Services! Things that we do...

 

Xtox consultation activities can include:

  • Measurement of indoor (homes, offices and other commercial industrial) toxins such as mould/biological, chemical, and electromagnetic, via a spectrum of general through to specific methodologies
  • Assessment of on-site water treatment methods, system advantages & shortcomings, toxicity/microbe levels, etc.
  • Analysis of indoor & outdoor swimming pools and spas, and consultation as to optimal systems to adopt.
  • Consultation on building / renovation methods and materials, MSDS’s and (where applicable) HPDs, furnishing and domestic product use that avoids or minimises toxic exposures 
  • Creation of building certifications to quantify spaces according to Xtox’s uniquely developed environmental health standards
  • Assessment of hotel rooms or entire buildings in the context of Xtox unique Hotel Accreditation Standards for low toxicity performance
  • Residential and/or Commercial Property “Sick Building Syndrome” (SBS) Analyses

"XXtox": Things that we don't do!

Please note that Xtox does not replace the requirement for the usual industry professionals that have responsibilities to place non-harmful materials, designs, construction methodologies, etc. into the projects that they complete.

With the exception of the lumber liquidators formaldehyde case, the examples of incorrect materials specification and litigation given on this website are not necessarily specific to indoor human health concerns: fire specifications or building structural features, for example, are not part of the Xtox focus or statement of activity.

Xtox is specifically concerned with indoor or interior enclosed space (or water features) and the implementation of healthy Vs hazardous materials into those situations, specifically pertaining to air (or electromagnetic) quality of the space, and most relevant to human health.

The broad parallel to be drawn with these other cases quoted is, of course, that incorrect specification of materials can lead to various forms of business operations catastrophy. In quoting the occurrences, Xtox thus seeks simply to illustrate the way that bad materials might pave the way for enormous future trouble, via examples that are instances of incorrectly specified building materials.

Similarly, Xtox certifications and accreditations based upon the Xtox in-house standards are just that; they do not intend to, and nor should they take the place of, current construction industry building, pest, integrity, structure, fire or other performance standards, assessments or inspections already articulated elsewhere, and often enshrined in codes and trade of practice and legislation. Conversely, what Xtox intends is to bridge the gap in terms of better understanding and remediating the various toxicities found in human health in enclosed spaces, with the goal towards more healthy spaces for human occupation.

An Xtox Healthy Building Accreditation / Certification is in no way intended to be a substitute for a building inspection, and does not elaborate upon the same things as a home building inspection. It is recommended that if you have a standard home building inspection booked, that you co-ordinate both inspections at the same time so that Xtox can discuss building characteristics with the home building inspector, so as to maximise the usefulness and insight of both building assessments.

Electromagnetic Assessments

An essential and critical part of the picture of indoor health relates to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) that often permeates the modern indoor environment. Artificial EMR is to be distinguished from natural EMR (e.g.,  sunlight) as there has been a relatively sudden and massive increase of this artificial radiation in our environment* compared to the natural background radiation that existed until around the mid 20th Century, when the ubiqitous wireless technologies of today were at their inception.

 ( * = in the order of 1017times)

Needless to say, there is much evidence in the scientific literature that this artificial radiation is harmful to biological life forms. (e.g, see bioinitiative.org)

Click here to find out more regarding how Xtox evaluates the conditions of your environment that may represent potentially harmful factors, from exposure to EMR.

Assessing EMR

Mould / Biological Assessment

The presence of mould in the indoor environment was initially shunned as harmless and merely a nuisance. However, the weight of empirical evidence (and of  human casualties to mould) has heightened the awareness of just how toxic and insidious this threat can be. Mould–being altogether comprised of the fungi’s spores, mycotoxins and secondary metabolites, can all harm human health in numerous, serious physical and psychological ways.

An evaluation of the presence of mould in any indoor environment is a must for a comprehensive assessment of the healthiness (or not) of any dwelling or contained habitable space.

Click Here

Chemical Assessment

The US Environmental Working Group has evaluated that there are more than 90,000 declared chemicals that permeate our buildings, our furniture, our domestic products, and even our food, air and water supplies. Only around 3000 of these have ever been evaluated for their specific level of toxicity: and of this small fraction, an order of magnitude less is known about the synchronistic effects of these chemicals with each other, or with other naturally occurring volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Hence the only way to deal with the plethora of chemicals that find their way into the home, office, leisure and automotive environments, is to assess the threat–and exercise the appropriate precautionary approach through avoidance, remediation, removal or neutralisation of offending products.

An Xtox evaluation of the environment for chemicals should be part of any serious approach to maintaining health, in this synthetic chemical age.

Indoor Chemical Threats