Portable Air Conditioning

The discovery that someone’s heart can be restarted with the use of an electrical charge is one of modern medicine’s greatest developments. This idea began around 1888 when Mac William suggested that ventricular fibrillation could be a sudden death cause. In 1989, Batelli and Prevost made the discovery that large amounts of voltage provided to the heart could halt ventricular fibrillation within animals. Other studies completed in the nineteenth century by scientists furthered electricity’s effects on the heart.

An AED (automated external defibrillator) is a portable electronic device that is able to determine someone’s heart rhythm. It detects life threatening issues within the heart and has the ability to treat them with defibrillation. If necessary, an AED can provide electric shock to the heart to restore a normal heart rhythm. When someone suffers from a sudden cardiac arrest, the chances of him or her surviving is reduced to between 7 and 10 percent with each minute that passes without either CPR or defibrillation.

The first successful defibrillation on a human was reported in 1947 by Dr. Claude Beck. During one of his surgeries, he noticed his patient was experiencing ventricular fibrillation. He administered an alternating current of 60 Hz and stabilized the heartbeat. This particular patient of his lived; defibrillators were created.

An AED has a built-in computer that assesses a heart’s rhythm, determines if it needs defibrillation and then administers the needed level of shock. The user of the AED is guided through this process with either audible prompts, visual prompts or both. Automated external defibrillators are usually sold in kits that contain a power unit, paddle electrodes and accessories. Each part is made individually and then put together through an integrated process. Today, manufacturers of medical devices have created many defibrillators, external and internal, that are able to add years to the lives of many patients.

External defibrillators can be used at hospitals or emergency sites. The user begins by turning on the defibrillator and applying conductive gel on the patient’s chest or paddle electrodes. The level of energy is then decided upon and the instrument charges. The paddles are firmly placed on the chest with some pressure. Buttons found on the electrodes are pressed at the same time and electric shock is then delivered to the patient. After this procedure, the heartbeat is then monitored for a regular heartbeat. The entire process is then repeated if needed.

In 1954, the first closed-chest defibrillation was performed on a dog by William and Kouwenhoven Milnor. This process was studied by Paul Zoll in 1956 and he performed the first successful on a human. Qilliam Bennett Kouwenhoven , born in Brookly in 1886, was an electrical engineer and invented three defibrillator and also developed CPR techniques.

The AEDs (automated external defibrillator) was created in 1978. This particular device is made with sensors that are placed on the chest to decide is ventricular fibrillation is occurring. If it is detected, the device gives the proper instructions for providing an electrical shock. These automated devices have been able to reduce the training that is needed to use defibrillators and have also saved thousands of people’s lives.

Air conditioning refers to the cooling and dehumidification of indoor air for thermal comfort. In a broader sense, the term can refer to any form of cooling, heating, ventilation or disinfection that modifies the condition of air.[1] An air conditioner (often referred to as AC or air con.) is an appliance, system, or mechanism designed to stabilise the air temperature air conditioning and humidity within an area (used for cooling as well as heating depending on the air properties at a given time), typically using a refrigeration cycle but sometimes using evaporation, most commonly for comfort cooling in most buildings and motor-cars.

The concept of air conditioning is known to have been applied in Ancient Rome, where aqueduct water was circulated through the walls of certain houses to cool them. Similar techniques in medieval air conditioning Persia involved the use of cisterns and wind towers to cool buildings during the hot season. Modern air conditioning emerged from advances in chemistry during the 19th century, and the first large-scale electrical air conditioning was invented and used in 1902 by Willis Haviland Carrier.

Contents
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* 1 History
* 2 Air conditioning applications
* 3 Humidity control
* 4 Health implications
* 5 Energy use
* 6 Automobile air conditioners
* 7 Portable air conditioners
* 8 Heat pumps
* 9 Professional bodies
o 9.1 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers
o 9.2 Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating
o 9.3 Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association of Australia
o 9.4 Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA)
* 10 See also
* 11 References

Many asbestos cancer experts, attorneys, and mesothelioma sufferers view asbestos as a material developed and used only in the 19th century. But in fact, asbestos was first discovered and named by the ancient Greeks. In this article, we will examine the facts of asbestos use throughout the ages. We will see what was known about the dangers of asbestos cancer, and when mesothelioma and asbestosis began to be recognized as the tragic illnesses they are known to be today.

Asbestos And Mesothelioma: From The Ancient World To The 21st Century

In ancient Rome, asbestos fibers were uses to make clothing flame retardant. In Greece, the fibers were used to make other textiles. In Persia, garments were prized for their ability to be cleaned over a fire, instead of with water. In China, Marco Polo describes similar items that were “washed” by being dropped into flames. These clothes could only have been made from asbestos. After the fall of the Roman Empire and the fade of the great empires of the east, the use of asbestos seemed to stop.

As of 1860, asbestos had appeared again across the United States and Canada, mostly used as insulation within buildings. In 1879, the first commercial asbestos mine appeared in Canada, just outside of Quebec. By the turn of the century, asbestos use was much more common: flame-resistant coatings, concrete, flooring, roofing, acid resistant materials, and lawn furniture all had asbestos components.

With the rise of asbestos use came the first recorded death as a result of mesothelioma asbestos cancer. In 1906, an asbestos miner died of asbestos cancer, but his cause of death was not established until later. However, further instances of mesothelioma — still diagnosed as an unknown lung disorder — were observed throughout the early 20th century, particularly in asbestos mining towns.

Libby, Montana is a modern example of a mining town contaminated with asbestos. The EPA has been attempting to clean up Libby for 10 years, but 200 people thus far have died from asbestos exposure, with over 1,000 sickened. The town was contaminated by a nearby vermiculite mine, its residents threatened by waste products and discarded materials from mining operations.

The town of Libby has been stricken by asbestos contamination despite modern day interventions. In the early days, before mesothelioma was recognized or asbestos poisoning considered, towns were even more dramatically impacted. Yet even now, when the dangers of asbestos, as well as its links with mesothelioma, are clear, company negligence still goes unpunished. The company responsible for the mine that contaminated Libby was recently acquitted in a trial centered around the deaths in the town. The mining company will face no penalty, despite the hundreds of asbestos poisoning deaths and thousands of asbestos-related illnesses in Libby.

The First Diagnosis Of Asbestos Cancer, Asbestosis, And Mesothelioma

In 1924, a doctor in England recognized the pattern of illness and made the first diagnosis of asbestos cancer. At the time, it was called asbestosis and the existence of mesothelioma remained unknown. Nonetheless, the initial diagnosis created a wave of laws about asbestos handling — at least in England. The United Kingdom began regulating ventilation and established asbestosis as an “excusable work related disease” in the 1930s. The United States did not take the same measures until nearly 10 years later.

Around 1930, the medical community was beginning to investigate mesothelioma, at that time a new disease with strange symptoms and little information. They could only observe the symptoms: coughing, shortness of breath, and generalized chest/lung pain. Mesothelioma was not connected to asbestos nor suggested as asbestos cancer until 1940.

What Did Companies Know About The Hazards Of Asbestos Exposure?

The basis of mesothelioma and asbestos cancer legislation is that many asbestos companies knew the material was dangerous, but did not protect workers and customers from these known dangers. Court documents have shown that companies began to learn about asbestos related health hazards as early as 1930, but despite this knowledge, they did nothing to keep workers or consumers safe. Instead, they allowed asbestos use to grow even as diagnoses of mesothelioma and asbestos cancer grew as well.

Although limited through a lawsuit, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule in 1989 that allows only trace amounts of asbestos to appear in modern building materials. Even though lingering asbestos contamination remains and threatens citizens, the modern world now recognizes the dangers of asbestos and no longer uses it as a primary material.

The Dangers Of Natural Asbestos

Although asbestos exposure occurs most commonly through contact with asbestos mines or products made from asbestos, there are also a shockingly large number of so-called asbestos “occurrences” throughout the U.S. These sites are not commonly monitored by the EPA, nor has much been done to clean them up or protect surrounding communities.

An asbestos “occurrence” is defined as a place where asbestos has been observed, but not mined or prospected for mining. These veins of asbestos can be shallow enough that asbestos dust rises into the air, making the name “occurrences” misleading – they’re more like “hazards.” There are 205 such documented occurrences throughout the eastern part of the U.S., and most of these have been discovered through anecdotal evidence rather than active surveys. The government has helped to clean up commercial asbestos use, but they have done little to control the dangers of exposure to the material in its natural state. Even when not manufactured or milled, asbestos and its fibers can cause mesothelioma, asbestos cancer, asbestos poisoning, and all the other horrific conditions that can result from the disease.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer Today

Although asbestos has been regulated for 20 years, mesothelioma lawsuits are still being filed today because of the long incubation period of the disease. The cancer frequently requires 20-50 years between exposure and the manifestation of symptoms, meaning that many workers who handled asbestos during the height of its use are only just starting to show symptoms. Sadly, the numbers of lawsuits are only expected to increase. Asbestos cancer is tragic, and has been tragic throughout history. But today we can fight back against the companies that failed to protect us, and we can know that the world is safer for our children.

You wake up one radiant Saturday morning, looking forward to doing some gardening around your magnificent new Pre-Revolutionary Colonial home in tony Westchester.

You throw open the bay windows, taking in the expanse of benevolent blue skies, your magnificent garden bursting with Daffodils and Tiger Lilies, the wild ducks luxuriating just beyond in the shimmering pond, beneath a ring of White Oaks and Sugar Maples.

You take in a deep breath of fresh air -

Then, you’re rolling on your Persian rug, gagging uncontrollably…

The aroma of your splendid natural setting hits you with all the power and putrescence of a toxic waste dump.

What’s the problem?

This is Westchester. Not some 4th-world village with shallow roadside trenches filled with human excreta.

Then, you remember, just before purchasing your dream house, a friend suggested to check the condition of the septic tank.

What Is It?

A typical septic tank has a volume of 750-1500 gallons, and may be made of concrete, steel, or fiberglass. They are watertight chambers that promote the growth of anaerobic bacteria for the biological decomposition of sewage, and the separation of grease and organic particles from the wastewater. Septic tanks are constructed with baffles or sanitary tees to prevent the flow-through of floating solids, and to minimize the possibility of the raw sewage from leaving the tank, and disturbing the settled sludge and floating scum.

A septic system combines a septic tank and a leaching system. The leaching system may include leach lines, leach beds, or seepage pits. Drywells are another term for seepage pits, with the distinction being that they typically handle no sewage and simply re-direct storm water into the ground. Sometimes the term “cesspool” is used, but it’s actually archaic. There are a few cesspools manufactured, but they don’t permit the flow-through of septic tanks, and are only used for temporary purposes.

In terms of modern plumbing, waste from your home enters and exits the top portion of the buried septic tank. In the interim, the bacteria in the tank’s liquid environment do their work by breaking down solids into a liquid called effluent. Effluent exits the tank, next enters the leaching system, before finally seeping back into the ground.

When You Need a Plumber

If you begin detecting unwelcome odors, find yourself sinking into soggy and lushly green areas in your lawn, or suddenly discover a fetid backup in your sink, shower, or bathtub, the chances are your septic tank’s leaching system has failed.

Septic tanks can suffer structural damage or deteriorate over time. Most problems are created by blockages in the plumbing or leaching systems, or the pipe running between your home and the tank. Minor obstructions can be solved with household plumbing equipment, but serious ones require a plumber.

Over time, tree roots can also enter the drainpipes choking off the refuse. Also, the soil surrounding the leaching system can become clogged, and when all the sludge and scum is not periodically removed from the tank, they’re transported out into the absorption field.

Benefits

Aside from unclogging pipes, repairing leaching systems, or replacing severely damaged septic tanks, an experienced plumber will know how to find your tank if you don’t even know where it is.

Your general contractor should have provided you with a plot plan, indicating the septic system’s whereabouts. But if you’ve somehow lost or misplaced the records, and can’t obtain them from your city or county’s heath department, a savvy plumber will zone in on your septic tank by probing the ground with a metal rod to locate the pipeline. Or, he’ll follow the pipeline from the house by listening to the noise a metal snake making final contact with the tank inlet. Water probes are another method he might utilize to locate a tank that’s gone M.I.A.

Risks

Don’t buy a septic tank that’s too small for your house. Larger units have many advantages including longer detention times, permit better separation, and less carry-over of scum and sludge. These factors prolong the life of the subsurface leach lines, leach beds, and seepage pits. Yes, larger tanks are more expensive, but require less frequent cleaning, and allow for future home expansion.

Cess Pool History 101

The Romans were innovators in sewage control, most notably with the cloaca maxima, circa 800 BC. These open drains carried away storm water, but designed in such a way that the rains also flushed away piles of excrement and household rubbish thrown into the streets. These Roman sewer geniuses also developed the cesspool, the forerunner of a modern-day septic tank. Sewage flowed into a large stone vat, where heavy solids settled to the bottom, and lighter particles floated to the top. The partially cleaned liquid was drained into a river or the sea. The collected sludge was then used as fertilizer or buried.

Long before Captain Cook set foot on the shores of Australia, the native inhabitants used the therapeutic oil of the Melaleuca trees for a wide range of topical and oral applications. Then came the Second World War and, inevitably, Melaleuca oil was in such short supply that all the available stocks were used to help stop infections from the unavoidable war wounds, both in soldiers and munitions workers that were helping with the war effort. Soon it was deemed necessary that a cheaper, more readily available, alternative should be manufactured to help stop the spread of germs; and the once thriving industry went into a steep decline. For the next twenty years the oil was all but forgotten.

Fortunately, Melaleuca alternifolia oil has over 100 components working synergistically together, most of which could not even be identified back in the early years, so an exact nature-identical copy was impossible to synthesize from man-made chemicals. In the Sixties, the oil made a remarkable comeback, the first scientific evidence in decades confirmed that it had a favorable effect in the treatment of boils, gynecological infections and later for varied foot problems and nail bed infections. Now the once sidelined oil was gaining in popularity, and farms were being set up to harvest the oil on a commercial basis.

In the early 1990s, a scientific research team was formed, lead by Associate Professor Tom Riley at the University of Western Australia. They have produced many papers, reviews and letters, and still continue to promote the versatility and effectiveness of this ancient and valuable oil. Their work has underlined its healing potential in the fight against infectious illness and inflammatory conditions. When they started to look at the antimicrobial activity of the major components of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, it was they who first brought to our attention the remarkable susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also called the hospital superbug (MRSA). It was a staphylococcus strain of bacterium that had evolved to beat most of the synthesized antibacterial medicines (antibiotics) available from orthodox medicine. In the United States and European hospitals, MRSA grew from under 3% of infections in the 1980s to 40% in the late 1990s. This superbug attacks people who have skin lesions, especially from post-operative wounds and/or a depressed immune system. But because it can be transferred from patient to patient via hospital staff and on implements such as pens and stethoscopes (MRSA carriage) Melaleuca alternifolia oil is invaluable as a topical disinfectant.

Research  found many other susceptibilities to the oil such as

- Propionibacterium acnes, which is the major antimicrobial cause of acne.

- Escherichia coli (E coli) and Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause food poisoning and infect wounds.

- Malassezia furfur, the fungal infection that causes seborrheic dermatitis to the sebum-rich areas of the scalp (dandruff), face and body.

- Dermatophytes and other filamentous fungi, which cause topical infections. Lactobacilli and organisms associated with bacterial vaginosis.

- Candida species and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which can result in gynecological infections, digestive tract problems, also redness and itching to the skin.

- Staphylococci and Streptococci species of bacteria that causes impetigo, a raw, itchy superficial skin infection.

Conversely, when they studied the susceptibility of transient and commensal skin flora to the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, it was encouraging that in a low dilution, Melaleuca oil did not disrupt the essential balance of micro-flora on the skin. And, they also found that allergic contact dermatitis, following the use of a hand-wash containing Melaleuca oil, was not actually due to the Melaleuca oil. All this means that it is ideal to add to toiletries, because at a very low dilution it can help to inhibit pathogenic bacteria, which are naturally resident on the skin, while preserving the good bacteria that we need to keep our skin healthy.

Their antimicrobial studies on the oil of Melaleuca alternifolia have been confirmed by other researchers in clinical trials around the world. Riley and his team still have many varied trials and collaborations in the pipeline. They have even broadened their work to include viral infections and have published their findings on the efficacy of a Melaleuca alternifolia gel (6%) in the treatment of Herpes labialis, which can cause cold sores in susceptible people. Their work, both in the laboratory (in-vitro) and on people (in vivo) in a hospital setting is continuing, with the oil of Melaleuca alternifolia as an alternative topical decolonization agent for infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

They have also started to look at Terpinen-4-ol, the main component of the oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, to suppress inflammatory mediator production by activated human monocytes. Inflammatory responses are responsible for the reddened and raised areas of tissue damage when we bruise, burn or cut ourselves and when we are bitten by insects or have an allergic reaction. On a broader scale an inflammatory response is also implicated in degenerative diseases such as heart disease and arthritis.

Furthermore, it is through the group’s work on skin sensitivity we know that a low percentage of the population may have a sensitivity issue with using the oil full-strength; it is good that Melaleuca oil is very effective in quite low dilutions, so the undiluted oil never has to come into contact with the skin. Even so, it is important to patch test the oil or product on a small area of skin, before it is used fully. It has also been noted by other researchers that Melaleuca oil can become oxidized if not stored correctly, or is past its sell-by-date. The oil should always be kept in a cool, dark environment and used within a set time. It is also vitally important that the oil comes from a trusted supplier, who knows how to handle it and store it in the right conditions until it is sold. A good supplier will also be able to supply information on their oil, and guarantee that it is pure and not adulterated with other, less healthy, ingredients.

Melaleuca alternifolia oil is not only sold as an aromatherapy oil, but also an ingredient of choice in the manufacture of many commercial products, where it can cut down the need for additional artificial chemicals, so is ideal as an additive in everyday items such as laundry products, household cleaners, polishes, soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, toiletries, skin creams, salves, ointments, toothpastes, mouth washes, deodorants, air fresheners, nail conditioners and insect repellents.

Melaleuca oil has been used for decades by ordinary people who find that it works for them, their family and their pets. Melaleuca oil is a good expectorant when inhaled and has a soothing effect on the throat; therefore, it can be used for throat and chest infections, and clearing up mucous. An inhalation can soothe coughing and stuffy noses, and using it at the start of an infection can help to inhibit the virus from spreading from person to person. A couple of drops in a glass of warm salty water can be used to combat mouth infections and on the skin to bathe cuts and scratches. It can be used in the bath, in shampoo to fight dandruff and head lice and in skin creams to alleviate skin conditions such as boils, pimples and acne.

Melaleuca oil be used in first aid applications and toiletries, amazingly, it is a powerful solvent too (which is why it helps to clear trapped bacteria in boils), and can be utilized all around the home. So if you have any old Melaleuca oil in the cupboard it can be safely used for household cleaning applications. It is particularly good for getting the glue off plates, jars and bottles often left behind by price stickers and labels. It can be an effective cleaner, removing paint and pen marks easily from surfaces, when mixed with a small amount of ordinary household cleaner or laundry product and rubbed over the area. It is a good stain remover for clothes and everyday washable items. But it must not be used full-strength on plastics and cheaper man-made fabrics, because they can become damaged by the strong solvent action. It can clean silver. It helps to deodorize rooms and cupboards. Mixed with a few drops of a culinary oil it can be sprinkled onto a duster and used to polish wooden furniture, both inside the house and in the garden.

Today, thanks to its efficacy and broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, the oil of the Melaleuca alternifolia has spread across the world and practically everyone has heard about it, if not using its remarkable healing powers. There surely has never been a more versatile and useful natural oil.