The EPA estimates that seven out of ten homes and businesses have bio contaminants that could contribute to health problems for inhabitants. Most indoor air quality problems are not visible to the naked eye. Mold spores, pollen, pet dander and other bio contaminants may be at very high levels in the air, yet undetectable to the human eye. If these bio contaminants can't be seen, how can we know if the air we breathe is healthy or unhealthy? Environmental consultants measure bio contaminants in the air by taking air-o-cell and swab surface samples. An air-o-cell is a small cassette with a filter medium in the center. Attaching an air-o-cell cassette to an air pump and drawing 15 liters of air per minute through the cassette for five minutes is the proper procedure for taking a standard air sample. The filter catches spores, pollen, fibers and other allergenic bio-contaminants as the air is pulled through the medium. After five minutes the pump is turned off, and then the cassette is sealed and sent to an independent laboratory. A laboratory technician examines the filter medium and counts the bio-contaminants captured by the filter. The swab sample in turn is evaluated for living contaminants. The technician then develops a report that classifies the different bio-contaminants found in the filter medium, and records the quantities of the bio-contaminants found. This report defines whether the air we breathe has low, medium, or high levels of bio contaminants like pollen, mold spores, dust and fibers that could be making the inhabitants sick.
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