Protecting Building Occupants and Workers from Mold and Other Common Asthma Triggers

Throughout the United States, asthma caused 5.8 million physician office visits and 1.6 million emergency department visits as recently as 2021. Tragically, there were also 4,145 deaths due to asthma the year before. These figures point to the toll that asthma has on individuals and families, as well as lost time in classrooms, decreased productivity in the workplace, and the tremendous medical costs associated with the disease.

In addition to receiving proper medical care, one of the best ways for asthmatics to manage the disease is to avoid asthma triggers when possible. Asthma triggers are things that can cause asthma symptoms, an episode or attack, or make asthma worse.

One of the more common environmental asthma triggers is mold. While mold is a natural part of the environment, exposure to elevated levels of it in schools, work environments, and other places where people spend time can trigger asthma for some asthmatics, and cause various respiratory issues for others.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states that studies indicate that exposure to mold in the workplace can make pre-existing asthma worse. The agency also shares that inhaling or touching mold or mold spores can cause a person to become allergic to mold, and that people who do not have allergies can also become irritated.

“Mold will grow in most indoor environments in a short period of time if humidity levels are elevated or if there are damp or wet conditions,” said Frank Selamie, President of CTSI. “The mold growth may be visible or it could be in places that are hidden from view. This is why in many cases it takes experienced indoor environmental quality professionals to be able to not only locate the problem, but also to identify the root cause so steps can be taken to prevent the mold from simply returning. At CTSI, our industrial hygiene and IEQ professionals offer testing, monitoring, and consulting services to identify and mitigate exposure risks to mold and a wide range of other biological and chemical asthma triggers, respiratory irritants, and allergens.”

CTSI also recently sponsored an educational video about mold as an asthma trigger that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/LKb4pVrztM0

To learn more about CTSI and their mold, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.ctsiweb.com, email contactus@ctsiweb.com , or call (212) 971-7016.

About CTSI
Established in 1992, Consulting & Testing Services, Inc. (CTSI) was founded on one strong commitment: to provide efficient and expert services to clients based on professionalism, innovation, and cost-effective expert solutions. This commitment has been furthered with CTSI’s reputation in fostering client relationships in all sectors of the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Construction industries. CTSI prides itself in utilizing a high quality service based on its diverse team of staff and professionals’ concise recommendations and solutions to the most pressing dilemmas. The company operates offices in New York and Florida that service clients across the United States.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail