Lead-Based Paint
Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children 6 years old and under are most at risk, because their bodies are growing quickly.
Research suggests that the primary sources of lead exposure for most children are:
- deteriorating lead-based paint
- lead contaminated dust
- lead contaminated residential soil
ASEI is available to assist in all stages of lead-based paint consulting. These include:
- Lead Paint Inspections and Risk Assessments
- Post-Hazard Control Clearance Testing
- Project Oversight
- OSHA Exposure Monitoring
- Project Design Specification
- EPA, HUD, and California certified lead training
Our staff is fully trained and certified to assist you with any lead-based paint projects. ASEI has the ability to efficiently provide quality services at low cost due to the availability of our numerous XRF analyzers.
Asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous mineral that can only be identified under a microscope. Asbestos is found in the ground and is mined all over the world. In the past, asbestos was added to different products as insulation and for fire resistance. Asbestos exposure can cause ailments like mesothelioma and other problems. Extended asbestos exposure usually develops into serious problems.
Asbestos is the most dangerous when it is airborne. The lightness of the asbestos fibers allows them to stay airborne for long periods of time and to travel a far distance. There are professional abatement services that will remove asbestos. Attempting to remove the asbestos without professionals is not safe and should not be considered.
Mold
Molds produce tiny spores to reproduce. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods. When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. There is no practical way to eliminate all mold and mold spores in the indoor environment; the way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
The key to mold control is moisture control. It is important to dry water damaged areas and items within 24-48 hours to prevent mold growth. If mold is a problem in your home, clean up the mold and get rid of the excess water or moisture. Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water. Wash mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely. Absorbent materials (such as ceiling tiles & carpet) that become moldy may have to be replaced.
Site Assessments
Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) are completed to satisfy the requirements of the Innocent Landowner Defense to liability imposed by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). ESAs generally are completed for businesses which are involved in the sale, purchase or lease of industrial, commercial and agricultural properties. ESAs often also are required by lenders in order to assure that properties do not possess environmental conditions that could diminish the value of the property, the ability of the borrower to repay, or to establish baselines to allocate responsibility for clean-up costs.
CERCLA requires that "appropriate inquiry" be completed to invoke a defense to liability. The statute states, "to establish that the defendant had no reason to know 'that any hazardous substance that is the subject of a release or threatened release was disposed of on, in or at the facility' the defendant must have undertaken, at the time of acquisition, all appropriate inquiry into the previous ownership and uses of the property consistent with good commercial or customary practice in an effort to minimize liability.." A Phase One (as described in the ASTM E 1527 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process) is designed to meet the CERCLA threshold for due diligence. Therefore, Phase Ones are completed for over 500,000 commercial, industrial, and agricultural property transactions per year in the United States.
Industrial Hygiene
Industrial Hygiene (Occupational Hygiene is the more common international term), is the professional art and science involving the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of occupational and environmental health and safety hazards. Industrial hygienists work closely with allied professionals including occupational and environmental health physicians, occupational health nurses, and safety engineers to discover and evaluate the potential chemical and physical agents responsible for work or environmental-related disease and injury. Once the risk is established, IHs then develop engineering controls, administrative programs, and other procedures to reduce exposure: preventing adverse health effects.
Air Quality
Air pollution comes from many different sources such as factories, power plants, dry cleaners, cars, buses, trucks and even windblown dust and wildfires. Air pollution can threaten the health of human beings, trees, lakes, crops, and animals, as well as damage the ozone layer and buildings. Air pollution also can cause haze, reducing visibility in national parks and wilderness areas. EPA protects human health and the environment through the regulatory process and voluntary programs such as Energy Star and Commuter Choice. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA sets limits on how much of a pollutant is allowed in the air anywhere in the United States. Although national air quality has improved over the last 20 years, many challenges remain in protecting public health and the environment. EPA's goal is to have clean air to breathe for this generation and those to follow.