has been developed by EMSL Analytical, Inc. that is specially designed to detect the presence or absence of the COVID-19 virus on surfaces.
THE PERFECT STORE
Early this summer, I went through one of the strangest experiences of my life. This may be a weird
statement, considering that we have spent this year grappling with a pandemic. But if 2020 has taught
us anything, it’s that we never know what’s around the corner. There’s always something unexpected
waiting to throw a wrench in our plans —
UTILIZE ATP TESTING IN YOUR BUILDING
For the past several months, cleanliness has taken on a whole new level of importance. Beyond the value of hygiene, during the COVID-19 pandemic, your building’s cleanliness may literally be a matter of life or death. Building owners and property managers are responsible for acting quickly if they learn that someone who has been in their building recently tested positive
3 QUESTIONS BUILDING MANAGERS NEED TO BE ASKING
The first half of 2020 brought us some strange and uncertain months. When I look back at our
cruise in February, I’m amazed at the timing. It was just weeks before the COVID-19 virus
became a pandemic. Things have been difficult, and I certainly hope this letter finds you and
your family well.
WHAT BUILDING OWNERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MYCOTOXINS
With a number of unsavory individuals overselling their expertise about mycotoxins, this month we want to educate our readers on this topic. Here’s what building owners need to know about mycotoxins, including their potential danger to humans and the best way to remove mycotoxins from your building.
WHEN PSEUDOSCIENCE COMES FOR MYCOTOXINS
Have you ever walked out of a meeting or a presentation thinking, “What a bunch of hooey!”That’s how quite a few of my colleagues felt —not once, but twice! — after attending presentations on mycotoxins at this year’s Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) Annual Meeting & Expo. Organizers of this event aim to allow only the best people in their respective fields to present, but sometimes things fall short.
THE RISK OF LEAD EXPOSURE IN REMEDIATION
For most of human history, lead was a popular material in art and construction, thanks to its extreme malleability and corrosion resistance. Ancient Egyptians used lead for sculptures and pottery glazes. The Greeks lined the hulls of their ships with lead. And the Romans used lead to build their elaborate water systems. Found in everything from roofing to makeup, lead’s widespread use resulted…