Public health building in Iqaluit contaminated with mold, asbestos

Some molds can affect
human health and well-being.

No matter how far north you are, mold and asbestos concerns can become a health issue.

The Iqaluit Public Health and the Family Practice clinic building has to undergo extensive renovations to fix mold and asbestos concerns, the Nunavut government announced.

An environmental assessment by Ottawa clean air investigators found mold in the relatively old public health building as well as asbestos in floor tiles.

The renovations will take at least four months, during which time Health and Social services needs a temporary location.

The mold concerns need to be addressed, experts say, because some molds can cause asthma, respiratory infections and poisonous, toxic effects in some individuals.

If the asbestos in the floor tiles is disturbed in any way, people in the building may be exposed to airborne asbestos fibers, which have been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma and other lung diseases.

Source: Nunatsiaq Online

Air cleaners for mold and asbestos remediation and restoration projects

During and after mold and asbestos remediation efforts, the indoor air quality in the affected rooms or buildings may be very poor.

The work has to be done by licensed contractors to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

For better indoor air quality, Electrocorp has designed portable and powerful air cleaners for mold and asbestos work that can help provide cleaner, healthier air.

The air cleaners feature the best particle filters (including bag filters and HEPA filters) as well as activated carbon and optional UV germicidal filtration – which can all help in the battle against mold spores, asbestos fibers and odors (as well as countless other contaminants that may be floating around).

Contact Electrocorp for more information and recommendations.
 

Living close to a Superfund site – the long road to remediation

Superfund sites take years to clean up
and redevelop.

When a hazardous waste sites are abandoned, they are often called Superfund sites.

“Superfund” is also the name of the fund established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, which was meant to curb toxic waste dumps.

The fund helps with the remediation of such sites or helps to hold companies and individuals accountable.

The cleanup process of a Superfund site involves a variety of steps, including site assessment, placement on the National Priorities List and the implementation of an appropriate cleanup plan. The actual process can take many years and is monitored with regular samplings that are taken.

The contamination on those sites can be in the ground, the groundwater and in the air in form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Environmental consultants and authorities often have to deal with soil vapor intrusion near those sites, where VOCs and other toxins enter nearby buildings through cracks and tiny fissures in the foundation.

Contamination can occur in nearby homes as well as businesses.

Is there a Superfund site close to you?

If you want to find out if there is a remediation going on close to where you live, you can check out the official EPA Superfund website.

The website details all the steps that need to be taken to start an official assessment and remediation process in case you are concerned about a possible contamination in your area.

During the Risk Assessment stage, the investigator will examine the possible health risks of the toxins at the site. Each Superfund site is unique in terms of the contaminants present and their potential health effects. Therefore, EPA conducts risk assessments on a site-by- site basis.

Minimize vapor intrusion risks with portable air cleaners

Electrocorp works with environmental consultants, consulting firms, environmental agencies and companies to provide industrial air cleaners that safely remove chemicals, gases, vapors, fumes and odors in indoor environments.

The powerful, portable air filters come equipped with the deepest beds of granular activated carbon on the market and provide a cost-effective indoor air quality solution with proven technologies to help reduce human exposure to contaminants.

Electrocorp’s small footprint, high-performance air filtration systems become efficient mitigation allies for challenging vapor intrusion and soil remediation projects that involve single- or two-family dwellings.

Recommended air filtration systems include:

• RAP Series
• RSU Series
• Numerical Series (5000, 6000, 8000) for single family dwellings

Contact Electrocorp today for more information; toll-free: 1-866-667-0297.