Caption: Don't let the cuteness fool you. This cat is spreading dander all over its owner's house., Credit: Flickr user admiller.
Image by: Flickr user admiller. 
Don't let the cuteness fool you. This cat is spreading dander all over its owner's house. 

Distillations Episode 146: Something in the Air

From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Series: Distillations - The Chemistry Podcast
Length: 14:22

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Sneezing, itchy eyes, runny nose? We all know what that means: allergies. On this show we look at pet dander, a common cause. Then we talk to a researcher dissecting the makeup of dust. Read the full description.

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Much of the population is afflicted with allergy symptoms but the cause of these reactions vary widely from person or person. Seasonal allergies are often related to pollen. Food allergies can result from exposure to everything from shrimp to peanuts. And then there are pet allergies, the first topic in this episode. We investigate why pet dander is prone to putting immune systems on attack. Then producer Gretchen Kuda Croen talks to a researcher about the dust library he's compiling, which could prove valuable to scientists and health experts examining what particles in the air are prone to making us sick.

Also in the Distillations - The Chemistry Podcast series

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From: Chemical Heritage Foundation

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From: Chemical Heritage Foundation

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Piece Description

Much of the population is afflicted with allergy symptoms but the cause of these reactions vary widely from person or person. Seasonal allergies are often related to pollen. Food allergies can result from exposure to everything from shrimp to peanuts. And then there are pet allergies, the first topic in this episode. We investigate why pet dander is prone to putting immune systems on attack. Then producer Gretchen Kuda Croen talks to a researcher about the dust library he's compiling, which could prove valuable to scientists and health experts examining what particles in the air are prone to making us sick.

Broadcast History

Podcast on April 27, 2012.

Timing and Cues

0:00 Opening Credits
0:26 Introduction
2:19 Allergen-Free Pets
5:47 The Dust Library
13:12 Closing Credits

Additional Credits

Special thanks to Sarah Hunter-Lascoskie for researching this show.

Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Music from the Free Music Archive includes "Hungaria," by Latché Swing, and "Rolands Vegners," by Ergo Phizmiz & Margita Zalite. Thanks also to Heywood Banks for letting us use his song "Dustmites."

Related Website

http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/distillations/index.aspx