Mitigating Indoor Exposures to Pollen and Other Airborne Allergens that Cause Hay Fever

Allergic rhinitis can be a seasonal or perennial challenge for allergy sufferers. It is an allergic inflammation of the nasal airways that occurs when an environmental allergen, such as pollen or mold, is inhaled by an individual with a sensitized immune system. This type of allergic rhinitis is frequently referred to as hay fever.

Pollen is a common cause of hay fever, so the amount of pollen in the air will affect whether symptoms develop or not in many cases. The types of pollen that cause hay fever vary depending on the individual and may include tree, grass, and ragweed pollen. Pollen can also aggravate other respiratory diseases, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“We need outdoor air entering our buildings to dilute pollutants we generate indoors but cannot otherwise control by source removal, substitution, engineering controls, etc. Outdoor air can significantly help to improve conditions in the built environment,” said Derrick A. Denis, Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark. “All buildings have some amount of natural air exchange through infiltration, and commercial building codes require mechanical outdoor air delivery. But, outdoor air can contain unwanted particulate allergens like seasonal pollen and mold spores. So, filtering incoming air as it enters the mechanical system helps reduce those allergens and protect equipment from dust accumulations. Positively pressurizing the building with filtered and conditioned air aids in preventing dust and allergens from entering buildings at door thresholds, window weep holes, and other breaches in the building envelope.”

To help building owners and managers optimize indoor conditions to prevent or mitigate hay fever symptoms and many other respiratory concerns, the indoor environmental quality and industrial hygiene experts at CSC offer testing, monitoring, and consulting services. Their professionals utilize decades of experience, and the latest tools and resources, to identify and mitigate exposure risks to a wide range of microbial and chemical allergens, respiratory irritants, and known asthma triggers. CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about hay fever and indoor air quality that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/nnzsMSWpBtI

To learn more about this or other indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com, or call 800-807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC)
Since 1996, CSC has helped clients in the public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers, and real estate professionals.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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