Odor Remediation

There are many odors in a structure. One of the difficulties with understanding odors is that everyone perceives them differently. Each person’s sense of smell is unique and smell perception varies from person to person. Odors are the result of airborne chemical particles that are breathed or inhaled that stimulate odor receptors in our nose.

Are Odors Harmful?

Not all odors are harmful, some just smell bad. Some odors found in the home are just nuisance smells, but many may be harmful. Other odors are pleasant and often sought after, such as flowers or perfumes. However, even pleasant odors may be harmful. There are many people sensitive to perfume smells.

Health effects from odors will vary depending on the frequency, duration and the concentration of the odor. The most common symptoms or complaints are eye, nose, and throat irritation as well as headache, nausea, hoarseness, sore throat, cough, chest tightness, nasal congestion, palpitations, shortness of breath, drowsiness, and mood changes. Most of these symptoms will dissipate once the exposure ends, but some may have longer impacts.

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Some odors may trigger or complicate other illnesses, such as asthma, other respiratory diseases, hypersensitivity, and stress induced illness. In these cases the health effects may be longer lasting and more significant.

Where Do Odors Come From?

An odor is caused by one or more volatized chemical compounds. The odor may be released as a vapor or attached to particulate in aerosol. The odor is perceived by a person’s sense of olfaction through breathing or inhalation. Household odors may come from many sources, including humans, chemicals, building materials, animals, dirt, smoke, sewage, mold, etc. Some harmful odors come from water damage to structures. The “musty” smell of mold is an example of a potentially harmful odor. Bacteria associated with water losses may also be the source of building “smells”.

How Do You Eliminate Odors?

There are three basic ways to get rid of odors. To accomplish this you can:

1. Mask the odor. This is done by covering it with a more pleasant odor
2. Change the odor. This is done by changing the chemical to something else that does not produce an odor
3. Eliminate the odor source. Remove Odors with Heat® This is the process ThermaPureHeat® uses by either killing the living source of the odor, for example mold or bacteria, or by off-gassing the chemical causing the odor. Accelerated off-gassing is used when the odor is a chemical in a building material, such as formaldehyde. Off-gassing may not totally eliminate the source, but reduce it to levels that are not as perceptible

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