IAQ Assessment can be much more effective if you follow the Seven Principals of Healthy homes. Dry, Clean, Pest-Free, Safe, Contaminant-Free, Ventilated, and Maintained. Your indoor environment is related to many health effects, ranging from allergies and asthma triggered by dust mites, mold and pest residue to cancer or death from combustion pollutants or dangerous fumes. The good news is that you can make your house a healthy home for your family by applying these seven principles of healthy homes. John P. Lapotaire, CIEC Indoor Air Quality Solutions, IAQS www.FloridaIAQ.com

2. 1 Introduction
2 Where does the IEP Start?
3 The Client Interview
4 What to Look For? The 7 Principles
5 The IEA Report
6 The Laboratory Report
7 What the Client Wants & Needs
8 Healthy Homes Specialist
9 Questions

3. Where to Start?
Get in The
Habit
of
Habit

4. The Client Interview
1. Interview
a. Occupant and Building History
b. Building Occupants,
• Full time
• Part time
• Visitors
• Pets
c. Occupant Specific symptoms
d. Occupant Areas of concern

5. The Client Interview
• An Indoor Environmental Consultant should
interview the client carefully before the inspection
to assist in deciding if such a costly Indoor
Environmental Assessment and Testing process
is really appropriate and cost-justified.

6. What to Look For?

7. What to Look For?

8. What to Look For?
• Many homes fall short of the basic requirements
of a healthy home and contain one or more of
hazards that adversely affect human health.
• Research has shown that these housing-related
hazards pose a broad spectrum of
risks, including the following:

9. What to Look For?
• Mold and pests —
roaches rodents dust mites
• These housing related hazards can cause and
contribute to
asthma allergies Respiratory
illnesses

10. What to Look For?
• Since housing conditions can play a significant
role in respiratory health, these hazards can
greatly increase and intensify susceptibility to
respiratory illnesses.
• Toxic materials such as
lead asbestos pesticides
These hazards can harm human health in a variety
of ways.

11. What to Look For?
• For instance, lead poisoning in children causes
reduced IQ and attention
span, hyperactivity, impaired growth, reading and
learning disabilities, hearing loss, insomnia, and
a range of other health, intellectual, and
behavioral problems.

12. What to Look For?
• Poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide
and radon also pose threats to health.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning results in more
than 200 accidental deaths a year and, at
much lower levels, causes flu-like
symptoms, which often go undiagnosed.
• Radon can increase the risk of
cancer, which is the second leading cause
of death among adults and children in the
U.S.

13. What to Look For?
• The ideal way to maintain healthy homes and
properties is to practice primary prevention
(addressing these hazards before they become
dangerous problems) using a holistic approach
(tackling many hazards at once).
• With this in mind, NCHH has identified 7
principals of Healthy Homes that can help
Identify and Correct Indoor Environmental
Hazards.

14. Seven Principles of Healthy Homes

15. Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
Dry
Add title text
Maintained
7
Principles of
Clean Healthy Homes Ventilated
Pest-Free Contaminant-
Safe Free

16. National Center for Healthy Housing
www.nchh.org www.healthyhomestraining.org

17. Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
1. Dry: Damp houses provide a nurturing
environment for mites, roaches, rodents, and
molds, all of which are associated with indoor
allergens and asthma triggers.
2. Clean: Clean homes help reduce pest
infestations and exposure to contaminants.

18. Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
3. Pest-Free: Recent studies show a causal
relationship between exposure to mice and
cockroaches and asthma episodes in children;
yet inappropriate treatment for pest infestations
can exacerbate health problems, since pesticide
residues in homes pose risks for neurological
damage and cancer.

19. Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
4. Safe: The majority of injuries among children
occur in the home. Falls are the most frequent
cause of residential injuries to children,
followed by injuries from objects in the home,
burns, and poisonings.

20. Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
5. Contaminant-Free: Chemical exposures
include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic
compounds, and environmental tobacco
smoke. Exposures to asbestos particles, radon
gas, carbon monoxide, and second-hand
tobacco smoke are far higher indoors than
outside.

21. Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
6. Ventilated: Studies show that increasing
the fresh air supply in a home improves
respiratory health.
7. Maintained: Poorly-maintained homes are
at risk for moisture and pest problems.
Deteriorated lead-based paint in older
housing is the primary cause of lead
poisoning, which affects some 240,000
U.S. children.

22. The IEA Report

23. The IEA Report
• A professionally prepared Indoor Environmental
or Indoor Air Quality Report should clearly
answer the following questions:

24. The IEA Report
• Is there an Indoor Environmental or Indoor Air
Quality Concern in the home or office?
• What was the cause?
• Where is the problem origin?
• What containment and cleaning are needed?
• What corrective action is required?
• How will you confirm the home has been returned
to a pre-loss condition?

25. The IEA Report
Interview Inspection Correction Confirmation
Client and Sight Contain Inspect
Building Conditions Repair Sample
History Visual Clean Confirm
Assess.
IEP IEP Contractor IEP

26. The IEA Report
• A competent Indoor Environmental Assessment
Report should identify, right up front,
• What is important and what needs to be done.
• When necessary It should support these
opinions with competent
detailed, professional, and reliable lab work.

27. The IEA Report
• Interview
• Areas of Concern
• Site conditions (environmental measurements)
– Temperature
– Humidity
– Particulate Matter
– VOC’s
– CO, CO2

28. The IEA Report
• The Indoor Environment should be measured
and recorded both
– at rest (with the air conditioning systems off)
and
– active (with the air conditioning systems running)
• There must always be an indoor environment
measurement summary

29. Site Conditions

30. Site Conditions "Spray Foam"

31. Site Conditions Summary
• The measurements showed the home had acceptable
levels of relative humidity and particulate matter in the .3
through 1. µm with the home at rest.
• There were elevations of 2.5 µm throughout with the
home at rest.
• The volatile organic compounds VOC’s were measured
at .4 to .5 throughout the home at rest.
• .5 is a level considered to be at the high end of what is
acceptable.

32. Site Conditions Summary
• The measurements of the relative humidity and respirable
particulates decreased after the HVAC had been
running. Home active.
• The VOC’s leveled out at .5 throughout the home with the
AC running. A level considered to be at the high end of
what is acceptable. Home active.
• .5 is a level considered to be at the high end of what is
acceptable.

33. Humidity Bloom

34. Site Conditions Summary
• The measurements showed the home had elevated
relative humidity and particulate matter.
• The A/C and power had just been turned on for the
inspection.
• There was a visible humidity bloom with microbial growth
throughout.

35. Failed PRVI

36. Site Conditions Summary
• The indoor environment was not a clean dust free
environment as was evident by the levels of airborne
particulate matter.
• The measurements were collected after the remediator
had ―Self Cleared‖ his remediation.
• The visual, environmental measurements and the
collected air samples identified a remaining S-520
Condition 2 an indoor environment which is primarily
contaminated with settled spores that were dispersed
directly or indirectly from a Condition 3 area, and which
may have traces of actual growth.

37. Post “Self PRVI” Assessment

38. Post “Self PRVI” Assessment

39. Site Conditions Summary
• The airborne particulate matter PM 2.5 µm, 5 µm
and 10 µm sizes were elevated in the master
bedroom where remediation was performed.
• Measurements after the home had been active
(A/C running) all environmental measurements
decrease.
• This reduction of PM eliminates the AC as a
possible contributor to the previously recorded
elevations.

40. Site Conditions Summary
• The indoor environment was not a clean dust
free environment as was evident by the levels of
airborne particulate matter.
• The measurements were collected after the
remediator had ―Self Cleared‖ his remediation.
• The visual, environmental measurements and
the collected air samples identified a remaining
S-520 Condition 2.

41. Evaporative PTAC

42. Evaporative PTAC

43. Site Conditions Summary
• The condo had a slight elevation of VOC’s in
parts per million (ppm).
• The measurements showed the condo had
elevated relative humidity with the home at rest
that increased with the air conditioner running.
• The condo had an elevation of respirable
particulate matter throughout with a minimal
decrease of particulate matter when the air
conditioner was running or Home Active

44. Site Conditions Summary
• The condo was cooled with a PTAC in-wall air
conditioner.
• The PTAC was NOT equipped with a condensate
drain line and was set up to be an evaporative
cooling air conditioner.
• Not ideal for the hot humid climate of
Florida, more suited for dry climates.
• The design continually introduced humidity into
the condo supporting a humidity bloom.

45. The IEA Report Includes
• Visual Inspection findings
• Site Conditions
• Sampling plan (if necessary)
• Laboratory results
• Cause and Origin
• Specific recommendations
• Executive summary
• Inspection Pictures

46. The IEA Report
Add text title Add text title
Environmental Visual Cause and
Origin Summary
Measurements Inspection
Add text title

47. What's in the Report?
• A professionally prepared Indoor Environmental
Report or Indoor Air Quality Report must be
useful:
– in exchange for being paid a professional fee to
investigate a home or office, an IEP should provide
• accurate and useful diagnostic and prescriptive
information to his or her client, and
• should include not only an identification of Indoor
Environmental Concerns, but
• Include a cause and origin

48. What's in the Report?
• A Professional Indoor Environmental
Assessment is much more than the
collection of samples.
• Unless the sample collection was
combined with a Visual Indoor
Environmental Assessment using the 7
Principals of Healthy Homes, no one can
be certain of the extent or presence of any
indoor environmental hazards in a home.

49. What's in the Report?
• A spore trap sample alone cannot accurately
represent all of the indoor environmental
contaminants or indoor air quality contaminants
present in a home.
• A spore trap will only include or exclude mold
spores as a contributor to elevated respirable
particulates measured in the home.

50. What's in the Report?
Site Sample
Conditions Plan
Visual Sampling
Inspection

51. What's in the Report?
• indentify the indoor environmental Concerns
within the home or office and
• provide you with the guidance to take specific
corrective action to quickly improve your indoor
environment and indoor air quality.

52. The Laboratory Report

53. The Laboratory Report
Qualitative or Quantitative
• Qualitative
– What is there (is that mold?)
– Not how much is there
• Most often to the genus not species
• These methodologies do not differentiate between
viable and non-viable fungal spores.
• Identification to the genus does not allow for the
differentiation between Aspergillus and Penicillium
spores.
– Bulk – Tape - Swab

54. The Laboratory Report
Qualitative or Quantitative
• Quantitative
– What is there
– How much is there
• Most often to the genus not species
• These methodologies do not differentiate between
viable and non-viable fungal spores.
• Identification to the genus does not allow for the
differentiation between Aspergillus and Penicillium
spores.
– Spore Trap

55. The Laboratory Report
• Quantitative
• Spore Traps - quantitative collection, the
mold spores collected in the sample are
counted and reported as spores per
cm2, spores per gram (or 1000mg),
– These methodologies do not differentiate between
viable and non-viable fungal spores.
– This technique does not allow for the
differentiation between Aspergillus and
Penicillium spores.

56. The Laboratory Report
• Qualitative
• Surface Samples – Swab, Dust, Tape and
Bulk Samples: qualitative sample collection.
• Swab, Dust and Tape samples are mounted
on a glass slide and observed under a bright
field microscope and visually identified to
the genus
– This technique does not allow for the
differentiation between Aspergillus and
Penicillium spores.

57. The Laboratory Report
• According to ACGIH, ―Data from individual
sampling episodes is often interpreted with
respect to baseline data from other environments
or the same environment under anticipated low
exposure conditions.‖

58. The Laboratory Report
• In the absence of established acceptable
exposure limits, it is often necessary to use a
comparison standard when interpreting data. In
this instance, it will be necessary to sample the
suspect area as well as a non-suspect area.
According to ACGIH,

59. The Laboratory Report
• An Laboratory Report offers
counts, numbers, percentages, or results.
• The Laboratory provides the results of the
samples collected by the IEP who has
preformed a thorough visual assessment.
• The Laboratory provides the results of the
samples collected by the IEP who has
prepared a sampling plan resulting from
the visual assessment.

60. The Laboratory Report
• The IEP performs the "Indoor Environmental
Assessment"
• The Lab tells the IEP what is there and at what
level –
– Qualitative or Quantitative information
• The IEP interprets the results

61. The Laboratory Report
• Certain authorities identify certain molds
whose presence indicates excessive
moisture or are Water Damage Indicator
Molds.
• The presence of a few spores of indicator
mold should be interpreted with caution.
• Additionally, it should be recognized that
these named molds are not necessarily
the only ones of potential significance.

62. The Laboratory Report
• IESO ―Standards of Practice for the Assessment
of Indoor Environmental Quality‖. Water Damage
Indicator Molds. (currently repealed for review)
– Aureobasidium – Penicillium
– Aspergillus – Trichoderma
– Chaetomium – Stachybotrys
– Fursarium – Ulocladium

63. The Laboratory Report
• Sampling and Analysis of Indoor Microorganisms
by Chin Yang Water Damage Indicator Molds
– Chaetomium
– Stachybotrys
– Memnoniella
– Ulocladium
– Aspergillus-Penicillium Group

64. The Laboratory Report
• The EPA Environmental Relative Moldiness
Index (ERMI) Water Damage Indicator Molds
– Stachybotrys chartarum, – Eurotium
– Chaetomium globosum, (A.)amstalodami,
– Cladosporium – Penicillium variabile,
sphaerospermum, – Aspergillus flavus,
– Aspergillus versicolor, – Aspergillus restrictus,

65. The Laboratory Report
– Penicillium crustosum,
– Penicillium chrysogenum,
– Aspergillus niger,
– Aspergillus sclerotiorum,
– Penicillium purpurogenum,
– Aspergillus fumigatus,
– Penicillium corylophilum,
– Aureobasidium pullulans,
– Aspergillus ochraceus

66. The Laboratory Report
– Penicillium – Scopulariopsis
brevicompactum, chartarum,
– Paecilomyces variotii, – Aspergillus
– Aspergillus sydowii, penicillioides,
– Penicillium spinulosum, – Trichoderma viride.
– Wallemia sebi,
– Aspergillus unguis,
– Scopulariopsis
brevicaulis,

67. The Laboratory Report
The EPA Environmental Relative Moldiness Index
(ERMI) ―Normal‖ species:
– Acremonium strictum, cladosporioides v2,
– Alternaria alternata, – Cladosporium herbarum,
– Aspergillus ustus, – Epicoccum nigrum,
– Cladosporium – Mucor & Rhizopus group,
cladosporioides v1, – Penicillium chrysogenum,
– Cladosporium – Rhizopus stolonifer

68. Additional Laboratory Options

69. Common Indoor Allergens
• Indoor Allergen, Cat • Indoor Allergen, Rat
• Indoor Allergen, • Indoor Allergens Group
Cockroach - Cat Dander, Dog
• Indoor Allergen, Dog dander, Cockroach,
• Indoor Allergen, Dust Dust Mites
Mites
• Indoor Allergen, Latex
• Indoor Allergen, Mouse

70. Soot and Smoke
• Fire Investigation Testing Accelerants
• Carbon Black
• Cigarette Smoke
• Combustion By-Products
• Soot
• Wood Smoke

71. Particle Identification
• Common Particle Identification
• Full Particle Identification SM
• Unknown Particle Identification
• Nuisance Dust and PM-10 / TSP
• Formaldehyde (Off-gassing in Products/Materials)
• Formaldehyde in Air NIOSH 2016 / NIOSH 3500
• Formaldehyde in Bulk material (Dry)

72. VOC and mVOC
• Microbial Volatile Organic Compound Screen
GC-FID (High Boiling Point)
• Microbial Volatile Organic Compound Screen
TO-15 (Low Boiling Point)
• Volatile Organic Scan by GC/MS with Lib Search
(req. for IAQ)
• Volatile Organic Scan by GC/MS (62 compound
list) TO-15 mod.

73. The Laboratory Report
• A superficial air test for mold spores risks leaving
the client with ambiguous results,
• or even if the test suggests that a problem with
mold is present,
• the client has no idea
– where the problem is,
– What is causing the problem or
– what to do about it.

74. The Laboratory Report
• In many cases air samples for mold
spores come back with no elevations even
though the Client continues to have
symptoms or reports nuisance odors in
their home.
• The IEP that only collected air-o-cell spore
trap samples with no visual assessment or
measured site conditions can provide no
professional guidance for the Client.

75. What the Client Wants & Needs

76. What the Client Wants & Needs
• The Client wants to know if there is an indoor air
problem in their home involving any unknown
Allergens
Asthma Triggers
Mold text title

77. What the Client Wants & Needs
• Is Indoor Environmental Sampling Necessary?
• If Sampling is necessary Why?
• Where? and
• Which Type of Sampling is Recommended?
– Qualitative or Quantitative
– Culturable or non-Culturable
– Allergen
– Dust, Bulk
– Chemical

78. What the Client Wants & Needs
• The Visual Inspection should provide a Sampling
Plan specific to the findings in your home or
office so you can then determine;
– If there is a mold, allergen, asthma trigger, or similar
environmental problem in the home or office?
– If there is a problem, where is it and how big is it?
– Based on the lab results, what is the level of
containment and care needed?
– What does the lab work indicate about the level of risk
to occupants or workers?

79. What the Client Wants & Needs
• Are we looking at a "cosmetic-only" concern?
• What is the extent of remediation or cleaning
necessary, and
• What needs to be changed or repaired on
the home or office so that problems don't
reoccur?
• and, after the cleanup has been
completed, was it proper and complete?

80. What the Client Wants & Needs
• An Indoor Environmental Assessments is also an
education on the 7 Seven Principles of Healthy
Homes.

81. Seven Principles of Healthy Homes
Dry
Add title text
Maintained
7
Principles of
Clean Healthy Homes Ventilated
Pest-Free Contaminant-
Safe Free

82. Tools of the Trade

83. Tools of the Trade
Protimeter
Lighthouse Fluke
MiniRae MMS+
Particulate Thermal
VOC Meter Moisture
Counter Camera
Meter
Site Site Building Moisture
Conditions Conditions Envelope Content
•Air •Confirm
•Temperature •VOC’s Infiltration Moisture
•Humidity •mVOC’s •Moisture •Identify wet
•Particulates Intrusion building
material

84. Healthy Homes Specialist

85. Healthy Homes Specialist
• Healthy Homes Specialist Credential
• NCHH and the National Environmental Health
Association (NEHA) offer a ―Healthy Homes
Specialist‖ credential, designed for health and
housing professionals in the public, private, and
nonprofit sectors.

86. Healthy Homes Specialist
• To achieve the credential, individuals must
complete a comprehensive exam on the seven
principles of healthy housing, which include
keeping homes: Dry, Clean, Pest-
Free, Contaminant-Free, Ventilated, Safe, and
Maintained. Individuals seeking the Healthy
Homes Specialist credential must:

87. Healthy Homes Specialist
• Be at least 21 years of age;
• Have five years of experience in
housing, environmental health, or public health;
• Achieve a minimum score of 70% on the
qualifying examination; and
• Successfully complete an online home
assessment exercise.

88. Healthy Homes Specialist
• Apply for the HHS credential by completing an
application downloadable at
www.neha.org/credential/HHS.
• Cost of applying for and taking the HHS exam is
$150 NEHA members or $205 non-members.
• For more information on this credential you can
visit www.neha.org to read the fact sheet or
contact NEHA’s Credentialing Staff at
303.756.9090 ext. 339.

89. Healthy Homes Specialist
• Candidates should review the on-line references
to prepare for the exam.
• They may also want to take NCHH's two-day
Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners
Course.

90. Healthy Homes Specialist
• The course covers most - but not all - of the
topics on the exam.
• For the convenience of students who take the
course, the exam will usually be offered at the
end of the second day of the training.

91. Questions?

92. John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Lydia A. Lapotaire, CIEC
www.FloridaIAQ.com