Allergies: Nothing to Sneeze At:
By Michael Buettner: Back to Environmental Articles Page

Asthma attacks kill 14 Americans every day according to EPA statistics.  Not only has the rate of asthma increased 75% since 1980, but it is also now estimated that 17 million Americans have asthma.  Asthma is the most common chronic childhood disease, affecting about 5 million children and causing nearly 2 million emergency room visits annually.

What impact does this have on the real estate industry?  In a word, mold. Over the last few years mold has become a very controversial topic.  Science and medicine have finally agreed that mold is an allergen, dead or alive.  Mold disclosures are becoming commonplace in a real estate transaction.  These facts have led to an increased awareness of indoor air quality.  According to the EPA, common asthma triggers include mold, dust mites, cockroaches and animal dander.  All of these asthma triggers can be found indoors and Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. 

The EPA further recommends keeping pets outdoors.  If you are unable to keep them outdoors then it is recommended that you keep pets out of the bedroom and other sleeping areas at all times.  The asthma triggers caused by pets can remain in the home for several months after the pet is removed, or the home is sold to an unsuspecting buyer. As a minimum invest in a good quality HEPA filtration unit.

As consumer awareness grows about these hazards, inspectors are needed to perform screening for indoor contaminants.  Several inspectors have training to identify these EPA identified asthma triggers.  By utilizing industry accepted sampling standards, an inspector can sample and accurately identify unsafe levels of cat dander, dog dander, dust mites and cockroaches in an indoor living environment.  To further aid the sampler with the analytical results, there ARE suggested threshold limit values (TLVs) for these allergens.  Most accredited laboratories list the TLVs on the analytical report making the interpretation very easy.

As a real estate agent you should know that the presence of these allergens does not have to “kill the deal”.   If a home is found to have problems with these asthma triggers, the clean up, unlike mold contamination, is relatively simple.  Depending on the level of contamination, a professional carpet cleaner utilizing steam and a truck-mounted system can clean the home.  In extreme cases the carpet may need to be replaced and the air ducts cleaned.  A very worthwhile expense considering what is at stake.

About the Author:

Mike Buettner has extensive microbial training and real estate experience; this combination lends a unique insight into the relationship between indoor environmental issues and real estate laws.  Mr. Buettner has authored and taught Indoor Air Quality training programs relating to property transfer and has been an approved real estate instructor in several states.  Mr. Buettner currently instructs a legal issues course pertinent to indoor microbial contamination and mold and has presented this course multiple times at the National Association of REALTORS® annual convention.  

Mr. Buettner can be reached directly at 800.283.9512 or via e-mail at mike@iaqus.com.

Michael Buettner, CRMI, CIE, CIAQM
office: 800.283.9512
fax: 480.275.3237
email: Mike@IAQUS.com
website: www.IAQUS.com
All rights reserved ®, do not reprint without express permission from Michael Buettner

back to top