International Asthma Research: To find out the true effects of advanced allergen control measures on allergy and asthma sufferers, some of Europe's most respected allergy and asthma research specialists, are currently investigating the clinical effects of using high-performance air cleaners (alone and in combination with allergen proof bed encasings) on asthmatic children and adolescents with dog or cat allergy. IQAir® devices, with their North American headquarters in Pasadena, Calif., have been selected as the sole air cleaner brand for this study.

Eighty patients from Germany and Norway are participating in this project. The participants are children and adolescents ages 7 through 17 years who suffer from bronchial asthma and are allergic to dog or cat allergens. House dust mite allergy sufferers were excluded from the study.

To give the patients the maximum benefit from clean air exposure, the air cleaning devices have been placed in both, the bedroom and the living room of the patients' homes. The trial is of the highest scientific significance because it is both placebo controlled and double-blind.

Placebo controlled means that both, working and dummy air cleaners and encasings will be used. Double-blind means that neither patients nor researches know which patients have placebo air cleaners and encasings and which patients have functioning items. This clinical trial design ensures that the psychosomatic element (i.e. patients getting better because they believe in the usefulness of the items), can be ruled out.

The trial started in December 1999 and will continue until March 2001.

The project has been set up and is being conducted by the following researchers: Dr. Leif Rolfsjord and Prof. Dr. Sten Dreborg of Central Hospital of Hedmark, Norway. Dr. Susanne Lau and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Wahn of Charité Virchow Klinikum, Berlin If the trial results support a clinical benefit to patients, it will pave the way for high-performance air cleaners being acknowledged as "prescription" items which are covered by health insurance funding the same way as bedding encasings are already funded by health insurances in virtually all European countries.

Pesticide Report: According to a new study released by Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides (NCAMP), children are inadequately protected from pesticides used in schools, . The study, The Schooling of State Pesticide Laws -- 2000, evaluates the laws of the 50 states and finds that 31 offer a limited and unsatisfactory level of protection. Based on Beyond Pesticides/NCAMP's 1998 report and survey of state laws, the organization wrote to EPA requesting that it consider rulemaking to protect children from pesticide use in schools. Today, almost two years since the request was made, the evidence of EPA taking action to reduce exposure to children while at school is not any more clear, according to NCAMP officials.

Cool Projects, Part 1: Northeast IAQ contractors Jeff May and Steve Goselin were featured last month on a Discovery Health TV program called "Body Invaders" about allergy and asthma. It featured an investigation and remediation on a mold-contaminated home.

Cool Projects, Part 2: Exxon Corp. has hired Keith Blanchard of DUCTBUSTERS^® in Lafayette, La., to conduct a full IAQ investigation of a six-story oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

ALA On Duct Cleaning: The American Lung Association recently weighed in with an official statement regarding duct cleaning. Not surprisingly, the organization took a very conservative approach to their recommendations. Here's what ALA has to say about duct cleaning:

With increasing attention focused on health concerns from biological contaminants and dust in the indoor environment, ALA offers the following recommendations regarding the use of duct cleaning:

"Duct cleaning has not been shown to prevent health problems, nor is scientific evidence currently available to conclusively demonstrate that particle (e.g., dust) levels in homes increase because of dirty air ducts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned routinely, but only as needed.

When health problems are believed to be the result of biological contaminants or dust in indoor air, it is important to first determine that contaminated ducts are the cause of the health problems and verify that the ducts are, in fact, contaminated. The source of the problem may lie elsewhere, so cleaning ducts may not permanently solve the problem.

People who have their ducts cleaned should verify that the service provider takes steps to protect individuals from exposure to dislodged pollutants and chemicals used during the cleaning process. This may involve using HEPA filtration when cleaning, providing respirators for workers and having occupants vacate during cleaning."

ALA refers people to the EPA website for any additional information about duct cleaning.