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Healthy Home
What is a Healthy Home Evaluation
A healthy home evaluation is a comprehensive analysis of your home
or building designed to identify and quantify environmental concerns.
This includes radon, lead, EMF, drinking water analysis, soil testing,
mold and moisture assessments.
| Medium Evaluated |
# Samples Included * |
Standards of Comparison |
| Mold & Moisture |
1 – outside plus
2 – inside |
Background levels naturally occurring in the area |
| Lead |
2 – inside |
Presence or absence |
| Radon |
1– inside |
EPA standards and area averages |
| Drinking Water |
2 – inside |
EPA standards for organic and inorganic contaminants |
| Soil |
2 – outside |
EPA standards for organic and inorganic contaminants |
| EMF |
2 – inside |
ICNIP recommended standards and area averages |
* Additional samples can be accommodated upon
request.
When is a healthy home evaluation needed
- When purchasing a new home or business
- If there is a know history of environmental conditions in the
area
- If you are located near any current or past industrial sites
that may have contaminated ground water or soil
- If your home was built before 1978
 Why
should I be concerned about lead?
Lead-based paint was widely used in homes up until the late 1970’s.
Homes built before this time may still contain lead. While young
children and the elderly are at particular risk, anyone can be affected
by lead in the home. Lead dust can be inhaled or small paint chips
can be swallowed. Elevated blood lead levels can cause learning
problems and nerve damage. Children may have lead poisoning and
not feel sick at all, or lead can cause stomach pains, headaches,
poor appetite, fatigue and restlessness.
Why should I be concerned about Radon?
Radon is invisible, tasteless, and odorless. It is a naturally
occurring radioactive gas, produced by the breakdown of uranium
in soil, rock and water and has been found in all 50 states. The
EPA has estimated nearly 1 in 15 homes may have elevated radon levels,
and because it is naturally occurring, it is not limited to older
homes.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
You may be exposed to radon for years without any adverse effects.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon causes
an estimated 15,000 lung cancer deaths per year.
 What
kind of contaminates may occur in the outdoor soil?
The most common contaminates of residential soil are lead and
arsenic. Both of these toxins can be introduced to the soil directly,
or can travel great distances from other sources via the groundwater.
Lead and arsenic can be extremely dangerous, particularly to children
who tend to have greater exposure to the soil outside of a home.
Long-term exposure to heavy doses of arsenic can cause skin, bladder,
kidney, liver and lung cancer. Children exposed to lead are at risk
for learning difficulties, reduced growth and decreased mental abilities.
What kind of toxins may be present in my tap water?
Drinking water usually contains a large variety of contaminates
at or below levels established to be safe by the EPA. However, both
inorganic (e.g. heavy metals) and biological contaminants may become
elevated locally. For a complete list of EPA recognized contaminates
and acceptable levels, please visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/mcl.html.
The only way to be sure your home is safe from these contaminates
is to have it tested.
What is EMF exposure?
Electro magnetic fields (EMF) is the invisible field produced
by such things as power lines, home electronics, house wiring, cell
phones, and cellular relay towers. Although there is some debate
over the real health effects of EMF, most scientists agree that
the evidence is at best, inconclusive. Although the EPA has not
set any standards for residential EMF levels, there have been guidelines
introduced by the ICNIRP. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is an organization of 15,000 scientists
from 40 nations who specialize in radiation protection. We will
measure these radiation levels and let you know how they compare
with recommended standards and national averages.
How much will it cost
A full healthy home evaluation, including mold, moisture, radon,
lead, EMF, soil, and drinking water, starts at $999. Additional
samples can be accommodated upon request. The standard turn-around
time for a healthy home evaluation is one week. Quicker turn-around
time can be accommodated for an additional fee.
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