User:Cmuebel/sandbox

Article Evaluation
I have chosen to evaluate the NIOSH Wiki page for this assignment:

Everything appeared to be relevant to the topic. I was distracted by the statement, "[CDC] however, never relinquished control and the original intent of the Act never came to pass," and there was a "citation needed" superscript. All other statements had appropriate citations and functional links. The tone of that statement seemed to be biased towards the position that the CDC should allow NIOSH to separate. I could not find any discussion of that statement on the Talk page of the article, which I found interesting. The listed NIOSH Strategic Plan is from 2004-2009, so that may need to be updated. I also noticed that there is no mention of the Total Worker Health program, which is a holistic approach to occupational safety and health that takes into account factors that may be separate from the workplace. There is also no mention of Recommended Exposure Limits (RELs) in the article, which is an important function of NIOSH that should be specifically included, not just listed as a "see also" link at the bottom of the article. One interesting section of the talk page was where the NIOSH "Wikipedian-In-Residence" created a table of all of the NIOSH divisions and their functions. Because they were paid to create Wiki pages for NIOSH-related topics, there was a statement that read, "A requested edit by an editor with a conflict of interest was declined. Some or all of the changes may be promotional in tone," above the table and the author requested a second editor to look at it before posting it. The page was rated as C-class on the quality scale, and mid-importance on the project's importance scale.

Article Selection
Possible topics:

Bioaerosol


 * C class on quality scale, mid-importance
 * Limited information in each sub-heading; needs more detail
 * Information about other types of sampling methods
 * References list needs work-- discussed on talk page.

Indoor Bioaerosol


 * Missing information on types of sampling methods
 * No talk page
 * Include ERMI in fungi section

Indoor mold


 * C class on quality scale, top importance for Occupational Safety and Health Project
 * Some sentence fragments

Autofluorescence


 * principle on which an instrument I use in my research is based
 * Classified as a "start class" and part of the WikiProject Molecular and Cell Biology.

Health effects
Molds are ubiquitous, and mold spores are a common component of household and workplace dust. In large amounts they can be a health hazard to humans, potentially causing allergic reactions and respiratory problems.

Mycotoxins
Some mold produce mycotoxins, chemical components of their cells walls, that can pose serious health risks to humans and animals. "Toxic mold" refers to mold which produce mycotoxins, such as Stachybotrys chartarum. Exposure to high levels of mycotoxins can lead to neurological problems and death. Prolonged exposure (for example, daily exposure) can be particularly harmful. Mycotoxins can persist in the indoor environment even after death of the fungi. They can adhere to dust particles and can can spread through the air attached to these dust particles or spores. There must be very specific temperature and humidity conditions in order for fungi to produce mycotoxins.

Symptoms
Symptoms of mold exposure may include nasal and sinus congestion; runny nose, eye irritation; itchy, red, watery eyes, respiratory problems, such as wheezing and difficulty breathing, chest tightness, cough, throat irritation, skin irritation (such as a rash), headache, and persistent sneezing. Immune-compromised people and people with chronic lung illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease, may get serious infections in their lungs when they are exposed to mold. These people should stay away from areas that are likely to have mold, such as compost piles, cut grass, and wooded areas.

Asthma
Infants may develop respiratory symptoms as a result of exposure to Penicillium, a fungal genus. Signs of mold-related respiratory problems in an infant include a persistent cough or wheeze. Increased exposure increases the probability of developing respiratory symptoms during the first year of life. Studies have indicated a correlation between the probability of developing asthma and exposure to Penicillium.

Mold exposure has a variety of health effects, and sensitivity to mold varies. Exposure to mold may cause throat irritation, nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, cough and wheezing and skin irritation in some cases. Exposure to mold may heighten sensitivity, depending on the time and nature of exposure. People with chronic lung diseases are at higher risk for mold allergies, and will experience more severe reactions when exposed to mold. Damp indoor environments correlate with upper-respiratory-tract symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing in people with asthma.

Sampling
Before sampling, a subsequent course of action should be determined. In the U.S., sampling and analysis should follow the recommendations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the EPA and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).Types of samples include air, surface, bulk, dust, and swab. Multiple types of sampling are recommended by the AIHA, since each has limitations.

Air Sampling
Air is the most common form of sampling to assess mold levels. It is considered to be the most representative method for assessing respiratory exposure to mold. Indoor and outdoor air are sampled, and their mold spore concentrations are compared. Indoor mold concentrations should be less than or equal to outdoor concentrations with similar distributions of species. A predominant difference in species or higher indoor concentrations can indicate poor indoor air quality and a possible health hazard. Air sampling can be used to identify hidden mold and is often used to assess the effectiveness of control measures after remediation. An indoor mold air sampling campaign should be performed over the course of at least several days as the environmental conditions can lead to variations in the day-to-day mold concentration. Stationary samplers assess a specific environment, such as a room or building, whereas personal samplers assess the mold exposure one person receives in all of the environments they enter over the course of sampling. Personal samplers can be attached to workers to assess their respiratory exposures to molds on the job. Personal samplers usually show higher levels of exposure than stationary samples due to the "personal cloud" effect, where the activities of the person re-suspend settled particles. There are several methods that can be used for indoor mold air sampling.

For more detailed information on air sampling methods for indoor mold, see Bioaerosol.

Swab and Surface Sampling
Surface sampling measures the number of mold spores deposited on indoor surfaces. With swab, a cotton swab is rubbed across the area being sampled, often a measured area, and subsequently sent to the mold testing laboratory. The swab can rubbed on an agar plate to grow the mold on a culture medium. Final results indicate mold levels and species located in the suspect area. Surface sampling can by used to identify the source of mold exposure. Molecular analyses, such as qPCR, may also be used for species identification and quantification. Swab and surface sampling can give detailed information about the mold, but cannot measure the actual mold exposure because it is not aerosolized.

Bulk and Dust Sampling
Bulk removal of material from the contaminated area is used to identify and quantify the mold in the sample. This method is often used to verify contamination and identify the source of contamination. Dust samples can be collected using a vacuum with a collection filter attached. Dust from surfaces such as floors, beds, or furniture is often collected to assess health effects from exposure in epidemiology studies. Researchers of indoor mold also use a long-term settled dust collection method where a dust cloth or petri dish is left out in the environment for a set period of time, sometimes weeks. Like swab and surface sampling, bulk and dust sampling can give detailed information about the mold source, but cannot accurately determine the level of exposure to the source.

Zana Percy's Peer Review
I like how organized your notes on the topic are!

One suggestion that I have is regarding the health effects section. If asthma is the only symptom that you plan to include, it may make more sense to combine the asthma subsection as part of the symptoms section.

Another way to improve the article would be adding more external links--maybe resources that you are finding helpful when doing your background research on the topic.

Great work so far!