ASHRAE President Addresses IAQ Questions

Tests Show How Filters Hold Up Against Biowarfare

IESO Developing New Standards-based Programs

Word on the Street 

LIABILITY LESSONS
Seven criminal manslaughter charges were brought against the design services manager of a borough council because an air conditioner in a council building was blamed for causing the Legionnaires' disease outbreak that killed seven people and sickened 140 others in the English town of Barrow-in-Furness. Another charge, of breaching health and safety regulations, was also brought against Gillian Beckingham at the same time last month.

In the United States, a Supreme Court ruling held an airline liable for the in-flight death of a doctor in 1998. The Feb. 22 decision upheld a lower court's ruling that Olympic Airways must pay $1.4 million to the family of the late Abid Hanson. Six of the nine Supreme Court justices sided with
Hanson's family, who sued the airline because there was no divider between Hanson's seat and the plane's smoking section, situated nearby. The family said second-hand smoke caused his fatal asthma attack.

WALTONS FESS UP
In a consent decree filed last month, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it would pay a fine of $400,000 to settle federal violations regarding the sale of refrigerant, the Associated Press reports. A U.S. attorney said some of the corporation's Sam's Club stores had been selling ozone-depleting refrigerants that the Clean Air Act stipulates can be sold only to certified individuals.

TALK-SHOW CIRCUIT
National media coverage of IAQ issues rebounded last month with a mold-related article in the Wall Street Journal (See Association Watch, page 18), mold segments on "NBC Nightly News" and CBS' "Early Show," and a new episode of the medical drama "ER" touching on carbon monoxide
poisoning in the home. In addition, media mogul Oprah Winfrey is set to air an episode of her talk show focusing on indoor contaminants including mold, bacteria and dust mites. Tapping EMSL Analytical to test samples from the dishrags, sponges and a decades-old mattress in the home of a woman who just couldn't throw anything away, "Oprah" producers flew to the laboratory's location in Westmont, N.J., to tape the testing procedures. To provide the results to the woman and her concerned daughters, EMSL's Jason Dobranic was flown to the show's Chicago studios to appear on the show alongside Winfrey. The syndicated series was scheduled to air the episode in late February.

AWARD-WINNING IAQ STUDY
An IAQ project won the "Best of Fair" award in a Rhode Island high school's annual science fair, according to a report in the Coventry Courier. James Daley was named top senior for his project, "The Air We Breathe: A Study of Indoor Air Quality at Coventry High School." Daley is qualified to enter the state's science fair, held in March.

STUDY FINDS SMOKING MOTHERS'
DAMAGE TO OFFSPRING SEVERE
A new study shows that mothers who have smoked adversely affect the lung function of their growing offspring in at least three ways. Researchers writing in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine say
maternal smoking not only lowers lung volume, but it is also associated with greater smoking intensity in the children and less ability to quit by those who had taken up smoking. Maternal smoking behavior also appeared to
synergize with their offspring's personal smoking to increase airflow limitation and the likelihood of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. "As far as we know, this is the first report, based on prerecorded exposure information to indicate that maternal smoking
may increase COPD risk," said Dr. Mark D. Upton of England's University of Bristol. 

The investigators' research premise was to try to determine whether maternal and personal smoking synergized to increase airflow limitation in the offspring. "The effect of 10 cigarettes per day maternal smoking on airflow limitation was numerically equivalent to 10 years of personal
smoking," said Upton. The investigators pointed out that in "ever smokers," the risk of prevalent COPD increased by 1.7 per 10 cigarettes per day maternal smoking. The authors found no evidence that the association between paternal smoking and airflow limitation "was clinically important."

IT NEVER WENT AWAY
Mold is no stranger to Liberty High School in Bedford, Va. Despite several corrective actions taken at the school over the past few years, a report from Setty and Associates Ltd. suggests that more work is on the way. The firm recommends renovating the HVAC system, a 14-month procedure
bearing a price tag of $4 million. The school had tried removing carpet and fixing ceilings, and school Principal Roger Lee had been "confident that the mold had been sufficiently contained, if not eliminated altogether," according to a Feb. 10 report in the Fauquier Times-Democrat. A spokesperson for Setty and Associates told the school board last month that moisture in the air is the problem that needs to be corrected, not the mold.

ASTHMA-FLU STUDY
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in children with asthma, ages 6-18, Dutch researchers found that influenza vaccination did not significantly reduce the number, severity or duration of asthma exacerbations caused by the flu. Dr. Johannes C. van der Wouden of Erasmus MC-University Medical Center in Rotterdam and eight associates studied 349 children who received placebo vaccinations and 347 who were given inactivated influenza vaccine. The study, published in the American Thoracic Society's peer-reviewed American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, revealed that 42 pharyngeal swabs from the children were positive for influenza, with 24 in the vaccine group and 18 in the placebo group - a 33-percent difference. The authors said that the influenza-related asthma exacerbations they detected were all of similar
severity. According to the authors, the limited effectiveness of the influenza vaccine found in the study and the low incidence of influenza observed in the first season of research, warranted additional studies to justify routine influenza vaccination of children with asthma in general practice.

ASHRAE President Addresses IAQ Questions
By Steve Sauer

As the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers presents its yearly IAQ meeting this month, Society President Richard Rooley agreed to grant an interview to the newspaper for the IAQ marketplace. Members of this paper's Editorial Advisory Board submitted a pool of more than 50 questions on IAQ concerns such as standards that dictate ventilation and smoking requirements, and improving communication with architects and engineers. 

ASHRAE's IAQ meeting is being held March 15-17 in Tampa and focusing on "Critical Operations: Supporting the Healing Environment through IAQ Performance Standards." ASHRAE says hundreds are expected to attend the meeting, plus sessions will see some crossover attendance from the American Society of Healthcare Engineers' simultaneous conference and exposition. One interview question inquires whether Rooley is tempted to establish a building ventilation
standard for healthcare facilities.

Rooley also presents his own agenda and explains some of the themes of his presidency. As the first chief from outside the continent in the organization's 110-year history, the England native discusses ASHRAE's role in a global society.

In addition to Rooley, whose thoughtfulness shines through in his responses to some of the more unresolved IAQ issues, credit must be given to the ASHRAE staffers who coordinated this interview. Indoor Environment Connections: You are ASHRAE's first president from outside North America. What is the importance of ASHRAE as an American organization in a global society? Richard Rooley: Over 15 percent of the membership is outside North America in 102 countries. Two of our 14 regions represent this membership in chapters and
45 associated societies. The ASHRAE handbooks and standards are used worldwide by individual engineers and as a basis for national guidance. The United States is the strongest home market for manufactured and installed products, providing a strong technical base for ASHRAE work.

Being non-political, ASHRAE is accepted across borders of national conflict. For example, there was a wonderful moment at the ASHRAE meeting in Anaheim this January when the leaders of our Indian and Pakistani chapters within ASHRAE shook hands and embraced.

IEC: How do concerns related to the building aspects of homeland security compare within the United States and internationally?

RR: There is worldwide concern. ASHRAE's work on homeland security in buildings is quoted internationally.

IEC: How do you feel about the importance of building security as a component of homeland security?

RR: Two elements: We must ensure that risk in buildings is correctly calculated and correctly applied. It is too easy to yield to fear and capitulate to the possible risk rather than the probable risk. Secondly, this is a driver to integrated design and operation of buildings. ASHRAE is working with our colleagues across the building industry to set standards in teamwork.

IEC: It's been said that you have recently gone through some significant surgery. Would it be presumptuous to ask how are you doing? 

RR: Cancer is an emotive word but very common. It will affect large numbers of your readers. The medical profession has great skill in working with patients to address their needs. Embarrassment and fear prevent open discussion. So, fear should be put on one's side to enable us with strength to share experiences and overcome the challenge of this and other diseases.

Surgery went according to plan, and chemotherapy starts now. There will be minimal interruption of my presidential duties. ASHRAE's powerful Board of Directors and outstanding staff continue to give great support. The American Cancer Society recommends colon screening and have strong recommendations for people over age 50, and they
should be followed.

IEC: While you were in the healthcare facility, what was your firsthand experience with the air quality? How do you respond to the push to establish a building ventilation standard for healthcare facilities?

RR: There is a gap between design and the ability to operate installations. This is mainly the responsibility of the designer, but we are not educating engineers in build ability and maintainability. At the hospital, I was informed that 60 percent of the maintenance
engineers' problems with a relatively simple system are on controls matters. This must be excessive. ASHRAE has published its healthcare
guide ["HVAC Systems Design Manual for Hospitals and Clinics" by Technical Committee 9.8], an excellent publication.

Standards are available, but they must be written and applied in a buildable way. Why do we still use these rotating thermostats?

From my hospital bed, I see the fan-coil unit. These units afford occupants a great deal of choice; they could have it at 65-60 as a low and 75-80 as a high. The average user will set the thermostat to the maximum if it's too cold and to the minimum if it's too warm.

However, on the lighting switch, there are two positions: bright and dull. I wonder why, on our temperature controls, we don't put "Normal," which would be about 70 degrees, and "Plus," which adds a couple of degrees, and "Minus," which takes away a couple of degrees. Instead of having a rotating dial to set temperature from minus to plus, which are always misused by setting to maximums, why not have a three-position switch that says "add two degrees" and "cut two degrees"? 

Also, this room has a superb access panel to the coil, but unfortunately, it's just behind the door. I'm told that very often, they forget to put a notice on the door that says "Maintenance Engineers Inside." In this case, the engineer could be standing on a ladder to
work on the panel and be knocked over.

IEC: The worst outbreak of Legionnaire's disease took place in 2002, and the blame was placed on an air conditioner and the services manager in charge of it (See Word on the Street, page 4). Do you see her actions as criminal neglect, worthy of charges of manslaughter against those who died in the outbreak?

RR: The driver in the United Kingdom is the Health and Safety Commission, which seeks effective reduction of risk. If we as an industry are unable to achieve quality in our installations by correctly addressing the risk, then criminal actions are inevitable. ASHRAE
publishes guidelines. Our sister organization in the U.K., CIBSE [the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers] has the publications and guidelines to address the risk. They must be followed to reduce risk to the public to acceptable levels.

I used to believe that risk was a function of probability and consequences: If there is high probability with significant consequences, then it is a high risk. But in truth, risk is a probability of it occurring and outrage. There's a low probability of a plane crash, but the outrage is very high. There's a high probability that a car will crash, but the outrage is low. Mobile phones causing cancer does not have high outrage, but smoking does. We have to live with public perception of risk.

IEC: A slide during your presidential address at January's annual meeting may have been interpreted by some as saying negative litigation meddles in an otherwise positive marketplace. How can people in the industry use lawyers in a proactive way to compete better?

RR: My slide showed that where a designer creates a system that cannot be easily commissioned, then after two years of failures, it is a possibility that lawyers will be called in. Lawyers are an essential part of the industry. Read the legal articles in the ASHRAE Journal. Technical Committee 1.7 gives positive education, but the designer must read and benefit from this.

IEC: ASHRAE has just had a changeover of leadership, with Jeff Littleton replacing Frank Coda as executive vice president. What is the importance of sharing leadership
responsibilities between ASHRAE staff and volunteers?

RR: ASHRAE has a unique relationship between its 100 staff members and 5,000 committee members. This is a sharing in depth. The Society continues to define and redefine this relationship in a positive, ongoing way. At the leadership level, the relationship between executive vice president and president is dynamic and close. In this way, the Society grows.

IEC: With the publication of ASHRAE Standard 62.2 for residential buildings and the substantial completion of revisions to Standard 62.1 for commercial buildings, what are the plans for the committees? 

RR: The Standard 62.2 Committee already has put forth its first proposed addendum to the standard, dealing with backdrafting testing. A companion guideline is also being worked on.

The Standard 62 Committee plans to publish the 2004 standard later this year and continues to work on addenda. In addition, a user's manual to the standard is being
developed.

IEC: Some people think it's a mistake to include ventilation design for environmental tobacco smoke in Standard 62.1. Many health authorities agree that ETS exposure is  dangerous for occupants' health, which is why some localities in the United States are banning smoking in workplaces. What is your personal position on this and the implications on the standard?

RR: This standard is intended to serve as an engineering design document for ventilating indoor spaces and is not intended to be a
source of information on health. It is ASHRAE's role to provide technical information on this to designers and engineers. In addition, ASHRAE is working on a separate publication - neither a standard nor a guideline
- that will address ETS design guidance.

IEC: Requirements within Standard 62.2 have far-reaching implications pertaining to the universal application of mechanical ventilation in residences. What are your feelings on mechanical ventilation in residences?

RR: The 62.2 Committee has made changes to the whole-house ventilation requirement throughout the consensus process. Ultimately, ASHRAE feels that data shows that acceptable IAQ cannot be achieved in typical new construction without the use of mechanical ventilation.

IEC: Is it good that the standard exempts homes in one-quarter of the country from a requirement for ventilation systems, considering that all mobile homes have this requirement?

RR: My personal experience is in the U.K., where there is limited need for ventilation. It is climate-driven. There are unique requirements for mobile homes based on the methods of construction and use.

IEC: Will Standards 62.1 and 62.2 be written in code language? If so, why is this a good approach?

RR: Standard 62-2004 will be written in code language; 62.2 is already written in code language. Writing standards in code language allows for easier adoption into codes, which benefits users by ensuring the best technical information available is used in their building systems. In addition, code language establishes minimum requirements incorporating practical, cost-effective measures. Designers and engineers are encouraged to go beyond minimum requirements.

IEC: How do you see the integration and normalization of the various indoor air quality, maintenance, and various sustainable (or "green") buildings guidelines and standards now emerging?

RR: We have cooperation agreements in place with the leading technical and commercial societies. HVAC is a key to coordination of different disciplines in the use of energy and sustainability. The new ASHRAE Green Guide shows the Society's commitment to integrated working. Operation and maintenance constitute a problem that needs a rethinking of research and design to ensure that anything that is designed will perform as designed.

I was once involved in a university study on sick buildings. Most of the sick buildings studies I'd seen focused on buildings where the cause of the sick building was poor quality - design, construction and/or maintenance - so I suggested to my colleagues that we focus our sick building study only on buildings that have been designed to a reasonable standard and buildings where there is evidence of some maintenance - not even buildings that are up to ASHRAE standards and have high maintenance, just adequate design standards and adequate maintenance. We narrowed the research, and we had difficulty in finding sick buildings for the research. So, if ASHRAE standards and recommendations are followed, then the risk of poor IAQ is greatly reduced.

IEC: Is it necessary to have conclusive cause-and-effect proof of a contaminant's impact to health, or can a hygiene standard be based upon system efficiencies?

RR: We don't determine contaminant levels or impacts on health in ASHRAE standards. Our standards are meant to provide technical guidance. But the 1966 revision of the Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act in fact states that you are in deceptive trade practice if you represent "that goods or services have sponsorship, approval, characteristics, ingredients, uses, benefits, or quantities that they do not have." Users are at risk if they make any health statement that is not supported by a [recognized health] authority. ASHRAE is an engineering society. Our designers and our users are at enormous legal risks if they make promises to provide a healthy environment. An engineer cannot provide that; he can only provide the equipment to provide the conditions defined by the appropriate health authority.

IEC: Your presidency has focused on ASHRAE reaching out to other professional and trade associations to achieve a more integrated view of buildings. How do you see ASHRAE working with these organizations on design, construction, operation, maintenance, repair, renovation and decommissioning? And with the architectural community on providing buildings with sustainability and energy efficiency?

RR: We have to work together with architects, contractors, construction engineers, hospital engineers - the narrow and deep societies and the broad societies. With some, we provide support to them, but in others such as dynamic green buildings, we provide leadership. We are a dynamic business. We are not designing static buildings. There are two drives in our industry: One is green buildings, and the other is homeland
security. These are two issues forcing us to work together, and I welcome these drivers for cooperation not only across the industry at
the point of design but also through the whole life cycle of the project.

IEC: Mold in buildings has become a major issue in recent years. The world seems to have gone crazy on mold. How do you feel about the topic's importance from an international perspective - have we gone overboard on mold?

RR: Mold is a problem worldwide. It has been recognized since biblical times, but modern construction and use of buildings have brought it to the fore. It occurs as a result of problems in the total design and use of
buildings and must be addressed in an integrated way.

IEC: For those not attending the national conferences, how else does ASHRAE provide education to engineers in the field to address on the local level continued design problems causing mold and other IAQ problems?

RR: At the chapter level, we hold crossdisciplinary meetings with other professional and contracting groups within buildings - architects, structural engineers, BOMA and so on. These are very popular joint meetings. The Pakistani chapter has been practicing something called a "journal club." A journal article is selected, and its author is contacted
for more information. The article then becomes a presentation that is discussed at the chapter meeting, and they send the results of that discussion back to the author. I was very impressed by the initiative they started with their journal club.

Additional resources include the Distinguished Lecturer Program, which offers high-quality speakers to address chapters. The technical program of national conferences include PowerPoint presentations that are posted on the ASHRAE Web site for non-attendees. Also at ashrae.org, papers are available for purchase. ASHRAE is co-sponsoring IAQ 2004 with ASHE, and ASHRAE co-sponsors other conferences. 

IEC: What do you see as areas of potential development and growth opportunities within indoor environments over the next five years?

RR: For ASHRAE, the greatest impact on indoor environments will come from our proposed advanced energy design guides. These suites of documents will provide 30-, 50- and 75-percent savings over Standard 90.1 for a range of buildings. The first, dealing with small office buildings, will be published later this year. (See the article on page 24.) I personally see that the problems of electronic smog from communication and electrical equipment are little recognized. There is evidence of sickness and cancers waiting to emerge.

Another challenge for the future is this whole matter of employer responsibility. In Britain, an increasing number of people each year are working from home. I don't think we've tackled the issue of employer responsibility when it comes to working from the home. We know that the home can be damper and dirtier, and with less rigorous cleaning than you'd have in an office building. If a person is working for significant time at home, what environmental conditions should be set as standards? 

Another potential development is the integration of theory and operation in our research and design guidance. Alot of articles on design ignore the fact that you have to make the design work through the operation of the building. Technical excellence in HVAC should be measured in the operation of a building, not at the point of handover.

IEC: Are there any pet projects you're working on?

RR: Of course, as I've reiterated numerous times throughout this interview and as I've stated previously in my presidential address in Anaheim, I am working on marrying design to operation at an affordable price, to give to satisfied customers. As an example, my work with AET Flexible Space in standardized under-floor air-conditioning systems (See www.flexiblespace.com/bs2.htm). I find myself particularly interested in the standardization matter. We have too little standardization in our industry.

To use my surgery as an example, my surgeon was dealing with a standard bit of plumbing, and he was faced with a standard problem. Imagine if each one of us was designed with a different configuration of the bowel. So many times, we take pride in each building being different. But why not use standard component design to achieve magnificent buildings? I don't mean "standard building design" in a repetitive sense, so perhaps this example can better illustrate my point: I recently spoke at the chartering of our
Falcon Emirates chapter in Dubai. My speech followed the belly dancer, who was superb. I used an analogy in the speech to compare her body to standard control systems. I said she had a standard pump, and that was her heart. She had a standard fan: her lungs. But her architecture was unique. So, we must work toward standard components and standard control systems, such as BACnet, within exciting buildings.

Editor's note: Special thanks go to ASHRAE's Anthony Giometti, communications and programs manager, and to Jodi Dunlop, public relations specialist

The question had to come up. How would an air filter - any air filter - hold up to a challenge from a biological contaminant? How well would an air filter protect building occupants from an unusual event?

Now the question has an answer, as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working with the Department of Homeland Security, tapped the Environmental Technology Verification program and contracted with Research Triangle Institute in a program to verify air filter efficiency for culturable bioaerosol challenges - those kinds that might be used as a biological warfare agent - against 10 air filters of various
minimum-efficiency reporting values.

The purpose of the effort is to determine the efficacy of air filter performance against biological agents within the MERVs of current ASHRAE testing. The goal of the ETV program is to verify the performance of commercially ready environmental technologies through evaluation of objective and quality-assured data so that potential purchasers and "permitters" are provided with an independent and credible assessment of the technology that they are buying, specifying or permitting.

The Challenge
While the air filter industry has data and methods available for measuring single-pass inert particle removal efficiencies of air cleaners and filter (ASHRAE 52.2-1999), no standard method existed for evaluating culturable bioaerosol reduction by these devices. Although current test methods can be applied by reviewing the removal efficiencies under specific flow rates utilizing well-defined particle diameters, bioaerosol challenging provides a host of additional technological challenges. This is due to the handling of the organisms themselves and their fragile life cycles.

The difficulties in laboratory bioaerosol challenges include maintaining the survivability and culturability of the organisms through the aerosol generation process, keeping the organism isolated with a narrow size distribution as they are aerosolized, generating the organism in sufficient concentration to maintain it during the sampling time and duration, establishing the generation protocol for the test organism and selecting an appropriate test organism for the application. 

While many of these have been overcomein other tests, RTI had to revisit each of these obstacles in order to have a valid test protocol for bio-organisms. Additionally, the potential particle size of bioaerosol challenges that could potentially be effectively distributed by terrorist groups had to be determined.

The Protocol
A positive pressure test duct had to be used in order to minimize infiltration of room bioaerosols. The organisms were injected upstream of a mixing baffle to provide adequate mixing and were measured both upstream and downstream of the test section to obtain the challenge and penetration concentrations.

Each filter was subjected to the same series of tests: an ASHRAE 52.2 test to determine the MERV of the filter and a biological challenge using three different organisms - a spore-forming bacteria, a vegetative bacteria and a bacterial virus - and including a test with inert particles for quality- control purposes. The biological tests were performed on clean filters and fully dust-loaded filters.

Procurement Filters
In 1995, NAFA developed a certification program for air filters, focusing on the procurement, testing and certifying of filter performance to manufacturer advertised specifications. In development, the NAFA
Product Certification program drew upon the experience of the industry and designed in the process:

• a third-party procurement agency assuring that the air filter was selected in a manner that would be statistically correct,
• documentation following a chain of command to a NAFA-designated testing facility, and
• testing using a prescribed ASHRAE protocol. Because NAFA already had this program in place, the stakeholder group agreed that NAFA should be utilized for air filter procurement for the program. Minimumefficiency reporting values selected for the test were:
• MERV 16 - known in the industry as a "cell-type" filter 95 percent dioctylphthalate, or DOP;
• MERV 16 - a mini pleat pleated v-cell filter 98 percent DOP;
• MERV 15 - previously designated as 90/95 percent bag-type filter;
• MERV 14 - synthetic mini-pleat box style filter;
• MERV 13 - synthetic mini-pleat box style filter;
• MERV 12 - four-inch synthetic mini-pleat style filter;
• MERV 10 - four-inch micro-glass filter;
• MERV 8 - synthetic ring-style panel;
• MERV 7 - synthetic panel style filter; and
• MERV 6 - pleated panel filter.

The air filters tested in the program were selected from a manufacturer's warehouse from a stock of between 200 (MERV 13-16)
to 500 filters (MERV 6-12). Each sample included a minimum of four filters shipped to the laboratory. This assured that the filters tested were from general manufactured stock and are the same filters that are sold on the open market.

Testing and Data Analysis
All filters were first tested to affirm stated MERV numbers. Then the filters were challenged with two gram-positive spore-forming bacteria, aerosolized using a Collision nebulizer and upstream and downstream
sampling of the bacteria utilizing viable bioaerosol impactors. The virus (bacteria phage was used as a surrogate) was collected in a high-velocity liquid impinger. Although the individual virus particles are in the sub-micrometer size range, the test particles planned for the virus tests spanned a range of sizes (polydispersed bioaerosol).

This test was not designed to study the removal efficiencies for single individual bacterium or virus particles but instead to determine the removal efficiencies for those biological particles as they could be found in airborne dispersement. All evaluations were conducted in accordance with rigorous quality - assurance protocols to ensure that data of known and adequate quality were generated and that the results are defensible.

The Results
At the time of this writing, only three of the 10 filters had completed the testing and final review process. These filters along with the results are shown in three charts. The results of the tests provide examples of how these air filters were able to capture not only particulate contaminants but also microorganisms from the airstream in a single pass to remove these potential agents from a building airstream. While not all filters in the industry have been tested against biological agents, the representative MERV values of filters tested in accordance with the quality-control procedures used in the ETV program and protocol of the NAFA Product Certification should fairly represent the ability of a filter to remove biological contaminants from the air stream. Filters tested in the ETV program will have the NAFA Product Certification logo. Building HVAC systems utilizing filters of MERV 11 and higher can provide added benefits beyond protecting equipment and furniture and fixtures. They can now be recognized as a valuable contributor to the health and safety of people in the facility.

Phil Maybee is president of the National Air Filtration Association, which represents over 240 manufacturers and distributors of air filtration products and services worldwide. He is also vice president and chief operating officer of The Filter Man Ltd. and president of 20/20 Analytical Ltd. in New Caney, Texas. Maybee can be reached by email  at phil@thefiltermaninc.com or by phone at (281) 399-1904

The Indoor Environmental Standards Organization was formed in 2002 to address the needs for standardization and certification for sampling and assessment of indoor environments. IESO currently offers one certification designation: the Certified Residential Mold Inspector. As the organization expands, additional standards are continuously under development along with respective certification programs.

New IESO standards and certification programs in the development stage include mold assessment standards for commercial structures including separate standards for schools, office, industrial and multifamily buildings. 

Additionally, post-remediation assessment standards for clandestine drug lab facilities are being considered based on recent regulation and standards in some states. The Standards Model for Certification IESO was established with the core philosophy of certification to a standard. If true industry consensus standards can be developed and
accepted, then certification can be awarded based on demonstrated proficiency with the standard and compliance to the standard. This model is different from other types of certifications in the industry that are based on experience and demonstrated knowledge. The end result of standards-based certification will be a group of certified professionals that follow the same standard procedures. This is one of the keys to industry standardization. While few would argue that industry standardization is a valuable prospect for both suppliers and consumers, the controversy will continue with the development of a true consensus for the standardized procedures themselves.

Continuing education for certification maintenance is essential for any program to be of value or garner industry recognition. As all quality standards are periodically reviewed and revised by industry consensus, this provides an opportunity to offer continuing education. Training for the certified individuals can be offered to implement published standards' revisions effectively in the form of continuing education.

CRMI Program
Volume One of IESO's Standards of Practice for the Assessment of Indoor Environmental Quality was released in 2002. The second edition, which includes Standards Development Sub-Committee revisions, was released in December 2003. The standards are comprised of five step-by-step sampling standards for commonly used mold collection procedures and two limited assessments of residential structures for mold contamination. These standards are the basis for the training and examination requirements for the IESO Certified Residential Mold Inspector, or CRMI, program. The scope of the standards and certification designation is limited to the assessment of residential structures for mold contamination and the referral to more qualified professionals when significant contamination is identified.

Certification requirements include a 16-hour course with hands-on training with the equipment, supplies and assessment procedures. All applicants must demonstrate their ability to follow the standards for sample collection and residential structure assessment. In addition to the hands-on proficiency demonstration in class, a passing grade of 80 percent or better on the 75- question closed-book exam is also required. The Next Generation of Standards As IESO continues to realize success with its first volume of standards and accompanying certification program, the demand has increased for additional standards and programs to be developed. Along with the first volume of standards for sampling and assessment of residential structures for mold contamination, many of the new standards that have been proposed for development are also based on assessments of additional indoor environments for mold contamination.

Providing standards and certification programs for mold assessment has been an extremely active market segment for the past several years, but it is not IESO's intent to be a "mold standards" organization. Its broader scope of "indoor environmental standards" is evident in the organization's name and mission statement. There are endless opportunities for sample collection and assessment standards for
biological and chemical contaminants that are currently unregulated and for which no current standards exist.

The IESO standards development process includes steps for drafting, review and consensus acceptance. Draft standards are written by the Standards Development Subcommittee, which meets at least annually, and ongoing activity is carried out electronically via e-mail. Once the draft standards have been approved by the committee, they are submitted to the Advisory Board for a public review and comment period. The Advisory Board maintains a membership of at least 25 active industry experts and professionals ranging from laboratory personnel and doctors to industrial hygienists and insurance representatives. All comments are submitted back to the committee to be addressed. Once all reviews and comments have been addressed, the final draft is submitted to the Advisory Board for approval.

Commercial Mold AssessmentStandards
The next volume of standards will likely include the development of assessment standards for mold contamination in commercial structures. These assessment standards will most likely be subdivided into unique standards that address various types of structures and their unique indoor environments. Schools, office buildings, industrial facilities and multifamily structures will be the primary focus. As with the first volume of assessment standards from IESO, the goal will be to provide a limited scope, screening assessment for significant mold contamination. If the presence of contamination is confirmed, then the standards will require referral to a qualified professional who has the ability to perform indepth characterization of the contamination and
risk assessment and, if necessary, to prepare remediation specifications.

Once these standards have gone through the IESO standards development process including consensus approval from the Advisory Board, development of the accompanying certification program will begin. Requirements for class time, hands-on proficiency demonstration and examination will be predicated by the content of the standards themselves. It is anticipated that this program will be more involved and will contain more stringent qualification requirements than the current CRMI program based on the expanded scope.

Clandestine Drug Lab Clearance Standards
In 1989, Washington became the first state to pass rules regulating the way clandestine drug labs are cleaned and restored. The health department's "Guidelines for Contamination Reduction and Sampling at Illegal Drug Manufacturing Sites," revised in 1996, has been used by many other states adopting rules to regulate the cleanup of these illegal labs. The labs are primarily residences that have been used to produce methamphetamines or other psychoactive drugs. These laboratories readily obtain commercially available products for use in drug manufacturing, often including organic solvents, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals.

Regulations in many of the states that have addressed this issue are comprised of assessment standards, remediation guidelines and clearance levels for these potentially dangerous chemicals and byproducts. Numerical standards have been adopted for residual levels of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, methamphetamine, LSD, ecstasy, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals in many states.
Once the industry consensus standards are developed in this area, IESO will be able to create the corresponding certification programs. Certified professionals will be able to respond to the growing demand for these types of standard services in markets that may or may not have regulations governing the way these clandestine labs are assessed and remediated.

Looking Ahead
With the success of the first volume of standards and CRMI program, IESO is preparing to use this standards-based model to address the growing concerns for indoor environments. As increased regulation in this arena is expected in the near future, consensus standards and standards-based certification programs will serve as valuable roadmaps for legislators to follow in the development of these regulations.

David Fetveit is president of IESO, based in Minneapolis, Minn., and executive vice president of Aerotech Laboratories Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz. He has a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Arizona. He is a certified indoor air quality professional by the Association of Energy Engineers and a certified microbial consultant by the American Indoor Air Quality Council. Fetveit sits on the CMC and CMI boards. He is a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association, AEE, AmIAQC and the Indoor Air Quality Association. He is a member of ASTM International and is an active member of five ASTM committees. He has over eight years of experience in indoor air quality, including microbiology, chemistry, product development, standards development and regulatory interfacing. Fetveit can be reached by e-mail at dfetveit@iestandards.org or by phone at (623) 298-1012.