Summer Allergies and Indoor Air Quality

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that just over 1 in 4 adults (25.7%) and nearly 1 in 5 children (18.9%) suffer from a seasonal allergy. While many associate allergies with spring, allergies can be a problem for some people any time of the year, including the summer months.
Summer allergies can be caused by seasonal outdoor culprits, like pollen or mold, or due to the presence of indoor allergens. Depending on where one lives, they may be exposed to a variety of different pollens. Generally speaking, trees usually pollinate during spring, but grasses and weeds can cause pollen allergies throughout the summer months.
High levels of airborne mold are also a common occurrence during the summer months. Outdoors, warm and moist conditions can be conducive for elevated mold spore counts. This can be an issue for people working or enjoying the outdoors. These same spores can also make their way indoors through open doors and windows, and even on people’s clothes and hair.
For those who suffer from mold allergies, they should also consider inspecting their home, school, office or any other indoor spaces where they spend time for the possible presence of indoor mold growth. Mold will quickly begin to grow on many building materials, furnishings and personal belongings when moisture is present due to water damage or elevated humidity levels. Even mold growing out of sight in a crawl space, basement, attic or wall cavity can cause indoor air quality (IAQ) problems.
Dust mites are another common indoor allergen during the summer months. These tiny creatures thrive during warm and humid conditions. Exposure to pet dander is another frequent culprit. Even ground level ozone, an outdoor pollutant found in elevated concentrations in some areas during the hot summer months, can irritate the lungs and exacerbate allergy symptoms.
These are just a few of the many things to know about summer allergies and indoor air quality. To learn more about this or other environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark www.csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. www.emsl.com
LA Testing www.latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental www.zimmetry.com
CTSI www.ctsiweb.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine www.healthyindoors.com