Chicago Residents Learn of Ways to Protect Against Flooding Hazards

The environmental and building consulting experts at EC2 provide indoor air quality (IAQ) and environmental testing services.
 
 
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Feb. 27, 2012 - PRLog -- With spring less than a month away, and Chicago area residents witnessing winter rains and snow, a local building science professional is educating people about environmental hazards that can result from flooding.  

EC2, a leading environmental and building science consulting and testing services provider, has a long history of educating people across the Midwest about indoor environmental threats to their health.  Last week, the company sponsored an educational video about an organism that can be analyzed to help determine if a flooding event has brought microbial pathogens into a structure.

The new video examines Bacteroides, a genus of Gram-negative, bacillus bacteria.  The bacteria is an excellent fecal indicator organism since it makes up such a large amount of the normal fecal flora, has a high degree of host specificity and typically has a low potential to grow in the general environment.  

“As a fecal indicator organism, Bacteroides can be useful for identifying situations where there is poor sanitation and a risk of potential infections from pathogenic microorganisms,” reported Ed Chambers, President of EC2.  “Identifying Bacteroides is also often useful for determining the potential presence of dangerous bacteria following a flood or sewage contamination in a building.  Due to their sheer numbers, the chance of finding Bacteroides over other traditional fecal indicators, such as E. coli, are greatly increased. This type of testing may also be used to detect the presence of fecal contamination in recreational waters.”

Testing for Bacteroides can be done utilizing advanced PCR techniques, similar to DNA testing done in forensic cases.  Utilizing PCR techniques allows for the identification of both viable and nonviable Bacteroides.  Results can be determined in as short as one day.  If high levels are found, the chances are good that additional pathogenic bacteria will also be present.  This information can help people properly remediate buildings that have been subjected to flooding without endangering workers and building occupants.

The new video can be seen at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t8Qh0a1Ka0



To learn more about dealing with the aftermath of floods, mold, or IAQ and environmental testing services, please visit http://www.4ec2inc.com, email info@4ec2inc.com or call (815) 703-9000.

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About EC2, Inc.
EC2 is a leading provider of environmental consulting and inspection services for customers in the United States. Based in the Chicago area, the company provides their services to clients ranging from local companies and institutions to international Fortune 500 Corporations.
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