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Sniffing Out Mold
http://www.week.com/news/local/10907881.html
YouNewsTV™Story Published: Oct 30, 2007 at 10:57 PM CDT
Story Updated: Oct 30, 2007 at 11:14 PM CDT
By Kelli Watson
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The marvels of modern medicine give ailing people countless options to improve their health.
One local family is relying on a company headed by man's best friend to help their daughter's medical condition.
Three–year–old K–9 Academy graduate Ebony is on the prowl, sniffing out this home for a toxic substance.
But she's not looking for drugs. The substance is mold. She's the new addition to a local indoor environmental inspection company.
"We found hidden reservoirs that we were unable to detect. We knew there was a problem, but where exactly it was at we weren't always able to identify. So, the dog helps us to be able to do that," said certified indoor environmental consultant Mike Lanius.
Emily Coffey was recently diagnosed with alternaria alternata...a mold allergy.
"My daughter Emily had allergies for about two years...I wanted to be sure they found the source of the mold and if it was in the house," said Emily's father Brian Coffey.
Ebony says yes...it's in Emily's bedroom, the basement, and the carpets.
"What we found here today are all situations that have been prompted from a moisture leak or problem with water intrusion...Carpets tend to gather and hold a lot of particulant—mold spores being one of these," said Lanius.
Whether it's in the carpet or microscopic, an inspection from Top Dog ranges from $300-500. But Emily's parents say no price is too much to pay to ensure the health of their children.
"She's missed seven days of school in the past three weeks for an ongoing sore throat, which they determined was from allergies. We decided we had to do something. So, no, it's not too expensive," said Emily's mother Lori Coffey.
All in a days work for Top Dog Inspection Services and the value of young Emily's health.
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(SMH Note: We have seen reports of mold dogs becoming ill from these duties - as dogs are certainly susceptible to molds and mycotoxins, too. ) See:
http://www.njmoldinspection.com/molddog.html
download EPA Report on Using Canines in Source Detection of Indoor Air Pollutants
Some additional articles on this topic:
Mold Dog Accurately Targets Mold in Buildings
KHNL-TV/KHBC/KOGG - Honolulu,HI,USA
By Diane Ako HONOLULU (KHNL) -- It's a tiny spore that can cause big health problems in your home or workplace: mold. It grows well in humid climates like ...
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Dog sniffs out mold
WHOI - Peoria,IL,USA
But how about dogs that can sniff out potentially dangerous mold in people's homes? One company says it's true. They say their 3-year-old Giant Schnauzer is ...
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