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Environmental Hazards
Our job as your professional home inspector is to alert you, to the
extent possible, to unknown problems and potential environmental hazards in your current or potential house. Ours is a non-invasive
visual inspection of your property. While we may be able to alert you to possible problems, our basic inspections are no substitutes
for specialized contaminant testing.
ASBESTOS
Asbestos is a mineral fiber that can be positively
identified only with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was added
to many products to strengthen them and provide fire resistance and heat insulation. If disturbed, asbestos material may release
asbestos fibers which can be inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos material that crumbles easily if handled or which has been scraped,
sawed, or sanded into a powder is more likely to create a health hazard. Breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead
to an increased risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma (cancer of lining of chest and abdominal cavity), and asbestosis (lungs
scarred with the tissue). Houses built between 1930 and 1950 may have asbestos insulation. Most of today’s products
do not contain asbestos. If asbestos material is more than slightly damaged or you plan changes that might disturb it, you
require a professional for repair and removal. Before home remodeling, find out if asbestos is present.
Excerpts
from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Asbestos and Vermiculite”.
LEAD
Lead is
a highly toxic metal used for many years in products in and around homes. Lead’s adverse health effects range from behavioral
problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death. Because their bodies are growing quickly, children age 6 and under
are at greatest risk. Primary sources of lead exposure for children are deteriorating lead-based paint, lead-contaminated
dust, and lead-contaminated residential soil. Lead might be present in any home built up until the 1940s. Rarely found in
source water, lead can enter tap water through corrosion of plumbing materials. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to
have lead pipes, joints, and solder. New homes are also at risk: even legally “lead-free” pipes can contain up
to 8 percent lead and leave significant amounts of lead in the water for the first several months after installation. Since
the 1980s, EPA and its federal partners have banned or limited lead used in consumer products, including residential paint.
Federal regulations limiting the amount of lead in paint sold for residential use started in 1978. If your property was built
before 1978 or you are considering remodeling, renovating, or repair, you may wish to think about lead inspection. Water quality
can be compromised by such other trace elements as iron, excess acidity, manganese, calcium, magnesium, mineral salts, hydrogen
sulfide, selenium, chromium, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium.
Excerpts from U.S. Department of Environmental Protection,
“Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil”.
MOLD
Mold (fungi) is present everywhere,
indoors and outdoors. There are more than 100,000 species of mold, at least 1,000 of which are common in America. Species
of Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillums are some of the most commonly found species. Mold most likely grows in bathrooms,
basements, and anywhere else where there is dampness or water. Many types of mold routinely encountered aren’t hazardous
to healthy individuals. Too much exposure to mold may cause a worsening of such conditions as asthma, hay fever, or other
allergies. Fevers and breathing problems in a vulnerable individual are possible but unusual. When moldy material becomes
damaged or disturbed, spores, which are reproductive bodies similar to seeds, can be released into the air. Exposure can occur
if people inhale the spores, directly handle moldy material, or accidentally ingest the spores. Since all molds need water
to grow, mold can grow almost anywhere where there is high humidity, dampness, or water damage. Most often molds are confined
to areas near the water source. Removing the source of moisture through repairs or dehumidification is crucial in preventing
mold growth. Correcting underlying water damage and cleaning the affected area is the best way to treat mold. If mold contamination
is extensive, a professional abatement company may be needed.
Excerpts from the New York City Department of Health
& Mental Hygiene, Environmental & Occupational Disease Epidemiology, “Facts about Mold”.
RADON
Radon is a radioactive gaseous
element produced in the disintegration of radium, a radioactive metallic element. It cannot be detected by the senses and
can be confirmed only by sophisticated instruments and laboratory tests. The gas enters a house through pores and cracks in
the concrete or through floorboards of poorly ventilated crawlspaces, especially when wet ground allows the gas to escape
easily through the soil and disperse in the atmosphere. Radon is a lung carcinogen: the National Academy of Sciences estimates
radon causes some 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths annually. The U.S. Surgeon General and the EPA recommend all houses
be tested for radon. Houses with high radon levels can be fixed.
Excerpts from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
“Indoor Radon”.
WOOD-DESTROYING ORGANISMS/INSECTS
Termites, which play a positive role in recycling wood and plant material, become a problem when they consume
structural lumber. Every year thousands of U.S. housing units require termite treatment. These pests cause serious damage
to wooden structures and posts and can also attack stored food, household furniture, and books. Successful termite management
requires special skills, including a working knowledge of building construction and an understanding of termite biology and
identification. In most cases, it is advisable to hire a professional pest control company for the inspection and control
problem.
Wood-boring beetle larvae feed on wood and wood products. Adults of some species bore
holes into plaster, plastic, and soft metals. Many species cause problems when emerging from wood in newly constructed buildings
because they leave small circular or oval exit holes in the wood. To avoid these problems, infested wood must be kiln-fried
before being used for lumber. The species Deathwatch Beetles is primarily found in soft woods (girder, beams, foundation timbers,
some types of furniture, with some species attacking books). False Powder post female beetles bore a tunnel, or egg gallery,
into wood or other materials, and then deposit eggs in pores or cracks within the tunnel. Adults of some species bore through
such soft metal as lead and silver, as well as plaster and other non-wood materials. Affected structural wood should be removed
and replaced whenever possible.
Wood Wasps and Horntails. Wood wasp damage in buildings is likely
to be more cosmetic than structurally weakening. Emerging wood wasps can chew through any substance: wallboard or plaster
walls, hardwood floors, carpeting, linoleum, non-ceramic floor tiles, and other interior surfaces.
Carpenter
Ants. Several species can damage wood in building and other structures. Though ants don’t eat wood, they bore
into it to make their nests, sometimes causing serious structural damage. Also, they nest in hollow doors, cracks and crevices,
furniture, wall voids, and termite galleries. New building infestation occurs when land-cleaning in the area disturbs existing
native colonies.
Excerpts from University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources, UCIPMOnline, “Statewide
Pest Management Program”.
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