Duct Cleaning....Time to Vent!

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Duct Cleaning....Time to Vent!

Washington, DC 10/28/2008 (TransWorldNews)

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=66035 & cat=1

Washngton, DC -- October 27, 2008 -- Indoor Air Quality issues are

rapidly becoming part of the general public's conscientiousness

through the mass media's portrayal of proliferating toxic mold.

Many Floridians, along with the rest of the nation are now

discovering that non-qualified commercial mold remediation firms and

residential duct cleaning services can be just as hazardous.

Numerous post-hurricane mold cleanup efforts have been ineffective.

A recently published article stated that 40% of the certified duct

cleaners don't follow their certifying entity's procedures and

protocols. Many states are rushing to introduce legislation that

qualifies and regulates the currently unregulated remediation

industry.

The first step to consider before embarking on a mold remediation or

duct cleaning project is to determine if the mold types and levels

or duct condition are the source for a current or potential health

problem. Keep in mind, the source of a mold problem may not be

visibly apparent and just cleaning the ducts may not be the answer.

Contact a reputable environmental consultant who can conduct an

indoor environmental walkthrough that includes a pragmatic series of

diagnostic tests to determine the environmental status of your home

or office.

What Does Mold Remediation and Duct Cleaning Entail?

Mold Remediation includes a large variety of components (e.g.

drywall, wood, carpet, building furnishings, etc.), which may also

include duct cleaning. The type of mold, levels of contamination,

and clearance levels will determine the protocols employed during

the remediation project. It is important the remediation service

provider environmentally cleans all the contaminated components so

unclean sections will not re-contaminate the home or office again.

Anti-microbial chemicals are sometimes applied during the cleaning

process and in some cases incorporated into the encapsulating

products. Ensure all chemicals used are EPA registered for the

specific application. All MSDS sheets should be maintained on the

project worksite. Some newer remediation efforts include cryogenic

processes for mold treatment

Duct cleaning entails cleaning the various heating and cooling

system components of forced air systems. These components include

the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles and

diffusers, heat exchangers heating and cooling coils, condensate

drain pans (drip pans), fan motor and fan housing, variable area

volume (VAV) boxes, fresh air ductwork, and the air handling unit

housing.

The service provider should take preventive steps to protect

individuals from exposure to dislodged contaminants during the

cleaning process. These steps may include the use of containment

barriers; the utilization of negative air machines (NAM) employing

High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filtration rated 99.97%

efficiency for particulate size of .03 microns on the cleaning

equipment, effective " tools of the trade " to facilitate proper

removal, and the use of employees who are trained in OSHA safety

practices. In an office type building, remediation should be

performed at night, to again minimize the occupational disruption of

the tenants and potential contaminants disturbed during remediation

processes.

Signs for Mold Remediation:

The most efficient means of determining the presence of mold is

through indoor environmental surveys. Oftentimes, building

occupants exposed to mold contamination experience allergic

symptoms, asthma attack, etc. Some non-ideopathic entities like

rapid changes in air temperature and humidity levels, building

pressurization, fluctuating lighting, odor causing evolutions can

elicit similar symptoms and sometimes even can mask a mold-related

problem.

Mold requires moisture for growth. Moisture intrusion due to poor

construction design, materials, laborers, and technique is currently

a major industry problem. There are currently no regulations for

mold contaminant levels, but there have been multiple bills

introduced at the various levels of government (federal and state)

with regulation coming in the not too distant future. Opportunistic

pathogenic molds are well documented as well as others that generate

toxic chemicals (MVOC's). Even if you have visible mold present,

reputable professionals should do the qualification and

quantification with all assay analyses performed by an accredited

laboratory. Guidelines for acceptable levels of molds have been

developed through trend analysis of the Computer Assisted Air

Management Program Systems (CAAMPS) at the Environmental Diagnostics

Laboratory of Pure Air Control Services. CAAMPS contains data from

over 100,000 samples collected in over 500 million sq. ft. of

commercial and residential sites.

Signs Ducts Should Be Cleaned:

There are several factors that help determine if the duct system

should be cleaned. One major factor is visible mold growth inside

hard surface ducts or on other components of your system. Be aware

that although a substance may look like mold, it may not be. The

use of an AIHA accredited environmental laboratory will accurately

determine whether a sample is mold or simply debris that resembles

it. If the air duct insulation is saturated with water, it should be

removed and replaced and the cause of the growth corrected before

the cleaning or removal occurs.

Other factors include rodent or insect infestation and a clogged

HVAC system that actually releases contaminants into the building or

home through the registers.

Risk Factors:

If proper mold remediation or duct cleaning procedures are not

followed, these processes can cause more dust, debris, and molds to

be released into the air. Inadequate negative air machine

collection systems and poor containment can cause this problem.

Also, there is the possibility the service provider can damage your

ducts or heating and cooling system, which could result in increased

heating and air conditioning operational costs, expensive repairs or

replacements.

Listed below are questions that should be posed to the prospective

remediation and duct-cleaning contractor:

* Are the New York City Department of Health Mold Remediation

Guidelines level I through level V being utilized for mold cleanup?

* Is the company NADCA certified and in good standing?

* Are the NADCA ACR 2002 specifications utilized?

* Are the IICRC Standard for Professional Remediation S520 utilized?

* How long has the service provider been in business?

* Is their work mostly residential homes or commercial buildings?

* Does their respective state's Department of Business and

Professional Regulation (DBPR) require licensure?

* What are the qualifications of the firm?

* Do they guarantee their work?

* What is the guarantee?

* Does the firm work with the medical community? (Health

implications of work)

* Are their chemicals registered with the EPA for specific ductwork

applications? (Fiberglass vs. Sheet Metal)

* What quality control/quality assurances (QA/QC) protocols do they

provide to assure that mold, fiberglass, dust, pollen, and dander

have been effectively removed after the cleaning process?

* Are the technicians who will be performing the work

environmentally trained?

* What are their backgrounds? Their experience? Have they been

trained in the following OSHA programs:

* Respiratory Protection Program: 1910.134

* Hazard Communication Program: 1910.120

* Confined Space Program: 1910.146

* Lock Out - Tag Out Program: 1910.147

Detailed environmental HVAC and Mold project remediation

specifications are essential in any indoor environmental remediation

project and should be mandated to confirmed the qualifications of

the individual as well as provide some assurity of the projects

success.

An EPA Study

The information provided below are excerpts from EPA Pilot Field

Study EPA-600/R-97-137 December 1997 prepared by National Risk

Management Laboratory:

The EPA conducted a nine-home study in 1997 to investigate the

impact of mechanical air duct cleaning (ADC) methods on indoor air

quality (IAQ) and system performance. Only mechanical ADC methods

were evaluated. Surface treatments, such as biocides or

encapsulants, were not part of the study. Pre- and post-ADC

measurements were used to evaluate impacts. These included

deposited duct dust measurements, airborne particle and fiber

concentrations, microbial bioaerosol and surface sampling, and

system performance factors such as temperature, relative humidity,

airflow rates, and static pressure.

Surface sampling in ducts indicated that mechanical ADC is effective

in removing adhered dust and dirt (see fig. 1). Mechanical ADC did

not significantly reduce bioaerosol or microbial density in the

houses studied. None of the test houses were considered to be

biocontaminated; therefore, a small change would not be surprising.

Fungal levels were generally higher than bacterial levels, and ADC

had the most impact on the ducts with the highest levels of fungi

and noticeably reduced the level of fungi in surface samples

collected from ducts in most houses. Mechanical ADC methods alone

did not substantially reduce bioaerosol and culturable surface

microbial levels. Surface treatments such as biocides or

encapsulants may be required if it is determined that substantial

reductions are necessary.

Contact a professional if you think mold remediation and duct

cleaning might be a good idea for your facility or residence, but

keep in mind, the EPA does not establish duct cleaning and mold

remediation standards, but there are other industry standards.

Unless you fully understand the pros and the cons of chemical

biocides or sealants do not allow the use of them.

One Final Thought

In a building's life cycle, dust, mold, moisture, etc. oftentimes

accumulate over the next 5, 10, 15 years. Typically, 1-10 lbs. of

debris will be removed from an older AHU/ACS system. This debris is

a potential food source for mold and other microbial agents.

When your home or office was constructed and then subsequently

occupied, the air handling system and associated air conveyance

system was newly installed and clean. If not properly filtered

during construction efforts, debris (e.g. drywall dust, sawdust,

etc) can quickly contaminate HVAC Systems.

Initially, latent construction defects may not have been readily

apparent and over time can provide an occasion for moisture

intrusion, not only in the HVAC systems, but also in other areas of

the building (exterior walls, window seals, roof leaks, plumbing

leaks, etc.).

As with any professional, check references thoroughly to be sure

other customers were satisfied and did not experience any problems

with their heating and cooling system after cleaning and that mold

levels were proven to be at a significantly lower level as proved

through clearance testing.

Remember, one would only hire the best physician to identify and

treat a physical ailment and should only use the best to identify

and treat a problem home or building. Health is the primary concern

of both.