More and more individuals are being diagnosed with elevated sensitivities to various indoor contaminants (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome or CIRS, to name one controversial, but often encountered example). Conventional testing and sampling methods do not approach the threshold of detection required to correlate described symptoms and the environment under test. And test methods that can be highly sensitive (ERMI, PCR-based protocols) have additional caveats, often associated with self-conducted sample collection and interpretation, that need closer examination as we communicate with the occupant. With respect to practical application, the sensitive methods are too costly to administer in statistically reliable numbers. A detailed discussion of evaluation issues, how to approach these situations in a valid, defensible manner, and how to advise the client are discussed. Numerous references are also presented to promote further research and provide a basis of future learning.
Presented by: Bruce Fergusson