Many of those responsible for managing properties or transacting real estate don’t understand the importance that Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) plays in the lives of those who occupy a property.

A variety of indoor contaminants such as mold, allergens, lead dust, asbestos fibers, radon gas, and chemicals from building materials can become airborne, making occupants sick, possibly in a permanent way. These contaminants are not visible to human observers, but can dramatically reduce the quality of the breathing air within a property.

Visual assessments for these contaminants can play a part in identifying their possible presence and the depth at which the problem exists, but a visual assessment does not scientifically determine their presence nor does it determine if these suspect contaminants have gone airborne. Testing can determine if suspect mold, lead, asbestos or other harmful substances are in the air or on surfaces and the concentration that exists. Concentration of a contaminant is another important factor that can be the difference between a health condition developing over the long-term versus the short-term.

We invite everyone to learn more about Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and its effect on human health. The Environmental Protection Agency Indoor Air Quality page has a lot of useful informaiton about this subject. While this page is a more of a directory for a number of pages and resources on the topic, you can find a more direct introduction to the subject at their An Introduction to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) page.