Carpet provides an extra benefit as a "trap" or "filter," holding dust and dirt. It acts as a "sink" for dusts, soil, chemical and biological pollutants including pesticides, dust mites, and fungi. Many of us assume that the poor Indoor Environmental Air Quality is cause by the HVAC (Air-Conditioning)
The issue of indoor air quality is a serious problem that continues to become more prevalent everyday.
"Sick Building Syndrome": A growing concern to all people involved in the offices. Indoor air quality is not only hazardous to our health, but also hazardous to the economic life of our businesses. Drops in productivity, increased health care costs and absenteeism's due to MC, are all problems that we don't want to deal with.
Indoors air pollution problems were magnified when the energy efficiency standards and materials used by architects and designers changed dramatically in the early 1970's. Circulation of air in an office building was reduced by 80%. With poor circulation, this literally left the door wide open to the many pollutants, bacteria, mold, and mildew that we struggle with everyday.
Working within these pollutant laden enclosed spaces, it is no wonder that many of the Singaporean employees develop symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, burning eyes, and upper respiratory complaints just to name a few. Over time though, the severity steadily gets worse as exposure is prolonged. Reaction to indoor pollutants usually occur 1 to 2 hours after they arrive to work and last 3 to 4 hours after they get home from work.
For those who would like learn more on Sick Building Syndrome and indoor air quality, please visit http://www.iaqsg.com
The biggest sources of microbial growth are fabric furnishings such as carpets, upholstery, and drapes where dirt and moisture get trapped. Microbes are a part of our everyday lives. They are found on all environmental surfaces, in the air and in the water associated with normal or catastrophic events. Microbes can, given certain conditions, multiply from one organism to more than one billion in just 18 hours. Unfortunately, most people think that since they cannot even see these organisms, they offer no real threat to us humans. In reality these microscopic beasts, among other factors, are being implicated as primary and contributory factors leading to an array of health concerns in the work place.
The Fuzzy Gray Stuff
Microorganisms (or microbes) are part of our everyday lives and environments. By definition, in their smallest form they are microscopic or too small to see with the naked eye. By the time they are large enough to see, you aren't looking a one microorganism;
Airborne Pollution
Although most organisms grow on receptive building surfaces, they and their spores become airborne through normal occupant traffic and activities such as vacuuming. Once airborne, the HVAC systems, chases and elevator shafts efficiently transport the microorganisms throughout the building. They settle on other receptive surfaces and quickly begin to reproduce. One good growth source for a particular organism can quickly result in outbreaks in every part of a building.
The Solution
In 1969, researchers at Dow Corning Corporation (a Fortune 500 Company) discovered Aegis Antimicrobial a unique way to attach biocidal agents permanently and directly to a wide variety of surfaces. The resulting non-volatile polymer is unique among antimicrobials in that it does not create a zone of inhibition and does not dissipate over time. This extraordinary technology permits the continuous, durable activity against mildew that is required to prevent infestation. Also, because the material does not lose effectiveness through absorption or dissipation, microorganisms have never been shown to develop immunity against it.
For the very first time, Dow Corning's new technology made it possible to actually control the growth and development of mildew and other microorganisms on any treated surface - even after repeated cleanings and extended use.
Surfaces treated with the durable and broad spectrum ÆGIS Antimicrobial. The durable aspects of the ÆGIS Microbe Shield treatment provided a barrier to re-growth to the office-building environment. Over the last ten years there have been no new building related illness cases where Aegis is applied and the environment has stayed fresh and absent of fungal stains. This has been accomplished in spite of the breakdown of the HVAC system, storm damage, broken water pipes, and the heavy use of the building.
This unique technology, ÆGIS Anti microbial, has been widely used and is well reported on for its long-term effectiveness in the control of microbial contamination in indoor environments. Case histories and peer review publications show how this material, as part of a total IEQ program, provides relief and protection from indoor microbial problems. Please visit http://www.aegisasia.com/
