The present invention relates to devices and methods used to train animals, and more particularly, to devices and methods used to field train dogs in the detection of contaminants such as fungus, biological and /or bacteria.
Temperature, humidity and dampness are elements capable of fostering growth of contaminants such as strains of fungi (e.g., fungi, molds and yeast) and bacteria that can be noxious to people. When a person is exposed to these noxious strains of fungi and bacteria, an allergic reaction may often result. Typically, the degree of an individual""s allergic reaction to such noxious strains may be quite varied depending on the individual, the exposure level and the contaminant present such that an individual""s reaction may range from a mild irritation to a fatal reaction. Since medications provide only temporary relief to individuals affected by such reactions, the preferred solution is to locate and remove the contaminant from the site and then remediate the site as necessary.
Residential and commercial buildings and structures, in particular, host a wide variety of strains of fungi and bacteria, due to the materials used in their construction and the environmental effects inside and outside of the buildings. It is known that the microbiological decomposition of materials in a building occurs with time, due to environmental factors. This decomposition of material(s) often produces a wide variety of strains of such contaminants which may affect people who live or work in these environments. Similarly, the emitting of certain toxic compounds, antigens from molds and/or bacteria, and/or the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) within such buildings also often affects people in the general building area. Typically, many individuals often become ill or sick, to varying degrees, from such contaminants in their environments and attribute their illness to xe2x80x9csick building syndromexe2x80x9d (SBS).
Additionally, spaces other than buildings, such as those involving transportation (e.g., automobiles, boats, trains, airplanes, trucks, busses, and the like) are also generally capable of hosting a wide variety of contaminant strains for similar reasons. Similarly, even partially-enclosed structures such as warehouses, picnic grounds and similar, also may host such contaminants.
Consequently, these spaces also may have contaminants present in sufficient amounts to cause people who frequent such spaces to become ill or sick.
While specific causes of SBS and the like remain difficult to detect and identify, it is known that a variety of contaminants may contribute to SBS, such as those contaminants and contributory factors previously mentioned. It is known however that many of the contaminants, such as VOCs, can cause chronic and acute health effects at high concentrations, and that even a low to moderate level exposure to such contaminants may produce certain reactions in some individuals who are hypersensitive.
Similarly, biological contaminants can cause fever, chills, cough, chest tightness, muscle aches, and allergic reactions. Example of biological contaminants include: pollen, bacteria, viruses, and molds, each of which can breed in stagnant water that has accumulated in humidifiers, drain pans, and ducts, or where water has collected on ceiling tiles, insulation, carpet, and similar. Additionally, there are numerous airborne fungi including, by way of example and not of limitation, Cladosporium sp. and Aspergillus sp. fungi, each of which is of respirable size to humans and typically exists in a particulate form. Further, the disintegration or decomposition of bacteria can release endotoxins which are present in the outer membrane of Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Alcaligenes, Acinetobacter, Citrobacter and Enterobacter. Exposure usually occurs when the endotoxins are aerosolized as particles and can penetrate deeply into the lungs causing fever, cough, breathing difficulty and wheezing. All these bacteria grow in organic dusts and many are readily found in buildings identified as having SBS. Unfortunately, identifying, locating and removing these fungal and bacteria contaminants has proved difficult.
Present methods of contaminant detection are generally limited to air sampling and an intrusive investigation. Air sampling generally detects the presents of spore contaminants. However, air sampling necessitates that a substantial active spore presence of contaminant be airborne for detection to occur. As a result, air sampling is often costly and does not detect non-active spores. An intrusive investigation, alternatively, requires that an amplification site of contaminant (i.e., detecting elevated concentrations of active spores) be identified and that the physical intrusion into the amplification site be reasonably exact. Since neither of these methods is precise in its determination, these investigations may fail to detect sites affected by contaminants, damage the areas of interest, and may result in the release of additional contaminants (i.e., active and/or non-active spores) into the air.
Unfortunately, each of these methods is expensive, time-consuming, and often is imprecise. Further, since each of these methods tests only a limited space within a particular area to be searched, it is believed that each of these methods is inefficient in accurately determining a contaminant""s location.
According to the present invention, a device and non-intrusive method is used for training dogs and using dogs in the field to detect contaminants such as fungi and bacteria in buildings, structures and other field locations where there is a likelihood of the presence of contaminants that are potentially noxious to humans. As used herein the term xe2x80x9ccontaminantsxe2x80x9d includes one or more fungi, bacteria, organic compounds, biological agents, or combinations thereof, which is or may be noxious to a human exposed to the contaminant.
It is known that dogs in particular have an acute sense of smell and have on average between twenty-five and forty times the number of olfactory cells that humans do. It is also known that certain dogs are also able to detect a scent even under water. Consequently, dogs have been used to perform various forms of scent-based detection work, including search and rescue of missing or injured persons, narcotic and drug detection by the police and federal authorities, accelerant detection in possible arson matters, and incendiary device detection for bomb threats. However, in each of these applications the dog seeks to detect a particular scent which is normally not present in the environment, but which is present to the extent that the scent exceeds other scents in the site""s environment, where the dog is working.
For example, in a bomb threat situation, a dog is seeking an incendiary device scent which is typically greater than the scent of a surrounding, normal scent (e.g. the paint of the room""s wall, the wax on the room""s floor, or the mold present in the corner of the room) due to the device""s composition or the concentration of the scent in the room. Typically, therefore the dog is able to xe2x80x9ckeyxe2x80x9d (i.e., identify and/or detect) on the sought scent as it is often readily distinguishable from other scents normally present in the environment.
For the present invention, however, a dog is used to detect one or more contaminants which may be no greater in concentration in the site than those scents which are traditionally considered to be a part of the background of the site (e.g. scents such as fungus, bacteria, etc.). Consequently, the dog must be able to xe2x80x9ckeyxe2x80x9d on one or more common contaminant scents which may be no greater in concentration than any of the scents normally associated with the site and/or which may be of a scent which is normally associated with the site (e.g., normal molds, mildew, etc.).