American Air Testing can perform many useful tests for chemical pollution in air, water and soils. It’s very important to know and understand what chemicals need to be cleaned up and, more importantly, the source or sources of the contamination.
Determining what chemicals are present and how much of those chemicals can be costly and time consuming, depending upon your project and concerns. The source/s of the chemicals, if possible, has to be removed for a cleanup to remain successful.
There are many possibilities that may be causing indoor pollution; however here are the major categories of chemicals that cause problems in an indoor environment:
- paints and other protective coatings
- cleaning products and refrigerants (Freon)
- personal care products
- gasoline and exhaust fumes
- manufacturing byproducts
Many building materials such as paints, adhesives, wall boards, and ceiling tiles slowly emit formaldehyde, which irritates the mucous membranes and can make a person irritated and uncomfortable. Formaldehyde emissions from wood are in the range of 0.02 – 0.04 ppm. Relative humidity within an indoor environment can also affect the emissions of formaldehyde. High relative humidity and high temperatures allow more vaporization of formaldehyde from wood-materials. There are also many sources of VOCs (volitale organic compounds) in office buildings, which include new furnishings, wall coverings, and office equipment such as photocopy machines which can off-gas VOCs into the air.
