Environmental Hazard & Asbestos Testing

There are many different types of environmental hazards that can be found in your home or business. Each of these contaminants is capable of causing mild to severe medical issues to those who are exposed to them for a long enough amount of time. That is why you must reach out to the professionals at LY to schedule environmental hazard and asbestos testing in San Bernardino County and all of Southern California.

L.Y. Environmental, Inc. (LY) is a fully licensed, qualified, and insured environmental consulting firm that brings extensive experience to the environmental industry. For several years, our team has been involved in a variety of projects, including:

Don’t think these hazards are an issue? Take a look below to learn more about some of the more common dangers that can be found in buildings. By educating our clients, we know they will make the smart decision to get the testing and remedial projects their property requires.

Learning about Asbestos

Asbestos is a group of highly fibrous minerals with long, separable, and thin fibers that are heat resistant and good at electrical insulation. The resistances of asbestos made it an excellent building material for many years—until it was discovered that the inhalation of asbestos fibers could lead to various serious lung conditions, including asbestosis and cancer. This has led many countries to make it illegal to use asbestos as a building material.

A naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral, asbestos comes in six different varieties—all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals. Each fiber is composed of many microscopic “fibrils” that can be released into the atmosphere by abrasion and other processes. Because asbestos fibers are resistant to heat and most chemicals, they have been mined for use in more than 3,000 different products—from brake pads and roofing materials to cement piping used for water distribution.

Today, asbestos is most commonly found in older homes, in furnace and pipe insulation materials, millboard, shingles, textured paints, and floor tiles. Higher concentrations of airborne asbestos usually occur after asbestos materials are disturbed by cutting, sanding, or other remodeling activities. Improper attempts to remove these materials can release asbestos fibers into the air, increasing asbestos levels and endangering people who become exposed.

Asbestos can be identified only by a trained analyst using a specialized microscope. hat is why the team at LY uses our NVLAP accredited testing lab to determine whether you are being exposed to asbestos at your home or office.

Thousands of Americans die each year from asbestos-related diseases. Exposure mainly occurs indoors, where air may be contaminated from materials containing asbestos. Repeated exposure to it can cause respiratory problems, including lung disease, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. Asbestosis is characterized by shortness of breath and coughing and may lead to severe impairment of respiratory function. Inhalation can also cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and possibly gastrointestinal cancers. That is why the EPA has classified asbestos as Group A—a known human carcinogen. Don’t become a statistic. Instead, contact us for asbestos testing in your home or business.

Types of Asbestos Include:

Chrysotile Asbestos

Asbestos Fibers

Blue Asbestos (Crocidolite)

Asbestos (Tremolite) Silky Fibers

Learning about Lead

Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body—often over months or years. It is important to understand that even the most negligible amounts of lead can cause serious health problems—especially for children younger than 6, where it can severely affect mental and physical development. At very high levels, lead poisoning can even be fatal.

Unfortunately, we did not always understand just how dangerous lead is for individuals. That is why older buildings can be contaminated with lead-based paint and dust. Other sources include contaminated water, air, and soil. Adults who work with batteries, perform home renovations, or work in an auto repair shop might also become exposed to lead.

But what exactly is lead? It is a metal that occurs naturally in the earth’s crust, but mining, burning fossil fuels, and manufacturing have caused it to become much more widespread. Lead has been used in everything from paint and gasoline to batteries, pipes, solder, pottery, roofing materials, and even some cosmetics. It has been banned to use lead paint in the United States since 1978, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist still in older homes, buildings, or apartments. It is also important to remember that lead paint in solder has not been banned in all other countries, which means some imports could still contain it.

Lead can sometimes be found in:

Soil – Lead particles from leaded gasoline or paint settle on the soil and can contaminate the area for years. Lead-contaminated soil is still a major problem around highways and urban areas.
Household Dust – The dust around your house can contain lead from lead paint chips or from contaminated soil brought in from outside.
Pottery – Glazes found on some ceramics—including china and porcelain—can contain lead that can leach into food served or stored in the pottery.
Toys – Lead is sometimes found in toys and other products that are produced abroad.
Cosmetics – Some cosmetics—including Tiro, an eye cosmetic from Nigeria—have been linked to lead poisoning.
Herbal or Folk Remedies – Lead poisoning has been linked to greta and azarcon, traditional Hispanic medicines. It has also been found in some traditional medicines from India, China, and other countries.
Mexican Candy – Tamarind—a popular ingredient in Mexican candy—might contain lead.
Lead Bullets – Too much time spent at firing ranges can lead to exposure.

Occupations & Hobbies – People who are exposed to lead on the job can end up bringing it home on their clothes. Some of the most common occupations that could be exposed to lead include auto repair, pipe fitting, mining, battery manufacturing, painting, and construction. Those who use lead solder to create stained glass, jewelry, or furniture might also find themselves exposed.

While there is treatment for lead poisoning, it is much easier to protect yourself and your family by performing some simple precautions—including scheduling lead testing from our specialists. Some of the different symptoms of lead poisoning include:

In Children:

Developmental Delay
Learning Difficulties
Irritability
Loss of Appetite

Weight Loss
Sluggishness & Fatigue
Abdominal Pain
Vomiting

Constipation
Hearing Loss
Seizures
Eating Things, such as Paint Chips (Pica)

In Babies/Newborns:

Born Prematurely

Lower Birth Weight

Slowed Growth

In Adults:

High Blood Pressure
Joint & Muscle Pain
Difficulties with Memory or Concentration

Headache
Abdominal Pain
Mood Disorders

Reduced Sperm Count & Abnormal Sperm
Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Premature Birth in Pregnant Women

There are some simple measures that you can do to help protect yourself and your family from lead poisoning. They include:

Wash Hands & Toys – This helps to reduce hand-to-mouth transfer of contaminated dust or soil.
Clean Dirty Surfaces – This helps to remove contaminated dust from windowsills, furniture, and other dusty surfaces.
Remove Shoes Before Entering the House – This helps to keep lead-based soil outside.
Run Cold Water – By running cold water for at least a minute before using your older plumbing system, you can reduce the potential of lead contamination in your water.
Prevent Children from Playing on Soil – Do what you can to cover bare soil, including planting mulch and grass. Give your children a covered sandbox to play with instead.
Eat a Healthy Diet – Regular meals and good nutrition helps to lower lead absorption.
Keep Your Home Well-Maintained – A well-maintained home reduces the potential of peeling lead paint and other problems that can spread contaminated dust particles.

Learning about Mold

Mold is found in almost every place on earth and has been a problem since ancient times. With more than 100,000 known species worldwide, molds can be found both inside and outside. Outdoors, molds play an essential role in breaking down organic matter. It is when mold is found indoors that problems may arise.

When found inside, mold may start to eat away at building materials. This can affect the look, smell, and even the structural integrity of the buildings. While no mold is suitable for your building itself, some can also pose a severe health risk to individuals. Molds to look out for include:

Allergenic Molds –

These types of molds contain allergens that can affect those who are susceptible to allergies, including causing asthma attacks. Examples include:

Alternaria – This is a type of mold that is commonly found across the globe—in homes, on plants, and in soil. Alternaria causes allergies and, if inhaled by people, could result in asthmatic reactions, hay fever, and other allergies.

Penicillium – This is a type of mold that is found in food, soil, indoor dust, and decaying food materials. It can cause allergies in people, and certain species are also known to be toxic in nature.

Pathogenic Molds –

Such types of molds can cause severe health problems—especially in those with weakened immune systems. This type of mold should only be removed by a professional to reduce the risk of severe illness. Examples include:

Mucor – This is a type of mold that is found in soil and animal droppings, as well as household dust. Mucor can cause lung infections in people who have weak immune systems.

Aspergillus – This is an allergen that can cause hay fever, asthmatic reactions, and lung infections. While it usually doesn’t affect people with strong immune systems, it can produce some harmful toxins that can affect—and even be fatal to—those with weak or compromised immune systems.

Toxic Molds –

These molds can produce harmful toxins that cause grave health problems, including death. If toxic mold is present in your home, you need to have it removed by a professional as soon as possible. Examples include:

Stachybotrys – Also known as black mold, this is a contaminant that is found on wet, cellulose-type materials. It causes harmful effects on the health of people and animals. One strain of stachybotrys is known to produce a poisonous toxin that is fatal to animals, whereas another type is known to be fatal to infants by causing bleeding lungs. Black mold tends to grow at the back of walls and under ceilings making it difficult to spot visually and via regular air sampling. This gives stachybotrys immense potential for harm as it can easily go unnoticed while continuing to produce lethal toxins.

Memnoniella – This type of mold is another contaminant that is often found on wet, cellulose-type materials such as cotton, paper, and wood products. Some types of memnoniella mold develop toxins that are very much like those formed by stachybotrys. That makes it equally as harmful to the health of humans and animals.

Learning about Sewage & Bacterial Surveys

When it is working correctly, the plumbing system in your home or commercial building makes it easy for you to get the clean water you need. However, when issues arise, your plumbing system can quickly become a nightmare. Sewage backups, water intrusion, severe flooding, and leaking sewer pipes or septic tanks can all lead to the serious bacterial contamination of occupied spaces. Exposure to sewage contamination—otherwise known as gray or black water—increases the risk of contracting diseases of the digestive systems, such as salmonella, E. coli, and shigellosis.

Once water is used, it becomes wastewater. This wastewater is then categorized into three categories: clean water, gray water, and black water. Each of these different designations indicates a different level of water contamination.

Category I Clean Water – Clean water applies to water that does not initially contain contaminants. This can include wastewater from broken water lines, toilet holding tanks, malfunctioning appliances, snowmelt, and rainwater. Clean water can become gray water after some time exposed to building surfaces.

Category II Gray Water – Gray water includes discharge from washing machines, dishwashers, showers, sinks, aquariums, and waterbeds. Gray water may present a health risk due to biological or chemical contamination. Standing gray water can become blackwater after as little as 48 hours due to bacterial spread.

Category III Blackwater – Blackwater is the name for wastewater from toilets and bathrooms, leaking or broken sewer pipes, floodwaters containing soil, sewage water, or septic tanks that contain urine and fecal matter. Blackwater presents an almost certain bacterial or contaminant risk.

Learning about Fire, Smoke, & Soot Hazards

Building fires or wildfires don’t just damage everything in their path, they can also leave a tremendous fallout in the surrounding area—even in spots that flames have not touched. Smoke, soot, and ash damage can lead to potential health hazards that can last for a considerable amount of time after the fire has been contained.

You must have the air studied and checked for toxicity when your property has been affected by smoke, ash, or soot. Our testing team works quickly to determine whether it is still safe to inhabit a building that has been affected. Our certified industrial hygienist can also provide you with a respiratory protection solution, including large-scale air purification solutions, to help your air become safe to breathe again.

Testing after Wildfires

Wildfires are a relatively common occurrence in certain areas due to dry climates and vegetation combined with strong winds. Properties that are either directly or indirectly impacted can receive soot and ash fallout if they are in close proximity to the fire itself. Both interior and exterior fire damage can cause health problems, particularly when soot particles are invisible, making the need for an accurate reading even more important.