Pollution due to soot has is one of the topmost global dilemma that needs to be given attention. Soot public awareness has been implemented and practiced but soot is still uncontrolled and not responsibly managed.

Soot can commonly be found on vehicle tailpipes, diesel engines, oil refineries, coal plant smokestacks, fires and even on a household’s grills, fireplaces, and stove for cooking and heating. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), currently 70 million Americans are living in areas and under risks of exposure to soot hazard. Most people tend to neglect the dangers of soot after a fire incident, which should not be taken for granted. This article will be covering only soot damages after fire incidents.

First and foremost, what is soot?
Soot is a form of black powdery substance made up mostly of amorphous carbon and other elements. It is usually found in organic materials like wood that failed to burn completely, stayed in the air, and settled on different parts of the house.

Reasons why soot is dangerous after a fire incident:
After a fire incident strikes a certain home, both smoke and soot also pose dangers other than the fire alone. It is a priority to clean up and clean the contaminated the parts of the house immediately to avoid exposure to soot and smoke.

Reason No. 1: Respiratory Health-Related Problems
Inhaling soot can cause different sorts of respiratory health problems like bronchitis, pneumonia, and asthma. Soot contains toxic particles like carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and other traces of heavy metals.

Reason No. 2: Cancer Risks
Based on studies of National Cancer Institute, soot alone contains carcinogens or cancer-causing agents like chromium, arsenic, and cadmium, which can put you at risk if inhaled. Prolonged exposure to these elements can cause respiratory ailments and other health-related problems.

Reason No. 3: Property Damage
Additionally, soot also deteriorates your house's painting works. All the painted surfaces of your house will be discolored by the acidic particles of soot. If left over for a long time and not cleaned immediately, the soot will deeply infiltrate and cleaning with restoration would be difficult to perform. Immediate cleaning up using nitrile gloves with a mask is a must to prevent reactions of oils and acidic particles to happen. Contact a professional like ServiceMaster by PWF.

Reason No. 4: Electronic Damage
Soot and smoke are also capable of ruining electronic devices and machines after a fire incident. The soot’s acidic particles and smoke’s metallic particles can create rusts and short-circuit electronic devices that can cause them to possibly malfunction or even explode unknowingly. For this reason, after any fire incident, all electronic devices should be cleaned, checked, and tested even if they are not damaged or burned.

Reason No. 5: Smoke Odor Residuals
After every fire, the lingering smell of smoke is irritatingly odorous and needs to be cleaned and removed. The smell that sticks to the whole house area, may it be infected or not, should be prioritized.

Whenever fire incidents happen, contact the most trained, equipped, and ready to restore your property after any disaster – ServiceMaster Restore by PWF. We offer several services for water damage (drying and dehumidification, water and storm damages, water removal); fire and smoke(soot smoke, odor removal, content cleaning restoration, fire damage repair); mold damages (inspection and remediation) and general cleaning services.

ServiceMaster Restore by PWF has several service offices offering any restoration services like fire damage restoration in Clearwater, soot removal in St Petersburg, smoke damage restoration in Oldsmar and others.

You can directly contact us @ https://www.servicemasterbypwf.com/contact-us/, or personally visit our service areas @ Clearwater, St Petersburg, Oldsmar, Dunedin, Largo, Safety Harbor, Madeira Beach, Pinellas Park, St Petersburg Beach, Tarpon Springs, Treasure Island, Belleair Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Gulfport, Belleair Bluffs, and other Northeast Florida areas. Pinellas: 813–295–7797, Ocala: 352–292–8988, Gainesville: 352–441–3020, Lake City: 386–866–3349, Duvall | Clay | St. John: 904–999–4481