Why clean kids get sick more often!

People spend 80% of their time indoors. We breathe normally about 10 times a minute. Multiply that times 1440 minutes a day. This comes to over 14,000 breaths each day of quality air. If we can survive for a week without food or water yet barely four minutes without breathing, indoor air quality is not a subtle point.

Respiratory problems are at an all time high. Note: Liability is a major Business concern. Indoor air pollution is considered a major environmental problem. Allergies in children are growing at an alarming rate. It is believed this is due to early exposure to allergens, a significant part of indoor air pollution.

How do you know if you have an indoor Air Quality problem? Using this simple test is arguably the cheapest, reliable test that you can use.

This simple test will help you identify specific air quality problems (if they exist) that some air purifiers are just not designed to eliminate.

Known air contaminants exist in three categories.

(1) Particulate or dust

(2) Gases - odors, and

(3) Microbial (bacteria and mold)

Most homeowners and business owners do use air filters. And they do a fair to good job on (1) dusts in the air. However, they usually pay no attention to (2) gases or (3) airborne microbes. Why? They aren't designed for it.

This information is presented as a resource. The purpose is to help you spend very little money and maybe no money on the wrong air purifier AND help you reliably test the air that you and your family breathe. This guide will also help you evaluate the results of that test.

For the purpose of these tests, microbial growth is defined as aerobic bacteria, molds, and yeast.

The main tool in all three types of testing is the Petri Dish. What is a Petri Dish? The Petri Dishes are sterile covered plastic dishes with a nutrient rich media placed inside on which microbes will readily grow. These are available in kit form for about $15 or so. You can make your own kit.

The test method has a name; it is called "Total Count". This test method is not used to identify specific microbial species, but does allow you to identify the approximate total number of aerobic bacteria, molds, and yeasts present in a given sample.

1. Obtain a new sterile "T-salt" Petri Dish.

2. Place the dish in a room to be tested.

Authors note: Position the dish in an area that will allow a representative sample to be taken. That usually means to place the dish away from ventilation ducts and doorways (but not always). File cabinets and desktops are good places for dish placement. Avoid getting close to the ceiling or the floor, that's critical.

3. Petri Dishes may be used directly in duct works if you need this type of testing.

4. Remove the Petri Dish cover and pour the liquid nutrient into the base of the dish. Gently swirl the dish to ensure the bottom is covered.

5. Start your timing (use 30 or 60 minutes; I always use 60 minutes).

6. Once the exposure period is up, place the cover on the dish and incubate the dish for a period of 48 hours at room temperature. If you place the dish in a warmer environment, say a sunlit window sill, (80 to 100 degrees) the count can be made after 24 hours has expired.

7. After the incubation period, count all the growths on the dish. When using T-salt Dishes (used to make counting easier), the bacteria will appear as red "dots" or colonies. Fuzzy colonies may be present and that usually indicates mold. White colonies usually indicate yeasts.

Keep in mind that none, one or all these conditions may exist. At this point you have some reliable information. Now, look for the source of air quality problems. Example; where there is mold there is water. Find it. And look for the BEST solution.

Do you buy an air purifier? Perhaps but, decisions based on any idea that does not include a solid test cannot be relied upon to be a good decision.