Aeroallergen Monitoring by the National Allergy Bureau: A Review of the Past and a Look Into the Future.

Monitoring aeroallergens has a long history within the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. The Aeroallergen Network of the National Allergy Bureau is composed mainly of members of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, whose objectives are to enhance the knowledge of aerobiology and its relationship to allergy, increase the number of certified stations, maintain the standardization and quality of aerobiology data, improve the alert and forecast reporting system, and increase ties with other scientific entities inside and outside the United States. The public has a keen interest in pollen counts and pollen forecasts, as do many health professionals in the allergy community.

Air sampling of mold spores by slit impactors: yield comparison.

The performance of simple slit impactors for air sampling of mold contamination was compared under field conditions. Samples were collected side-by-side, outdoors in quadruplicates with Burkhard (ambient sampler) and Allergenco MK3 spore traps and with two identical Allergenco slit cassettes operated at diverse flow rates of 5 and 15 L/min, respectively. The number and types of mold spores in each sample were quantified by microscopy.

Hygiene at work: An engineering perspective on the development of hygiene science.

The present article examines the work of contemporary hygiene practitioners. Discussion converges from a broad examination of hygiene at work in our society serving the common good to occupational hygiene in the workplace. The article considers the expanding role of hygiene today, juxtaposed against the lack of awareness and perceptions of hygiene.

Factors affecting the accuracy of airborne quartz determination.

Samples collected in a foundry were used to analyze sources of variation and factors influencing the overall accuracy of sampling results. Air samples were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) using NIOSH Method 7602 to study particle size effects, analytical precision, sampling equipment performance, and production factors. The FTIR technique provides accuracy when silica particle size is taken into consideration.