The tons of tear gas and pepper spray munitions used on demonstrators last year has been implicated in lung problems, eye damage and even death. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the effects tear gas and pepper spray munitions are not always confined to the fifteen or so minutes of after they're deployed. The truth is that the tear gas and pepper spray munitions used by police carry short- and long-term health risks; certain police tear gas and pepper spray formulations even contain potential carcinogens.

When an area is filled with the pure white of tear gas or pepper spray - they can't tell the difference between their actual target and adjacent homes and businesses. If one of those homes or business happens to belong to you, coughing is going to be the least of your worries. Like wet smoke, tear gas and pepper spray smoke leaves behind sticky pungent odors - seeping into surfaces and belongings. Needless to say, that combination is rather difficult to clean-up.

The persistence and severity of symptoms arising from un-remediated tear gas has given birth to what I'll just have to call sillier than usual Internet rumors that tend to go something like: "Capitol police use mystery gas!" The truth is that un-remediated tear gas and pepper spray alone can cause respiratory problems, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and even disorientation. Like the gas, symptoms can linger for days in otherwise healthy individuals. Out of 187 North Carolina corrections officers exposed to pepper spray under controlled conditions for training purposes, according to a recent Duke University Medical Center study, eight had symptoms that persisted for more than a week - including chest problems, eye difficulties, headaches and disorientation.

Other reports have warned of respiratory arrest, pulmonary edema, and acute elevations in blood pressure associated with risk of stroke and heart attack. Unfortunately, The Capitol Police and the District Police don't own what they spray, you do … and professional decontamination and remediation of a home or office that's been exposed to police tear gas or pepper spray is critical.

Remediation of a home or office following police deployment of pepper spray [capsaicin] or tear gas [typically CN - chloroacetophenone, CS - ortho-chlorobenzylidene-malononitrile] requires specially trained technicians. Only profesionals can safely rid a home or office of lingering aftermath and sans proper remediation, a home or office can actually be hazardous. That's right, inadequate tear gas remediation is a one way ticket to rashes, diarrhea, fatigue, disorientation, respiratory concerns and worse. Better safe in the hands of clean-up professions than sorry alone.