Return to Home Page First District Health Unit: Regional Public Health Agency in North Dakota
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Programs & Services
  • -Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • COVID-19 Testing and Test Kits
    • COVID-19 Vaccination and Booster Appointments
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
    • Getting Your Immunization Records (Including COVID Vaccinations)
  • -Flu 2021-22
    • Flu Vaccinations
  • Alcohol and Addiction Programs
    • Community Narcan Training
    • Good Neighbor Project Syringe Service Program
    • Responsible Beverage Server Training
  • Employment
    • Applying at First District
  • Environmental Health Division
    • Air Quality
    • Child Care Facility Inspections
    • Cottage Foods
    • Fee Schedule and Forms for Environmental Health Services
    • First District Health Unit Rules and Requirements for Facilities
    • Food Establishment Licensing: Restaurants, Grocery and Convenience Stores, Bars/Taverns, Food Packagers, Bakeries, Meat Markets and Produce Growers
    • Food Safety for Food Service Employees/Certified Food Protection Manager
    • Lodging - Assisted Living Facilities, Mobile Home Parks, Campgrounds, Summer Camps, Bed & Breakfasts, Hotels/Motels, and Hunting Lodges
    • Microblading
    • Nuisances
    • Public Health & Safety
    • Public Portal for Viewing FDHU Inspections of Licensed Establishments
    • Septic Systems (Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems)
      • Components of a Septic System
      • Homeowner Resources
      • Sewer Contractor Resources
    • Swimming Pool and Spa Rules and Regulations
    • Tanning Regulations
    • Tattooing, Piercing and Permanent Make-Up/Cosmetic Tattooing
    • Water Analysis
  • Family Planning Program and Sexual Health
    • Family Planning Program
      • Family Planning Clinic Appointment Forms
    • HIV/AIDS
    • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
  • Immunizations
    • Getting Your Immunization Records (Including COVID Vaccinations)
    • Immunization Information For Adult & Children
    • Vaccine Consent Forms
  • Children (Newborn to 18)
    • Car Seats
      • Car Seat Distribution Program
      • Car Seat Resources
      • Child Car Seat Checks
      • Choosing a Car Seat
      • ND Child Passenger Safety Law
    • Farm Safety 4 Just Kids
    • High Priority Infant (HPI)
    • Optimal Pregnancy Outcome Program (OPOP)
      • Maternal Tobacco Program
    • School Health Nursing
    • Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)
  • WIC and Nutrition
    • Minot Area Team Wellness
      • Moving More Eating Smarter Wellness Award
    • Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)
  • Women's Health
    • Family Planning Program
      • Family Planning Clinic Appointment Forms
    • Optimal Pregnancy Outcome Program (OPOP)
      • Maternal Tobacco Program
    • Pregnancy Testing
    • Women's Way
    • Women, Infants, & Children (WIC)
  • Tobacco Programs and Resources
    • North Dakota's Smoke-Free Law
    • Quitting Tobacco
      • KickStart
      • KICKSTART V - ESCAPE THE VAPE
      • Maternal Tobacco Program
    • Tobacco Industry and Marketing Tactics
    • Tobacco Resources for Medical Providers
  • HIV/AIDS, STDs, and TB
    • HIV/AIDS
    • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
    • Tuberculosis (TB)
  • Resources for Healthy Living
    • Community Resources
    • Education and Resources for Healthy Living
    • Newsletter- Your First Step Into Health
  • Emergency Response
    • Disaster Preparedness at Home
      • Home Emergency Kit Information
    • Emergency Response Preparedness
    • Shelter-in-Place Instructions
    • Ward County Hyper-Reach Brochure
 

Programs & Services
All Programs : Environmental Health Division : Air Quality

Air Quality

First District Health Unit (FDHU) can perform visual/olfactory inspections of residential & public buildings for:

  • Mold      
  • Nuisance Odors

FDHU has limited capabilities to conduct air tests for:

  • Ammonia
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Formaldehyde
  • Hydrogen Sulfide
  • Radon

FDHU has no capability to conduct mold testing.  If you require mold testing, you will need to contact an environmental contractor or testing company.  A list of environmental contractors if found below.

Description of Air Quality contaminants:

  • Ammonia - has a sharp, penetrating odor. It is the active product of smelling salts, the compound can quickly revive the faint of heart and light of head.  Ammonia is a toxic and corrosive gas that seeks out moisture. If breathed in, it can damage the lungs and cause respiratory problems. In severe cases it can cause death. It is used in industry for plastics and explosives as well as fertilizer in agriculture.
  • Carbon Monoxide - is a colorless, practically odorless, and tasteless gas or liquid. It results from incomplete oxidation of carbon in combustion. It can be produced by natural gas or propane appliances and internal combustion engines (automobile). At low concentrations it produces fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease. At higher concentrations, impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea. Can cause flu-like symptoms that clear up after leaving home. Fatal at very high concentrations. 
  • Formaldehyde - is a colorless, strong-smelling gas. It is used as a preservative in medical laboratories and mortuaries. It is found in other products such as chemicals, particleboard, household products, glues, permanent press fabrics, paper product coatings, fiberboard, and plywood. It is also widely used as an industrial fungicide, germicide, and disinfectant. Exposure can irritate eyes, nose, and throat and can make you cough and wheeze. Subsequent exposure may cause severe allergic reactions of the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract.
  • Hydrogen sulfide - is a colorless, flammable gas under normal conditions. It is commonly known as sewer gas. Exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas can occur in the home and in the workplace. In the home, exposure may occur because of faulty plumbing. Sewer drains that have dry traps can allow hydrogen sulfide gas to enter the home. Exposure to low concentrations can cause eye irritation, a sore throat and cough, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs. These symptoms usually go away in a few weeks after exposure ends. Long-term, low- level exposure may result in fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, poor memory and dizziness.
  • Radon - is a colorless, tasteless, odorless, radioactive gas that is found in soil and rocks. When it accumulates in a home or structure it can be a health hazard. North Dakota is a state, which has potentially high radon levels. The only way to determine if there is a problem is to measure the radon level. 
  • Molds - are a respiratory irritant that is in the environment naturally. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet, and foods.  When excessive moisture or water accumulates indoors, mold growth will often occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or un-addressed. The way to control indoor mold growth is to control moisture.
  • Nuisance Odors - on site investigations will be made whenever other odors are reported.

For more information, call us at 701-852-1376 or email us through our Contact Us page.

 

For more information about air quality, log on to one of the following websites.

 

Air Quality: www.epa.gov/iaq/

                 www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/

                 www.osha.gov/SLTC/indoorairquality

 

Asbestos: www.asbestos.com

 

For more information about asbestos and mesothelioma:  

                Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center

                Mesothelioma Veterans Center

 

Radon:  www.epa.gov/radon

            www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HEC/CSEM/radon/index.html

            www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radon.html

 

Mold:  www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.html

          www.cdc.gov/mold/

          www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/molds.html

 



Documents
Adobe Acrobat Document List of Environmental Contractors (184 KB)

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First District Health Unit • 801 11 Ave. SW • PO Box 1268 • Minot, ND 58702
Phone: 701-852-1376 • Fax: 701-852-5043 •