READ: Microbiology: Control of Microbial Growth

READ: Microbiology: Control of Microbial Growth

(4 RC) - To prevent the spread of human disease, it is necessary to control the growth and abundance of microbes in or on various items frequently used by humans. Inanimate items, such as doorknobs, toys, or towels, which may harbor microbes and aid in disease transmission, are called fomites. Two factors heavily influence the level of cleanliness required for a particular fomite and, hence, the protocol chosen to achieve this level… (Microbiology Chapter 13, 2016)

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READ: Microbiology: Microbial Growth

READ: Microbiology: Microbial Growth

(3 RC) - Biofilms were long considered random assemblages of cells and had little attention from researchers. Recently, progress in visualization and biochemical methods has revealed that biofilms are an organized ecosystem within which many cells, usually of different species of bacteria, fungi, and algae, interact through cell signaling and coordinated responses… (Microbiology Chapter 9, 2016)

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READ: Microbiology: The Eukaryotes of Microbiology

READ: Microbiology: The Eukaryotes of Microbiology

(4 RC) - Eukaryotic microbes are an extraordinarily diverse group, including species with a wide range of life cycles, morphological specializations, and nutritional needs. Although more diseases are caused by viruses and bacteria than by microscopic eukaryotes, these eukaryotes are responsible for some diseases of great public health importance… (Microbiology Chapter 5, 2016)

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READ: WHO: HPC and Drinking-water Safety Part Three

READ: WHO: HPC and Drinking-water Safety Part Three

(4 RC) - This report deals with safe water supply extending from source to consumer, including plumbed-in devices, domestic and building environments, and water supplied in bottles or packages. The different ways in which drinking-water may be used in the home are considered, and specific concerns in higher-risk settings and populations at increased risk are addressed. … (WHO, 2003)

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READ: Interior Insulation Applications in HVAC Systems

READ: Interior Insulation Applications in HVAC Systems

(1 RC) - One of the critical aspects of HVAC systems is the insulation used inside metal ductwork, air handlers, mixing boxes, and other components of HVAC systems. Insulation materials need to be understood and handled properly to ensure optimum system performance and compliance with regulations. This paper covers the specific topic of internally insulated sheet metal ductwork and HVAC system components. Related topics, such as flex duct and duct-board, may be discussed in future papers… (NADCA, Nov 2016)

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READ: WHO reports on drinking water safety (Part 2)

READ: WHO reports on drinking water safety (Part 2)

(4 RC) - This report deals with safe water supply extending from source to consumer, including plumbed-in devices, domestic and building environments, and water supplied in bottles or packages. The different ways in which drinking-water may be used in the home are considered, and specific concerns in higher-risk settings and populations at increased risk are addressed. … (WHO, 2003)

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READ: WHO reports on drinking water safety (part 1)

READ: WHO reports on drinking water safety (part 1)

(4 RC) - This report deals with safe water supply extending from source to consumer, including plumbed-in devices, domestic and building environments, and water supplied in bottles or packages. The different ways in which drinking-water may be used in the home are considered, and specific concerns in higher-risk settings and populations at increased risk are addressed. … (WHO, 2003)

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READ: WHO Summarizes School Environment Policies (Part 2)

READ: WHO Summarizes School Environment Policies (Part 2)

(4 RC) - This report includes a summary of existing policies on providing healthy environments in schools and kindergartens, an overview of environmental risk factors in schools, information on design, methods and results of selected recently conducted exposure assessment surveys and a summary of pupils’ exposures to major environmental factors, such as selected indoor air pollutants, mold and dampness and poor ventilation in classrooms, sanitation and hygiene problems, smoking and the use of various modes of transportation to school… (WHO, Jan 2015)

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READ: WHO Summarizes School Environment Policies (part 1)

READ: WHO Summarizes School Environment Policies (part 1)

(4 RC) - This report includes a summary of existing policies on providing healthy environments in schools and kindergartens, an overview of environmental risk factors in schools, information on design, methods and results of selected recently conducted exposure assessment surveys and a summary of pupils’ exposures to major environmental factors, such as selected indoor air pollutants, mold and dampness and poor ventilation in classrooms, sanitation and hygiene problems, smoking and the use of various modes of transportation to school… (WHO, Jan 2015)

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READ: EPA Evaluates Residential Indoor Air

READ: EPA Evaluates Residential Indoor Air

(4 RC) - Possible exposure pathways associated with this site include inhalation of contaminated indoor air as well as dermal exposure to and incidental ingestion of contaminated soil, sediment, and surface water. The indoor air pathway was selected for evaluation first because of the potential for nearby residents to be exposed to volatile chemicals in their homes throughout the year… (ATSDR, Sept 2014)

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READ: CDC Researches Valley Fever

READ: CDC Researches Valley Fever

(1 RC) - Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) is an infection caused by the environmental fungus Coccidioides spp. Approximately 40% of infected persons develop symptoms including fatigue, cough, fever, shortness of breath, and headache, typically after a 1- to 3-week incubation period (1). The infection is often clinically indistinguishable from community-acquired pneumonia caused by other pathogens… (CDC, Sept 2019)

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READ: Mold Basics for Primary Care Clinicians

READ: Mold Basics for Primary Care Clinicians

(1 RC) - People are constantly exposed to mold in both indoor and outdoor environments and pinpointing one source of exposure can be difficult to impossible. In fact, exposure may come from multiple sources. The general public and some health care providers who are less familiar with the subject have attributed a burden of disease to mold that is disproportionate with symptoms. This document will attempt to give the practicing clinician a synopsis of the state of the art thinking about indoor mold, damp spaces, and health effects… (CDPH, Dec 2009)

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READ: Safely Clean, Decontaminate, and Reoccupy Flood-damaged Houses Part 2

READ: Safely Clean, Decontaminate, and Reoccupy Flood-damaged Houses Part 2

(4 RC) - This guidance for safely cleaning, decontaminating, and reoccupying homes after flood events, this document provides a review of the existing literature on the health hazards presented by floods, flood damage, and subsequent cleanup activities and summarizes several guidance documents on strategies for safely returning flooded buildings to habitable conditions. … (US EPA, 2015)

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READ: Safely Clean, Decontaminate, and Reoccupy Flood-damaged Houses Part 1

READ: Safely Clean, Decontaminate, and Reoccupy Flood-damaged Houses Part 1

(4 RC) - This guidance for safely cleaning, decontaminating, and reoccupying homes after flood events, this document provides a review of the existing literature on the health hazards presented by floods, flood damage, and subsequent cleanup activities and summarizes several guidance documents on strategies for safely returning flooded buildings to habitable conditions. … (US EPA, 2015)

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READ: Sampling and Characterization of Bioaerosols

READ: Sampling and Characterization of Bioaerosols

(4 RC) - Bioaerosols are airborne particles that originate from biological sources including animals, plants, fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Examples of bioaerosols encountered in occupational environments include plant pollen, algae, fungal spores, bacteria such as actinomycetes, droplets produced during coughing and sneezing that may contain bacteria and viruses, dust containing insect excreta, animal dander, and fragments derived from each of these sources. … (NIOSH, Feb 2020)

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READ: Factors Affecting Aerosol Sampling

READ: Factors Affecting Aerosol Sampling

(3 RC) - The need for aerosol sampling is driven by research or regulatory needs to understand or quantify the properties of airborne particles in the workplace or ambient environments. The property of most common interest is the airborne concentration of particulate mass defined as the aerosol mass per unit volume of air … (NIOSH, Feb 2020)

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WATCH: CDC - Legionellosis Outbreak Investigations Part 2 - Conducting Environmental Assessments

WATCH: CDC - Legionellosis Outbreak Investigations Part 2 - Conducting Environmental Assessments

(0.5 RC) - This video discusses additional environmental aspects of legionellosis outbreak investigations, including tips on conducting an environmental assessment and how to interpret the results of key questions on CDC’s Legionella Environmental Assessment Form (www.cdc.gov/legionella/outbreak-toolkit/).

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WATCH: CDC - Legionellosis Outbreak Investigations Part 1 - Legionella Ecology

WATCH: CDC - Legionellosis Outbreak Investigations Part 1 - Legionella Ecology

(0.5 RC) - This video discusses environmental aspects of legionellosis outbreak investigations. Learn why and where Legionella amplifies as well as the basics of how cooling towers, premise plumbing, and whirlpool spas work. Content includes a general introduction to environmental health and engineering related to Legionellosis.

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