Get to know your indoor neighbors before you buy.
Allergen screen includes:
Dust Mite Allergen (2 types)
German Cockroach Allergen
About Allergens and testing
Did you know?
EPA ranks indoor air pollution amoung the top FIVE environmental risks to
According to the American College of Allergists, 50 percent of all illnesses
are either caused by, or aggravated by, polluted indoor air.
Exposure to dust mites, cat saliva, animal dander and mold is estimated to
cause at least 200,000 emergency room visits by asthma patients each year.
42,000 dust mites can live in 1 ounce of dust.
There are many different contaminants in indoor enviroments that can cause or aggravate allergies. Dust, for example, can contain a multitude of allergens including dust mites, animal dander, and mold spores. A major reservoir for collecting and holding dust in indoor environments is carpet. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH) lists carpet as one of the nine potential sources of biological agents in an occupied space (Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control, ACGIH 1999). Unfortunately, common allergens often get overlooked in a routine evaluation of a building for indoor environmental contaminants.
The International Association of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (IAACI) recommends collecting settled dust to evaluate the exposure of occupants to common allergens. We use the DustChektm vacuum filtration device with a HEPA vac to collect a composite sample from various areas of the house. The collected dust is sent to an Accredited laboratory where it can be analyzed for a variety of allergens. Having dust samples analyzed for potentially elevated levels of allergens is the first step in preventing exposure and decreasing the risk of allergies for the occupants.
How much is too much?
Interpreting the Data
There are Threshold values that have been proposed from numerous studies on allergens in dust. These threshold values are levels at which there is an increased risk of allergy sensitization or reactions in sensitized individuals. Indoor levels should be less than the levels specified in the chart below.
Allergen Proposed Threshold Value
|Dust Mite (Der p 1)||2 micrograms/gram1|
|Dust Mite (der f 1)||2 micrograms/gram1|
|Cat (fel d 1)||8 micrograms/gram1|
|Dog (Can f 1)||10 micrograms/gram2|
|German Cockroach (Bla g 1)||2 units/gram2|