Skin Scales, Insect Parts, Pollen, Dirt Are Making You Sick

The office workers, police officers, social workers and court employees Brian Sauvageau talks with have reached a breaking point.

They might come to work feeling OK, but soon develop chronic coughs and sneezing, scratchy throats, itchy eyes and even headaches. 

No one can find the mold they think is causing their symptoms. 

Unsympathetic colleagues say they feel just fine, so there can’t be anything wrong.

The problem is surprisingly simple, says Sauvageau, an occupational hygienist with CONN OSHA – the state Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

The culprit isn’t mold. It’s dust – the tiny particles of fiber, skin scales, insect parts, pollen, cobwebs and dirt that settle on surfaces everywhere.

Read the rest at the Connecticut Health Investigative Team’s website.

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