Historic research in the environmental industry is primarily driven by the requirements prescribed by the ASTM Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments:
By now, most mold investigators and IAQ professionals have heard of EPA's celebrated sampling and analytical system called ERMI-Environmental Relative Moldiness Index. Developed by Dr. Stephen Vesper, et. al.1, ERMI is perhaps the most far-reaching, technologically advanced and comprehensive attempt to date to determine the fungal burden of a home or residence.
After advising building owners, attorneys and insurance companies on microbial issues for over 10 years, performing hundreds of initial microbial investigations and "clearance" or "post-remediation re-occupancy" studies, like many of you, I have found myself scratching my head and attempting to interpret microbial data in light of the industry's guideline for determination of microbial contamination:
Last summer, a tsunami struck the fungal sampling coastlands of USA ...but hardly created a splash. The tsunami quietly seeped into the wetlands when the US EPA announced the development of ERMI...the acronym for Environmental Relative Moldiness Indexsm on August, 2006.
I read with interest the article by Ken Kaye on two scientist's challenge of other scientist's linking warmer oceans to more intense hurricanes (Sun-Sentinel page 1, December 13, 2007).
These two distinct phenomena are both based on the fear of small creepy creatures.
The common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) is the main species that is currently found infesting buildings and homes throughout the United States and other temperate climates.
Dr. Vincent Conte of the Miami - Dade County Health Department said about the EPIC hotel Legionnaires' disease outbreak, "What's ironic is the hotel installed a special filtration system to enhance the quality of their drinking water."
