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This paper discusses electromagnetic radiation or electromagnetic fields (EMF) as a possible cancer risk and offers a brief analysis of the probable cancer risk from EMF compared with other hazards. It graphs the effect of fear of power lines and EMF exposure as well as other environmental concerns as it affects property values over time.

We define "Enviro-Scare" (ES) and we use this cyclic fear pattern to describe the variation and effects of the level of public environmental worry by recapping the enviro-scare history of asbestos, EMF, UFFI, and other environmental concerns. The red graph depicts the varying level of ES or public fear for a given environmental concern. ES generally increases, peaks, and then diminishes over time, independently of the actual level of risk.

As people become acclimated to the particular topic it loses its initial shock value. Links to other resources include EMF Procedures & Causes of EMF Measurement Error & Variation . © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links 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.

What is an Electromagnetic Field (EMF) or Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR)

Every (electric) current going through a wire generates magnetic radiation which travels around the wire. There is continuing controversy regarding possible health effects of exposure to this radiation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Navy performed a study which reported that 5 out of 6 laboratories found increased levels of embryological changes in chickens when exposed to magnetic radiation.

Other tests have shown biological effects on mice, miniature pigs, and humans. Recent articles claim or at least suspect that exposure to high levels of ELF radiation is a factor in leukemia in children. A recent article in The New Yorker Magazine along with other media reports have focused public attention on this topic.

Magnetic radiation surveys measure Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) and Very Low Frequency (VLF) fields which have nothing to do with high frequency radioactivity such as radon, X-rays, and so-called ionizing radiation. In a separate article we report on several recent studies and articles which discuss the health issues regarding ELF and VLF radiation.

Magnetic radiation is produced by high tension power lines, but also by ordinary secondary lines, power transformers, household wiring, certain electric radiant heating devices, improperly grounded appliances.

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ENVIRO-SCARE, EMF & Property Values
  WHAT IS EMF?
  EMF Cancer Scare
  EMF Levels of Cancer Risk
  Prioritizing Risks
EMF MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES
EMF SURVEY PROCEDURE - Details
  References for Electromagnetic Fields and Cancer
ENVIRO-SCARE Defined, Effects
  Asbestos Enviro-Scare
  EMF Enviro-Scare
  Fiberglass Enviro-Scare
  Lead Enviro-Scare
  Mold Enviro-Scare
  RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION
  Radon Enviro-Scare
  UFFI Enviro-Scare
ENVIRO-SCARE Effects on Property Values
WORKSHEET for EMF MEASUREMENTS
WORKSHEET for EMF MEASUREMENTS - Example
WORKPLACE EXPOSURE to Electromagnetic Fields

What is "Enviro-Scare" and What Public Fear About Environmental Hazards Mean to Building Owners

We coined the term "Enviro-Scare" in the 1980's to describe the cyclic growth then decline of consumer fear about various environmental issues. As I indicated at the introduction, the graph depicts the varying level of public fear or "Enviro-Scare" for a given environmental concern. This pattern also occurs for many other public anxieties.

"Enviro-scare" generally increases, peaks, and then diminishes over time. The level of fear in an enviro-scare curve is mapped on the chart's vertical axis, increasing from the chart bottom towards its top. Time is mapped on the horizontal axis, increasing from left to right.

The phases of the enviro-scare cycle: increasing fear, peak fear, and declining fear map the curve's up-slope, peak, and declining slope. This behavior can be represented by a normal curve. At its right end the curve approaches zero (no fear) but never quite reaches it.

Predictability: The level of Enviro-Scare (ES), or consumer concern, moves in a predictable pattern: increasing fear, peak, then declining fear. What is significant is that the level of public fear follows this pattern based on mediate attention and a public perception of risk, rather than on the actual risk of a particular hazard.

Thus both genuinely dangerous conditions and those which are really insignificant both follow the ES cycle. This pattern of human response to frightening conditions has been documented in other fields, such as public fear of crime waves, and in another form, public enthusiasm for particular products - the "Dutch Tulip Mania" at the turn of the last century or the "pet rock" come to mind.

The two colors and two different curve slopes in the illustration here simply portray two different enviro-scare topics, one of which increases faster and reaches a higher level of concern than another.

Having worked with building owners and buyers for quite some time, we have personally observed the "enviro-scare" cycle across a variety of environmental hazards, some real and important and some at least eventually considered probably insignificant. The statements below about the current level of enviro-scare on each topic discussed are simply the author's opinion based on contact with home owners, buyers, and Building inspectors in U.S. More scientific surveys could certainly be designed and conducted.

Enviro-Scare about Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation - UFFI and Cancer

Here is a summary of the actual health risks and property value risks associated with UFFI or urea formaldehyde foam insulation. See  Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI for details about UFFI insulation.

This foam insulation was a popular insulation retrofit product used in the 1970's. As an expanding foam insulation it was mixed on-site and pumped into building wall or other cavities in older buildings which were not previously insulated.

Some research suggested that formaldehyde out gassing from the insulation formed a significant cancer risk. The level of formaldehyde that out gassed from UFFI depended in part on how the foam product was mixed at the site, and not all building insulation projects using this substance produced the same level of formaldehyde.

Eventually, additional study suggested that the initial cancer risk from formaldehyde was not supported, at least in this application.

More interesting to me was the observation that perhaps largely because this insulation formed an open-celled foam, even if there were high initial formaldehyde out gassing levels, after months or at most a few years, even careful measurements were unable to detect any levels of ongoing formaldehyde out gassing from this material.

Only people hypersensitive to chemicals seem to have any remaining reaction to this material, and even in that case a study of such reactions is complicated by the observation that higher levels of formaldehyde out gassing from building products occurs from some furniture padding and from some glues or finishes used in chipboard based cabinets or sub flooring.

Yet at the peak of the UFFI enviro-scare, and exacerbated by inconsistent advice offered by government and private health experts, some buildings were sold at a significant discount to allow for extensive gutting, cleaning, and re-insulating of building cavities. Inspecting several such projects it was interesting to note that the one real defect of this insulation product was that depending on how it was mixed, it shrank after installation, leaving gaps of no actual insulation at the top and sides of wall cavities - it wasn't the perfect insulating seal that was promised, but it was not the carcinogen that was feared.

The current level of public fear of UFFI is quite low, but because some people are either hyper sensitive to chemicals in their environment, or because others have a very high level of concern for any environmental or possible environmental issue, consumer concern for this issue has not fallen to zero. See  Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI for details about UFFI insulation.

Enviro-Scare about Asbestos in Buildings: asbestos pipe insulation in buildings and asbestosis, & asbestos cement building siding

Here is a summary of the health risks and property value risks associated with exposure to asbestos in buildings.

Asbestos, a natural mineral fiber mined from the ground includes very small fibers which, if inhaled, can form a possible cause of lung cancer, in particular mesothelioma.

There is no doubt that exposure to high levels of airborne asbestos has been demonstrated to be a serious health hazard (John Mansville's class action lawsuit).

At the peak of the asbestos enviro-scare, very costly asbestos abatement projects were performed. After many cases of inadvertent cross-contamination of building areas by asbestos stirred-up during removal, a careful discipline for asbestos abatement was developed as well as training and licensing requirements.

Current "best-advice" for asbestos pipe insulation in buildings is to leave it alone unless it is in poor condition (falling off) or it is in a location subject to mechanical damage and release in an occupied area. That's because it was discovered that the asbestos level in buildings was worse from it being disturbed than if it were left alone. The current level of public enviro-scare about asbestos has diminished significantly, but as with UFFI, not to zero.

See IDENTIFICATION of ASBESTOS in BUILDINGS for details about the visual identification of asbestos-containing materials in buildings.

Cement asbestos siding enviroscare? Some consumers may also be worried about owning, re-selling, maintaining or remodeling a home whose exterior is clad with cement-asbestos shingles.

Cement asbestos shingles are a cementious material, not friable, and unlikely to release a measurable level of fibers into the air around a building unless the siding is being attacked with power tools such as saws, sanders, or during actual building demolition.

If, however, demolition of this material is planned, some communities may require special handling and special disposal, adding to the remodeling or demolition cost. For this reason some owners simply install new siding atop the old, burying it in the building where it is not visible and where it will not be damaged by other building activities.

More advice about asbestos cement building siding as well as its repair or replacement with fiber cement shingles that do not contain asbestos can be read at Asbestos Siding Materials.

Who pays for building inspections and environmental tests:

When a building is being purchased, the responsibility for identifying (testing for) and planning to deal with asbestos materials in a building usually rests with the building buyer, as it should: the buyer needs to be absolutely sure that any inspections or tests on a building, including the home inspection, are done by a person with no conflicts of interest.

In some transactions the ultimate cost of tests may be negotiated between the buyer and seller, but if the buyer hires and pays for the inspector, all parties, seller, buyer, realtors, attorneys, are protected from a possible conflict of interest and fear of biased or careless inspecting and reporting.

Enviro-Scare about Radon gas in buildings and lung cancer

Here is a summary of the health risks and property value risks associated with radon gas.

Radon, a radioactive but odorless and colorless gas occurs naturally in the soil in some areas. Radon has been associated with lung cancer among people exposed to high levels such as those working in mines.

This data was extrapolated to suggest a possible lung cancer risk if radon reached high levels in residential buildings, into which it might seep from soils below.

Because the radon level in a building varies widely over time, the US EPA suggested that homes with radon above 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) based on a short term (typically 4-day) test should perform additional longer-term study to see what the actual annual average exposure is. Here's where things got sticky.

Some homeowners are employed by companies requiring that they move to a new city from time to time. Some such employees are offered relocation assistance including the purchase of their present home so as to free-up their investment to purchase a new property. Independent "relocation companies" formed to handle this transaction and to actually carry the older home in their property inventory until it could be sold.

Because the relocation companies didn't want to risk discovering that they were holding a high-radon home that might require a $2000-$2500 (typically) repair, these firms took the position that any home (being offered to the relocation plan service) having a screening-test radon level of 4 pCi/L (or above) must be remediated before they would accept the property.

This position converted the EPA's recommendation for further testing into a requirement that thousands of homes at or close to 4 pCi/L of radon must be remediated. The actual risk to a building occupant from radon at this level is practically nil. Put it this way: if you breathe radon-contaminated air at 4 pCi/L for 18 hours a day for 70 years, then if you get lung cancer at the end of that period, only then, at that exposure level, could you say that the radon may have caused the lung cancer. Contracting lung cancer before then would be indistinguishable from the general risk level in the population.

Now to be fair, radon risk increases exponentially at higher levels, and is perhaps 80 times greater for people who smoke cigarettes. But in effect, thousands of homes were "remediated" at a level of radon of or close to 4 pCi/L without having demonstrated an actual health risk. The current level of public enviro-scare about radon is low but not zero, most-likely because of increased familiarity with the issues and because the remediation cost is less than for UFFI and asbestos.

For a thorough discussion of radon hazards in buildings, radon exposure risk levels, cancer risks for radon in air or water, radon measurement advice, and how to mitigate a high indoor radon level, see Radon Hazards, a chapter of our INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE.

Also see Guide to Measuring Radon for radon measurement advice, and see Ancillary Tests for suggestions for simple inexpensive ways to test for radon gases in buildings.

Enviro-Scare about Lead in building Paint or Water Supply Piping and Neurological or other health risks

How Serious is the Environmental Hazard from Lead in Paint

Lead in paint is likely to be a real risk in buildings, especially to children. The actual risk depends on the dose: the actual level of lead consumed. Building conditions which increase the risk of lead paint ingestion include the location of surfaces where lead paint was used, the condition of the surface, activities which release lead-dust such as certain types of cleaning, sliding window sashes up and down, and building renovation work.

Lead was used as paint in buildings in the U.S. up to 1978, so unless a pre-1978 building has no painted surfaces it's reasonable to assume that lead paint is present. Thus superficial testing for the "presence/absence" of lead paint is not a step I'd recommend, though for appropriate cases I do recommend a lead survey by a qualified expert.

Lead enviro-scare has generated an industry selling "lead tests" for paint, often based on rather unreliable chemical swabs. A trained expert, using an x-ray inferometer, can sample the appropriate building surfaces at a property and will prepare a document describing the important risks and should prepare a lead abatement plan if action is needed. Some U.S. states such as Massachusetts require lead abatement in buildings at the time of property transfer.

Because any pre-1978 painted building is likely to have lead paint on some surfaces, homes for sale and with this enviro-scare hazard are not particularly stigmatized (from a property valuation concern for lead paint) since most homes of similar age have the same paint concerns. The result is a flatter enviro-scare curve, with its right-hand tail leveling out higher above zero. The current level of enviro-scare about lead in paint is moderate and probably stable.

See LEAD TEST KIT for HOME USE for a simple test kit for lead on building surfaces, pottery, toys, etc.

How Serious is the Environmental Hazard from Lead in Water

Sources of lead in drinking water include several items:

• lead in the actual drinking water source - uncommon in most areas, possible, and detected by water supply testing.
• lead in water supply piping, street mains, or the service lateral from street to building - common in buildings built before 1950 especially in the Northeastern United States.
  
  The amount of lead in water piped through lead lines is a function of the total amount of lead piping, the aggressiveness or corrosivity of the water supply (regulated for public water supplies), and the length of time that water sits idle in the pipe, thus dissolving lead into itself.
  
  Thus the highest lead in water reading would be obtained in a test which collected water which has sat in the lead lines for some period of disuse, such as overnight. Lead in such a sample is likely to be many times greater than the amount of lead in a water sample collected after the lines have been flushed out.
• lead in water which sat idle in a well pump whose internal parts included lead-containing brass.
  
  The water volume resting in an idle pump cavity is so minuscule that the lead hazard from this source is most-likely so low as to not bear consideration, though when first discovered this source generated its own 18-month enviro-scare about lead in well pump parts.
• lead in water supply piping from lead-bearing copper pipe solder. The level of lead from this source will follow a pattern discussed above for actual lead piping, though one would expect it to be at a much lower level.

The current level of enviro-scare about lead in water piping is moderate and probably stable.

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.

LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
  Lead levels in blood
  How lead enters the body
  Sources of Lead
  Lead Based Paint
  Lead Paint Surveys
  Lead Plumbing Lead in Water
  Lead Toys, Jewelry
  Report on the National Survey of Lead-Based Paint
  Lead in Air - U.S. Lead Emissions Standards
LEAD CONTAMINATION HAZARDS in the HOME
LEAD CONTAMINATION in WATER, HOW to TEST
  Lead Contamination from Water Lines
  Lead in Water, Health Risks
  Lead Contamination Limits in Drinking Water
  Lead Test Results Affected by Test Methods
Lead Exposure Hazards Indoors
LEAD HAZARDS & FEAR: Enviro-Scare
LEAD IN DRINKING WATER, HOW to REDUCE
  Lead in Drinking Water
  Health Effects of Lead
  Lead in Drinking Water
  Steps You Can Take
  Tests for Lead Contamination in Water
LEAD WATER PIPING HAZARDS & REMEDIES
  Allowable Lead Levels in Water
  Lead Level vs. Test Methods

Enviro-Scare about Electromagnetic Field EMF Exposure and cancer

The current level of enviro-scare about EMF exposure is quite low but not zero, as with asbestos and UFFI. We discuss this topic in depth at Electromagnetic Field Measurement Procedures.

Enviro-Scare about Toxic or Allergenic Mold in Buildings

We have had more to say on this and on mycophobia than should be repeated here. There are both legitimate and imagined hazards associated with mold and allergens in buildings. For full details about the sources, effects, and costs of fear of mold, both justified and exaggerated, please see Mold Enviro-Scare.

Public concern with "black mold" is perhaps confusing since some of the most problematic molds in buildings are not dark in color and in fact can be a bit difficult to see (Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. for example.)

Readers should see The Mold Information Center: What to Do About Mold in Buildings, When and How to Inspect for Mold, Clean Up Mold, or Avoid Mold Problems. The toxic or "black mold" enviro-scare level is currently past the peak of consumer concern but is no less than mid-slope on the declining side of the curve.

Enviro-Scare about Fiberglass insulation fragments in building air and cancer

The enviro-scare curve for this topic appears to be flatter and more drawn-out than the topics listed above. As with the electromagnetic field EMF cancer risk topic discussed above, there are various parties with conflicting interests, all sponsoring research on this topic.

Our own field investigations find that fiberglass particles are quite common in indoor air. Unless the forensic particle laboratory is making a point of counting small fiberglass fragments in indoor air or dust samples, only a large-particle count may be provided and the presence and potential effects of fiberglass dust may be underestimated. Furthermore, proper lab procedure and use of mountants with an appropriate refractive index to see glass fragments is critical as otherwise such particles may simply be invisible when viewed using conventional slide preparation methods.

Some research argues that fiberglass particles are larger than and less dangerous than asbestos. However many small fiberglass particles may be in indoor air but may be below the threshold of some common measurement methods. See FIBERGLASS HAZARDS in buildings.

For more information about fiberglass as an indoor air quality concern see:

• Fiberglass in Indoor Air, HVAC Ducts, and Building Insulation
• Fiberglass Particle Identification in the Fiberglass Test Laboratory
• Goodman Gray Flex Duct Deterioration and Failures
• Mold in Fiberglass Insulation
• Optimum Indoor Air Filters
• Owens Corning Flex Duct Deterioration and Failures
• World Trade Center Dust Particle Identification

• Fiberglass building insulation and HVAC duct work insulation hazards
• Fiberglass carcinogenicity update: "Glass Wool Fibers Expert Panel Report, Part B - Recommendation for Listing Status for Glass Wool Fibers and Scientific Justification for the Recommendation", The Report on Carcinogens (RoC) expert panel for glass wool fibers exposures met at the Sheraton Chapel Hill Hotel, Chapel Hill, North Carolina on June 9-10, 2009, to peer review the draft background document on glass wool fibers exposures and make a recommendation for listing status in the 12th Edition of the RoC. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is one of the National Institutes of Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The National Toxicology Program is headquartered on the NIEHS campus in Research Triangle Park, NC.

  Following a discussion of the body of knowledge, the expert panel reviewed the RoC listing criteria and made its recommendation. The expert panel recommended by a vote of 8 yes/0 no that glass wool fibers, with the exception of special fibers of concern (characterized physically below), should not be classified either as known to be a human carcinogen or reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. The expert panel also recommended by a vote of 7 yes/0 no/1 abstention, based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in well-conducted animal inhalation studies, that special-purpose glass fibers with the physical characteristics as follows longer, thinner, less soluble fibers (for 1 example, > 15 μm length with a kdis of < 100 ng/cm2/h) are reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen for the listing status in the RoC. The major considerations discussed that led the panel to its recommendation include the observations of tumors in multiple species of animals (rats and hamsters). Both inhalation and intraperitoneal routes of exposure produced tumors, although inhalation was considered more relevant for humans.

• Fiberglass insulation mold: occurrence of mold contamination in fiberglass insulation can be impossible to see with the naked eye, but can be significant

Phases of Enviro-Scare and Effects on Real Estate & Property Values Due to Public Fear of Environmental Hazards

If a building owner wants to sell the property, the impact of the presence of an environmental issue on the real estate transaction depends on the time, or point in the fear cycle, at which the property is being marketed.

The time until a property moves from phase I to phase II is extremely difficult to predict. However it may be easier to detect phase III, the beginning of decline in consumer fear.

Properties on the "up-slope" of the ES curve, phase II, face declining market value or increasing time on the market unless a price adjustment is made.

The opposite is true of properties on the "down-slope" or phases III and IV. This concept may be useful in advising home buyers and sellers concerning the economic impact of the presence of various controversial health or environmental issues at a given property.

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.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY
Air Filtration
Allergens
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 ASBESTOS: Photo Guide to Materials / Products
Asbestos-Free Insulation Materials
Carbon Nanotube Materials
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Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality
Cell phones
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EMF Enviro-Scare
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Fiberglass Enviro-Scare
Gas Toxicity Levels
Toxic Gas Exposure Effects
Heating Systems
Indoor Air Quality
Insulation Material Identification
Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI
LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
LEAD CONTAMINATION HAZARDS in the HOME
LEAD CONTAMINATION in WATER, HOW to TEST
LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards
Legionella Legionnaires' Disease
Mold Action Guide
Mold Growth Resistance of Foam Insulation
Mold Inspect, Test, Remove, Prevent Website
ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure
Oil Tanks Home
Pet Dander
Pollen Photos
RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION
Radon Enviro-Scare
Stain Diagnosis
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Water Testing
Water Test Advice
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• Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear About Environmental Issues - online document by DF
• A Procedure for Measuring EMF electromagnetic fields online document by DF
• Electromagnetic Fields in the Workplace good NIOSH document, links to other NIOSH docs.
• Basketball Mold Syndrome - BBMS- sudden attention to old clues in buildings makes them seem brand new to some observers
• Consumer Product Safety Commission, 800-638-CPSC.
• US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, TSCA Assistance Office (TS-799), 800-424-9065 or 202-554-1404.
• "Evaluation of Potential Carcinogenicity of Electromagnetic Fields," EPA Report #EPA/600/6-90/005B October 1990. EPA: 513/569-7562.
• "Biological Effects of Power Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields" background paper, prepared as part of OTA's assessment of "Electric Power Wheeling and Dealing: Technological Considerations for Increasing Competition," prepared for OTA by Indira Nair, M. Granger Morgan, H. Keith Florig, Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
• "Biological Effects of Power Line Fields," New York State Powerline Project. Scientific Advisory Board Final Report, July 1, 1987.
• "Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) Fields," Environmental Health Criteria 35. World Health Organization, Geneva, 1984.
• "Electric and Magnetic Fields at Extremely Low Frequencies: Interactions with Biological Systems. In: Non ionizing Radiation Protection, World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 1987.
• "Electric and Magnetic Fields from 60 Hertz Electric Power: What do we know about possible health risks?," Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 1989.
• "Electromagnetic Fields Are Being Scrutinized for Linkage to Cancer," Sandra Blakeslee, New York Times, Medical Science section, April 2, 1991.
• Environmental Concerns in Buildings, hazards: allergens, asbestos, brownfields
  - above ground or buried oil storage tanks,
  - A Procedure for Measuring EMF electromagnetic fields,
  - Electric Power Lines, Electromagnetic Fields, Cancer Risk, & "Enviro-Scare" - The Normal Curve Cycle of Public Fear of Environmental Issues
  - toxic gases & odors, IAQ, lead paint,
  - toxic mold inspections,
  - mold test kits - how to send a mold sample to our lab using an inexpensive and superior method - radon, sick buildings, UFFI (urea formaldehyde foam insulation),
  - sewage septic backup contamination testing & cleanup
  - water testing for bacteria, lead, etc.

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