Air quality and pollutants aren’t something most people think about on a daily basis. Most of us scoff when we can see pollution, like black exhaust from vehicles. The Environmental Protection Agency, through Air Quality Awareness Week, seeks to educate the public about how air quality affects health on several levels. To read more about the EPA’s five key points on air quality for Air Quality Awareness Week, follow the link here.
The EPA works with state and local governments to reduce about 187 toxic air pollutants, meaning pollutants that are known to cause cancer or other serious health effects. Some include benzene, which is found in gasoline, as well as asbestos, mercury and lead compounds. We are exposed to toxic air pollutants by breathing contaminated air, eating contaminated foods and drinking contaminated water, ingesting contaminated soil and touching contaminated substances.
On another level, the EPA offers a great deal of information about indoor air quality and pollutants. May is Asthma Awareness Month, and if you suffer from any form of asthma, you know that there are many triggers − both outdoors and indoors. Indoor air toxins most commonly found include mold, lead, radon and asbestos. While there are many regulations in place that require remediation of toxin-carrying agents, some can be hard to detect or invisible. That’s why consulting with a firm like Tioga can protect you from unknown pollutants and help solve known issues at commercial and residential properties.
Tioga provides business, home and property owners with technical services like lead-based paint, asbestos, mold and indoor air quality testing. Many businesses must have tests performed every year to remain in compliance and meet regulations, and many times, this includes air permitting. Tioga works with those businesses to ensure they are meeting the reporting requirements and emissions standards.
For more information about outdoor and indoor air quality, visit the website here. If you think you may have a problem with outdoor or indoor air quality, give us a call and we’ll be glad to discuss your concerns.
