User:Apple1248/Air Quality Sciences

Founded in 1989, Air Quality Sciences (AQS) is a full service indoor air quality firm providing services to create and maintain healthy indoor environments. AQS is recognized worldwide as an expert in indoor air quality, chemical emissions from indoor products, mold and chemical exposures in buildings, and design and construction techniques for new and existing buildings. AQS offers services including building consulting, mold remediation oversight, chemical and microbial analysis of indoor contaminants, environmental chamber product emissions testing, mold resistance testing, and testing for the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification Programsm. Working with product manufacturers, building owners and managers, construction companies and architects, schools and governments, AQS develops IAQ management and construction programs, measures indoor pollutants, establishes acceptable standards for indoor air quality and evaluates human health risks from indoor pollutant exposures.

Product Emissions
Dr. Marilyn Black, Founder and Chief Scientist of AQS, pioneered the development of environmental chamber technology. Specialized environmental chambers are used to replicate actual indoor conditions, enabling precise measurements of the pollutant emissions released from indoor products. The AQS Product Emissions laboratory, widely considered to be the most technologically advanced in the world, allows manufacturers to study and maximize the environmental safety of their products. With more than 30 dynamic environmental chambers, AQS has tested more than 35,000 products including carpet, office furniture, consumer products, paints, laser printers, personal computers, appliances, and more. Static chambers are available for testing indoor materials’ resistance to mold growth. AQS serves as a technical partner for the GREENGUARD Certification ProgramSM, an international testing program for low-emitting products for healthy indoor environments. Administered by the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, the program sets indoor air quality emissions standards and certifies products for indoor environmental acceptability. AQS establishes technical procedures and standardized test methodologies in support of the program. It also conducts certification testing. AQS is one of three laboratories in the World accredited to perform office equipment testing for Germany’s Blue Angel Eco-Label Program, and is the only laboratory approved by the state of California for the Green Label Plus carpet testing program.

Laboratory Services
AQS’ microbiology program is world renowned for its expertise in identifying and solving environmental mold problems in buildings of all types. Mold and other allergens in buildings are associated with the national epidemic of asthma and allergies among children and adults. AQS has conducted hundreds of specialized building investigations to determine the extent of mold growth and to establish remediation plans. AQS has developed exceptional capabilities in speciating environmental molds such as Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Stachybotrys to assist public health and medical professionals in evaluating human health concerns. AQS has state-of-the-art chemical and microbial laboratories that provide specialized sampling and analysis methods for characterizing indoor air quality. These laboratories provide the most sensitive and accurate techniques for studying toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) down to the billionth part and detecting allergens and molds known to produce adverse health effects. In addition, AQS maintains the only national database on indoor levels of microbial VOCs. Continuing its legacy of cutting-edge work in indoor air quality, AQS was selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to perform allergen and endotoxin analysis for the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Conducted since 1960, NHANES is the primary research mechanism to monitor the health of the US population. AQS will analyze thousands of dust samples from survey participant homes for ten allergens and endotoxin. These analyses serve the critical role of linking indoor pollutant exposure in homes to adverse health effects.

Building Consulting
AQS’ Building Consulting group takes a practical and solution-oriented approach to conducting investigations of complex as well as routine microbial and chemical issues in buildings. AQS’ senior building consultants average 20 years of experience in their fields of expertise. With field offices strategically located in Georgia and California, AQS works throughout the United States and internationally. The Building Consulting group is supported by AQS’ ISO 9001:2000 registered and AIHA EMLAP accredited microbial and chemical laboratories that provide IAQ-specific analyses. The in-house laboratories allow the Building Consulting team to respond rapidly and deliver expert diagnoses and solutions to any IAQ situation. AQS’ expertise is frequently sought for independent evaluations to resolve conflicting viewpoints in arbitration and litigation and for high profile and/or highly complex IAQ cases. Recognizing that proactive approaches are usually far more effective at preventing or mitigating problems, AQS also leads the industry in developing cost-effective, proactive practices that promote good indoor environments. The Building Consulting group has conducted thousands of investigations and managed IAQ projects spanning 40 U.S. states and several international locations. From prevention to resolution, AQS has the experience and in-house talent to investigate, resolve, and manage every type of indoor air quality problem and promote good indoor air quality. With prevention as the cornerstone of our philosophy, AQS’ suite of IAQ services spans the lifecycle of a building, from its initial design and construction through its long-term occupancy, operation and maintenance. AQS’ building consulting services include: AQS’ multi-disciplinary staff of chemists, biologists, certified industrial hygienists, mycologists, mechanical and chemical engineers, IAQ scientists and public health experts can address occupant complaints to determine the acceptability of the indoor air. Chemical and microbial contaminant levels in air and settled building dust can be measured and reviewed relative to current standards, guidelines and scientific information. Sources of unusual or excessive chemical contamination and undesirable odors can be identified. AQS offers a variety of building consulting services ranging from baseline investigations of space for general acceptability to complex studies with extensive exposure assessments to address health concerns and manage crises.

Quality Assurance
Air Quality Sciences is ISO 9001:2000 registered and AIHA accredited under the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program (EMLAP). AQS has a well-defined quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program, which ensures the integrity of the measured and reported data obtained during product evaluation and contaminant measurement studies. This QA/QC program encompasses all facets of field investigation, laboratory analysis, environmental chamber testing, and GREENGUARD Certification. Specific procedures for each of these areas are in place to ensure valid data output.