KUALA LUMPUR, 10 July 2021 – ENVIRO Group Asia has recently launched a WeCARE, a Business For Good (BFG) programme aimed at reaching out to the local communities through its online platforms, and partnership with Non-profit Organisations. The programme started in early July to echo the #kitajagakita movement, and the group is currently in talk and strategising reach-out plans with several organisations.

The Group is set to contribute hygiene kits, hand sanitisers and masks to the needy, and most importantly, lending its 16^th years expertise in the field of indoor hygiene and solutions to organisations and homes, with indoor air quality, testing and disinfection services to keep the community safe.

We can honestly say that we’ve never experienced an event with such a drastic impact on how we live and work as the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, we must do the right things and be prepared to take steps beyond what we’re typically required to do.

As an experienced indoor air quality hygiene expert, Enviro Group is constantly researching and advancing through our technologies and the solutions provided. In times like this we find ourselves being equipped with the right knowledge and solutions to support others. There is no reason not to step up and serve the community,” says Mr. Nitesh Malani, Group CEO of Enviro Group Asia.

The Group welcomes any local community that requires support to contact its toll free hotline 1800-88-7900 for further discussion.

About Enviro Group Asia

Enviro Group Asia is an integrated indoor air engineering solutions expert with more than 16 years experience in indoor air quality testing and solutions, building remediation, decontamination, disinfection, facilities management, and disaster restoration management solutions across a variety of industries. The Group holds the exclusive distribution for HealthWay, a US-based air purification system, in Malaysia. The Group owns Enviroverks (M) Sdn Bhd, Enviro I.F.M. Sdn Bhd, and Red Carpet Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd.

More information about Enviro Group Asia can be found here:

Website: www.envirogroup.asia

Official Email: support@envirogroup.asia

Official Toll free: 1800-88-7900

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/envirogroupasia

Instagram: @envirogroupasia

For Media Enquiries, please contact:

Name: Ms. Rachel Khiew

Tel: +6 012 321 9790

Email: rachelkhiew@enviroverks.com.my

Related Articles:

Global COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

Covid-19 Vaccinations for Malaysia

While the rapid development of vaccines against COVID‑19 is an extraordinary achievement, successfully vaccinating the global population presents many challenges, from production to distribution, deployment, and importantly, acceptance. Trust in the vaccines is vital, and is critically dependant on the ability of governments to communicate the benefits of vaccination, and to deliver the vaccines safely and effectively. This brief addresses the role of governments in promoting confidence in the effectiveness and safety through effective communication, as well as trust in their ability to procure and distribute them efficiently and equitably. While only a small minority of the population holds strong anti-vaccination views, hesitancy about COVID‑19 vaccination is evident in many countries. Recognising that vaccination campaigns of the magnitude needed are unprecedented, government actions to garner trust will be essential to their success, and to the emergence of more resilient societies after the crisis.

 

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While the development of COVID‑19 vaccines has been an extraordinary success, vaccinating most of the global population is an enormous challenge, one for which gaining – and maintaining – public trust in COVID‑19 vaccines and vaccination will be as essential as the effectiveness of the vaccines themselves. Moreover, the experience with COVID‑19 will likely shape confidence in other vaccines making it even more important to build confidence at this time.

Trust in vaccination, and in the ability of governments to communicate, and to successfully deliver a vaccination programme, is critically dependent on:

• The extent to which the government can instil and maintain public confidence in the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines;
• The competence and reliability of the institutions that deliver them;
• The principles and processes that guide government decisions and actions in vaccine procurement, distribution, prioritisation, and administration;
• The capacity and effectiveness of regulatory agencies in handling issues and communicating consistently as events arise, while retaining public confidence in their review processes; and
• The effectiveness of the public engagement and communications that accompany these.

Given the speed at which COVID‑19 vaccine development has taken place it is important for governments to emphasise that no developmental or regulatory corners were cut in the process, as:

• Development was facilitated by extensive prior research, unprecedented levels of international collaboration among researchers, and massive public investment in R&D and manufacturing capacity; and
• Approval processes were accelerated, in part through procedures that allow the acceptance of more preliminary evidence in circumstances of public emergency; and with COVID‑19 products accorded the highest priority by regulators.

Successful vaccination campaigns also require governments to partner and support community organisations to conduct extensive and well-managed community engagement. A thorough understanding is needed of different populations’ specific concerns, prior experiences both with vaccination and the health system in general, religious and/or political affiliations, and socio-economic status. It is also important to ensure that government actions are open to public scrutiny, and that public institutions engage with the population, by:

• Proactively releasing timely information on vaccination strategies, modalities and accomplishments in disaggregated, user-friendly and open source formats;
• Enhancing transparent and coherent public communication to address misinformation and the “infodemic”; and
• Engaging the public when developing vaccination strategies, and in the form and content of key communications.

Finally, fairness is a hallmark of human behaviour that underpins social cohesion and trust. Governments must therefore manage public expectations and explain why it is fair that particular population groups within a country are prioritised for vaccination.

Related Articles:

Global COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

Covid-19 Vaccinations for Malaysia

A year into the pandemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease, the global effort to develop and distribute an effective vaccine produced several promising options. The accelerated development of multiple vaccines is unprecedented; the process typically takes eight to fifteen years.

Now, the immunization of a critical mass of the world’s population—which is crucial for getting the pandemic under control—is up against a new set of challenges, including dangerous new strains of the virus, global competition over a limited supply of doses, and public hesitation about the vaccines.

 

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How does a vaccine work?

Traditionally, vaccines are dead or weakened virus molecules—known as antigens—that trigger defensive white blood cells in the immune system to create antibodies that bind to the virus and neutralize it.

There are four main types of conventional vaccines:

• Live vaccines use a weakened form of the virus to prompt the creation of antibodies;
• Inactivated vaccines use a dead version of the virus;
• Toxoid vaccines use toxins made by the virus to produce immunity to the part of the virus that causes disease; and
• Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines use proteins or other pieces of the virus.

There are also several types of vaccines that use the virus’s genetic material—DNA or RNA—to prompt the body to create antibodies. More than a dozen of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates that have gone to clinical trials are genetic-based, including those by U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and partnering German firm BioNTech and by U.S.-based Moderna. No vaccine of this kind had ever been approved for commercial use in humans before the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, some COVID-19 vaccines rely on viral vectors, or modified versions of a different virus, to prompt an immune response. Several approved COVID-19 vaccines use viral vectors.

When most of a population has been vaccinated and is immune to a particular disease, even those who are not immune are considered protected because the likelihood of an outbreak is small. This is known as herd immunity. Chicken pox, measles, mumps, and polio are all examples of diseases for which the United States has achieved herd immunity due to vaccines. Scientists are divided about how much of a population must have COVID-19 antibodies to prevent new outbreaks, with estimates ranging from less than half to over 80 percent.

Who is involved in vaccine development?

Vaccines are frequently collaborative efforts across sectors of society, with private pharmaceutical firms teaming up with public health agencies or university labs. Here are snapshots of some of the major players in the COVID-19 vaccine field.

Governments. Public health agencies have played critical roles in supplying funds to develop COVID-19 vaccines.

International institutions. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other multilateral institutions such as the World Bank are focused on financing and manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines for global use, in particular to ensure fair allocation among all countries. 

Private sector. The pharmaceutical industry has been driving much of the push. Companies ranging from biotech start-ups to giants such as U.S.-based Johnson & Johnson shifted their research and development efforts to focus on COVID-19.

Research institutions and non-profits. Many of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates have involved a university or college assisting in preclinical research or clinical trials.

How are COVID-19 treatments helping?

Dozens of treatments—which would not prevent someone from being infected with COVID-19 but could help reduce the severity and duration of illness—have been developed or repurposed. Among them is the antiviral drug Remdesivir, which was developed by U.S.-based Gilead Sciences and approved by the FDA. An NIH-sponsored trial of Remdesivir that involved dozens of sites in the United States, Europe, and Asia showed faster rates of recovery from the virus. Some health experts are also optimistic about the use of dexamethasone, a common steroid, which was found to reduce the risk of death in severely ill COVID-19 patients in the UK. The FDA has authorized emergency use of convalescent plasma, or blood plasma of previously infected people who have created COVID-19 antibodies. Though plasma donations have already been used in tens of thousands of patients, research is ongoing to determine the treatment’s effectiveness.

 

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Can vaccines end the pandemic?

Even with about a dozen vaccines approved for emergency use, there remains the tremendous challenge of making enough of them for the world’s population.

Meanwhile, several new strains of the coronavirus are raising concerns among scientists and health officials about increased transmission, waning immunity in people already infected with COVID-19, and reduced effectiveness of vaccines that have already been developed. Pfizer, BioNTech, and Moderna are already developing booster shots to increase protection against the new strains. Ahead of U.S. approval for its vaccine, Johnson & Johnson reported that its shot provided higher protection against these strains in clinical studies than initially thought.

Related Articles:

Covid-19 Vaccinations for Malaysia

COVID-19 Propels Indoor Air Quality Solutions as Top Concerns for Businesses to ReLaunch to the “New Normal”

● Singing of MOU on 8th April 2021 between the Head of both companies and website
is launched on the same day
● Special offerings on both companies’ products and services for public and business
sectors, for quicker one-stop solutions.

 

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Kuala Lumpur, 8 April 2021 – Malaysia premier healthcare provider BP Healthcare and indoor
environmental technologies and engineering solutions provider Enviro Group has
established a partnership in creating stronger health and hygiene solutions for Malaysians.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding took place at BP Healthcare office in
Medan Tuanku, and was executed by Ms. Kelly Chung, COO of Doctor2U, BP Healthcare and
Mr. Ahmad Fuad Che Mi, Group General Manager of Enviro Group.

“As a healthcare solutions provider, BP Healthcare is constantly evolving to be at the forefront
of healthcare. We are always looking for the right partner in delivering more values and
coverage to our customers. Today, we are glad to welcome Enviro Group as our partner. With
more than a decade of experience in end-to-end disinfection services and in-door
environmental solutions, we are sure that Enviro Group is able to meet the needs of the
consumer and B2C market,” as mentioned by Ms. Kelly Chung.

BP Healthcare has been at the forefront of Covid-19 screening through heavy investments
and establishing a series of partnerships with different industries to provide more
comprehensive solutions to both public and businesses.

“Meaningful collaborations are important for the benefits of our community, with a partnership
with BP Healthcare, we are able to provide more businesses and the public with much needed
top-to-toe health and indoor hygiene solutions. We believe in protecting people and
assets by providing a cleaner and better indoor environment. Our wish is that Malaysians
continue to uphold the hygiene protocols and not take things for granted,” said Mr. Nitesh
Malani.

Enviro Group specialises in integrated indoor environmental technologies research and
development, providing a full range of services from consultation, in-door air quality monitoring
and cleaning, disinfection and sanitisation, and technical training.
Public and businesses are offered a special discount on the services provided by both
companies via the BP Healthcare website.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Gavry Beh, Vice President of BP Healthcare
Group, and Mr. Nitesh Malani, Group CEO of Enviro Group.

 

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The coronavirus disease has affected 140,531,290 and killed 3,012,206 across 219 countries and territories in the world, according to worldometers.info.

A recent study published said that COVID-19 causing SARS-CoV-2 virus, which was thought to spread through droplets, is primarily an airborne pathogen. This study brings us a step closer to understanding the virus, the way it spreads, and what can help prevent transmission.

Though the coronavirus is still thought to spread primarily through respiratory droplets passed from person to person, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recognizing that airborne transmission is also a threat since small particles can linger in the air for minutes to hours, be inhaled, and lead to an infection.

The CDC also acknowledges that these minuscule airborne particles can travel farther than 6 feet, particularly when people are talking, singing, or even breathing heavily in indoor environments with poor ventilation.

“Improving indoor ventilation and air quality, particularly in healthcare, work, and educational environments, will help all of us to stay safe, now and in the future.”

How to protect yourself from the airborne spread 

Handwashing, physical distancing, and donning a face mask are key safety measures to protect yourself from COVID-19.

Double face masks are critical in reducing the risk of spreading or being exposed to the virus via aerosols.

Since aerosolized droplets (containing viral particles) may remain in poorly ventilated rooms for minutes to several hours, the importance of wearing a mask while indoors should strongly be considered. Besides, it is highly recommended to do Indoor Air Quality Assessment (IAQ) to ensure the ventilation system within the area is functioning.

In only a few short weeks, the emergence of the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has created an unprecedented impact on the way we live and work. As the virus emerged, our social life was impacted badly.

While many organizations are moving to remote work, some companies work with proprietary systems or with sensitive materials that require employees, or shifts of workers, to be on-premises to get their job done well. As champions of a great work experience, we want to help everyone stay healthy in the office while sharing common workspaces.

We believe workplace wellbeing extends not just to cleaning and disinfecting the office, but to good communication and signage strategies, and healthy office culture for COVID and beyond. We hope these tips for office safety will provide both knowledge and peace of mind as we navigate this critical public health issue.

•       Regular cleaning guidance from the management or HR
•       Air quality and ventilation systems
•       Social distancing in the office
•       Communication and signage

 

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PROPER CLEANING GUIDANCE BY MANAGEMENT

While the spread of the virus might feel unavoidable, the fact is that good cleaning and disinfection routines can greatly reduce or eliminate the risk of a viral count of COVID-19 on surfaces and objects in the office. As employers, it’s all of our duty to maintain a clean environment and make sure every person feels safe coming in every day. 

Few key points you should know before you begin:

• Use disposable gloves, gowns, a mask (like a cloth face covering) for cleaning and disinfection. Carefully remove and throw them away immediately after disinfection and trash disposal.
• Always clean before beginning disinfection. Cleaning with a detergent or soap and water solution removes particles that can carry risk of COVID-19 on surfaces. This reduces the viral load before disinfection begins, which helps the disinfectant to be more effective in killing the remaining virus.
• If using disinfecting wipes (such as Clorox or Lysol wipes) remember that to properly disinfect, you should clean only one item at a time, using enough wipes to ensure the surface stays wet for 4 minutes.
• Remember to never mix cleaning products together.
• Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces daily in common areas (e.g. tables, hard-backed chairs, doorknobs, light switches, phone receivers and keypads, remotes, handles, touchscreens, desks, toilets, sinks, elevator and elevator buttons, etc).
• Clean and disinfect shared electronics and equipment, digital signage, and touch-screen kiosks.

AIR QUALITY AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS

Offices are home to many sources of air contamination, including volatile organic compounds (from cleaning agents, furniture, and other materials), and bacteria, mold, and viruses. Poor ventilation exacerbates the presence of these contaminants.

To maintain healthy indoor environments as you phase employees back into the office, facilities need to concentrate on plumbing, ventilation, and filtration systems that filter, dilute, and remove pathogens.

Using our own experience at Enviroverks, we suggest the following air quality interventions:

• Address indoor air quality issues perceived and actual-in existing buildings
• Conduct air quality assessments, testing, design and provide engineering guidance to improve ventilation effectiveness of existing HVAC systems, support long-term air-quality monitoring, and create air-quality awareness
• Adapt controls and sequencing to accommodate and monitor additional filtration needs, and additional criteria concerning recirculated air systems
• Develop messaging and education for building occupants-dashboards, apps, situational cues-to reduce concerns regarding potential pathogen transmission

SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES IN THE OFFICE

For companies who require on-premise employees, social distancing in the office is required from the start, not just once offices begin to fully reopen. Getting in the habit early will give time to test what method works best for you and your team before everyone comes back to the office.

 

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Methods to consider for physical distancing: 

1. Limit who comes into the office and when with flexible hours and staggered shifts
2. Use a social distancing desk tool to make it map out what a socially distanced floor plan looks like using only desks 6ft or more apart. Assign or allow people to book their own desks based on what’s available. Determine capacity based on physical distancing accordingly.
3. Either prohibit or keep visitors to a minimum unless absolutely necessary. Prohibit personal packages delivered to the office. For snacks and coffee, and locker use, limit some, if not all, within the office to decrease the number of shared surfaces.
4. Update office design with partitions between desks and social spaces, revised seating arrangements, and directional signage like floor markers for one-way hallways and staircases. 
5. Maintain virtual meetings in the office: Repurpose every conference room into a personal office and/or storage area in the early stages of COVID-6.
6. Touchless entry: Using an access control system, every in-office employee can badge into the building using their phones.

 COMMUNICATION AND SIGNAGE ON COVID-19 IN THE WORKPLACE

They say sunshine is the best disinfectant; in this case, good communication is one of your first and best defences against the physical and emotional aspects of navigating coronavirus. Be prepared to reassure and support employees who may be going through a range of emotions and personal challenges as a result of the virus and containment efforts:

• Provide clear, concise and well-worded updates that are relevant to your location, industry, and current work culture. Communicate in a timely, calm manner.
• Offer channels for support and two-way communication. Create a space for your staff to reach out with their concerns and needs; where possible, make accommodations for specific needs that arise.
• Provide signage around the office that will keep everyone mindful of safety: good respiratory hygiene, cleaning recommendations, social distancing, and symptom checks.

In the event that you need to coordinate some of your company to work from home while others from the office, or eventually, everyone working from home, here are some tips on how to manage that transition:

• Continue to provide clear, concise and well-worded updates that are relevant to your location, industry, current work culture, and overall state of the pandemic. Communicate in a timely, calm manner.
• Make sure technology is consistent across the entire company including communication, video conferencing, project management, and collaboration tools.
• Continue to clean all spaces in the office, shared or not, and push everyone to wipe down their desks and equipment as soon as they’re done for the day. This is especially important if people are sharing spaces and if teams switch off working in the office.
• Provide hand sanitiser and personal protective equipment (PPE) across the office building and make sure everyone knows where to find both in order to mitigate the risk of spreading germs.
• Keep team communication consistent. It’s easy for team collaboration to decrease without face-to-face interaction making it that much more critical that communication is prioritized with daily or weekly posts, emails, and video calls. With that being said, be mindful of how much time you’re taking out of the workday to check-in through video calls.
• Don’t forget to value social and recharge interactions, beyond just “work talk”. Encourage digital get-togethers in the form of team lunches, happy hours, and group downtime via video calls when needed.
• Check-in with your team early and often to gauge what’s working and where people need extra support.
• Promote a work-life balance for everyone, especially working parents. Social distancing requires lots of downtime at home which can result in an unclear blend of work and non-work activities.

Covid-19 Preventive Mechanism: Shall We Improve on Indoor Air Quality(IAQ) or Focus on Sanitisation?

The recent exchange of words between academia and government agencies pertaining to sanitisation is a waste of resources, has become an extreme debate and welcome more responses from Malaysian across all sectors. Both sides are debating two different matters, where Dr. Adeeba is strengthening the use of masks and improving ventilation, which is more on prevention measures while the Fire Department talking about the control mechanism – indoor surface or high-touch point, sanitisation helps Malaysia reduce the risk of cross contamination at indoor spaces and as well in public spaces of the contaminated area. It is not about who is right or wrong, the important point here is we should know what causes the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) and the best ways to prevent the transmission from one person to another.

How does Covid-19 transmit from one person to another?

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can occur through direct, indirect, and/or close contact with infected people through infected secretions such as saliva and/or respiratory secretions or their respiratory droplets, which are expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or sings. Respiratory droplets are >5-10 μm in diameter where the transmission can occur when a person is in close contact (within 1 metre) with an infected person who has respiratory symptoms (e.g. coughing or sneezing). Meanwhile, airborne transmission is defined as the spread of an infectious agent caused by the dissemination of droplet nuclei (aerosols) that remain infectious when suspended in air over long distances and time. 

On the other hand, respiratory secretions or droplets expelled by infected individuals can contaminate surfaces and objects, creating fomites (contaminated surfaces). Viable SARS-CoV-2 virus and/or RNA detected by RT-PCR can be found on those surfaces for periods ranging from hours to days, depending on the ambient environment (including temperature and humidity) and the type of surfaces.  In an analysis of 75,465 COVID-19 cases in China, 78-85% of clusters occurred within household settings, suggesting that transmission occurs during close and prolonged contact both indoors and outdoors.

 

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Emphasis on Prevention Measures: Awareness and Understands the Importance of Good Indoor Air Quality

While many are debating about deep cleaning and sanitisation, the public shall be educated on the risk of poor ventilation which directly increases the risk of infection in crowded and/or confined spaces. As virus-carrying aerosols are exhaled, so too is CO2. As when ventilation is poor, CO2 accumulates along with the virus. WHO recommends a minimum ventilation rate of between 6–12 air changes an hour — in which the entire volume of air in the room is replaced — to prevent airborne transmission of pathogens in healthcare facilities, but a lower rate of air changes for other venues. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) establishes minimum standards for indoor air quality. Recommended targets are as low as 0.35 air changes per hour for homes, 2–3 for offices, 5–6 for schools and 6–12 for hospitals.

During Covid-19 pandemic, it is highly recommended to improve the air circulation and increase the air change rate. In addition, it is recommended to dilute the air with as much fresh air as possible.  For home and office with split units, it is advisable to open the window daily to exhaust the indoor air and replace it with fresh air. Meanwhile, buildings with centralised air conditioning systems increased the fresh air intake to the air handling units but cautions with the increase of relative humidity that may also contribute to the suitable environment for viruses to survive and be transmitted.

Improving the ventilation alone is not enough. Each of us shall be able to remind ourselves to practice 3W which is to wash hands frequently and sanitise, wear masks and warn people who neglect the good practices in preventing the transmission of viruses. Wearing a mask is more effective in preventing the risk of infection in indoor spaces. Recently, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia has recommended wearing a double mask to increase self-protection. We must stay safe and stay protected at all times. 

Sanitisation Practice Is Compulsory When You Fail to Prevent The Transmission: What is The Correct Way?

In a safety point of view, the use of masks ranks the lowest in the hierarchy of controls as the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) because the hazard, which is the virus, still lingers around without us knowing. No doubt improving ventilation is one of the best ways to tackle the pandemic and formation of clusters because it involves engineering control which ranks in the top three of controls of transmission. Let’s put ourselves in the situation, wouldn’t it be better to eliminate the risk of transmission and fortify the area with other controls mentioned above? Since SARS-CoV-2 can be spread through airborne water droplets and direct contact with a contaminated surface, proper sanitisation will provide a safer environment as the risk is temporarily lifted until another person with confirmed positive COVID-19 unknowingly enters the area. 

Now let’s look at the situation from an environmental health point of view, minimising the transmission of infectious diseases is the core function of the public health law. The appropriate exercise of legal powers will vary according to the seriousness of the disease, the means of transmission, and how easily the disease can be spread. Epidemiologically speaking, the transmission triangle consists of the host, the virus and the environment. The host in this case is the human body where we can break the chain by practicing social distancing, provision of face masks, using hand sanitisers and providing vaccinations. What do we do about the virus and the environment? We can either inactivate the virus or make the environment safer, which both can be done by proper sanitisation practice. The word “proper” here is emphasised because improper practices will cause false hope for the public and an unsafe environment. 

This is why the Ministry of Health (KKM) has repeatedly enforced and gives awareness to the public for sanitisation procedures and management. In Appendix 4 of Annex 25 COVID-19: Management Guidelines for Workplaces and Annex 36 Guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfection for Public Places, both had clearly listed the proper procedures from the schedule, planning, equipment to use, clothing to use, ways of preparing the disinfectant until post-care and maintenance of the safe environment. In a nutshell, there is no wrong or right way but a “proper” solution to handle the situation. 

By Salina Hang Jebat

Indoor Environmental Hygienist / Certified IAQ Assessor

Enviro Group Asia delivers the best total solutions in Indoor Environmental Technologies and Engineering Services to ensure a healthier and safer indoor environment. With the single and most game-changing vision of ‘Protecting People, Protecting Assets” by providing a cleaner and healthier indoor environment, Enviro Group Asia has successfully grown from one entity to a group with multiple subsidiaries, all with its own unique specialisations that work hand-in-hand towards the founding vision.

We continue to invest in R&D, in the area of indoor environmental engineering process as we believe continuous learning is the key in order to provide sustainable protection to the public. With 15 years of experience and combined technical expertise of more than 30 years, we pride ourselves on our knowledge and our expertise. We create Partnerships and not clients.

Lets connect today:
support@envirogroup.asia
www.envirogroup.asia
Hotline : +60122108404 

References:

• “Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).” World Health Organisation, World Health Organisation, 2020, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf. Accessed February 2020.

• Lewis, Dyani. “Why indoor spaces are still prime COVID hotspots.” Nature, vol. 592, 2021, pp. 22-25. Nature, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00810-9.
• “Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: Implications for Infection Prevention Precautions.” World Health Organisation, https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/transmission-of-sars-cov-2-implications-for-infection-prevention-precautions. Accessed 9 July 2020.

Home is Where the heart is.

HealthWay Air Purifiers are promoted on The Star Special, Sunday 23 May 2021 HOME & LIVING. In this article, we have seen an easy way to reduce the risk of airborne transmission of covid-19.

And as it illustrated, we want to make your home a snug and cosy place to unwind with friends and family. You and your loved ones are deserved to enjoy cleaner and healthier air.

Water testing is carried out to meet the regulatory requirements and adhere to the safety procedures that are needed for pollutant-free water. This is a broad concept that involves several procedures to analyse and evaluate the quality of water.

Everyone who is affected by the water industry must test water sources. This could be the governmental organizations trying to regulate the quality of water to protect us from the health risks involved with using chlorinated water or it could be homeowners trying to ensure that the water is suitable for consumption.

Water, whether it is meant for business purposes, agriculture, domestic purposes, or is used by public municipalities and private homeowners must be tested regularly in order to keep the source of water safe and free from environmental risks and potential health disorders. 

How does water testing work?

Thanks to modernization and advancement in modern chemistry, we can detect thousands of harmful chemicals and bacteria in the water. This can be tested even at extremely small concentrations. The list of tests that are available today might feel a little overwhelming.

However, we don’t need to test everything that is present in the water. There are certain easy ways to perform tests that offer quick results and are very low-tech in their version compared to the others.

• Use of test strips. These strips change color to show the concentration of the chemical present in the water.
• Color disk kits can test even a wider range of chemicals that are present in the water.
• Hand-held digital meters are portable and are used to test different chemicals present in water.

However, such tests are usually used for preliminary checks as their accuracy can hardly be compared to the professional analysis performed in laboratory conditions.To cover a wider range of pollutants, choose your own testing parameters, or just be 100% sure in results,  laboratory testing is the best option.

Laboratory testing kits are considered the most effective way to detect a wide range of water issues. The process is easy: you order a sampling kit, send it to the laboratory nearby and receive the results online.

Why is it important to test the quality of water?

In the whole world, a majority of the people rely on the private water supply. This includes ponds, dugouts, and wells. Superior quality of water is crucial to the economic, health, and social well-being of the people. Monitoring the quality of your water and testing it regularly is very important to maintain reliable and safe water sources and eliminate the potential health risks related to water contamination.

 When the water is tested it offers the knowledge; we require to address the problem that is currently involved with the water quality. It will also ensure that the water quality is protected from every potential cause of contamination and an appropriate approach is involved with the treatment system.

It is vital to check the suitability of the water quality before its use. It can be for irrigation, livestock watering, drinking, or spraying. It will also help you in making an informed decision about how to use the water and what should be done about its purity.

How often should I test the water?

A majority of the population use public mains and well water for drinking and domestic purposes. Therefore, it is important to check whether it is free from contaminants.

Standard Drinking Water Checks should be performed at least once every year regardless of the water source. Tap water is usually tested for chlorine levels, ph in water and bacteria.

It is advisable to test well water supplies annually even if they are not suspected in any contaminations. There are some types of water issues that can’t be detected without testing.

Well water supplies are usually tested for the presence of fertilizers and pesticides, bacteria and Standard chemicals set.

Pool water testing is also crucial because it involves maintaining a properly functioning pool and takes care of the sanitary needs. Now, testing pools entirely depend on how heavily or lightly it is being used. It also depends on the water temperature and daily air. Warm water is the source of bacteria(Legionella), that’s why special care should be taken especially in hot seasons. The level of chlorine in water is also of great importance.  Everyone should find a balance in it: It should be enough for sanitizing purposes but not too much at the same time not to cause any health disorders.

Additionally, if you feel that the water condition has changed: water has become cloudy or a strange odour appeared, it is highly recommended to carry out an unscheduled water testing.

Is it safe to drink tap water?

In general, tap water doesn’t pose any major risk to your health. Tap water is known to have fluorides that are beneficial for good oral health. The main question is if anyone controls that the disinfection by-products levels are not exceeding the norms?

The most common water quality issues include eliminated pH and chlorine levels, high levels of Nitrates. Bacterial contamination is widely spread among private well supplies. Conductivity in waters is common to the coastal areas.

Some contaminants are present in water even if it had been boiled. Boiling is usually effective in treating the bacteria but such chemicals as Lead in water will hardly evaporate after boiling.

Those who are undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, suffering from serious diseases, transplant patients, pregnant women, infants, and children should drink safe water only. Water testing is step one to guarantee drinking water safety.

How is water quality related to the health of a pregnant woman?

Contaminated water when consumed by pregnant women can endanger the health of her baby. The latest research on Chlorinated water has brought to light the direct correlation between eliminated Chlorine levels and premature delivery.

What Is an Air Purifier and How Does It Work?

Most home air purifiers use a fan to collect air. Then, the air moves through one or more filters to collect pollutants before being recirculated.

These filters might incorporate a charcoal filter, to remove odors, and a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter. A HEPA filter is at least 99.7% effective at capturing tiny particles down to 0.3 microns, such as dust, pollen, mold and some bacteria.

An air purifier can be portable and used to treat an individual room or it can be installed inside your HVAC system, giving powerful filtration for your entire home.

The EPA says it’s important to know that air purifiers can’t get rid of every contaminant from your house’s air. But when used along with an improved filter for your HVAC system, they can greatly lower the concentration of indoor air pollution.

What Should I Look for in an Air Purifier?

• CADR (clean-air delivery rate) rating. This measures the cleaning speed of the purifier for removing smoke, dust, and and pollen. Look for a CADR of at least 300, above 350 is really great.
• Size guidelines. For proper efficacy, you need a model designed to work in the room size. Choose a model that is designed for an area larger than the one you are outfitting it for if you want to operate it at a lower, quieter setting.
• AHAM (Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) Verified mark. AHAM’s standards are design to ensure the safety, efficiency and performance of many home care appliances, including air purifiers. The standards are designed to provide a common understanding between manufacturers and consumers to help make the purchasing process simpler. While voluntary, most reputable air purifiers have undergone this certification program, which often provides a CADR rating and size guidelines.
• True HEPA filters. True HEPA filters are effective at removing ultra-fine particles (think: dust, dander, pollen, mold and other common allergens in the home). The industry standard for such is that the unit must be able to remove at least 99.97% of particulates measuring 0.3 micron diameter in a lab setting. Remember, it is important to note that in real life settings, the actual efficacy of these devices would be far less as new pollutants are constantly emerging. Note that there is no industry standard for the terms “HEPA-like” or “HEPA-type,” and are mostly used as marketing ploys to get consumers to purchase the product.

 

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