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InspectAPedia ® Home ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR FILTERS, OPTIMUM INDOOR AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES AIR TEST FOR MOLD: ACCURACY AIR TEST SAMPLING CASSETTE STUDY ALLERGEN TESTS for buildings ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING ALLERGY & MOLD IAQ PRODUCTS ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY ANIMAL ALLERGENS / PET DANDER ANIMAL ENTRY POINTS in BUILDINGS ANIMAL ODORS IN BUILDINGS ASBESTOS CLEANUP COMPANIES ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS ASBESTOS RISK ASSESSMENT BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BIBLIOGAPHY for ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BOD WASTEWATER TEST Bisphenol-A, BPA BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLEACHING MOLD, Advice about BOOK MOLD, Moldy Book Cleaning BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE CACTUS FUNGI / MOLD CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CAR MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET PADDING ASBESTOS, MOLD, ODORS CARPET FUNGICIDAL SPRAY CARPET STAIN DIAGNOSIS CARPET & other STAIN TESTS CARPET TEST PROCEDURE CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY CARPETING, SELECTION & INSTALLATION CAT DANDER in buildings CAT DANDER REMOVAL Cell phone Radiation Hazards CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS in WATER COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CPSC Indoor Air Pollution Book Online Copy DIRECTORY of MOLD / ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERTS DIRT FLOOR MOLD CONTAMINATION Disinfectants Disinfecting Buildings with Bleach DRYWALL MOLD DRINKING WATER Diethylstilbestrol - DES DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS DUST, HVAC CONTAMINATION STUDY DUST SAMPLING PROCEDURE EMERGENCY RESPONSE, IAQ, GAS, MOLD EMF MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES ENVIRO-SCARE - PUBLIC FEAR CYCLES FIBERGLASS HAZARDS FIBERGLASS INSULATION MOLD Fireplaces & Woodstove Contaminants FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOOR TYPES & DEFECTS FORMALDEHYDE HAZARDS GASES, EXPOSURE, TESTING GAS DETECTION INSTRUMENTS GAS EXPOSURE LIMITS & STANDARDS HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LIGHT, GUIDE to FORENSIC USE LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards Legionella Legionnaires' Disease METHANE GAS SOURCES MILDEW in BUILDINGS ? MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD or INDOOR AIR EMERGENCY RESPONSE MOTHS, MOTHBALL ODORS MSDS Material Safety Data Sheets MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS Nanomaterials Hazards NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE OZONE HAZARDS OZONE for MOLD OR ODORS PAINTS & COATINGS ODORS IN BUILDINGS PARTICLE SIZES & IAQ Particulates & Allergens Indoors Pesticide Exposure Hazards PET ALLERGENS / PET DANDER PET STAINS on FLOORS PET STAINS on WALLS PLASTIC ODORS-SCREENS, SIDING PLUMBING SYSTEM ODORS Pollen Photos PVC - VINYL BUILDING PRODUCTS RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS SEWAGE CONTAMINATION in BUILDINGS SEWAGE BACKUP, WHAT TO DO SEWER GAS ODORS SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors STAIN & BIODETERIORATION AGENT CATALOG STAINS on & in BUILDINGS, CAUSES & CURES STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING EXTERIORS STAIN DIAGNOSIS on BUILDING INTERIORS SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL SOURCES TERMITES TEST KITS for DUST, MOLD, PARTICLE TESTS Thermal Expansion Cracking of Brick THERMAL IMAGING, THERMOGRAPHY THERMAL IMAGING MOLD SCANS THERMAL TRACKING & THERMAL BRIDGING TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing UV LIGHT BLACK LIGHT USES VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING VENTILATION in BUILDINGS VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs WASTEWATER TREATMENT BASICS WATER ODORS, CAUSE CURE WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE World Trade Center Collapse Dust Photos More Information |
Photo guide to common indoor allergens: this article uses photographs to illustrate and help identify various indoor allergens like mold, cat allergens, dog allergens, mouse or rodent allergens, dust mites, cockroach and other insect fragments, mite fecals, and other help in identification of indoor allergens such as cockroaches, dust mites, fleas, house dust, mold, mildew, pet dander, pollen. Also see Animal Allergens: Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Cleanup & Prevention Information for Asthmatics and regarding Indoor Air Quality. Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman. Photographs of Indoor Allergens and Allergenic ParticlesCat Dander and Cat Hair in buildings
Cat dander (the black kitten Pippin at above left) is for many people a more serious allergen (and asthma aggravator) than dog dander (the dog katie, above left). Our page top photo shows insect jaws collected during a survey for dust containing cockroach parts and allergens. At ALLERGEN TESTS for buildings we discuss procedures for screening buildings for high levels of various allergens and irritants. Also see BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS for information about recognizing and removing these indoor contaminants. Where toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic mold is a concern in buildings, see MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE and MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE. At ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE we discuss the types of allergy and allergy exposure tests used for humans. At ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY we discuss the accuracy and limitations of these tests. Cat dander is widespread and we even find it present, usually at lower levels, in offices and homes where no cats reside. Animal dander may be brought in by dust and clothing on visitors. Our second photo (above left) shows cat hair in the microscope. Details about finding and removing animal dander in buildings are provided at CAT DANDER in buildings. Dog Dander and Dog Hair in buildings
Our photos above show dog dander (along with human skin cells) stained pink with acid fuchsin to aid visibility for the photograph). Our photo at right shows dog hair collected in an indoor dust sample, in this case the hair is further identified as from a golden retriever. Testing people for exposure to allergens is a different activity from testing buildings for the presence of animal or other allergens. When human tests, such as the ELISA and RAST tests for exposure to allergens, indicate that someone has been exposed to problematic levels of animal allergens, there may still be confusion about just where the exposure is occurring. We discuss testing buildings for presence of allergenic particles such as dog dander, cat dander, insect or roach fragments, etc. at ALLERGEN TESTS for buildings. Pet control - if you can't say goodbye to your bird, cat, dog, guinea pig, hamster, tropical fish, then limit the areas they occupy and limit the airflow from that area to sleeping or other areas of the building, use allergenic bedding, eliminate wall-to-wall carpeting, improve housecleaning including use of a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner. For more details see our article Dog, Cat, and Other Animal Dander - Information for Asthmatics and Indoor Air Quality ELISA and RAST tests for Allergen Exposure - The BasicsELISA "enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay" is a rapid immunochemical test procedure that involves an enzyme (a protein that catalyzes a biochemical reaction) that tests for hormones, bacterial antigens, and antibodies. ELISA testing also involves an antibody or antigen (immunologic molecules). RAST is an older allergen test (exposure detection) in popular use for testing humans, radioallergosorbent test, an IgE test: In this test, a sample of blood is taken, mixed with the suspected allergen, and the level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) is measured. IgE is an antibody produced by the immune system that indicates an allergic reaction. The ELISA and RAST allergen exposure tests, their accuracy and their usefulness are discussed at ALLERGEN TESTS for buildings. Cockroach Fecals, Fragments, Hairs as Indoor Allergens and Causes of AsthmaPhotos and Examples of Dust Mites and Dust Mite Fecals in buildings
Fiberglass Insulation Mold comments about a field study in process, & more about health hazards from fiberglass insulation - DJF Fleas and Bedbugs as serious building pests also may produce allergens. Pollen Allergens in Building Air and Dust Samples
Mice and Rats in buildings as Allergen SourcesMold Allergens and Toxins in buildings
Check With Your Doctor About Allergens and About Whether or Not Building Tests for Allergens or Mold are RecommendedOf course since individual sensitivity to allergens varies, we suggest that anyone suffering from allergies and considering steps to further clean their home should also consult with their allergist and their general physician.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the detection & identification of common indoor allergens and related particlesQuestion: what are the particles that come out of a household vacuum cleaner?I wish you had more photos of things that come out of a vacuum. My apartment has old carpet and the previous owner had cats. For about 6 months now I've had to dust out my vacuum after every room twice a week. The can has flat heavy grey mounds in it and the filter is loaded with fine white to light grey powder. Is this against the law? Our agent says they do Not change carpet while occupied. I never cared about the burns or the stains that came back after we moved in, but this dust never ever goes away Reply:Karen, the main particles collected from a carpet used on floor surfaces will be carpet fibers and non-fungal granular debris - road dirt and dust. Here we illustrate the more common and perhaps irritating particles found in carpeting, except that mold is dealt with separately as it's such a large topic. See CARPET MOLD. Question: which particles are mite fecals and which are mold sporesYour picture on the web site of the dust mite waste and penicillin does not allow the viewer to know which is which. After considering it for a while I believe the segmented one must be the penicillin, - Frank - 9/13/12 Reply:Thanks for the question, Frank. In the article above we have changed the text to make clear that the larger particles are the dust mite fecals - they are much much larger than typical Penicillium or Aspergillus mold spores. ... Ask a Question or Search InspectApediaQuestions & answers about how to identify common indoor allergens and related particles by transmitted light microscopy.. Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below. Technical Reviewers & References
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING - see detailed links at page top & left
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