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What the EPA Wants You to Know About Indoor Air Quality

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Prevent Illness with NYC Mold Experts

Prevent Illness with NYC Mold Experts

Do you assume the air you breathe in your home or office is clean? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains the effects of common indoor air pollutants and why NYC mold removal and other methods of control are essential.

What Is Indoor Air Quality?

Indoor air quality, or IAQ, is a measure of pollutants found in the air inside and surrounding buildings. IAQ is determined primarily from the perspective of factors affecting health and comfort of occupants.

Effects of Exposure to Indoor Air Pollutants

Short-term effects of exposure to pollutants include upper respiratory symptoms such as irritated eyes, runny nose and scratchy throat. Some people may also experience headaches, dizziness and fatigue. Severity of effects is often in proportion to a person’s vulnerability to allergies.

Years of exposure can cause more troubling effects, especially in the elderly or people with pre-existing lung or immune system conditions. Unfortunately, absence of symptoms doesn’t guarantee that a home or building is “clean.”

How Mold Impacts IAQ

Mold spores travel through the air into the respiratory system. Symptoms of exposure to mold and other pollutants are similar to those of colds and other viral conditions. If symptoms diminish or disappear during periods away from a building, that’s a reasonable indication that pollutants are the cause.

Your #1 Choice for Effective NYC Mold Removal

Studies are unclear as to the amount of exposure that constitutes dangerous levels, so don’t take any chances. Contact Stern Mold to schedule a free mold inspection.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, NJ Mold Removal, NYC Mold Removal

Mold! What Every Property Manager Should Know

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Learn About Mold to Protect Your Employees

Learn About Mold to Protect Your Tenants

Both indoors and outdoors, mold has always been around us. As environmental awareness has grown, so too have concerns about the health effects of mold infestations.

If you’re a property manager, interior mold growth can lead to problems ranging from bad publicity to lawsuits. Our Manhattan mold removal experts share important facts you need to know.

Risk Factors for Mold

Moisture and organic matter are the only elements needed for mold to develop. Once it germinates, mold can spread as quickly as one to two days, especially in dark, confined areas.

Organic materials, including wood, carpet and sheetrock, make building interiors particularly opportune places for mold infestations. Mold is also a sign of a moisture problem, whether it’s a water leak or high humidity levels.

How Much Mold Is Too Much?

While there are no federal or state regulations defining acceptable mold levels, the National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine recommends immediate removal of mold inside buildings. Failure to do so may trigger penalties under OSHA’s General Duty Clause, which covers workplace hazards without specific standards.

Mold Remediation

According to the EPA, the best way to control mold is by controlling moisture. In addition to removing or repairing the source of the moisture, adequate ventilation should be installed in kitchens, bathrooms and other areas prone to mold development.

Trust Stern Mold for Manhattan Mold Removal

Pamela Stern is fully licensed and certified to create a customized mold treatment program for your specific needs. Contact us for more information.

Posted in Mold Identification, Mold Information, Mold Law, News

What Employers Should Know About Toxic Mold to Protect Employees

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Keep Employees Safe from Mold Exposure

Keep Employees Safe from Mold Exposure

As an employer, it’s your job to protect your employees and keep them safe. Mold can be a silent threat in your building; going undetected for months at a time. In some cases, unexplained employee illnesses are the first indicator that a business has a mold problem.

Here’s some information you should know to keep your employees safe. As your NYC mold removal specialists, we’re here to help you do just that.

Know and Look for These Signs of Mold

Are you aware of what the signs of a mold problem are? To spot them, it requires closely observing your workers for:

• People complaining of a moldy smell.

• Breathing complaints.

• Itchy, watery eyes.

• Irritations on the skin.

• Feeling dizzy and/or nauseous.

It’s common for employers to assume other causes for their sick workers. But the reality is that their complaints and ailments could be caused by a mold problem in the work environment.

Find the Cause of the Mold Problem

While all buildings have mold to some degree, its milder strains are not a problem for most people. But when dangerous mold begins to develop, then it’s important to find the root cause.

Mold must have moisture to survive and grow, so look for any type of water leakage or poor ventilation. You’ll probably find mold nearby.

Contacting NYC Mold Removal for Assistance

If you’re not sure, it’s best to have a professional inspect your building. At Stern Mold, we offer free inspections, so you have nothing to lose. Contact us!

Posted in Mold Identification, Mold Information

What is Mycosis and Why Should I be Concerned About Breathing Mold Spores?

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Prevent Illness with NYC Mold Experts

Prevent Illness with NYC Mold Experts

They’re not visible to the naked eye, but mold spores can have a significant impact on your health. Find out why Manhattan mold removal can help you and you family avoid a common but unpleasant disease.

What Is Mycosis?

Mycosis is the generalized term for a fungal infection occurring in humans and animals. Well-known forms of mycosis include athlete’s foot, ringworm and thrush.

While a number of factors can contribute to development of mycosis, one of the more frequent causes is inhalation of mold spores. Once the mold spores enter the lungs, the conditions may be right for an infection to take hold.

Risk Factors

Anyone can develop a mycosis, but certain segments of the population are particularly vulnerable:

• Children and the elderly

• Individuals with diabetes

• People with weakened immune systems, such as individuals with HIV/AIDS or those undergoing chemotherapy

• People being treated with antibiotics

Aspergillosis: The “Mold Mycosis”

Aspergillosis is the most prevalent form of mycosis caused by mold spores. The disease takes its name from Aspergillus, a type of mold with nearly 200 species frequently found both indoors and outdoors.

Sinusitis is a mild form of aspergillosis that tends to affect people who are sensitive to allergic triggers. Individuals with asthma or other pre-existing lung conditions are vulnerable to more serious forms of aspergillosis, such as aspergilloma (fungal balls) or chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA).

State-of-the-Art Manhattan Mold Removal from Stern Mold

Contact us today to schedule a free inspection by our Manhattan mold removal experts.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Information

Mold in Commercial Buildings – What to Know to Be Safe

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Prevent Mold in Commercial Buildings

Prevent Mold in Commercial Buildings

Mold species are virtually everywhere, and the majority of them are not toxic to humans. But there are some that can cause serious health issues. In the home, it’s much easier to keep mold in check, but that’s not the same for the workplace. Many employers find it once it has seriously progressed, and when it reaches that point, NYC mold removal is needed.

But in the meantime, there’s a lot you can do to keep yourself safe if your office is a place where mold is a serious problem.

Avoid Spaces with Humid Air

Humidity is the perfect breeding environment for mold. During the spring and summer, there may be some rooms at your workplace where mold thrives. Try to avoid these spaces if at all possible. Also, if you find a leak, report it right away. They can lead to mold problems as well.

Keep the Refrigerator Clean

Mold can, and often does grow on leftover or older foods that may be forgotten in your office’s refrigerator. If you want to cut down on mold exposure, make it your job to clean it out at least once every month.

Use Protective Equipment

Safety glasses and face masks can be very helpful if you have to be in a place where mold is a problem. You can develop health issues from mold even if you’ve never had them in the past. It’s important to protect yourself.

Are you looking for NYC mold removal services? Contact us today!

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Identification, Mold Law
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