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... porous surface such as plasterboard, carpet, ceiling tile, the porous material should be carefully removed to prevent the uncontrolled release of a cloud of spores into the building's environment. To avoid fungal growth in porous materials where water infiltration has occurred, the material must be dried within 24 hours. Fungal-contaminated materials should be removed under controlled conditions. Airborne fungal levels can increase by a factor of 10 or more when fungal-contaminated materials are removed or disturbed. Controlled conditions' means that steps are taken to prevent the spread of fungal contamination to ... a dust mite allergy. Dust mites proliferate in an environment that is warm and relatively humid, and where people, animals, and fabrics are present. The best means for controlling dust mite populations include: Frequent cleaning of carpet and other textiles with a HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaner Maintaining the indoor humidity at relatively low levels. Dust mites tend to withdraw from areas with relative humidity of less than 50% Cockroach saliva and feces have also been identified as sources of allergens in the indoor environment. Aside from controlling cockroach populations through pest management ... water infiltration, increasing the quantity of outside air, and conducting regular and routine preventive maintenance on HVAC systems, will assure that health risks to building occupants and potential liability for the building owner are minimized. Neil Carlson is a mycologist with the University of Minnesota, Environmental Health & Safety Division. Tom Kapfer is the Technical Director and Arif Quraishi is the Vice President of the Indoor Environments Division at the Institute for Environmental Assessment, Minneapolis, MN. This article is reprinted with permission of Griffin Communications Inc., which ...