Air Date: 6-15-2018|Episode 507
Dr. Eva King, CIEC is the Principal Scientist and Founder of AURA EnviroScience. Eva received her Masters degree in Biochemistry from the University of Bielefeld, Germany, and her Doctorate from the University of Oxford, UK. She has been involved in investigations and research into indoor environments and health, allergens, asthma and immunology for over 10 years, and has developed a wide range of new methods for exposure assessment. She has helped clients in different industry sectors, accelerating product development and validation, and assisted in clinical trials and other research studies. Her work has been published in many peer-reviewed scientific publications. Eva is an active member of the indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, and allergy research communities, and served on the Board of Directors of IAQA, and as Convention Committee Chair between 2013 and 2017.
Dr. Wei Tang is the founder, President and Laboratory Director of QLab in Metuchen, New Jersey. Dr. Tang graduated from Cornell University with his Master and Ph.D. degrees in Soil Microbiology. He has conducted numerous research projects in Cornell University Soil Microbiology Laboratory in using microorganisms for bioremediation of environmental organic pollutants. His work in recent years has been focused on microbiological sampling and analysis methods for indoor environmental quality assessment. He has taught professional development courses and presented frequently at national conferences on analysis of indoor microorganisms and also on various topics including investigation and remediation of microbial growth in indoor environment. Dr. Tang is the inventor of several advanced microbial sampling devices including AccuScience Triple Gel-Tape, Sweep-Swab and Sponge-Swab. He also developed several advanced analytical methods such as AccuScience High Performance Spore Count and AccuScience Triplicate Analysis. Dr. Tang served on IAQA Board of Directors for three terms. He is currently the IAQA Trenton Chapter Director.
Z-Man’s Blog:
Coverage from the IAQA Mid Atlantic Conference in Princeton, New Jersey
Today’s episode of IAQradio was broadcast live from the IAQA Mid Atlantic Conference in Princeton, New Jersey. Guests included: Dr. Wei Tang, PhD, QLab who has over 23 years of experience in prestigious microbiology laboratories and is the founder of QLab http://www.qlabusa.com/
Bob Krell is a nationally recognized indoor environmental consultant, trainer and publishing media pioneer. https://healthyindoors.com/
Dr. Eva King is a Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC). She is the Principal Scientist and Founder of AURA EnviroScience. https://www.aura-enviroscience.com/about1/
Nuggets mined from today’s episode:
Wei Tang, Ph.D.: As technology improves there is a shifting of methods for sampling and analysis. New methods are continually emerging. Good sampling, good analysis, provides good information from occupants and property owners.
To improve spore trap sampling, check the degree on loading or impaction on the trap by holding it up to an overhead light source. At least 50% of the trace must be clear. When less than 50% of the trace is clear it’s probably overloaded and it would be best to take another sample for a shorter period of time.
In a sample profile it’s important to compare both the concentration and percentage. Percentage distribution should be similar for both indoor and outdoor samples. 2%-3% of Asp/Pen is normal outdoors. Finding higher percentages of Asp/Pen indoors than are found outdoors indicates there is an indoor source of Asp/Pen.
As an active volunteer and leader of the IAQA Mid Atlantic Chapter, Wei wants to raise general IAQ awareness and advance industry education, provide assistance and networking opportunities for both members and nonmembers.
Bob Krell: Bob is seeking to better position the industry to offer services. The challenge is improving our messaging. There is a disconnect between research done by Universities, Dept. of Energy Laboratories, Sloan Foundation, etc. and practitioners and consumers. Those of us in the industry have become jaded. We automatically conclude that consumers and clients understand our terminology and acronyms. While commercial clients likely understand, John Q. Public doesn’t.
The Indoor Generation is 30 year old information presented in a compelling video by Velux.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygHU0mQGuJU
https://www.velux.com/indoorgeneration
The communication, messaging and marketing that worked 10 years ago, doesn’t work today. The Z generation demands to be entertained. With shorter attention spans, video is now a necessity for transmission of information.
The print version of Healthy Indoors was designed for consumers. He is increasing circulation by partnership with practitioners on the regional level. He is also recruiting practitioners to build circulation.
Eva King, Ph.D. was a researcher; a former consultant to consultants has now become a frontline IAQ consultant. She enjoys being Sherlock Holmes, finding issues and developing solutions. She is a people person. She lives and works in VA, which is crawl space central. Recently investigated a problem wet crawl space which a prior consultant covered with plastic. Standing water remained under the plastic and the plastic wasn’t sealed. It was akin to walking on a waterbed. Water removal and channeling would be needed to control ongoing moisture intrusion. Conditioning crawl spaces is a trend.
We don’t know what makes allergens allergenic. All allergens are proteins, not all proteins are allergens. Some proteins are more prone to be allergens such as dust mite fecal pellets, cat saliva & shed skin particles. Allergens attach to particles and are circulated indoors. We understand the cascade of events of allergy; we don’t understand why the number of people with allergies has grown over the last 50 years. There are more food, inhalation and contact allergens.
[Comment by Bob Krell: we use different construction materials and methods, we consume more processed foods.] There are new chemicals, new cleaning products. We need to get more of the right dirt. Our personal microbiome has less diversity than before. There are fewer microbes and less diversity even in the gut. There is even some evidence on the psychiatric effects of particles and the microbiome.
Allergic response and irritation from chemicals are not the same. VOCs and chemicals are not an immune response and react differently. Because chemical irritation is not an immune response it needs to be treated differently.
Protein denaturing or neutralizing? Proteins can be effectively denatured. Not all proteins are the same due to their structure so denaturants can work on some allergens and not on others. Allergen proteins are water soluble and can be separated by washing away. Removing proteins from porous materials like textiles is more challenging. Effective dust mite barriers must stop fecal pellet fragments particles as small as 2 microns. Some dust mite barriers don’t do this and as such are pure hype. Bedding should be washed in hot water weekly.
There is no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog or cat. All dogs and cats shed skin particles, secrete from sebaceous glands and produce saliva which can be allergenic. Dogs and cats within the same breed vary in the amount of allergen they produce. Allergens attach to particles and are spread indoors.
We cannot assume that dust mites are always present. Sampling must be hypothesis driven. More sensitive allergen detection and clinical immunotherapy based treatments are now available.
What is detectable versus what is relevant? Just because we detect something doesn’t mean it matters.
Bob Krell: There is power in live events. Regional events are smaller and more intimate providing more value and networking opportunity than conventions. Most attendees to regional events can commute from home.
Matching Donation for a Limited Time – Philip R. Morey Memorial Scholarship
From: Thursa La <tla@aiha.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2018 5:58 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Matching Donation for a Limited Time – Philip R. Morey Memorial Scholarship
Importance: High
Hello, all:
At the Philadelphia AIHce, Donald Weekes and Lan Chi Nguyen Weekes announced that they would be matching all funds donated to the Philip R. Morey Memorial Scholarship Fund up to $10,000.00, provided that the donation is made to the Fund is made by July 1, 2018.
The Philip R. Morey Memorial Scholarship was endowed In 2015 through generous donations from Dr. Morey’s colleagues, friends, and family. The Philip R. Morey Memorial Scholarship fund is designed for undergraduate and graduate students that are studying a curriculum involving indoor air quality science and technology, or students who are conducting research in the indoor air quality field.
This scholarship is made possible via individual and/or corporate donations. Donations to AIHF are tax deductible, as provided by law. Online donations can be made at https://www.aiha.org/about-aiha/AIHFoundation/Pages/Donate.aspx. Any amount that you can donate is very much appreciated. Please donate to this fund so that AIHF can offer a Morey Scholarship in 2019 to a deserving student in the IEQ field.
Best regards,
Donald and Lan Chi
Z-Man signing off
Trivia Question:
Name the organization that develops and enforces occupational health standards for new Jersey’s public sector workers?
Trivia Answer:
Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH)
