National COPD Awareness Month and Preventing Exposure to Respiratory Irritants and Airborne Pollutants in Puerto Rico

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, makes breathing difficult for the 16 million Americans who have been diagnosed with the condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that millions more suffer from the respiratory disease, but have not been diagnosed and are not being treated.
 
To enhance exposure of the debilitating disease, the month of November is recognized as National COPD Awareness Month across the globe. Building awareness is critical since although many cases of COPD can be linked to tobacco use, there are other airborne pollutants many people are not aware of that can also increase one’s risk of developing the disease or can make managing the condition for those with it much more challenging. These exposure risks can occur in the home or workplace and could include bioaerosols, gases, dusts and fumes.
 
“As shared by the CDC, COPD can limit people’s ability to work or even perform simple daily tasks,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “In Puerto Rico, it is estimated that over 3.5% of the population currently suffers from the disease. COPD not only costs tens of millions of dollars to treat on the islands, it also impacts people’s quality of life.”
 
Dedicated to helping people manage the disease and prevent new cases from developing by avoiding respiratory pollutants are the industrial hygiene and indoor air quality (IAQ) professionals at Zimmetry Environmental. They offer air testing services to identifying chemical and biological airborne pollutants, allergens and respiratory irritants that can cause or aggravate the disease. If test results indicate air quality issues, Zimmetry’s building science experts can help develop solutions to eliminate or mitigate these exposure concerns.
 
To learn more about Zimmetry and their occupational, indoor air quality, environmental, and compliance testing and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals and Fortune 500 companies. The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America. The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail