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ESG's Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) investigations are conducted following the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recommendations for indoor air quality studies. Testing is conducted using state of the art equipment, including devices that provide levels of combustion gases, airborne particle load, volatile organic compounds, relative humidity and temperature.
Why should you consider ESG:
1) experience - over 2000 properties assessed for hazardous materials;
2) proven methodology - our methods are trusted by property owners, builders, school & government officials, doctors and attorneys;
3) cost-effective - extensive readings for airborne particles and moisture reduces guesswork, allowing us to collect samples when & where they will provide conclusive results. This keeps sampling fees as low as possible;
4) thoughtful investigators who are trained experts in identifying the issues leading to indoor air quality issues;
5) expert communicators - whether issuing a written report or speaking to a group of concerned parents, ESG understands the importance of communicating the facts in an understandable manner. Our methodology is consistent from building to building and provides reliable and scientifically-based data. Reports for commercial properties closely follow the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) format.
- Visual survey of the interior and perimeter of the property
- Gathering health information of occupants
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Airborne particle count (PM) readings in every room, including ambient air, conditioned
air and the air above furnishings & carpet. Elevated airborne PM can be an indication of an indoor air quality issue
relative to biological growth. In addition, airborne particle readings are a better indicator of an air quality issue than mold spore counts
collected in a cassette, and can provide important data relative to mycotoxin-containing hyphal fragments. Elevated levels of airborne
particles are also a causative agent for cardiovascular disease and an asthma trigger.
- Temperature, relative humidity (RH), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), dewpoint and total VOC measurements
- Thermal imaging to determine if building materials are likely to contain moisture (images provided to client in a report)
- Confirmation of thermal image anomolies with a moisture meter
- Moisture readings of crawl space soil, joists and sub-floor decking
- Digital photos documenting conditions during the assessment
- Formation of a hypothesis (we will try to prove the negative so that a scientific basis is attained)
- Calibration of the over $50,000 worth of sampling equipment that will be used on site - calibration is crucial for reliable results
- Collection of surface and/or air samples to provide third-party validation by an AIHA-accredited lab. Indoor air samples are collected in pairs (spore traps and air cultures1 on two media). Outdoor air samples are always collected for comparison.
- 30 minutes of telephone consultation time following the investigation
Upon completion of the assessment and testing for indoor contaminants, a report is submitted that identifies the source(s) of contaminants, the potential health related affects, and interpretation of the testing results. Should contamination be identified, specifications/protocols can be developed which detail the steps that will need to be taken to correct the problems.
A Word About IAQ Credentials
ANSI/NOCA Standard 1100, published in March 2009, carefully distinguishes between training certificates and professional certification programs. The standard clarifies an important point of confusion that has plagued the IAQ industry for many years. The organizations that qualify as certification programs under the new standard include the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, which offers the CIH designation, the American IAQ Council, which offers the CIEC/CIE, CMRS/CMR and CRMI/CMI designations, and the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, which offers the CSP designation.
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