Prism Analytical Technologies, Developer of Home Air Check™, Offers Air Test to Determine Presence of Tobacco Smoke in Indoor Environments

Mt. Pleasant, MI (PRWEB) August 15, 2011

Prism Analytical Technologies, Inc., a leading U.S. consultative air testing laboratory devoted to the chemical identification and analysis of air contaminants, announced today that it has developed an air test to predict the usage of tobacco smoke in indoor environments. Prism’s Tobacco Smoke Check™ test looks for specific chemical compounds known to be present in secondhand smoke, sometimes referred to as environmental tobacco smoke or passive smoke, as well as thirdhand smoke, commonly thought of as stale tobacco smoke or tobacco smoke residue.

While tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, many of these chemicals can also be emitted by multiple sources, are at such low levels that they can’t be monitored, or are not volatile enough (like nicotine) to stay in the air for very long. Thus, the ability to predict that tobacco smoke is present in the air, especially after smoking activity has ceased, becomes a much more difficult task. However, by utilizing sophisticated sample collection and analysis methodologies with detection limits in the 0.1 ng/L range, Prism’s Tobacco Smoke Check test is able to isolate specific chemical markers that have been determined by recent leading edge research to be present when tobacco is or has been burned. This makes it an invaluable test for anyone wanting to know if an apartment, home, or house they’re planning to occupy can be considered a smoke-free environment. It is also beneficial for life insurance companies who want assurance that their applicants are living in an environment free from the effects of secondhand smoke.

Tobacco Smoke Check can be added to Prism’s Home Air Check™ test, a do-it-yourself air quality assessment purchased online, or to any of its professional-grade indoor air quality (IAQ) tests performed by industrial hygiene consultants, indoor air specialists, or home inspectors.

The facts on secondhand smoke are sobering. Secondhand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke, is classified as a "known human carcinogen" (cancer-causing agent) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization. Tobacco smoke is also linked to other kinds of diseases and even deaths. Environmental tobacco smoke is a known asthma trigger. Infants, children, and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to health risks from the effects of tobacco smoke, and recent research by doctors at Boston’s Mass General Hospital for Children and published in the medical journal Pediatrics found that thirdhand smoke contains the same dangerous carcinogens as in second hand smoke. The U. S. Surgeon General has declared that there is no safe exposure to tobacco smoke.

For more information on Tobacco Smoke Check, Home Air Check, or Prism Analytical Technologies, visit http://www.homeaircheck.com or http://www.pati-air.com.

About Prism Analytical Technologies, Inc.
Prism is a recognized leader in the development and deployment of ambient air testing methodologies for Fortune 100 companies and environmental consultants. Prism’s science-based technologies and wide range of air testing support help clients solve indoor air quality, process control, industrial, and environmental challenges. Prism’s industry-leading management and scientific teams are committed to supporting industrial and home-based customers with the best in affordable air testing technology, customer service, and support. Home Air Check™, developed by Prism, is the first and only comprehensive home air test for determining total VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and total level of actively growing mold. By monitoring the ambient (surrounding) air in the home, the inexpensive Home Air Check test allows a homeowner or home buyer to determine the levels of unhealthy organic compounds in the air and to detect the presence of “hidden mold” that could be growing behind walls or in carpeting. The Home Air Check test results indicate whether airborne chemical and mold levels in the home air are within a safe range and show the potential sources of the air contaminants.

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