Greetings to all. This is not the regular newsletter. It will be out in the next week or so. If you have any items for the newsletter, please send it to me. Just remember one thing, the September meeting is a luncheon meeting, not evening. Our fearless leader has decided that we will have an executive board after the meeting. At the end of the email is advance notice for our annual 2-day PDC at the Maritime Institute. See you in September and in October.

SEPTEMBER 16TH CHAPTER MEETING

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) a Method for Rapid and Accurate Identification of Mold: On September 16th, the Chesapeake Chapter ASSE and the Chesapeake Section AIHA will hold a joint luncheon meeting at Snyder’s Willow Grove Restaurant located at 841 Hammonds Ferry Road, Linthicum, MD 21090, (Exit 8 off the Baltimore Beltway -- I-695). See www.snyderswillowgrove.com for additional directions. 

Registration and Networking will be 11:30 am to 12:00 pm.
Lunch will begin at 12:00 pm
The presentation will began at 12:45 pm

The speaker is Ms. Suzanne Blevins, who is the facility Director of Aerobiology Laboratory Associates in Reston, VA. She is also a founding partner and principal of the firm. Suzanne has over twenty years of microbiology experience and specializes in the comprehensive characterization of bioaerosols, both viable and non-viable. She provides technical assistance to clients including IAQ testing protocols and investigation techniques for bacteria and fungi as well as overseeing laboratory operations.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a relatively new chemical based procedure which uses the genetic material in a microbial sample to specifically identify an organism down to the genus and species level. The PCR test mechanism can yield accurate results within days, as opposed to weeks when using the traditional culturable method. The presentation will discuss the practical application of PCR analysis in IAQ investigations, an overview of the analytical process and the strengths and weaknesses of the method.

Please call the Chesapeake Regional Safety Council’s office (410) 298-4770 and place a reservation of the meeting. COST is $20 per person, payable at the door.Checks should be made payable to Chesapeake Chapter ASSE. 

Advance Notice: Professional Development Conference, October 14th and 15th 2004

The Chesapeake Section AIHA in cooperation with Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health will be holding its annual Professional Development Conference October 14th and 15th at the Maritime Institute in Linthicum. The program will begin at 8:00 am and includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Cost will be $170 for both day and $90 for a single day. Certification Maintenance Points will be requested from ABIH. Mark your calendars for these dates! A full program and registration will be sent in the near future. Topics will include: Mercury Issues, Hearing Conservation, Security Threat Analysis, Water Damage Restoration, Effective Training, Chemical Protective Clothing, Heat Stress, Mold Investigation, Histoplasmosis Exposure, Trenching Safety, PM 2.5, and Asthma. We will also have Dr. Payton Eggleston who was one of the authors of the Institute of Medicine’s publication Damp Indoor Spaces and Health. For information call Jim Lewis at (410) 537-3891, email jlewis@mde.state.md.us. 

Our new address as of 8/23/02:
MDE/ARMA
1800 Washington Blvd., STE 725
Baltimore MD 21230-1720

410-537-3814, FAX -3924
800-633-6101
www.mde.state.md.us
mknight@mde.state.md.us