AmIAQ Joins IAQA, IESO at Annual Meeting & Expo

Students Urged to Improve Their Schools’ Indoor Air

Beyond the Naked Eye: Visual Inspections Equipment

Voices

“It probably was not the best place to carry out that service in hindsight.”

— Jim Collier, chief of the Bureau of Environmental Quality in Washington, D.C.’s health department, quoted Feb. 22 in the Washington Post discussing the decision to hold to host a two-day feline sterilization and vaccination clinic in an elementary school’s cafeteria
 

Word on the Street 

METH CLEANUP GUIDELINES POSSIBLE
A bipartisan effort to study the indirect effects of meth­amphetamines would be underway if lawmakers have their way. Members of Congress including Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) introduced legis­lation last month that would establish a federal research program to study the environmental health risks associated with the contamination from meth labs and would establish guidelines for states and localities for cleaning up former labs. “This is a serious issue because a typical meth lab is not some sterile laboratory environment with test tubes, beakers and fancy equipment,” said Boehlert. “Rather, it is generally an apartment, motel room or other residence, which may be reoccupied by a family who is completely unaware that their home was once the site of a meth lab.” If passed, the legislation would authorize EPA to establish voluntary guidelines for the cleanup and remediation of for­mer meth labs in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and state and local governments. To carry out these activities, the bill would authorize annual appropriations from fiscal years 2006–2009 of $3 million for EPA and $1.5 million for NIST. Boehlert plans to hold a hearing on the bill, H.R. 798, early this month.

MOLD WRECKERS
Local media in upstate New York reported last month on one county’s decision to use federal funds for the demolition of a family’s mold-infested home. Mold was not covered in the insurance policy Jim Lamparella and his family had on their home in Hamlin, N.Y. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported that Monroe County’s grant of $8,425 came from “federal money administered by the county’s community development program” and that the money went straight to a demolition crew to knock down the home.

Now the house is gone, but the family stays, hoping to start over in the same space with a new house and better luck. When they left for vacation in 2003, they came home to 77,000 gallons of water, TV stations reported. The next three weeks after that discovery were no vacation for the family, which moved away immediately, according to the newspaper article, which also said Jim Lamparella was back at the home several times over the next three weeks, dealing with the aftermath and showing the conditions to contrac­tors. The newspaper said he has lost half his lung capacity and is unable to hold a full-time job.

BAGGAGE CHECK
Germs and bacteria, including salmonella, can thrive inside vacuum cleaner bags if not changed frequently enough, according to a recently commissioned study by Church & Dwight Co. Inc., makers of a variety of clean­ing products. “It’s important for cleaning professionals to change the bag often,” says David Stanislaw, an engineer with Tornado Industries. “Additionally, they need to take extra care not to force [possibly tearing the bag] when installing it or squeeze the bag when removing it. Both risk having the bag’s contents escape and become air­borne.” He suggests wearing gloves when changing the bag and holding the bag at its opening to avoid releasing its contents. For added protection, all of this should be done in a well-ventilated area, said Stanislaw. New styles of bags can be installed and removed automatically using a lever control. “This keeps the contents – and possible contaminants such as salmonella – safely sealed within the bag and not airborne,” he said.

GOVERNMENT SELF-PROTECTION
A report on protecting the occupants and physical resources of federal buildings after chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incidents was released last month by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. HVAC systems, the report says, are of particular concern since chemical, biological and radiological attacks are airborne. A chapter called “Mitigation Technologies and Actions” includes sections

“HVAC Systems and Threat Profiles,” “Technology Mitigation / Cost Profile,” and “Energy Efficiency.” The full 62-page report is available online at eber.ed.ornl.gov/commercialproducts/ORNL-TM-2004-260.pdf at no charge.

PILOT PROGRAM TAKES OFF
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s voluntary labeling program for incorporating features in new homes that address IAQ is being made available in limited markets as part of a pilot program that will “allow for a comprehensive

evaluation of the pilot program and subsequent refinements to the draft specifications,” announced David Price of the EPA Indoor Environments Division last month. The specifications, which were announced in January 2004 with a four-month comment period, pertain to moisture control, radon control, pest control, HVAC, combustion safety, building materials or applications, and commissioning. Homes meeting these IAQ specifications would be identified with “Indoor Air Package” as a complementary label to Energy Star for Homes. The EPA is expected to monitor the pilot program for a period and possibly “fine-tune” the specifications before expanding the program to other markets. Visit www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.pt_bldr for updates regarding the status of the pilot.

SMALL, SQUEAKY AND PREVALENT
The amount of mouse allergen found in the air in many inner-city homes could be high enough to trigger asthma symptoms in the children who live there, say researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. Their study, published in the February issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found more than a quarter of inner-city homes sampled had airborne allergen levels already known to aggravate asthma symptoms in animal research lab workers with mouse allergy. “Children living in inner-city homes are continuously exposed to the allergy-causing substance found in mouse urine that is circulating in the air,” said Dr. Elizabeth Matsui, a pediatric allergist at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and lead author of the study. “This exposure

increases their risk for developing allergic sensitivity to mice, just as it does for laboratory workers who constantly work with rodents.”

AmIAQ Joins IAQA, IESO at Annual Meeting & Expo

The Indoor Air Quality Association and the American Indoor Air Quality Council have announced that AmIAQ will be a convention partner at the IAQA 2005 Annual Meeting & Exposition. The Indoor Environmental Standards Organization is also a confirmed convention partner. The convention will be known as the 2005 IAQA-IESO-AmIAQ Annual Meeting & Exposition. It is scheduled to take place Oct. 6–9 at the Hilton Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. “We are ecstatic that AmIAQ has accepted our offer to be a convention partner,” said Robert Baker, IAQA president. “By inviting our 2,400 members and AmIAQ’s 2,700 mem- bers to gather at one meeting, we are destined to produce the largest IAQ conference and exposition ever held.” Last year’s IAQA convention attracted more than 900 attendees and 80 exhibitors. Convention organizers say that with AmIAQ and IESO as new convention partners, those numbers could easily double. As a convention partner, AmIAQ will be involved in setting the technical program for the convention. Members of AmIAQ may attend the convention at the same dis- counted rates offered to IAQA and IESO members. AmIAQ may also hold committee meetings during the convention to conduct Council business. “The Council had been contemplating producing its own convention,” said Charlie Wiles, AmIAQ executive director. “When we considered the invitation from IAQA, it made sense in that it allows AmIAQ to become involved in a convention that has already gained a reputation for quality education and exhibits. “The idea of partnering on the convention was also appealing since instead of AmIAQ creating yet another industry event, the Council can instead help to foster greater unity among IAQ professionals by convening with col- leagues from IAQA and IESO,” added Wiles.

The convention will feature a keynote address, dozens of technical sessions, social events and product exhibits. AmIAQ, IAQA and IESO will conduct independently organized technical session tracks, but members of the respective organizations will have the opportunity to attend any of the concurrent tracks. An exhibitor prospectus will be avail- able from IAQA headquarters at the end of March. Attendee registration brochures will be available from AmIAQ, IAQA and IESO later this year. The 2004 IAQA Annual Meeting partner was the National Air Filtration Association. NAFA will hold an independent convention this year but intends to combine its meeting with IAQA and other groups in 2006. IAQA, IESO and AmIAQ have issued a call for papers for their combined convention this October 2005. See page 32 for further informa- tion on this call for papers.

An online discussion group for individuals concerned with the indoor environments of schools was formed last month. The group, which was started Feb. 9 by government employees in California closely tied in with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Schools for Tools program, already consists of a few dozen subscribers. One of the guiding principles of the group preaches that students should “become involved in improving their school’s environment, specifically the school’s indoor air quality.”

Taking the step to launch the discussion group was Shelly Rosenblum, an environmental engineer working in the Office of Radiation and Compliance Insurance in the EPA’s Region 9 office in San Francisco. Since posts to the discussion group began surfacing in the group’s first full week of existence, Rosenblum has been vocal in her written announcements and responses about what this forum should accomplish and how it should benefit its members and their school communities. She endorses “the concept of involving students rather than simply solving IAQ problems,” she said in a reply to one posting to the group seeking guidance for the implementation of an IAQ program in a large independent school district in Texas.

She refers to a file accessible to registered members of the site titled “Indoor Air Quality Student Project” that describes a student-led independent study in science areas that demands a bit of skills in communication and coordination. In this project, students at a particular school would be responsible for obtaining faculty checklists regarding “how classroom conditions and typical activities may be affecting air quality” and “plotting [checklist] results on a floor plant to see if there are any specific problem areas.” A walkthrough of the school would then be conducted with a mentor from the EPA. A written report, prepared by the students with an outside hand, would then be submitted with “recommendations for activities that can improve the air quality inside the school.”
In an early post to the group, Rosenblum wrote her “personal soapbox about schools.” She said, “The American public does not know what it takes to be: a teacher, a principal, a superintendent, a board member, a director of maintenance, a school business official, a nurse, etc., etc. And they sure don’t know what it takes to maintain a school building, especially one with any kind of ventilation system or complex structure (even a simple structure!). Therefore, it’s easy for the public to ask, ‘[W]hat are they doing with all of our money?’ Until we can clearly show the public just what it does take and how much it costs to educate our children and provide healthy and productive schools, we cannot expect to achieve significant gains in school financing or support.”

She continued, “We are often asked by school officials to prove that improvements to indoor air quality or to facilities will improve health or productivity. While understandable when dealing with limited budgets, the response should be, ‘These are our children! Prove to me that providing anything less will not harm their health or reduce their ability to [excel] academically.’”

The group had attracted nearly three dozen members by the middle of February. Among the first participants to introduce themselves were a registered nurse affiliated with the National Association of School Nurses and working at a school in Florida and an environmental safety specialist working in risk management for an Oregon school district.

Upon learning that members indeed spanned the geographical width of the United States, Rosenblum posted to the group, sharing her enthusiasm. All on the same day, words of encouragement to the discussion group followed from Barbara Spark, coordinator of the EPA Region 9 indoor air program.

Membership in the online discussion group is free and moderated. To learn more about the group or to apply for membership, visit groups.yahoo.com/group/StudentandTeacherIAQActivities/.

From the days that a flashlight and mirror were the common tools used in searching the dark realms of an HVAC system, we have evolved to today’s modern marvels of robotic cameras, digital photo and video devices, video cameras with recording capabilities, and infrared systems. When performing an IAQ investigation on an HVAC system, you must decide which visual inspection system or systems will be most beneficial to your investigation. Although any of these devices will help you see what your eyes alone cannot see, using the right inspection tool will provide a more accurate picture of what is or is not present in the HVAC system you are investigating.

In determining the right visual inspection tool, you must first consider the area to be inspected and the access you have to that area. Also consider the potential problem and the type of visual evidence you will need to present to those requesting the investigation.

All inspection equipment has its limitations in terms of physical size, required lighting, recording capabilities, and the quality of the image it produces. In many cases, it may be necessary or beneficial to use different types of visual inspection equipment on the same project as your investigation progresses.

Listed below are some of the more common visual inspection systems and the roles they can play in an investigation.

Robotic Cameras
These devices are most useful on long, large duct systems. You control the motion of the “vehicle”-mounted camera and steer it through a system by remote control. Many of these systems provide both forward and rear viewing capabilities as well as 360-degree continuous or controlled rotation. These systems work especially well on long runs of square ducting. These systems are somewhat heavy to allow for adequate traction inside ductwork; for this reason, they are usually not practical for larger flexible ductwork. In addition to their video capabilities many of these systems come with cleaning and spraying equipment to allow for a thorough duct cleaning process. Again, their use is usually limited to solid ducting or smaller diameter flexible duct systems.

While these systems offer much in versatility, you must weigh the cost against the benefit you expect to receive from them.

Borescopes: These devices are used for direct viewing inside ductwork or the air-handling unit. While the reach of a borescope is limited, they are an excellent option for hard-to-reach areas such as the backside of an air handler's coil area, inside the blower housing of the air handler, inside variable air system boxes, and other areas where video inspection simply cannot travel.

Many models come with the ability to connect to video monitors, video recording devices, and still photo cameras. Using a model with these capabilities allows you to provide video or photographic evidence to your client.

A borescope is best used when you know the immediate area in which a problem exists, not for the full inspection of an HVAC system. If you have investigated a system with a video system and want a closer look at a suspect area, then the borescope is the ideal tool.

Video inspection systems: These devices usually incorporate a camera, recording device and video monitor all in a compact package for easy use and portability. These systems are usually designed to easily travel through most ducting systems. They are manually inserted and pushed or pulled through the ducting by the operator. They are usually equipped with cables 20 feet long or longer. For longer duct runs, simply drill small holes in the ducting and insert the camera to cover virtually any length of ducting. The weight of the camera and cables are light enough to perform an inspection of both flexible and rigid ductwork.

Digital and 35 mm cameras: The use of a digital or 35 mm camera will usually be to document problems found with other visual inspection devices. As an investigative tool, they have very little if any investigative use. Once a problem area is found and exposed by other devices, the quality of the image will be far better if you can frame this area with your digital or 35 mm camera. By using a digital camera, you can confirm your photo is as detailed as you want it to be on the site versus waiting for film to be developed.
Infrared cameras: While this device, also known as a thermal imaging system, offers a noninvasive look at an area being investigated, its image will not be as clear and concise as with other visual devices. It would be best used in an HVAC investigation to find trouble spots to be further investigated with other visual inspection equipment. Better-quality infrared cameras will store images and data to later be downloaded into a computer using special software. While there is no better or faster way to find the presence of moisture in an HVAC system than using an infrared camera, it is also one of the more expensive options. It would be best to weigh the cost versus the benefit of this system to your business.

While there are other means of visually inspecting an HVAC system, the above methods are the most common ones. As with any tool, proper training and use of this equipment are essential to obtain the maximum benefits each offers. Many manufacturers and/or suppliers of this equipment will offer training at little or no cost.

Not only is this equipment essential to providing a thorough inspection and analysis of IAQ problems, but it is also an essential sales tool. While many commercial and residential customers know the advantages of air-duct cleaning, you have to show them proof that the service is needed. A video camera inspection and recording of a supply line, return line and air handler will provide positive proof as to why they need to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in cleaning their systems properly.

Help – It’s Happening Again!
I recently received a call from a remediation contractor asking me to do a visual inspection of a duct line that had tested positive for mold. Upon arrival the contractor told me he had been at this location a few months earlier and had the same problem in the same duct. Another duct-cleaning contractor had come in and cleaned and sanitized the complete system. Air Sampling had been done after the cleaning and this same area passed as being cleaned. However, no visual inspection had been done to confirm it was cleaned properly

The duct line in question was in an area that was inaccessible, between the roof and a cathedral ceiling. I ran our video camera through this duct line and easily found an area in this round ducting that had obvious mold growth; it also showed a significant amount of dust still existed in this line. The camera showed the affected area started at a joint where sections of round ducting were joined.

Physically unable to get to the area, we drilled two holes in the ceiling and used a borescope to search for a source of this moisture. We soon spotted a small area of wet, blackened wood in the roof support timbers and plywood. In close proximity to this was an exhaust duct going through the roof. The flange and caulking evidently had been leaking for some time. Water was obviously leaking by the flange, dripping onto the ductwork and running through the seam as it trailed down this section of ducting.
Had it not been for the video camera system and the borescope, it would have probably required major demolition to find the source of this problem. The decayed section of roofing was replaced, and we cleaned and sanitized the HVAC system to resolve the problem permanently.

Something Has Died in Our AC System
Last summer, I received a call from the school district that employees in an elementary school office were complaining of a dead animal smell whenever the air-conditioning system was running. The office area had a 17-ton air handler and an open plenum return system. When I first entered the building, the smell was obvious, but it smelled more like a sewer odor than a dead animal smell. I first checked for any floor or sink drains with siphoned traps. The school custodian showed me areas with sinks and traps, and we poured water down all the drains.

I returned the following day and found we still had odors. Using our video camera system, I checked several supply duct lines and the air handler. This inspection revealed no obvious problems or signs of contamination. The only thing remaining to check was the return drop for the open plenum in the suspended ceiling. Upon removing the ceiling panel near this drop I noticed a light shining into the space in the ceiling a few yards from where I entered. Further investigation showed this to be a trap door in the hard ceiling of a janitor’s room.

Upon opening the door to the janitor’s room the custodian had not shown me the first day, I noticed a mop sink and a wide-open ceiling hatch directly above it. As I approached the sink, there was an obvious sewer odor coming from the drain, the trap had siphoned, and sewer gases were escaping into the room. Every time the air handler came on, it was pulling the odors from this room and circulating them through the office area. I put water in the trap and closed the hatch to resolve the problem.
Although the video inspection did not resolve this problem, while inspecting the duct lines and air handler, I noticed they were extremely dirty and recorded my inspection on videotape. I showed the school district’s environmental engineer the tape and the conditions of the system. A few days later, he contracted with us to clean the entire system.

This example clearly shows that visual systems are not only a diagnostic tool but also a beneficial sales tool. Whenever I’m asked to quote a commercial duct-cleaning job I ask permission to perform a visual inspection of the system. It takes only a short amount of time and improves my chances of selling a job.

In closing, no matter what role you play in the IAQ marketplace – mold remediation, industrial hygiene, IAQ testing, duct cleaning – the use of available visual inspection equipment is a must. You must decide what investment to make and which type of equipment will best serve your company’s involvement in IAQ investigations and remediation work.

Wayne Tracy is service manager for Air-Care based in Las Vegas. He is a NADCA-certified air systems cleaning specialist. He can be reached by e-mail at wtracy@air-care.com or by phone at (702) 454-1370.