airmid healthgroup is delighted to announce that it has gained ISO/IEC 17025:2005 INAB accreditation for quantification of Influenza A Nucleoprotein.

DUBLIN, IRELAND FEBRUARY 26, 2017

This is an extension of airmid’s scope of accreditation, as in 2011 the lab became the world’s first to be ISO/IEC 17025:2005 INAB accredited for Der p 1 (house dust mite allergen) & Fel d 1 (cat allergen) analysis.

ISO/IEC 17025:2005 is the globally recognised standard that sets out requirements for the technical competence of testing and calibration laboratories. As an ISO 17025 accredited testing laboratory, airmid healthgroup has incorporated an overall quality system governing both their management practices and technical competence. The accreditation assures customers that the laboratory can deliver accurate and reliable data through the implementation of this robust quality system.

The research and testing organisation airmid healthgroup announced today that they have been approved as an external inspection institute by the Berlin-based European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation (ECARF). Specific testing by airmid healthgroup can now be used to prove that products fulfill the criteria for the ECARF Seal of Quality, which is awarded to products and services that have been scientifically proven to be suitable for people with allergies and intolerances. The ECARF Seal of Quality has been granted to a wide range of products and services including air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, wall paint, washing machines, hotels and car interiors. The Seal is used by manufacturers worldwide.

The Natura^® paint brand manufactured by Benjamin Moore has been certified asthma & allergy friendly™ by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America and The Asthma Society of Canada.

The product was independently tested at airmid healthgroup and found to meet the requirements for the asthma & allergy friendly™ ASP:04-01 Certification Standard for Indoor Decorative Coatings. airmid healthgroup assessed the Natura^® range to determine whether it contained any agents likely to have an impact on asthma, allergy and human health. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of the most important non-biological airway irritants. Studies have shown the adverse impact on the health of asthmatics due to increased VOC exposure immediately after the application of indoor decorative coatings, as well as over a prolonged period of time.

VOC emission testing (to the CDPH/EHLB/Standard Method V1.1, 2010 and EPA Method 24) demonstrated that the indoor air concentration of VOCs emitted from the applied Natura^® coating did not exceed Certification thresholds at 24, 36 and 336 hours. To ensure the quality of the product, it was also verified that the product met or exceeded the relevant physical performance standards for a number of characteristics including drying time, scrubbability, cleanability, and adhesion.

Only products that pass rigorous scientific testing and meet strict standards are awarded the asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification Mark. For a full list of certified products, retailers that carry them and abstracts of the standards, visit asthmaandallergyfriendly.com or asthmaandallergyfriendly.ca

Swiffer^® Unscented Dry Dusters & Sweepers have become the first dry-dusting cleaners to be Certified asthma & allergy friendly™ by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) Manufactured by P&G, the Swiffer Sweeper is designed to trap and hold dust from a variety of floor types including wood, ceramic and linoleum. Swiffer Dusters are designed to pick up and trap dust using thousands of flexible fibres which are coated with Dust Lock Adhesive™. 

A series of studies were conducted in airmid healthgroup's specially built climate controlled testing chambers. Within these unique chambers, testing assessed the capacity of the products to remove allergens from a number of different surfaces while minimizing the amount of allergen being disturbed into the air. Analysis of the collected samples was carried out using highly sensitive ELISA to measure allergen concentration. The results showed that, as well as the products being able to meet asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification criteria, they also outperformed generic dry and wet cloths tested under identical conditions.

As a result of the research carried out at airmid healthgroup the Swiffer Unscented  Dry Dusters and Sweepers are the first products of their type to meet the asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification Standard for Handheld Dusting Products and Wipes (ASP:09-03). The standard has been developed by Allergy Standards Ltd, an International Standards and Certification body who founded and operate the asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification program worldwide.

Philips, one of the world's largest consumer goods companies and the market leaders in the Chinese air purifier market, recently launched their latest air cleaning device in China. One of the key features of the product include its ability to remove airborne Influenza A (H1NI) within 20 minutes of operation, which has been substantiated following independent testing using real virus particles at airmid healthgroup.

P&G's Febreze^® Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer, Unscented is the first soft surface allergen control spray Certified as asthma & allergy friendly™ by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). The product reduces odours and helps prevent the release of allergens from soft furnishings and bedding into the air. The product was tested extensively at airmid healthgroup to achieve Certification. Testing included assessment of the product’s constituents, VOC emissions and its effect on surface and airborne allergen levels.

Pollen (birch tree and timothy grass), pet dander, and dust mite allergens were assessed during the asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification process. Testing was carried out in airmid healthgroup's climate controlled environmental test chambers. The results demonstrated that use of Febreze® Fabric Refresher Allergen Reducer, Unscented reduced airborne allergen levels generated by disturbance of soft furnishings (when compared to untreated controls). The product retained allergen on the fabric surface. Further testing confirmed that recommended cleaning procedures removed the retained allergen from treated surfaces. Residual moisture levels returned to baseline levels within 90 minutes of product application.

The Certification Standard for Soft Surface Allergen Control Sprays (ASP:17-01) was developed by Allergy Standards Ltd (ASL), an International Standards and Certification body. ASL founded the asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification program and operates it worldwide.

Bona’s new Free & Simple hardwood floor cleaner has been Certified asthma & allergy friendly™ following extensive testing at airmid healthgroup.

The product was tested to the asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification standard for non-disinfecting hard surface cleaners (ASP09:01). Testing to the standard includes an assessment of the impact of the product on surface and airborne allergen levels, and a review of the product's constituents and emissions.

The individual constituents of the product were reviewed for their allergenic or sensitizing potential. In addition, the product was tested to the ASTM D116-10 and California Specification 01350 Test Methods to confirm that any emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were within Certification thresholds.

Testing under controlled conditions in airmid healthgroup’s environmental test chambers assessed the product’s ability to reduce allergen burden from a wooden floor without generating significant particle or airborne allergen exposure in comparison to standard controls. Allergen test dust containing a known amount of house dust mite and cat allergen was applied to the floor with a surface sticking agent. The floor was cleaned using the Bona mop system incorporating the Free & Simple cleaning solution. The results showed that the Bona product removed 93.33% of the house dust mite (Der p 1) allergen and 96.71% of cat (Fel d 1) allergen from the floor surface.

The asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification program was launched in 2005/2006 by Allergy Standards Ltd in partnership with the Asthma Society of Canada and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. This standards-based peer reviewed certification is now the largest and most respected of its kind in North America.

Dyson have launched their latest product into the UK market, a humidifier using Air Multiplier™ technology for even distribution of hydrated air and Dyson's own Ultraviolet cleansing technology to kill 99.9% of bacteria in water.

 

The launch follows extensive research and testing by airmid healthgroup that assessed the product's performance with particular emphasis on its ability to address the potential adverse health effects that have been associated with humidifier use.

A series of studies were conducted in airmid healthgroup's climate controlled environmental test chambers. The results showed that, as well as the product being able to achieve and maintain humidity within a tightly controlled target range, the UVC bulb in the sterilisation trough was effective in reducing the viability of the bacteria and fungi used in the studies. It was also demonstrated that operation of the humidifier did not contribute to any significant aerosolisation of microbes from contaminated water. In addition, pre-determined levels of bacteria, fungi and allergen were introduced into the chamber, and airborne sampling demonstrated that operation of the humidifier did not contribute to an increased risk of exposure through the re-aerosolisation of existing bioaerosols present in an indoor space.

Stanley Steemer, the largest deep cleaning service provider in the US, recently began the roll out of their professional carpet cleaning service which was the first to receive asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification from the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). The distinctive Stanley Steemer vans, each of which is custom fitted at their factory with their proprietary cleaning equipment, now also display the asthma & allergy friendly™ Certification Mark.  The Certification follows extensive research and testing by airmid healthgroup, which found that the Stanley Steemer service can have a significant beneficial impact on the maintenance of healthy indoor spaces.

airmid healthgroup studied the impact of the Stanley Steemer carpet cleaning service in a cross section of US homes. The study measured allergen and microorganism levels in the air and on carpet surfaces before and after steam cleaning was carried out. The results showed that the Stanley Steemer deep cleaning process removed up to 97% of surface allergens and led to a 67% reduction in airborne cat allergen. In addition there was a 90% reduction of bacteria on carpet surfaces and airborne mold levels were reduced by 55%.

Shaw Industries Group, Inc., the world's largest carpet manufacturer and a leading floor covering provider, recently released news of a series of studies that were carried out at airmid healthgroup comparing the impact of carpet and hardwood floors on indoor air quality. The studies showed that effectively cleaned carpets can trap allergens and other particles, resulting in fewer particles escaping into the air and thus contributing to the maintenance of indoor air quality.

Carpeting in the home has historically been associated with indoor exposure to allergens, therefore carpet removal in favour of hard flooring is frequently recommended to asthma and allergy sufferers as part of broader home allergen avoidance measures. Yet the available data on flooring and allergen exposures do not necessarily support this advice. Numerous studies have found that carpet acts as a bio-contaminant reservoir, with higher concentrations of dust, bacteria, fungi, house dust mites, and allergen being found in carpeted floors than in uncarpeted floors. The greater bio-contaminant levels in carpets may appear to be a reason to advocate hard flooring. However, it is important to emphasise that asthma and allergy sufferers are predominantly affected by the bio-contaminants that are present in the air in their breathing zone rather than what is present on or within the flooring surface. Therefore the focus shifts from the fact that carpet is a greater bio-contaminant reservoir to whether airborne levels of bio-contaminants are greater in the presence of carpeting or hard flooring.