Healthy Indoors Magazine
Issue link: https://hi.healthyindoors.com/i/1367386
20 | April 2021 • Don't let your child keep a fish tank in his or her bedroom, as dust-mites can infest the tank's cover (all that warmth, moisture, and yummy protein fish flake food). • Don't keep a pet bird. SEM of respirable bird-bloom particles on a cockatiel feather. May Indoor Air Investigations, LLC be minimized inside buildings, especially if anyone who spends time in the building has chemical sensitivities. Some Tips: If you or anyone in your household has allergies, asthma, or other environmental sensitivities, below are some tips to help you avoid bringing potential sources of IAQ problems into your home. • Be wary about acquiring antique or used furniture and rugs. • If you find that wool clothing irritates your skin, don't use wool rugs. • Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting, which captures biodegradable dust. • Use fragrance-free products. • Use a HEPA-filtered vacuum for all household cleaning. If you hire outside cleaners, insist that they use your vacuum and not their own. • Don't go shopping for books in yard sales or library sales. • Avoid feather-filled goods. • Use a blanket for a pet bed, and wash the blanket periodically. Jeffrey C. May Founder and Principal Scientist of May Indoor Air Investigations LLC in Tyngsborough, MA (www.mayindoorair.com), Jeffrey C. May combines his education as an organic chemist and his over twenty-five years of experience investigating building problems to specialize in indoor air quality (IAQ). He is a former Adjunct Faculty Member in the Department of Work Environment at University of Massachusetts Lowell, and is author or co-author of four books on indoor air quality (published by The Johns Hopkins University Press), including My House is Killing Me: The Home Guide for Families with Allergies and Asthma. Jeff is a nationally recognized speaker at annual con ferences for the IAQ Association and the Maine IAQ Council, among others. He is a Council- Certified Microbial Consultant (ACAC) and a Certified IAQ Professional (AEE), and is licensed in the NH and FL as a mold inspector/assessor. Jeff holds a B.A. from Columbia College (chemistry) and an M.A. from Harvard University (organic chemistry). See http://www.mayindoorair.com for details about Jeff 's company's services, and www.myhouseiskillingme.com for more information about Jeff 's publications and work. You can contact Jeff at jeff@mayindoorair.com or call 978-649-1055. Our new book, the second edition of My House is Killing Me! A Complete Guide to a Healthier Indoor Environment, was published last December. And Part III of our book The Mold Survival Guide: For Your Home and for Your Health focuses on mold remediation and remov- al, including from such personal goods as books, clothing, rugs, and furniture. Both books are published by Johns Hopkins University Press and are available online.