Allergens
Allergens
Do you have allergies when spending time at your home or work? Do they go away when you leave the space? Call Indoor Science at (312) 920-9393 to have us perform a home health assessment and allergen testing for common allergens such as dust mite, cockroach, cat, dog, mold, and others.

What are allergens?
In simple terms, allergens are substances that are recognized by our body’s immune system and cause allergies. These environmental substances may illicit severe symptoms in some individuals, and nothing in other people. Allergy symptoms are the result of the immune system flagging a foreign substance as a problem.
There are several allergens that commonly produce allergy symptoms in the US population. Indoor Science performs allergen testing for each of the following:
Dust Mites
Dust mites come from the same family as spiders. The small feces of dust mites is a very common trigger to allergies and asthma. The scientific name for dust mites literally means “skin eater”. Don’t worry, they are different than bed bugs. Dust mites eat shed skin cells found in dust near areas when people spend time. Because we spend so much time in bed, in front of the TV, and at a desk, these are the prime areas to test for dust mites. They are also found in areas with higher humidity. Indoor Science can perform a dust test in key areas to determine if there are elevated levels of dust mite allergen.
Cockroach, Mouse, and Rat
Cockroach allergens are commonly found in kitchens and other areas you would expect to see cockroaches. Cockroach allergen has shown positive associations with inner-city asthma. Breathing difficulties may be a result of exposure to cockroach allergen.
Mice and rats also leave allergens behind which can trigger allergies in sensitized individuals. We often find mouse droppings during our site assessments, which is a telltale sign of a rodent problem. However, many times we detect mouse and/or rat allergens even when these pests haven’t been seen.
Cat, Dog, and Pet Allergens
Cats, dogs and other pets will shed allergens. The allergens may be found in the animal’s saliva, skin oils and dander, urine or hair. Cat and dog allergen, in particular, can be passively transported for great distances. For example, a workplace that has never had a cat or dog present may experience high concentrations due to an employee bringing in pet allergen. Another example is previous tenants in an apartment leaving pet allergen behind causing new tenants to react. Indoor Science can collect dust or air samples to detect the presence of these allergens.
Mold
Mold is also a common indoor allergen. There are thousands of different types of mold, so it is difficult for an allergist to test you for an allergy to each type. Many allergists will test patients for one or two different species and conclude “you’re not allergic to mold” even though there are tens of thousands of molds that were not tested. We can evaluate a property for mold as part of an allergen assessment, or we can perform a detailed mold inspection.
Pollen
Outdoor pollen comes from trees, grasses, and other plants. Although the source of pollen is almost always outdoors, there can be pathways for the pollen to reach indoors. Indoor Science can perform an assessment and offer advice on how to minimize the infiltration of outdoor pollens.
Allergen Testing
We start by asking a series of questions to understand the background and history of the situation. We follow that up by performing a visual inspection of the affected areas. We may recommend an environmental sample to quantify the presence of a specific allergen. There are two main types of samples we may collect: dust and air.
Dust samples are collected using a vacuum and special filter cassette, following protocols developed by HUD. An area approximately 1 square meter is marked off in the area most likely to have the target allergen. We prefer to collect the dust sample in areas that are not regularly cleaned in order to get a more historical perspective. If the previous owners had a pet to which you are allergic, we may only find the allergen in the dust of an area not regularly cleaned.
Air samples must run for a long period of time to pick up enough allergen to meet the limit of detection. We typically run an air sample for approximately 1 week using a high-volume sampler. Many allergens are found in settled dust and may only become airborne for short periods of time when they get kicked up.
We help you interpret the laboratory results of the allergen testing to determine if you have an elevated amount. If we do find an allergen in high concentrations, we can put together a plan for you to control that allergen.
WHAT WE DO
Industrial Hygiene
Recent Posts
PFAS Regulations and Testing: Recent Regulation Updates
In recent years, the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in our environment has become a growing concern due to their potentially adverse effects on human health and the environment. As a result, regulatory bodies and scientific communities have been actively working to establish stricter regulations and improved
Radon Detection Equipment and Methods
What is Radon? Radon, a colorless and odorless gas, is the second leading cause of lung cancer worldwide. It is a part of the radioactive decay chain of uranium. This gas seeps into homes and businesses through the ground and accumulates in enclosed spaces, posing a significant health risk
At least 7,000 people in the United States died from mold and fungal infections in 2021
According to the CDC, more than 75,000 people are hospitalized in the U.S. every year with fungal infections. At least 7,000 people died in 2021, up from just 450 in 1969. Aspergillus, a common mold found indoors, is the culprit in roughly one fifth of mold related hospitalizations and
Delaying Mold Remediation Can Lead to Health, Property, and Legal Consequences
Discovering a moisture or fungal-based issue in a property can be a distressing event. Oftentimes the repairs are costly and some property owners will defer the repair or avoid detailed inspection that might uncover greater scope of damage than is visible to the naked eye. Under scoping or delaying
Asbestos-Containing Materials in Fires Can Lead to Health and Regulatory Consequences.
Structural fires can be devastating to a property owner. Outside of the loss of possessions is the added burden of environmental hazards from fire byproducts such as soot, dioxins, or char. An environmental obstacle that is often overlooked is damaged asbestos-containing materials in the property. In today’s blog we
Environmental Impacts of Septic Tanks and Testing for Hazards
Why are Septic Systems Important? Septic systems is to take wastewater from your home and purify it so it can safely reenter the ground water system without chemicals or treatments. How do Septic Systems Work? Septic systems start with a main sewer line coming out from your home. All
How does an entire town become contaminated with asbestos dust? The story of Libby, Montana
When we think of asbestos we often think of building materials – floor tile, pipe insulation, black flooring mastic/glue, and popcorn ceilings. When it comes to abatement, teams remove or repair the broken materials along with isolating or encapsulating the area to prevent disturbance. But, what happens when an
Two overlooked communities with severe ongoing environmental pollution
Cancer rates 190x the EPA’s acceptable level and an area referred to as the ‘toxic donut’ – two overlooked communities with severe ongoing environmental pollution Major environmental disasters such as the water quality of Flint, Michigan or the wildfires in California have stood out given their media coverage in
Common deodorizing and cleaning techniques can result in dangerous levels of indoor air pollution
Why are Air Fresheners and Common Cleaning Techniques Potentially Harmful? While surface cleaning is important, deodorizing and cleaning with harsh chemicals can negatively affect indoor air quality and your health if not managed correctly.[1] Many common and sometimes unlisted ingredients used in air fresheners and surface cleaning products have
The Health Hazards of Dry Cleaning
Are you aware dry cleaning can have detrimental effects to the environment? Perchloroethylene also known as tetrachloroethylene, perc and PCE, is a solvent widely used in dry cleaning due to it not being flammable. In June of 2022, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a revised risk evaluation of
Contact Us
We provide customized pricing for each project we perform. The first step is providing us with some background information.