Bacteria and other contaminants in hotel rooms

Hotel rooms can be full of
bacteria and other pollutants.

No matter how diligent hotels are with their cleaning regimen – the lack of cleaning standards and other factors allow many surfaces to be contaminated, researchers say.

Scientists from the University of Houston examined surfaces of hotel rooms and found television remotes to be the most contaminated with bacteria. Also, items on the housekeeping cart can potentially lead to cross-contamination between rooms, they say.

Most hotels and guests judge a room’s cleanliness by how clean it looks, but this is an ineffective method of measuring levels of sanitation.

Contaminated surfaces can spread infections during outbreaks in hotels, and immunocompromised individuals may be specifically at risk, the researchers warn.

As expected, other highly contaminated surfaces included the toilet and bathroom sink as well as the bedside lamp switch.

Source: The American Society for Microbiology

Other pollutants in hotel rooms

Mold - Typical causes for mold in hotels are deficient air conditioning systems and air and water leaks in the building walls. Most hotel rooms have little fresh air exchange and let mold and bacteria thrive in an environment of vinyl wall paper and shower steam.

Pesticides – It may be bed bugs or other insects or pests thathave invaded a hotel – but the use of pesticides can be quite dangerous to hotel guests as well, since they often contain toxic chemicals.

Chemicals – Building materials, furniture, textiles, carpets and other substances in hotel rooms may off-gas chemicals and volatile organic compounds that can be irritants and known health hazards. Other chemical pollutants come from cleaning products and personal care products as well as air fresheners.

Allergens - The hotel's mattress, pillow, rug, drapery and upholstered furniture can all easily collect dust, mites and bodily secretions — all of which can cause reactions in allergy sufferers.

Tobacco smoke – Smoking is banned in many hotels, but certain rooms may be designated as smoke rooms (and certain guests may light up, anyway). Stale tobacco smoke is difficult to eradicate and can leave behind harmful chemicals and toxins.

Air cleaners for hotels

Air cleaners for hypoallergenic
hotel rooms, odor control,
mold control and more.

Using non-toxic materials and products whenever possible, implementing a strict cleaning regimen and making sure there is adequate ventilation can all help to improve indoor air quality in hotels – but the right air cleaner will provide cleaner and healthier air around the clock.

The best air cleaners for hotels feature a combination of activated carbon, HEPA and a UV lamps to remove odors, chemicals, gases, particles, dust, mold spores, bacteria and viruses from the air. They should be easy to use, quiet and equipped with long-lasting filters.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and the best air cleaners for your hotel, motel, inn or hospitality business.
  

Saving energy without compromising health

Indoor air quality is a huge concern in today’s efforts to make homes more energy-efficient

Airtight buildings and homes can affect the occupants'
health and well-being, experts say.

People all over North America are putting their renovation dollars where they think it counts – in eco-efficient updates and insulated structures that tighten up homes.

But while saving energy and thereby money in form of fuel costs is a good idea in general, it should not be done without special consideration to potential health impacts.

Airtight buildings do not have a natural air exchange between indoor and outdoor air that older buildings may have and insufficient ventilation and higher concentrations of indoor air pollutants have become serious public health risks.

Some of the most serious concerns include

• Buildup of allergens indoors that can cause or aggravate conditions
• VOCs like formaldehyde from constructions materials, flooring, cabinets, furniture and other sources
• Toxic chemicals from new computers, appliances and common household cleaning products
• Mold from lack of ventilation and high humidity or moisture problems
• Undetected high levels of radon, the second leading cause of lung cancer
• Carbon monoxide from appliances, fireplaces and other sources

Poor indoor air quality can cause people to experience symptoms of sick building syndrome and respiratory effects. It is no wonder that asthma rates are rising exponentially.

In any home, whether energy upgrades are being done or not, indoor air quality needs to be considered and measures need to be taken to keep indoor air pollution to a minimum.

Source: Maine Indoor Air Quality Council

Remove indoor air pollutants during and after home upgrades

Choosing the most eco-friendly and non-toxic materials and making sure there is adequate ventilation during and after renovation or building projects are important steps to better indoor air quality – but after all is said and done, an air cleaner with the right air filters will provide the most complete protection from airborne pollutants.

Electrocorp has designed portable air cleaners for a wide range of industrial and commercial applications that will also be the safest and most effective air filtration systems during and after home energy upgrades and construction projects.

The air cleaners feature a deep-bed activated carbon filter as well as HEPA filtration and optional UV lamps to capture not only airborne chemicals, VOCs, gases, fumes and odors but also particles, dust, allergens, mold, bacteria, viruses and other toxins.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.

Students and staff exposed to radon in schools

Radon can enter thousands of classrooms in the U.S.

United States classrooms may be contaminated with radon, experts say.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that enters buildings through cracks and openings in the foundation and exterior.

It is a known carcinogenic and the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoke.

Once it seeps into buildings, radon can build up to dangerously high levels.

Since radon can enter any home or building, schools are no exception, but many schools could do more to protect students and staff by testing for radon and making sure that exposure is minimal, they say.

If a student is exposed at 4 picocuries per liter (the EPA’s action level), it is about the same as smoking half a pack of cigarettes per day, experts say.

There is no federal law mandating radon testing, so it is up to individual schools and districts to make the call.
Many school districts don’t test for radon because they say they don’t have the funds.

The EPA estimates that more than 70,000 classrooms across the country are at risk.

Source: UPI

Provide a healthy environment in schools

Radon is not the only polluting factor in the school environment.

Students and staff are often exposed to chemicals and gases, stuffy air, particles and dust, allergens like pollen, mold and other indoor air contaminants.

In many schools, the ventilation system is unable to provide the amount of fresh air that is needed to keep students and staff healthy and productive.

Electrocorp offers high quality air cleaners for schools and universities that can help remove those contaminants from the ambient air.

The air cleaners are equipped with an effective and reliable filtration system with deep-bed activated carbon filters for the removal of chemicals, VOCs, odors and gases, a HEPA filter for particles, dust and allergens and optional UV germicidal filtration for the neutralization of bacteria, viruses and mold.

For more information and options, contact Electrocorp today.


Related posts:

• Radon - An air quality threat in schools
• Video: Indoor air pollution in schools
• Students need better air quality in schools

Allergies at work – how to control symptoms

Allergies can lead to poor productivity
and missed work days, experts say.

Allergies are on the rise, and economists are warning about the impact they have on a company’s bottom line.

A study published in Current Research and Opinion reported that about 55 percent of employees experienced hay fever symptoms for an average of 52.5 days and they missed an average of 3.6 days per year because of their allergies.

During the allergy seasons, they could be unproductive for about 2.3 hours per workday because of their symptoms.

A different study, published in the American Journal of Managed Care, estimated that allergies cost companies more than $601 million in total lost productivity each year.

Lost productivity and missed work days were common when it came to allergies because the symptoms could be pretty rough on workers.

Beside sniffling and sneezing (which workers might have been able to ignore), many employees suffer from sore throats, headaches, sinus infections, itchy eyes, fatigue and general malaise.

According to allergists, many workers could treat their allergies more aggressively to prevent these symptoms from interfering with their work.

Treatment possibilities include

• Begin taking medications earlier: Instead of waiting for allergy symptoms to become almost unbearable, taking allergy medications earlier can help prevent complications. Earlier means a few weeks before allergy season starts.
    
• Stick with your meds: Some medications (like nasal sprays) take up to five days to be effective, so stopping after a few days won’t do. Ask your health care provider if nothing seems to be working.
    
• Don’t forget nights: A good night’s sleep is important for productivity and well-being. Experts suggest taking an antihistamine at night. Opt for one that can make you drowsy.
    
• Keep eye drops handy: Prescription antihistamine eye drops can help control symptoms when you first feel an itch coming on.
    
• Use an air purifier to control airborne allergens and pollen: Keeping an air purifier with a HEPA filter in the bedroom and at work can help control exposure to allergens and other pollutants.

Source: Fox News

Air cleaners for the office and home

Electrocorp offers highly efficient and portable air purifiers for those suffering from allergies and asthma.

They can be used in the office or at home and they provide maximum particle and allergen control with the best HEPA filters as well as deep-bed activated carbon filters and other filters to remove pollutants that might cause or aggravate allergic symptoms.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.

Sick buildings star in architecture exhibition

Many contemporary buildings suffer
from poor indoor air quality.

A new exhibition at the Canadian Centre of Architecture (CCA) in Montreal steps inside the contemporary urban environment to examine what is wrong with modern buildings.

Entitled Imperfect Health: The Medicalization of Architecture, the exhibition looks at how architecture is addressing common public concerns such as pollution, food safety, allergies, smog, asthma, cancer, obesity, epidemics and aging.

Indoor air quality has become a major factor for architects designing buildings and landscapes, who are taking steps to reduce allergens and provide cleaner air.

Exhibition looks at past mistakes

Part of the exhibition looks back at previous attempts of architects trying to improve living conditions with building design.

One such example is asbestos, the once widely used flame retardant material that has been identified as a major health threat and carcinogen.

Previous visions of having airtight buildings protecting inhabitants from outside air pollution has the opposite effect, resulting in accumulations of indoor air contaminants like allergens, chemicals, mold and bacteria and coining the term “sick building.”

New designs, new ideas

High-rise buildings rely on elevators and escalators, but new designs like the one at Cooper Union in New York promote activity and energy savings by offering wide staircases and not letting elevators stop before the fifth floor.

Other new ideas are the use of hypoallergenic plants in neighborhood parks, “breathing” buildings.
For more information, visit cca.qc.ca.

Source: Montreal Gazette

Improve indoor air quality with versatile air cleaners

Electrocorp's I-6500:
An air cleaner that delivers.

Better indoor air quality (IAQ) has been linked to more productivity, less absenteeism and improved well-being of the occupants.

Electrocorp has designed industrial-strength air cleaners for a wide range of applications, including facility management, offices and office printers, asbestos and mold remediation and environmental consulting, among many others.

The air cleaners are stand-alone or HVAC-compatible and they feature a multistage filtration system with activated carbon, HEPA and UV to remove the widest range of pollutants possible.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and the best option for your IAQ concern.