Today, there are life-threatening biohazards and biotoxins living and breathing undetected in millions of American homes and businesses.
Unsuspecting home and business owners from coast to coast are unknowingly living and working with dangerous biohazards.
Hiding in the air they breathe, hiding in the walls and furniture they use, and extreme cases, the water they drink, home biotoxins are presenting a very dangerous health and safety threat to millions of Americans.
If you suspect biohazards or toxins posing a threat to your home or business, consult a 380 Companies professional to give your property a comprehensive testing and evaluation. For biohazards are one of the most difficult to detect threats to America’s homes.
America’s Most Common Biohazards
By definition, biohazards are pathogens or health risks posed by the possible release of pathogens into the environment.
By definition, biotoxins are substances which are both toxic and have a biological origin. They come in many forms and be produced by every type of living organism. Mycotoxins are made by fungi, zootoxins are produced by animals and phytotoxins are made by plants.
Sewer backups and flood waters are two of the most common and easily identifiable biohazards that affect homes and businesses. Flood water can contain sewage, pesticides and other contaminents and leave a rash of mold in your home.
But biohazard threats can also be as invisible as an invisible man. They are also heavily manufactured. Lead, vinyl, formaldehyde, asbestos, Bisphenol A and polychlorinated biphenyls (commonly known as PCBs) are also prevalent biotoxins circulating throughout many homes and businesses.
The Centers For Disease Control estimates that in a minimum of four million U.S. Households children are exposed to dangerous amounts of lead from old paint. This dust is kicked into the air every time a nail is driven into a wall to hang a picture, a new electric socket is installed, and a family renovates its kitchen. A 2013 CDC study estimated more than 500,000 children ages one to five had “elevated” levels of lead in their blood. No level of lead in blood is considered safe for children.
Asbestos, a common threat in America’s older elementary and grade schools, is an industrial toxin that has found its way into many American homes and businesses. A longtime source of lung cancer and a killer of mechanics, construction workers and other trade workers from America’s 20th century industrial era, asbestos was produced during the installation of boilers and pipes, and the repairing of cars that used asbestos brake linings. Asbestos also festered in homes and businesses in shingles.
The issue of biotoxins goes even deeper into our furniture. Flame retardants commonly used in sofas, chairs, carpets, love seats, curtains, baby products and even TVs in the 20th century created a storm of biotoxins in American homes and businesses. Flame retardants like Iris phosphate have been linked to cancer.
Home biotoxins may also be silently residing in your home in your window cleaners and spot removers that contain known or suspected cancer-causing agents. Be sure to thoroughly read the ingredients list and warning labels of all household cleaners before purchasing and using them.
And excessive hoarding can lead to a wide host of home biohazards.
Here’s a list of common home biohazard hot spots:
- Closets: Perchloroethylene (commonly used in dry cleaning)
- Fruit bowls: Pesticides
- Walls: Lead, mold
- Refrigerator: Mercury, Dioxins and PCBs.
- The Faucet: Lead, Chlorination, By-Products and Arsenic
- Windows: Air Pollution
- Deck and Play Sets: Arsenic
How To Handle A Home Or Business Biotoxin Emergency
What should home and business owners do if they suspect their home has been compromised or contaminated by biohazards? The first rule of home biohazards: Do not try to clean them up or remove them yourself. Call a professional.
- Stay out of affected areas. Block off the areas to make sure children and pets do not enter them.
- Only perform activities that are safe (no home improvements or repairs).
- Call emergency services personnel if the situation is life-threatening.
- Turn off your home’s HVAC system as if you would if there were sewage damage in your home.
And if you suspect a biohazard threat in your home. Call a 380 Companies professional immediately to test for, identify and eliminate the threat.
