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Mobile ViewENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY Aerobiology Associations AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES AIR FILTER EFFECTIVENESS AIR FILTERS, FIBERGLASS PARTICLES AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR FILTERS, OPTIMUM INDOOR AIR FILTERS, SOURCES FOR AIR FILTERING STRATEGIES AIR FILTERING CONTINUOUS FAN OPERATION AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR Air Quality Improvement Strategies AIR LEAK SEALING PROCEDURE AIR SEALING STRATEGIES AIR TEST FOR MOLD: ACCURACY AIR TEST SAMPLING CASSETTE STUDY AIRBORNE MOLD SPORE COUNT ACCURACY ALLERGEN TESTS for buildings ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY ANIMAL ALLERGENS / PET DANDER PERSISTENCE of ALLERGNS CAT DANDER in buildings CLEANING SUGGESTIONS DRUGS vs CLEANUP ALLERGEN DANDER STUDY PETS AS FAMILY MEMBERS REDUCING PET ALLERGENS ANIMAL ENTRY POINTS in buildings ANIMAL ODORS IN buildings Finding the Source of Animal Odors Cleaning Suggestions for Odors / Urine Removing Odors at Building Exteriors Removing Urine Odors from Clothing ASBESTOS-FREE INSULATION MATERIALS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings ATTORNEYS and EXPERT WITNESSES Backdrafting Appliances BASEMENT MOLD BASKETBALL MOLD SYNDROME - BBMS BATHROOM MOLD BIBLIOGAPHY for ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, MOLD, IAQ BIOGAS PRODUCTION & USE BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS in the HOME - EPA Bisphenol-A, BPA BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLAMES BLUERAY Recall BOOKSTORE - ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE BUY PRODUCTS for MOLD & ALLERGY CONTROL Cadmium in the home CARBON DIOXIDE - CO2 CARBON MONOXIDE - CO Carbon Nanotube Hazards CARPET DUST IDENTIFICATION CARPET MOLD CONTAMINATION CARPET PADDING ASBESTOS, MOLD, ODORS CARPET FUNGICIDAL SPRAY CARPET STAIN DIAGNOSIS CARPET & other STAIN TESTS CARPET TEST GUIDE CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY CARPETING, SELECTION & INSTALLATION CAT DANDER in buildings WHY TEST FOR CAT ALLERGENS HOW TO INSPECT TEST for ANIMAL ALLERGENS FORENSIC APPROACH TO CATS CAT DANDER CLEANUP, PREVENTION Cell phone Radiation Hazards CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR COALSTOVE SAFETY COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS in WATER CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER CHLORINE in WATER, HOW TO TEST FOR CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CPSC Indoor Air Pollution Book Online Copy Disinfectants Disinfecting buildings with Bleach DRAFT HOODS - gas fired DRAFT MEASUREMENT, CHIMNEYS & FLUES DRAFT REGULATORS, DAMPERS, BOOSTERS DRINKING WATER Diethylstilbestrol - DES DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUST ANALYSIS for FIBERGLASS DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? 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HEATING OIL PIPING TROUBLES HEATING OIL SHELF LIFE HEATING OIL SLUDGE HEATING OIL USAGE RATE HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS HUMIDITY CONTROL & TARGETS INDOORS HVAC Systems HOME HEATING SAFETY IAQ ISSUES, OTHER Indoor Air Pollution Book Online CPSC INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE AIR CLEANER PURIFIER TYPES Air Filter Effectiveness Air Filtering Strategies Air Pollutants, Health Effects Air Pollutants, Common Indoor Air Pollutants, Finding & Reducing Asbestos Hazards Backdrafting Appliances BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLAMES BLUERAY Recall BUY PRODUCTS for MOLD & ALLERGY CONTROL CABINETS & COUNTERTOPS CARPETING & INDOOR AIR QUALITY CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS Combustion Appliance Contaminants Fireplace & Woodstove Contaminants Formaldehyde Hazards GAS EXPOSURE EFFECTS Gas Toxicity Levels Gases, Quick Guide to Indoor INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, KEY STEPS INDOOR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ Lead Exposure Hazards LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards LP & Natural Gas Pressures METHANE GAS SOURCES Natural Gas Combustion Products ODORS, Smells, Gases in buildings Particles in Indoor Air - Chart Pesticide Exposure Hazards Radon Hazards Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation UFFI URETHANE FOAM Deterioration, Outgassing VENTILATION, BALANCED VENTILATION, EXHAUST ONLY VENTILATION, SUPPLY-ONLY VENTILATION, WHOLE HOUSE STRATEGIES Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INSULATION, ASBESTOS INSULATION MOLD LEED Building Designation & IAQ Legionella Legionnaires' Disease Legionella BACTERIA & HVAC Equipment LIGHTING, INTERIOR GUIDE LIGHTNING PROTECTION INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INSULATION, ASBESTOS INSULATION MOLD RESISTANCE of FOAM INSULATION MOLD INSULATION, UFFI UREA FORMALDEHYDE FOAM LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards METHANE GAS SOURCES MILDEW in buildings ? 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This article discusses methods to check a building for animal allergens (cat, dog, etc) using as an example, Cat Dander: how to inspect and test a building for past or current presence of cats, cat hair, cat dander, and cat allergens. InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.This website provides information and procedures for finding, testing, cleaning and preventing indoor mold, toxic black mold, green mold, testing building indoor air quality, and other sick house / sick building investigations. Here are research articles, inspection and testing procedures, and contact information for expert services. At ALLERGENS in buildings, RECOGNIZING we discuss and provide photos of common indoor allergenic particles found in homes and in the work place. At ALLERGEN TESTS for buildings we discuss testing buildings for the presence of animal allergens or other allergens such as insect fragments or fecals. Also see ANIMAL ODORS IN buildings for suggestions about removal of pet odors. We give in-depth information about indoor air quality problems: causes of respiratory illness, asthma, or other symptoms such as neurological or psychological problems, air quality investigation methods, and remediation procedures such as mold cleanup, handling toxic mold contamination, and building or mechanical system repairs. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. Why Test for Animal Allergens Indoors?The following question from a reader about testing for cat allergens in a home prompted our advice on what to do about cats and cat allergens which follows the cat question itself. I am wondering if you know of or could perform a test in our home to determine the level of cat dander present.
We are renting our home to tenants until next summer, but we have been told that the tenants may be keeping/hiding an indoor-only cat for their daughter (although our lease does not allow any pets). Our daughter and I both have severe cat allergies and I do not know How to Inspect for and Test for Previous or Current Animal Presence in a BuildingThere are several approaches I suggest to look for evidence of a cat (and cat allergens) in a building. How to Test for Proof that a Cat is or has been in a Building
Forensic Laboratory Approach to Identification of Cats in buildings
What to Do About High Levels of Cat Dander, Cat Hair, Cat Allergens in a BuildingIf we find that there is evidence of a high level of cat dander or other problem allergens in the building dust, we could design a cleaning regimen that can substantially reduce those levels, ranging from discard of materials to HEPA vacuuming to washing certain surfaces. As this can get costly I wouldn't do so unless needed. We might also suggest some special measures for more ordinary house cleaning such as buying a HEPA-rated house vacuum cleaner, reduction or elimination of wall to wall carpeting, and a regular cleaning schedule. If there appear to be building related health or allergy complaints after cleaning we can suggest additional measures to reduce the allergen level indoors, and perhaps, (let's hope it's not needed) recommend a more thorough building investigation for other problem sources. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Cat Dander Detection, Testing, & Cleanup in buildingsQuestion: Is it Possible to Clean & Isolate Cat Dander in buildings Enough to Avoid Cat Allergy Trouble?
Do you feel this is enough isolation to prevent significant problems for my daughter? Thanks so much for your help. - B.A. Reply: You can Reduce but Not Eliminate Cat Dander Allergy Problems in a Home Where Cats are PresentBy email, with no specific building inspection nor test data, and not being an allergist, one cannot reliably assure that your cat-allergic daughter won't have complaints when in this home. The sensitivity of individuals and of course their exposure to allergens just varies too widely. But it is possible to give reasonable general advice about lowering or minimizing the exposure to cat allergens in a building. Presuming that by "downstairs" area you refer to a basement apartment that is isolated from the rest of the home, all of the steps you suggested [above] are in our OPINION, all good ones, but in our experience it is just about impossible to eliminate cat dander from non-cat areas of a building. Cat Dander (and animal dander in general) is WidespreadWhat do you "get" if you vacuum a cat? Most cats will not volunteer to be vacuumed, though we've met a few who didn't mind. What you get, according to our field and lab tests, if you vacuum a (willing) cat includes: cat hair, cat dander, and typically some pollen, a few dust mite fecals, and common house dust particles.
But put more simply, a glycoprotein found on cat skin flakes or cat dander, is a bothersome allergen to some people. These cat dander particles, which is basically cat skin flakes, are often "hooked" or sharply irregular in shape, helping these particles to travel from building to building on people and their possessions, from cat-areas to non-cat areas. While reducing the level of cat dander in the space to be occupied by the cat-allergic person (your daughter) will be helpful, it's tough to predict how she'll react in the home. We have encountered individuals who were sensitive to very low levels of specific particles in buildings, including animal dander as well as mold and other allergens. Steps to Reduce the Level of Cat Dander IndoorsSo unless no one (humans too, not just cats) will ever pass from the basement apartment into the upstairs of the building, it is likely that at least some cat dander will enter the home by that route. Here are some suggestions that should help reduce the allergenicity of your home if cats are living in the basement:
Watch out: it may be a mistake to focus attention only on cat dander if a building occupant suffers from allergies. Check with your daughter's allergist or pulmonologist to discuss what other allergens, particles or chemicals, should be avoided. Otherwise you may address the cat dander question and find that your daughter still suffers in the home - but for other reasons. More information: see BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS. [Disclosure: I (DF) like cats and have often been owned-by or lived in homes where cats were present, even though I suffered terribly from cat allergies as a child. This advice comes from both a cat fancier and a cat-allergic person.] Question: Cat dander test kits? My downstairs neighbor's cat is driving me crazy. Could the cat dander travel up and in my unit like smells and odors? IfMy new neighbor directly downstairs from me has a cat and I am afraid that it is making me sick. I live in a modern cement building however smells really travel between units through the windows due to airflow patterns. So... Can cat dander travel up through one neighbors window and into another neighbors unit - even with screens on? I have not had allergy issues like ever and I am having severe allergic symptoms now and I have lived here for some time. Thanks - [Anon] Reply: Cat dander particles are much larger than the smallest mold spores and more likely move through a building by mechanical means. Suggestions for reducing the level of cat dander in your apartment
That said, here are some things to consider: It is unlikely that a meaningful level of cat dander nor other similarly-sized particles would travel from a neighbor's window into another nearby apartment. Certainly odors and gases from a nearby building or apartment might indeed be more noticeable, including perfume, cooking odors, MVOCs from a nearby mold contamination, and even odors from animals or animal urine if the problem reservor is large and nearby and if the wind and air movement directions happen to move as needed. Details about particle size and particle movement within individual buildingsIndeed there are some particles such as very small mold spores (as small as 1-2 microns) produced by Aspergillus sp. or Penicillium sp. that are so tiny that they can move through a building like a gas, riding thermal air currents (warm air usually rises through buildings), and even passing from areas such as a moldy crawl space or basement up into the living area through very tiny openings, cracks, etc. But larger, heavier airborne particles such as many pollen grains and animal dander do not move like gases through the building. Cat dander, in particular, is a particle that we find ubiquitous in homes and even in many office buildings, even when cats are not themselves present in the building. In my experience and based on both field and lab examinations of indoor particles from several thousand buildings, it is apparent that these particles are very widespread where both humans and cats are present in a community. If you examine cat dander under the microscope (red arrow in our photograph just above) you'll see that cat dander particles are compartively large, in some cases in width about the same as a cat hair, and certainly these particles are 10-50 times larger than the smallest (1-3 micron) mold spores. You'll also see in our cat dander photograph that cat dander particles are curved or hooked (unlike dog dander). I speculate that the size and shape of these particles mean that they are readily attached to clothing and other objects and thus are readily transported not only from one room in a building to another, but even between buildings.
What these cat dander findings mean, in a practical sense, is that in a home where one or more occupants has a cat allergy, you may reduce the level of cat dander in the allergic-person's bedroom, say, by keeping cats out of the room, but by no means will cat dander be eliminated from that space, since those particles seem to be readily tracked or carried into the room from other areas in the home.
In conclusion, while we have not found that cat dander travels as an airborne or aerobiological particle riding warm air currents as might gases or very small (1-3 micron) mold spores, cat dander does travel widely through a building from areas of a concentrated source, apparently by mechanical means such as becoming attached to clothing or other objects that are moved between building rooms. Even if you tested your apartment for the presence of cat dander or other allergens the result can't be assured to cause your neighbor to abandon her cats - at least some of whom are sure to be, for her, members of her family. Besides, even if all of the downstairs neighbor's cats moved out tomorrow, that space would continue to be a reservoir of cat dander unless it were very extensively cleaned. All is not lost, however. You should be able to improve the comfort level in your own home by reducing the level of irritating particles by minimizing the level of house dust in your own home, and in particular, by regularly using a HEPA-rated vacuum cleaner to dust and clean the surfaces in your space, and perhaps, by limiting visits with your catty neighbor to visits outside your own apartment. The question of whether or not you can or should ask your neighbor not to have cats in her own home is one that you and she will have to work out between yourselves. Details about methods to reduce the level of cat dander in buildings are found at this companion article: CAT DANDER CLEANUP, PREVENTION Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & answers about cat dander and cat allergies: procedures for testing, cleaning, removing animal allergens from buildings. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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