There's something in the air...

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Allan Quinn
5 years ago
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1 There's something in the air... Indoor pollutants, allergens and environmental toxins Bio-Check opens your eyes to the risks.

With children, high exposure to allergens can trigger lifelong illnesses, e.g. asthma. You can't fight what you don't know. Good health is essential to a high quality of life.

2 With children, high exposure to allergens can trigger lifelong illnesses, e.g. asthma. You can't fight what you don't know. Good health is essential to a high quality of life. For many people, however, headaches, sleeping problems, nervousness or chronic diseases such as asthma, allergies and neurodermatitis are a part of everyday life. The symptoms are caused or intensified by the pollutants, environmental toxins and allergens present in the air around us. In industrialized countries, people spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors, where the concentration of pollutants is considerably higher than outside. Put simply, even at home we are breathing in substances every day which have the ability to make us ill. Over years or decades, we may therefore be exposing ourselves to invisible dangers in the places where we feel most comfortable.

Although we often may not notice it at first, we are constantly exposed to harmful airborne pollutants, environmental toxins and allergens. Bio-Check opens your eyes to the risks.

3 Although we often may not notice it at first, we are constantly exposed to harmful airborne pollutants, environmental toxins and allergens. Bio-Check opens your eyes to the risks. Do you wake up in the morning with headaches or a blocked nose, rather than feeling fresh and well rested? Do your eyes water when you spend any period of time in your living room? Or does your child suffer from fits of coughing when playing on the carpet? It would not occur to most of us that a cupboard, carpet, leather sofa or the wooden panelling in our conservatory could still be emitting poisonous substances every day, even after many years of use. Want to know more? bio-check@draeger.com Hotline: Dräger has decades of experience in the detection of invisible airborne contaminants in industrial applications. The Dräger Bio-Check is a complete programme of tests which you yourself can use to check for excessive concentrations of, for example, airborne toxins or house dust allergens. There are two methods of testing, depending on which substance you wish to track down. Some substances can be measured using the Bio-Check instant tests, which allow you to quickly determine the level of exposure yourself. Other pollutants require testing in the laboratory for these substances you simply collect a sample yourself and send it in to Dräger for analysis. As soon as you know the result, you can start taking appropriate action. Material analyses can also be performed in the Dräger laboratory on contaminants for which no Bio-Check test is available. The tests are carried out without the use of harmful chemicals, so you can be sure that there will be no risk of additional pollution. All the Bio-Check test sets can be purchased from specialist shops or pharmacies.

Children are at particular risk of developing chronic asthma, with one in seven children already affected.

4 Allergies in your sleep Exposure to the allergens of house dust mites is one of the most common causes of allergies. Symptoms in people with a hypersensitivity to this allergen include a blocked or runny nose, red eyes, sneezing and asthma. Children are at particular risk of developing chronic asthma, with one in seven children already affected. The compact wipe test is used to collect, prepare and analyse the dust particles, directly displaying the result of the test. The allergy is often triggered by exposure to mite allergens. Unnoticed, this powerful allergen is to be found in bedclothes, sofas, carpets and the surfaces of other textiles. The most effective way to prevent illness is to consistently avoid or reduce contact with the substance causing the allergy. Bio-Check Allergen Control quickly reveals the presence of the allergens. To perform the measurement, a tester is rubbed over the surface, e.g. of the bed, for one minute. A solution is then dripped onto the collected dust particles and, after just ten minutes or so, the tester will reveal whether your level of allergen exposure is harmful to health. The whole test is quick and reliable, and involves no direct contact with the allergen and no chemicals.

From some furniture you get more than you bargained for Years of contamination of the indoor air with formaldehyde, for instance.

Because the exposure can last for such a long time, it does not even occur to most people that formaldehyde might be responsible for their daily symptoms.

The simple Bio-Check F test can reveal the level of exposure within just two hours or so. Check results simply by comparing the colour against a chart.

Just when the weather is most pleasant, some people have to be extra-careful about going outside, as ozone presents a particular risk for asthma sufferers and people with respiratory

Local ozone concentrations can vary enormously, so the information given on the radio may not necessarily reflect the conditions in your direct environment.

5 From some furniture you get more than you bargained for Years of contamination of the indoor air with formaldehyde, for instance. Furniture containing chipboard, parquet flooring, insulating foams, wallpaper and paint coatings can emit formaldehyde in hazardous concentrations over the course of many years. Because the exposure can last for such a long time, it does not even occur to most people that formaldehyde might be responsible for their daily symptoms. Depending on its concentration and a person's physical condition, formaldehyde can irritate the eyes and mucous membranes, cause headaches and generally make you feel unwell. The simple Bio-Check F test can reveal the level of exposure within just two hours or so. Check results simply by comparing the colour against a chart. Fresh air is not always good for you Most people are aware that ozone levels tend to rise during the summer months. Just when the weather is most pleasant, some people have to be extra-careful about going outside, as ozone presents a particular risk for asthma sufferers and people with respiratory problems. Children and anyone exercising outside may find that ozone irritates their mucous membranes or gives them headaches. Local ozone concentrations can vary enormously, so the information given on the radio may not necessarily reflect the conditions in your direct environment. Fitted with a handy clip, allowing local ozone concentrations to be measured anywhere, at any time. Also there can be a risk of ozone exposure indoors. High ozone levels can be expected wherever powerful UV lamps are used, e.g. near electric heaters, laser printers and photocopiers. Within a matter of minutes, you can check the current ozone concentration in your direct environment using the Bio-Check Ozone, a straightforward test for indoors and out which comes in a practical pack of ten.

When moulds thrive tough times are on their way for anyone with a sensitivity to moulds or their allergens.

Sufficiently moist wallpaper, plastering and wood also provide an ideal breeding ground for moulds. In no time at all, the moulds produce millions of spores containing allergens.

Even the tiniest air flows are sufficient to transport these minute particles into the air we breathe, with unpleasant consequences such as irritation of eyes and airways.

6 When moulds thrive tough times are on their way for anyone with a sensitivity to moulds or their allergens. Depending on climatic conditions, ventilation levels and the type of building, moulds can form on virtually any organic substance indoors. Sufficiently moist wallpaper, plastering and wood also provide an ideal breeding ground for moulds. In no time at all, the moulds produce millions of spores containing allergens. The spores become enriched in house dust and can trigger allergic symptoms. Even the tiniest air flows are sufficient to transport these minute particles into the air we breathe, with unpleasant consequences such as irritation of eyes and airways. Children, allergy-sufferers and adults with a weakened immune system are at particular risk. Often, moulds are not visible to the naked eye, so a test needs to be carried out where the presence of moulds is suspected. The Bio-Check Moulds is a reliable method: using a special nozzle attached to your vacuum cleaner, you collect a sample of house dust close to the suspected source of the mould. The nozzle is sealed, sent in to Dräger and analysed in the laboratory. A short time later, you will receive an analysis report which advises you whether you are at particular risk of exposure to moulds. The nozzle can be fitted to most commercially available vacuum cleaners.

Don't let solvents go to your head Airborne pollutants can be present in harmful concentrations not only in industrial environments, but also

Indoor air may also be polluted by solvents from neighbouring dry cleaners', petrol stations or traffic fumes.

Different solvents can be detected simultaneously to check various sources of contamination.

subsequent analysis in the Dräger laboratory.

The problem, which has now become apparent, is that PCP can be released over decades from the surfaces treated with it, with typical symptoms

7 Don't let solvents go to your head Airborne pollutants can be present in harmful concentrations not only in industrial environments, but also in the home. Adhesives, paints, varnishes and paint strippers often contain solvents which can escape into the air as volatile substances. Indoor air may also be polluted by solvents from neighbouring dry cleaners', petrol stations or traffic fumes. The result can be headaches or lapses of concentration. Different solvents can be detected simultaneously to check various sources of contamination. One test is available to give you peace of mind: Bio-Check Solvents opens your eyes to the danger by means of a simple sampling process and subsequent analysis in the Dräger laboratory. Dubious protection For years, PCP (pentachlorophenol) was used to protect timber, leather, clothing and furniture. The problem, which has now become apparent, is that PCP can be released over decades from the surfaces treated with it, with typical symptoms including headaches and cardiovascular disorders. PCP is also known to damage the nervous and immune systems. In case of suspected exposure to PCP, Bio-Check PCP presents a simple method of sampling treated timber or leather, without causing damage to the surface: The samples are then sent in for subsequent testing in Dräger's analytical laboratory. The plaster used for the sampling process does not damage the surface of the object.

8 Presented by: Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA Revalstrasse 1 D Luebeck Germany Tel Fax /PGPe/081/GM-DD/Market communications ST/Printed in Germany/chlorinefree ecological/subject to modifications!

AIR PURIFICATION AND AROMATHERAPY SYSTEM

AIR PURIFICATION AND AROMATHERAPY SYSTEM Dusty Air! It is widely acknowledged that the air in today s homes is filled with dust, pollen, mold and thousands of other pollutants. Regardless of their state