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Photographic gallery.  Thousands of particles under the microscope.

Fibers

Fibers are the smallest elongated element that can be identified as to its source. A fibril is the smallest elongated element from a source. For example, a paper fiber can generally be identified in terms of the genus of tree that it came from. Paper fiber is made up of cellulose fibrils, which are the same regardless of source. This section contains primarily fibers though the mineral fibers are both fibers and fibrils.
Mercerized Cotton, Cat Hair, and Feather Barbule Mercerized Cotton, Cat Hair, and Feather Barbule Glass Fiber and Phytolith Linen, Wood, and Rayon Linen Glass Fiber, Mercerized Cotton, Cosmetics Linen Cotton Line, Wood, and Rayon

Feather Barbules (Individual elongated elements from feathers) Bird feather barbules are very common in indoor samples though they are normally at low levels. They have low birefringence but are easily seen with full crossed polarizing filters. The are regularly jointed or barbed and the barbed barbules from the down can often indicate the genus of the bird from which the barbule came. Chicken, duck and goose down are often seen indoors and probably come from bedding, winter jackets, for furniture. Feathers should never be one of the major particle types in a sample. That would be an unusual condition. Health complaints related to feather barbules are typically due to specific allergies to a type of bird or bird louse. Birds can be a disease vector.
Chicken Down Crow (Corvidae) Enhanced Duck Down (Anatidae) Enhanced House Finch (Fringilidae)

Click here for more BIRD FEATHER BARBULE photos Glass fiber is one of the major causes of health complaints in indoor environments. Acoustic ceiling tile are the most frequent source of glass fiber in offices and school classrooms. Fiber from the HVAC system are the next most frequent cause of glass fiber exposure in offices. Faulty construction practices are the most common cause of glass fiber exposure in homes. Any kind of building construction or remodeling has a potential to result in health complaints. One cause for those health complaints is the release of glass fiber.
- Article: Glass Fiber and Health Complaints

Gray Acoustic Tile 2 200X Glass Fiber Acoustic Yellow HVAC Insulation Pink Blanket Insulation Gypsum Board Glass Fiber Mineral Wool 100X 1

Click here for more Glass Fiber photos. Hair is one of the best ways to detect the presence of an animal or animal alergens in an indoor environment. Human, cat, dog, sheep (wool), rabbit, mouse, rat, cow, horse, and bat are the most common hairs seen with human hair so common it is usually included with the human skin flake category. Rather than having to test for all of the animal allergens, their unsuspected presence is often detected by a microscopical analysis of particles settled on surfaces in an environment. Human Arm Hair Human Whisker Human Hair Chomped Hair Features diagram drawing

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Insect silks are fibers produced by insects that perform a special function as some part of the insects life processes. It includes "silk", a fiber used in human textiles, that is from the cocoon of special moths. It also includes the tent fibers and suspension fibers of many caterpillars. Spider webs, though these are not actually insects, are also included here. Spider webs often function as selective impaction filters and because of their small diameter, very effectively collect soot.
Spider Silk Golden Spider Silk Insect "hair" includes setae and scales. These are fibers on the surface of the insect that are a part of the exoskeleton of the insect. Some of these fibers can cause health complaints or can be usefull as indicators of the presence of insects that can cause health complaints.
Plumous Setea Plumous Setea Scale 2 obl 20X hi mag Tent Caterpillar Hair Tent Caterpillar Hair Butterfly Scales Carpet Beetle Larva Hair

Click here for more Insect Hair photos Halotrichite Halorichite Ore Pectolite 100X Sepiolite Arfvedisonite Erionite Off Crossed Fibrous Talc Winchite Wollastonite Off Cross Fibrous Hypersthene

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Bag Cell Paper Fiber Paper Fiber with Sizing

Click here for more Paper Fibers photos. Plant Fiber Plant "hair" are the elongated elements that form on the surface of the plant or are released as fibers by the plant into the environment. There is a great deal of mophological variability in these hairs and they perform a number of different functions for the plant. Some of these hairs are actually collected and sold as "Itching Powder". Itching powders have been the cause of health complaints in some offices.
Plant Hair Plant Hair Verbascum 200X 6A3 Plant Hair 200X 3-1 #3 Plant Hair



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Nylon 10x Off Xpols Cropped Orlon 10X XPols Cropped Rayon 10X off XPol Cropped Polyester Polyester 10x Off Xpols Cropped Carpet fiber 200X Viscose



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