Huntington Beach, CA, April 7th, 2021
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 1 in 12 children have asthma. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), approximately 1.2 million children have been diagnosed with the disease in California.
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease that causes the airways of the lungs to tighten and constrict, leading to wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing. The inflammation also causes the airways of the lungs to become especially sensitive to a variety of asthma triggers. The particular trigger or triggers, and the severity of symptoms, can differ between children or adults with asthma.
This respiratory disease, which can sometimes be life-threatening, can be controlled through proper medical treatment and by managing exposure to environmental triggers that can cause an asthma attack. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists the following asthma triggers commonly found in or around school buildings:
- Cockroaches and other pests
- Mold resulting from indoor moisture
- Dander from animals in the classroom
- Dander brought in on clothing from animals at home
- Secondhand smoke
- Dust mites
- Cleaning agents, perfumes, pesticides, and other sprays
- Ozone
- Bus exhaust
- Particle pollution
“The good news for schools in California is there are environmental tests and real-time monitoring instruments to identify many of these, and other known asthma triggers, respiratory irritants, and allergens," said Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at LA Testing. “If detected at elevated concentrations, there are corrective actions that can be taken to mitigate or eliminate exposure concerns.”
With multiple locations across California, LA Testing offers air, dust, and other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) testing services, sampling supplies, easy-to-use test kits, and air monitoring instruments. LA Testing has sponsored an educational video about managing asthma in school environments that can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/wHantmU2lBo.
To learn more about environmental asthma trigger testing services and monitoring instruments, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. For access to IEQ test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.
About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash, and smoke damage, particulates, and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health, and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego, and Ontario.