IAQ Professionals Play a Critical Role after a Hurricane

The Mycometer®-test, utilized by indoor air quality (IAQ) professionals, provides rapid on-site fungal contamination results so communities can rebuild.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina was one of the five deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. Over 1,800 people lost their lives and it has been estimated that $81 billion in property damage resulted from Katrina.

The hurricane season in the United States began on June 1st and doesn’t end until November 30th. In May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced their predictions for the 2011 hurricane season. According to NOAA it will be above average with as many as 10 hurricanes being predicted.

Hurricanes bring not only devastating storm surges to coastal areas, but also tremendous winds, torrential downpours and flooding. Although hurricanes typically lose strength as they move inland away from coastal areas they still can cause devastating damage to personal property hundreds of miles from the coast.

Damage to homes and businesses due to hurricane damage often includes water damage. Whenever water damage occurs in an indoor environment mold is a concern. Mold can begin to grow in as short as 24 to 48 hours on many types of building materials and household belongings. This mold can not only pose a threat to future building occupants, but also to the people tasked with repairing the buildings.

“It’s important to begin drying materials as soon as it is safe to do so,” reported Lisa Rogers, President of Mycometer, Inc. (USA), the company behind the Mycometer®-test. “Some nonporous materials can be cleaned and salvaged, but most porous materials should be discarded if mold growth is present. The Mycometer®-test allows environmental and IAQ professionals to rapidly assess if, and to what degree, fungal contamination has become an issue in as short as 30 minutes,” she continued.

Mycometer recently cosponsored a public outreach video on indoor environmental hazards following a hurricane that can be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEpmo3Z-wJA

To learn more, please visit Mycometer at http://www.mycometer.com, email info@mycometer.com or call (813) 831-6511.

About Mycometer, Inc. (USA)
Mycometer was founded in 1998 as a spin off from a research group at the University of Copenhagen. Today the company has offices in Tampa, Florida and Copenhagen, Denmark. The company develops test kits for the detection and quantification of microorganisms. Their Mycometer®-test and the BactiQuant® method are utilized by the indoor air quality, healthcare, food processing, manufacturing and water industries across the globe.

Contact Information

Lisa Rogers

President

Mycometer, Inc. (USA)

Contact via E-mail