Would you be surprised to find out that your computer keyboard harbors more bacteria and germs than a toilet seat? According to a study that compared swabs from keyboards and toilets, one keyboard had 5 times the amount of bacteria on it than a toilet did, and over 150 times the pass limit of bacteria. Apparently eating at desks was the main cause of the problem, and it makes sense. Any crumbs that fall from a sandwich or snack food and get lodged beneath the keys of a keyboard will sit there, potentially grow mold, and produce other colonies of bacteria. The article also reports that poor hygiene such as not washing hands after using the bathroom was a contender.
Have you ever tipped your keyboard over and given it a good shake? The amount of crumbs and dust that falls out may alarm you. Ways to prevent your keyboard from becoming a germ magnet include being sure to shake it or use condensed air to clean it frequently (more than once a month), try to avoid eating or drinking at your computer if you can, and, keyboard cleanliness aside, always wash your hands after using the bathroom.
Your keyboard isn't the only item that could be making you sick. Check your mouse as well. It can collect crumbs underneath, and just think of how much time your hand spends touching it. It never hurts to wipe things down with a slightly damp cloth. You can even use your own homemade cleaning products!
Beyond your office supplies, your office building may harbor molds, mildew, or other hazardous chemicals from drapery, carpets, or office equipment. To help prevent Sick Building Syndrome, try installing a HEPA air filtration system, or consult your business building's management to discuss the air quality efforts in place.
Posted by Lesley Anderson
Posted Date: May 14, 2008 at 2:00 PM
Tags: computer keyboard germs, HEPA air purification system, HEPA air purifier, indoor air quality, office supply hygiene, office supply study
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With allergy season upon us, we thought we'd expand on our previous 10 Asthma and Allergy Facts You Should Know post with a bit more background information about asthma and allergies.
What exactly is asthma? According to the American Lung Association, Asthma is characterized by excessive sensitivity of the lungs to various stimuli. Triggers range from viral infections to allergies, irritating gases, or particles in the air. Each person reacts differently to the factors that may trigger asthma, including:
respiratory infections, colds
allergic reactions to allergens such as pollen, mold, animal dander, feathers, dust, food, and cockroaches
exposure to cold air or sudden temperature change
cigarette smoke
excitement/stress
exercise
While there is a wealth of information indicating or suggesting an association between environmental exposures and asthma outcomes, not much is known about what brings upon the change to asthma as opposed to simply an irritation or allergy.
What are allergies? Allergy symptoms occur when the immune system reacts to substances (allergens) that are generally harmless and in most people do not cause an immune response. For someone prone to allergies, their immune systems are super sensitive. Antibodies that build up in an allergy-prone person's system produce histamines and other chemicals to try to counteract the allergens, causing the itchiness, watery eyes, and other irritated symptoms commonly associated with allergies. Thankfully, many indoor air pollutants can be eliminated safely with air purifiers and other indoor air quality solutions.
The mystery behind allergies and asthma is that they could come or go without a moment's notice. Some people experience seasonal allergies every year of their lives. Others don't have any allergy symptoms at all in childhood, only to develop them later as adults for seemingly no reason. Others have them as children and then appear to "outgrow" them. This is what makes studying them so frustrating and so fascinating.
One reason for developing allergies after childhood can actually be one of the topics we've touched on here - Sick Building Syndrome. Being exposed to low to moderate levels of chemicals in "sick buildings" can cause a person to experience symptoms that they never had before, and can leave them very frustrated and confused if they haven't made the connection between their illness and their workplace environment. Mold in the home or office is also a large contributor to seemingly sudden symptoms. Since it can lurk within walls and other non-obvious places, sufferers may go years without proper treatment or identifying the source of the problem.
Are you asthmatic or do you have allergy sufferers in your home or workplace? Try HomeAire's selection of air purifiers and ventilation systems to bring a happy and healthy environment back to the places that you live and work.
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: May 7, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Tags: air purification system, air purifiers, allergy symptoms, asthma and allergies, asthma symptoms, indoor air pollutants, indoor air quality, treating allergies, ventilation system allergies
Filled under: Indoor Air Quality and Allergy
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A Nevada School Board was recently reminded by the US Environmental Protection Agency, in the strongest possible terms, that only an active soil depressurization (ASD) radon system will reduce high radon levels. In response to a letter from the School Board President, EPA's Radon Team Leader Phil Jalbert and Health Physicist Gene Fisher said:
"The EPA does not recommend (air) filtration as a radon control measure," stated EPA Radon Team Leader Phil Jalbert and Health Physicist Gene Fisher. "EPA's principal recommendation for mitigating radon levels in school buildings is to control the source and minimize or prevent radon entry. The technique used most often and successfully is sub-slab or sub-membrane active soil depressurization."
The School Board President wrote to EPA after a local contractor had installed air filters to reduce the radon levels in an elementary school. The filters did not mitigate the radon. This method was used despite the concerns of parents who had researched radon and found that filtration is not the method recommended by EPA for mitigating radon. Read a more detailed account of this story here.
For years, EPA has been clear regarding radon mitigation in homes, schools and all buildings. The proven, most effective method for achieving radon reduction consists of a radon fan connected to suction pipe(s) to draw the radon gas from below the house or school and release it into the outdoor air while simultaneously creating a negative pressure (vacuum) beneath the slab. See EPA's online booklet, "Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction".
To find some solutions for radon mitigation in your own home or office building, please have a look at HomeAire's selection of radon test kits, radon mitigation fans, and other radon informational resources.
Pat Everett
Spruce Environmental Technologies and HomeAire
Posted by HomeAire Blogging Team
Posted Date: May 2, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Tags: active soil depressurization, radon, radon fan, radon mitigation, radon mitigation fan, radon reduction, radon test kit
Filled under: Radon Testing and Awareness
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