“Indoor air quality consultant” is a title that can stand for different levels of education and experience. Home inspectors, air conditioning technicians, pest control operators, and even lead, asbestos and mold remediators may do air quality testing. Some people who call themselves indoor air quality consultants have had only a few days of training in a “certification” course. Others have studied architecture, chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, or biology. Some indoor air quality consultants are certified industrial hygienists, who have been trained to deal primarily with air quality problems in manufacturing workplaces, rather than in residential or office buildings.

There are a number of organizations that will certify or train someone as an indoor air quality consultant, including the Association of Energy Engineers (www.aeecenter.org), the American Board of Industrial Hygiene – which certifies industrial hygienists (www.abih.org), and the Indoor Air Quality Association (www.iaqa.org).

Before you hire an indoor air quality consultant, find out how the person was trained, what degrees or certifications he or she has, and how many years the person has been working in the field. Do your research, because the quality and usefulness of the information you receive can have an impact on your health.

If you want to understand why and where mold grows, learn how to get rid of it and prevent it from returning, buy a copy of The Mold Survival Guide: For Your Home and for Your Health, Jeffrey C. May and Connie L. May (2004). Jeff May is also author of My Office is Killing Me! The Sick Building Survival Guide (2006) and co-author of Jeff May’s Healthy Home Tips (2008). All three books are published by The Johns Hopkins University Press and are available on amazon.com.