AHow many hours a day should you run your HEPA filter? |
Editor's note: Dave posed this question to Frank Hammes President of IQAir Hallo Dave The air that we breathe can never be too clean. recommends to run its air cleaners whenever a sensitive person is present at the highest speed that is acceptable. Since many individuals leave the space in which they use an for several hours a day, it may be possible to have the units off during this time. We recommend however to program the timer to have the air cleaner to turn itself on two hours before the individual enters the space. This will ensure that the individual returns to a space with clean air, while not unnecessarily wasting energy and filter life. For somebody who works outside the house and uses the at home, this means that the may run for about 16 hours a day. For someone who uses an in their office, this means that the may run for about 10 hours a day. For someone who works from home the air cleaner may run 24 hours a day. Individuals that do not mind to spend the extra energy and filter cost, but really want the absolute best air cleaning improvement in a space, will want to have the air cleaner run continuously 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.This will constantly remove pollutants from the air and should over time cut down on the amount of dust in a home. Best regards, Frank Things to help get rid of ringworm in home and help eliminate the spread of spores Hi Mercia, My dog contracted ringworm on his nose and tail from another dog back in October 15th. I also have 4 cats in my house. I have 4 spots on my arm and my husband has one on his body. It took a while for the test results to verify what the problem was in all of my animals. Fortunately I treated the cats with "Program"(Leufeneuron) twice and so far they are not showing any symptoms. My dog is currently being treated with Itraconazole (Sporanox), and I daily wash the lesion areas with Chlorhexidrine and apply an anti fungal from the vet. I also put Clotrimazole cream on my husband's and myself. My question is-what can I put in our carpet and environment to eliminate the spores from spreading? My vet knows her animal things and my doctor knows people things and neither has been of any help with info on what can be done in the house. From info I have gleaned from the internet, I have been vacuuming everyday and just recently found out I should have been throwing out the bags after EVERY use. I have going in our house in all the rooms, changed every other month. I change the every month and I buy the expensive for that too. I wash the dogs bed covers with bleach every day and our bedding every week. I add bleach to everything that I can without ruining it in the wash. Is there something I can spray on our carpet that I can use every day or so to keep the fungus at bay? I have a and I really don't want to buy a new unit, do you have a cleaner that can be used in it for the fungus also? And I was wondering if there is a "bomb" type product that I can use to kill everything in the room including dust mites and molds? Thank you for your help. This has been just an awful thing and I feel like I have become a professional cleaning lady full time! Regards, Donna P Donna, While we do not sell or advise using chemicals if possible, there are two machines that we have that will work for you. 1) The Airfree air sterilizer that incinerates spores, germs, bacteria, and dust mite feces in a 400 degree chamber. The machine is totally silent, but is rated for only about 250 sq ft, so you might need a number of units for them to work well. Also, while it will take about 3 weeks to clean up the spores, it will then continue to keep the room free of the above allergens. 2) A will kill the spores using heat. The temperature at the nozzle is about 180 degrees and will reach between 220 - 240 degrees when "diapered" with a towel. (We include them with the units). You can run the brush with the towel over bedding, pillows, mattresses, carpeting, flooring, upholstery, etc. and kill the spores and bacteria without having to wash or bleach items. Bob Technical Support / Sales Allergy Buyers Club Smog and Health Editor's note: I found this to be a useful article on smog and its effect on your health. Important for all those who live in the cities. Table Of Contents The symptoms are familiar to all those who live in cities where the air is polluted: aching lungs, wheezing, coughing, headache. Millions of residents of the South Coast Basin (which includes Los Angeles, Orange, and parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties) breathe dirty air some one-third the days of the year. Ozone levels here, or what most refer to as smog, are often twice the federal health standard. In 1995, the standard was exceeded on 98 days at one or more Basin locations, most frequently in the east San Gabriel Valley. What does all of this polluted air do to the body? The answer depends on the situation. How long a person is exposed to pollution, the type and concentration, the place, time and day, temperature, weather and more. But one thing is certain: Smog is harmful to your health. Lungs are ozone's primary target. Studies on animals show that ozone damages cells in the lung's airways, causing inflammation and swelling. It also reduces the respiratory system's ability to fight infection and remove foreign particles. Ozone may pose a particular health threat to those who already suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. About 10% of the basin's approximately 14 million residents fit into this category. Ozone may also pose a health threat to the young, elderly and cardiovascular patients. Ozone affects healthy people as well. In 1990, the State Air Resources Board established a new health advisory level in response to mounting evidence that smog affects healthy, exercising adults at lower levels than previously believed. Now, a health advisory is issued at .15 parts per million (on the pollutant standards index) before a first stage smog alert is called when ozone levels reach .20 ppm. During a health advisory, everyone, including healthy adults and children are advised to avoid prolonged, vigorous outdoor exercise. Susceptible individuals, including those with heart or lung disease, should avoid outdoor activities until the advisory is cancelled. Currently, the federal Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the adequacy of the federal health standard for ozone and is considering tightening it. Sources of Smog The sources of pollution include emissions from on-road vehicles, non-road vehicles like planes, ships and trains, industries, and even small businesses and households where polluting products are used. Ozone, an invisible gas, is not emitted directly into the air, but forms when nitrogen oxides from fuel combustion and volatile organic gases from evaporated petroleum products react in the presence of sunshine. Ozone levels are highest during the warm months when there is strong sunshine, high temperatures and an inversion layer. Nitrogen oxides are produced when fossil fuels are burned in motor vehicles, power plants, furnaces and turbines. Carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion that comes almost entirely from motor vehicles. Fine particulates, which are emitted directly as smoke and diesel soot and form in the air out of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, obscure visibility and can be inhaled deep into the lungs. Historical Perspective During the early years of World War II, Los Angeles residents began to realize the consequences of an increasingly industrialized area. Investigations began to determine the cause of resident's eye irritation, crop damage, severe reductions in visibility and the rapid deterioration of rubber products. "Smog" became a familiar word and everyday presence and scientists and medical personnel began to look at its effects on public health. In the mid-1950s, the state of California's Public Health division started to step up its efforts to define the problem of how and where smog forms, as well as address the health concerns associated with exposure to smog. Ozone levels were reaching peaks of .68 parts per million, more than six times the federal health standard. Early efforts to study the health effects of exposure to air pollution focused on acute exposure episodes. Only recently have the long-term exposure effects been addressed. In a 1956 survey sent out by the Los Angeles County Medical Association, physicians reported the following:
Historic Air Pollution Disasters There have been several episodes in history which illustrate the harmful effects of acute short-term exposure to air pollution. Among those include:
During each of these incidents, comparable conditions were present: limited air supplies as a result of low-lying temperature inversions and faint winds, and a continuing heavy output of air pollution from multiple sources. Also, in none of the incidents was technology sophisticated enough to properly monitor the air and diagnosis of the specific causes of the illness and deaths were based on limited evidence gathered after the disasters. Health Effects Studies Since the 1950s, medical evidence chronicling the effects of air pollution on the human body has continued to mount. Here are summaries of some of the most recent medical studies:
There have been many Environmental Protection Agency studies looking at health effects. Some findings include:
Children and Smog A 1984 study conducted by Dr. Kay Kilburn, M.D., Professor of Medicine at USC showed that children raised in the South Coast Air Basin suffer a 10% to 15% decrease in lung function compared to children who grow up where the air is less polluted. The California Air Resources Board has concluded that "since the lungs of children are not fully developed, early damage to the respiratory tract could increase the risk of respiratory disease in adult life." Jane Hall's 1989 study on the health effects of air pollution on residents of the South Coast Air Basin estimated that school-age children, who represent only 20% of the basin's population, experience more than 40% of the symptoms associated with exposure to ozone. Because of their physiology, children are much more likely than adults to develop smog-related lung damage. For their body size, children inhale several times more air than adults, and they breathe faster, particularly during strenuous physical activity. In addition, they spend more time outdoors than any other segment of the population according to the AQMD study. Dr. Robert F. Phalen, Ph.D., professor of community and environmental medicine and director of the Air Pollution Health Effects Laboratory at the University of California, Irvine, says that when children exercise, they tend to breathe through their mouths. According to Phalen, mouth-breathing bypasses the natural filtering of air pollutants by the nose and allows large volumes of polluted air to affect the more sensitive areas of children's lungs which are still developing. Studies show that children exposed to summer ozone pollution year in, year out, have a greater susceptibility to respiratory infections because chronic exposure to smog impairs their immune system. Research findings also suggest that, even if children do not show symptoms while exercising in unhealthful air, they are likely to suffer a loss in lung function compared to youngsters who grow up where the air is less polluted. Air Quality Standards and Health State and federal governments have set health standards for pollutants, specifying levels beyond which the air is unhealthful. California's state standards for air pollutants are more stringent than the federal government's. It is up to each individual state to determine if they want to set tougher standards. Standards are set to provide an adequate margin of safety in the protection of public health. Under the federal Clean Air Act, EPA must base standards solely on health considerations and not economics or technology. The standards for pollutants in California include:
Smog episodes and what they mean Various levels of smog episodes are reported for the pollutant ozone. The declaration of a first, second or third stage smog alert is based on the degree of health risk. The protective actions help to reduce exposure to unhealthful levels of ozone, but those who are especially sensitive should contact their physician for more specific advice. Generally, in the event of a smog alert, outdoor activities should be scheduled for morning or early evening hours to avoid the mid-day peak when ozone levels are at their highest. Hourly updates on air pollution levels are available to the public through the AQMD's toll-free, taped telephone information service. Some Informational Telephone Numbers The number for residents of Los Angeles is (800) 242-4022, (800) 445-3826 for Orange County and (800) 322-4710 for Riverside/San Bernardino counties. AQMD also provides a live, toll-free line at (800) 242-4666, where callers can ask specific questions about air pollution conditions. URL: Reprinted with permission. Reducing dander in cats by premium cat food and new cat litter Editor's Note: This email came to us in response to our last newsletter Just read your email, and have to concur on the premium natural cat foods. I have nine cats, 2 of whom are handicapped and had irritable bowel and needed to be on prescription diet for several weeks to stabilize. The vet then suggested a switch to a natural food (I was feeding a 'premium' brand already, Science Diet) - I tried Wellness, and will never feed anything else. I have also noticed less dander, so much so that I wish they made a food for rabbits, we have an indoor one, and she sheds quite a bit. A great litter is Swheat Scoop. Not only does it really keep the smell down in multiple cat homes, it also helps with cats that have allergies to clay litters. Flushes easily. Thanks for the info on the , I think we need one for our Rec Room. Will it also get rid of that 'damp' smell? Have a great Holiday. Tara P. Top Cleaning of mold from your baskets and wooden and rattan chairs Editor's note: This person wrote to us about visible mold on furniture stored in a basement .The advice is good for cleaning mold in general. Hi Gary, I would recommend however first going over the baskets, wooden and rattan chairs, and any other materials with a HEPA vacuum so any surface mold spores would be removed. Then, I would clean the items with a solution of hot water and detergent or non-ammonia soap. Scrub the entire area where you believe the mold is present. Rinse the cleaned areas with water and dry thoroughly. Keep in mind, mold spores whether they are dead or alive will cause an allergic reaction if you are allergic to them. Your next step is to disinfect the surfaces of the items to ensure the microorganisms have been killed. A solution of 10% bleach and 90% water is recommended. Keep the disinfectant on the treated material for the specified period of time before rinsing or drying. Typically, you should wait at least 10 minutes for a bleach solution. I recommend you have proper ventilation when doing this and to wear a mask and rubber gloves. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Thank you, Dave Barnaby Allergy Buyers Club Staff For more information of cleaning up mold visit our or . Grossan Nasal Irrigator: Hydro Pulse reviewed Editor's note: We highly recommend this product for sinus sufferers Rosemarie - First allow me to apologise for the delay in testing this product. Working late and weekend festivities during the holidays wore me out. I began with the directions. I am very impressed. Whoever wrote the instructional pamphlet should write them all. It was SO easy to understand. Any fear or apprehension on using the product was erased completely. I felt very familiar with the product as I began to set it up and use it. The product is somewhat an embarrassing one, however, I found after using it there was no more "offensive" than when you use toothpaste and spit it out. Yes, I did get ribbing from my husband when I brought it home. The sample packs inside the box for the solution made it simple to create the solution. I popped on the tool and within 5 minutes I was done. I AM HOOKED. It was actually pleasant to clear out my sinuses. An hour later I am still breathing clearly. The salty solution was neither stingy nor irritating. I do hope you'll allow me to keep it. I suspect that there will be 3am usages when I am so stuffed up I can't breathe. I also suspect that my yearly nose irritations that become infected will cease. Thanks, Laura |