Air Pollution and Its Effects on the Immune System
The adult lung inhales approximately 11,000 Liters of air per day! This presents the respiratory track with high, high volumes of pathogenic and environmental contamination opportunities. The article is a bit dense, but it has been well researched and documented and is a must-read for certain for anyone with known respiratory disease, with a compromised immune system, and to gain a mile-high view of the dangers inherent in air pollution to the human body.
Ventilation Systems Must Get Much Better
There is great disparity in the way we think about and address different sources of environmental infection. Governments have for decades promulgated a large amount of legislation and invested heavily in food safety, sanitation, and drinking water for public health purposes. By contrast, airborne pathogens and respiratory infections, whether seasonal influenza or COVID-19, are addressed fairly weakly, if at all, in terms of regulations, standards, and building design and operation, pertaining to the air we breathe.
American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ARP ESSER): State and Local Educational Agency (LEA)/School District Plans
State and school district/Local Educational Agency (LEAs) plans for using ARP ESSER funds are an important resource for public transparency into the use of ARP ESSER funds. The Department encourages all stakeholders, including parents, families, and educators, to review their State and LEA/school district plans, and to contact State and local education officials to learn more. Links to all ARP ESSER State and LEA/school district plans and approved materials are posted below.
Sick Building Syndrome
Sick building syndrome (also termed environmental illness, building-related illness [BRI], or multiple chemical sensitivity [MCS]) is considered by some clinicians to be an illness in some people after they are exposed to as yet undefined chemical, biological, or physical agents that are thought to be found in building(s). The term was first used in 1986 and has been controversial ever since. BRI (building-related illness) is becoming the more accepted term used in the medical literature.
Human Skin Cells Often a Source of Building Contamination
Human skin cells are a frequently reported biogenic particulate of indoor environments. They have been identified as odor producers, as well as fuel for microbial entities, beyond being a common contaminant of buildings. Over 99 percent of samples collected from both air and surfaces of indoor environments are reported positive for these entities by utilizing microscopic techniques. Non-culture based techniques reveal that it is one of the dominating bio-components in indoor environments, besides other abiogenic and biogenic particulates. Amelioration of these particles provides an enhanced experience of indoor air quality. Management of these building pollutants provides a significant improvement on health, energy and comfort.
The First Four Healthy Building Strategies Every Building Should Pursue to Reduce Risk from COVID-19
Understanding the most probable transmission routes and identifying the risk environments for disease spread should always be among the first critical steps in the response to future disease threats. This is one of the most vital public health lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic: with a well-informed understanding of the dominant mode(s) of transmission of infectious disease, effective control strategies can quickly be specified, higher risk activities and environments can be defined, and public health leaders may then set the course for a response that aims to efficiently and rapidly mitigate widespread transmission.
Schools Spending Millions on Ionization Air Purifiers Often Sold Using Overblown Claims
Last summer, Global Plasma Solutions wanted to test whether the company’s air-purifying devices could kill Covid-19 virus particles, but could find only a lab using a chamber the size of a shoebox for its trials. In the company-funded study, the virus was blasted with 27,000 ions per cubic centimeter. The company said it found a 99% reduction of virus.
The Risks of Burning Wax Candles in your Home
It has been known for a long time that incomplete combustion processes produce by-products that are harmful to human health. Particularly high concentrations of such by-products can arise in indoor environments when operating open flames without venting.
Passive vs. Active Purification: A Guide to 11 Air Filtration Technologies
Since you are reading an ActivePure blog, you already know we’re the best of the bunch. However, you shouldn’t have to take our word for it without understanding other technologies. In this article, we will explain nearly every type of passive and active air purification technology on the market so you can make your own decision. We’ll also explain what is special about ActivePure’s proprietary innovations.
What is a Coronavirus?
For almost a decade, scientists chased the source of a deadly new virus through China's tallest mountains and most isolated caverns. They finally found it in the bats of Shitou Cave. The virus in question was a coronavirus that caused an epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, in 2003. So what exactly is a coronavirus, and how does it spread? Elizabeth Cox explains. [Directed by Anton Bogaty, narrated by Bethany Cutmore-Scott, music by Jarrett Farkas].
Electrostatic Technology for Surface Disinfection in Healthcare Facilities
Studies have shown that less than 50% of environmental surfaces in patient care rooms are properly cleaned and disinfected. High-touch surfaces such as bed rails, bed surfaces, tables, fluid poles, doorknobs, and supply carts have all been identified as having the greatest potential for the transmission of pathogens. Electrostatically applied disinfectant may assist in the battle against preventable infections, and improve the patient experience while increasing hospital revenues.
How Bacteria "Talk" | Bonnie Bassler TED Talk
Bacteria "talk" to each other using a chemical language that lets them coordinate defense and mount attacks; the process is called Quorum Sensing. The find has stunning implications for medicine, industry and our understanding of ourselves.
Chemical Disinfectants as Reviewed by the CDC
In the healthcare setting, “alcohol” refers to two water-soluble chemical compounds—ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol—that have generally underrated germicidal characteristics 482. FDA has not cleared any liquid chemical sterilant or high-level disinfectant with alcohol as the main active ingredient. These alcohols are rapidly bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic against vegetative forms of bacteria; they also are tuberculocidal, fungicidal, and virucidal but do not destroy bacterial spores. Their cidal activity drops sharply when diluted below 50% concentration, and the optimum bactericidal concentration is 60%–90% solutions in water (volume/volume) 483, 484.
Peer Review: Lower infection rates after introduction of a photocatalytic surface coating
Healthcare facilities contain potentially contaminated surfaces that are either difficult to sanitize or prone to recontamination. Photocatalytic materials exhibit antimicrobial activity when exposed to light and provide a safe, durable coating on a wide range of surfaces. We assessed infection rates before and after the introduction of a photocatalytic coating in our facility. Infection rates decreased overall by 30%, a change that was statistically significant (P . .02). Similar changes to the built environment merit additional investigation.
The Hygienic Efficacy of Different Hand-Drying Methods: A Review of the Evidence
The transmission of bacteria is more likely to occur from wet skin than from dry skin; therefore, the proper drying of hands after washing should be an integral part of the hand hygiene process in health care. This article systematically reviews the research on the hygienic efficacy of different hand-drying methods. A literature search was conducted in April 2011 using the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Search terms used were hand dryer and hand drying. The search was limited to articles published in English from January 1970 through March 2011. Twelve studies were included in the review. Hand-drying effectiveness includes the speed of drying, degree of dryness, effective removal of bacteria, and prevention of cross-contamination. This review found little agreement regarding the relative effectiveness of electric air dryers. However, most studies suggest that paper towels can dry hands efficiently, remove bacteria effectively, and cause less contamination of the washroom environment. From a hygiene viewpoint, paper towels are superior to electric air dryers. Paper towels should be recommended in locations where hygiene is paramount, such as hospitals and clinics.