• California Air Resources Board -- No-Go on Ozone
• At Press Time -- Florida Mold Regulators Slow to Begin
• Word on the Street
• Looking Back, Stepping Forward at the IAQA Annual Meeting
• Consumers, Markets Trending Greener
• Ask Dr. Burge -- Is There Any New Information on the Health Effects of Mold?
• Radon Corner -- Highlights of the 17th National Radon Meeting
• Editorial -- Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: An Interview With DuctPro International President Mike Palazzolo
• Visual Inspection/Thermography -- Detection With a Spectrally Filtered Cooled Infrared Camera
• IAQ Remediation -- Can Your Equipment Meet Required Safety Standards?

Ozone has been recognized as a lung irritant and health hazard for years. But with recent scientific study showing just how badly the gas can affect a person’s health, one state has taken the unprecedented step of banning ozone-emitting air purifiers from its marketplace.

On Sept. 28, the California Air Resources Board banned such air purifiers, saying “studies have found they can worsen conditions such as asthma that marketers claim they help to prevent,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Additionally, in a press release, CARB noted that “some air cleaning devices, called ozone generators, have been shown to produce indoor ozone concentrations several times higher than the state’s outdoor air quality standard” of 0.070 ppm over an eight-hour period, 0.090 ppm in a one-hour period.

CARB was directed by the California Assembly to “develop and adopt a regulation to limit ozone exposure emitted from indoor air cleaning devices in order to protect public health” by Dec. 31, 2008 in a 2006 bill signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. On Sept. 27 of this year, CARB unanimously approved a limit to ozone emission from indoor air purifiers to 0.050 ppm.

The regulation, slated to take effect in 2009, will require testing by a nationally recognized testing laboratory and certification by CARB itself. Any ozone emission above the regulated amount is grounds for banishment from the California market. Fines for selling after that point begin at $1,000 a day. Exemptions will only be allowed for industrial and commercial uses of ozone generators and only if people are not present. Production must stop by 2010.

CARB chair Mary Nichols called it “a landmark decision.”

“People with respiratory problems need to be protected from ozone,” Nichols stated in a press release. “Consumers ... bought these devices hoping to reduce suffering for themselves or a loved one, only to make the situation worse.”

As former California Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, who sponsored the original bill directing CARB to regulate air purifiers, said, “There are reports of ozone being generated in someone’s living room ... at levels equivalent to having a Stage 1 smog alert.”

Despite claims from manufacturers that ozone can reduce levels of indoor air pollutants and reduces odors, CARB found the gas would in fact react with various chemicals to create ultra-fine particles and formaldehyde, as well as “irritate nasal passages and [degrade] one’s sense of smell, thereby masking the smell rather than eliminating it.” Further, although ozone can be effective in killing airborne microbes, it can only do so “at concentrations roughly 100 times greater than the amount allowed by this regulation.”

Michael T. Kleinman, professor of environmental medicine at the University of California at Irvine, told CARB he supports the board’s action. “Ozone is associated with human deaths ... [and] can cause changes such as fibrosis-like stiffening of the lung. In my opinion, the use of an ozone-generating device as an indoor air cleaner is dangerous, especially if occupants already have lung or heart diseases, or are elderly.”

CARB’s regulation also requires air cleaners to pass an electrical safety test and carry a specified label to guide consumers.

Ozone: Also Damages Immune Systems
As if to further California’s case, research published just days after CARB’s decision demonstrated further cause for concern over ozone exposure. According to a study performed by scientists at Duke University Medical Center, high levels of ozone can lead to serious immunodeficiency.

Published in the Oct. 1 “Journal of Immunology,” the study used mice to demonstrate the effects of ozone on lung tissue. The mice were exposed to ozone levels unhealthy to humans, then to aerosolized, active E. coli bacteria.
The gas damaged and inflamed the mice’s lungs, allowing the bacteria to successfully invade and destroyed vital immune-system cells, allowing the bacteria to spread. Additionally, ozone-exposed mice were found to have lower levels of immune-system cells in their blood.

Pulmonologist John Hollingsworth, the study’s lead author, told CBC News, “Small amounts of inhaled foreign material can be relatively harmless, since they stimulate an appropriate innate immune response that protects the lungs. ... [But in greater concentrations,] it appears that ozone causes the innate immune system to overreact, killing key immune cells, and possibly making the lung more susceptible to subsequent invaders, such as bacteria.”
As pointed out by Kathleen Sullivan of the American Lung Association, “The people that are most prone to buy air cleaners are those who already suffer from damaged lungs.”

Sharper Image Takes Losses
Although a number of companies have been in the air purifier market for years, Sharper Image and its trademark Ionic Breeze purifier have been firmly at the industry’s front. But in the wake of a class-action lawsuit and CARB’s decision, the company faces hard times as unfriendly legal news and financial volatility call into question Sharper Image’s reputation and viability.

Prior information about the inefficacy and potential health hazards of the Ionic Breeze led to a class-action lawsuit, originally filed May 6, 2005 by Manuel Figueroa and Dixie M. Garner on behalf of the product’s many purchasers. Earlier this year, Sharper Image agreed to settle the case by discounting its products and offering $19 million worth of merchandise credits to the roughly 3.2 million consumers who purchased an Ionic Breeze purifier since May 6, 1999, as reported by MSNBC. The company also agreed to pay plaintiffs’ lawyers fees and “tone down” its advertising claims about the Ionic Breeze.

But after a hearing on the settlement, the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, Miami Division rejected it, as explained in its denial, due to inequitable terms of recovery for plaintiffs and the likelihood of greater gains to be made by plaintiffs should the suit go before a jury. The Court also cited amicus briefs filed on behalf of plaintiffs by attorneys general of 35 states and the District of Columbia.

The company had already lost a suit against Consumers Union in 2004, in which it alleged negative reviews of the Ionic Breeze Quadra amounted to “negligent product disparagement,” according to The Recorder. In Consumer Reports, Consumers Union first claimed poor air cleaning, then claimed ozone emission at potentially harmful levels (see IE Connections, May 2005).

Perhaps even worse for Sharper Image is its current financial outlook. Influenced by sliding sales of the Ionic Breeze due to the negative reviews, the company reported its first loss in 2005, then saw sales fall an additional 21 percent in the 2006 fiscal year, costing founder Richard Thalheimer his position as chief executive.
When the company reported its sales for September down 39 percent from last year, 22 percent for the period with stores sales down 21 percent, the market reacted with a familiar trend – closing down 11.73 percent on Oct. 11.

Nonetheless, as Sharper Image told Fox 6 in San Diego, none of its units currently being sold nationwide are affected by CARB’s regulation because they already meet the new standards.

ODOROUS AIR FEELING NOT SO FRESH
They might help hide the odor of last night’s salmon dinner, but, by releasing VOCs, air fresheners can aggravate asthma and allergies and lead to other health problems. In recognition of that fact, a group of major environmental organizations filed a petition with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to have odor-maskers permanently shelved.

The petition, filed on Sept. 19 by the National Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the Alliance for Healthy Homes and the National Center for Healthy Housing, asked the agencies to more strictly regulate the air freshener industry by requiring health and safety tests, the results of which to be reviewed by the agencies themselves.
 Further, the environmental groups requested labeling of all included ingredients and a ban on those known to cause allergies or that appear on California’s Proposition 65 list of chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm.
To bolster their claims, the environmental groups commissioned independent laboratory tests of some brands and cited studies critical of the health effects of some chemicals found in air fresheners.

At least one company has already pulled some products from sale – Walgreen Co. removed three air fresheners shortly after the petition was filed. Despite the move, Consumer Specialty Products Association spokesman Bill Lafield told the San Francisco Chronicle that air fresheners “do contribute to the quality of life,” saying, “Fragrances have been used for centuries, dating back to when the Chinese and the Egyptians used incense and fragrant oils. [Air fresheners] obviously have a value, or consumers wouldn’t buy them.”

The EPA, under the auspices of the Toxic Substances Control Act, has 90 days to decide whether to accept or reject the petition. If rejected, the environmental groups could sue.

CLEAN HOME, ASTHMATIC BODY
An epidemiological study, the first to investigate the effects of cleaning products on occasional, rather than occupation, users, has found ties between household cleaning sprays and air fresheners and asthma. The results were published in the second October issue of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Such effects had been observed in cleaning professionals, but never before in regular household users. “Frequent use of household cleaning sprays may be an important risk factor for adult asthma,” wrote the study’s lead author, Jan-Paul Zock PhD of the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology at the Municipal Institute of Medical Research in Barcelona.

By comparing data from 3,500 subjects who participated in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey and its follow-up nine years later, with screening for symptoms of asthma, wheeze and allergy, then asking for the number of times per week cleaning products were used, the researchers found that people who used cleaning sprays regularly were 30–50 percent more likely to develop asthma.

Although a biological mechanism for asthma’s advent remains a scientific uncertainty, Zock theorized that asthma may partially be irritant-induced; that inflammatory responses in the airways may be involved in asthma development; or that cleaning sprays contain asthma-specific sensitizers.

“Clinicians should be aware of the potential for cleaning products used in the home to cause respiratory problems and possibly asthma,” wrote Kenneth D. Rosenman, M.D., of Michigan State University in an editorial accompanying the study in the journal.

BUILT TO CODE, NOT TO COMFORT
According to a press release, data in the newly released AirAdvice State of Building Performance Report 2007 shows that “more than nine out of 10 commercial buildings fail to meet fundamental standards for acceptable comfort and energy efficiency.”

In assessing buildings across North America, AirAdvice found that most buildings suffer from two or more basic comfort or energy efficiency flaws; conditions likely to generate comfort complaints exist in over 75 percent of buildings surveyed; and over-ventilation is the most common cause of excessive HVAC-related energy use.
Overall, 96 percent of buildings analyzed failed to meet industry guidelines in at least one of five fundamental elements: temperatures too warm, too cool, that fluctuate excessively, fail to match the set point and evidence of over-ventilation.

Additionally, the report findings show that over 80 percent of buildings surveyed showed evidence of over-ventilation, the improvement of which could save up to 40 percent on energy costs in many cases. Also, less than half of buildings surveyed maintained temperatures within 2 F of the specified set point, with one in five buildings experiencing actual temperatures more than 5 F from the set point. And nearly 25 percent of buildings surveyed were found to have inefficient temperature control, with the temperature either significantly higher than the heating set point or lower than the cooling set point – up to 10 percent of energy costs could be saved with more precise temperature control at the specified set point.

AirAdvice spun the news well. “[The report’s findings] suggest significant opportunities to reduce energy and operating costs as well as to improve building system performance and occupant satisfaction.” As AirAdvice Vice President of Commercial Development Gary Frayn said, “[The report] summarizes the significant economic costs of these issues. ... This report delivers critical information and insight to building owners, operations and facilities managers, as well as HVAC industry professionals, such that performance issues in commercial buildings can be effectively addressed and resolved, creating both new business opportunities within the industry as well as improved performance outcomes.”

NEW PARADIGM PETITIONED
Some have hailed the creation of the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index as a key advance in the quest to find a reliable, proven means of finding mold in a building. But some question the index’s scientific worth, going so far as to wonder if ERMI isn’t simply a profit-creating machine.

Wei Tang PhD, lab director of QLab, has initiated a petition against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which created ERMI, to force the agency to “collaborate with other scientists in related fields, e.g. mycologists, ecologists and environmental consultants, to consider alternative mathematical models based on existing scientific knowledge to replace or improve ERMI and ARMI (simplified version of ERMI) to utilize MSQPCR data for more meaningful indoor environmental quality assessment purposes.”

Those interested in reading Tang’s arguments or joining his petition can visit www.gopetition.com/online/14485.html.

An exciting venue, full exhibit hall, eager participants and highly-attended technical sessions are the goal of any professional association’s annual meeting. This year, the Indoor Air Quality Association was pleased to see these factors coalesce into what one attendee called “the best IAQ event I’ve ever been to.”

The IAQA 10th Annual Meeting & Exposition, held Oct. 14–17 at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., delivered on its goals and provided its members with ample opportunities for networking, education and feedback.

A Packed House
The 2007 annual meeting brought over 1,000 attendees from around North America. What they came to see surpassed previous meetings: Thirty-one panels and technical sessions and 118 booths in the exhibits hall.
It was in the exhibit hall that attendees ate, networked and discussed the wide range of exhibitors – manufacturers, trainers, labs, associations and more. IAQA staffer Paul Tran reported “really good attendance.”
Sam Trappe of Airlessco, who was on hand to display his company’s line of sprayers, remarked that he had signed up for a booth at the last moment, hoping primarily to network. But after two days of open exhibits, he unexpectedly had built up “hundreds of leads.” “We’ve had a really good, interesting show,” he said.

Only hotel staff lingered in the exhibit hall, though, when the keynote address was set to commence – the ballroom buzzed as association members and guests waited eagerly for Bill Nye the Science Guy to take the stage.
In his trademark bow tie and jacket, using his distinct brand of humor and passion, Nye spoke for two hours on his personal path to science, the issues facing environmental professionals in the present and future and, bringing his talk to pertinence for his audience, how climate change and IAQ issues are tied together.

Citing the Union of Concerned Scientists’ goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission 80 percent by 2050, Nye referred frequently to a pair of mottos: “We’ve got to do more with less” and “Good engineering invites right use.” He closed by encouraging IAQA to “get involved in science education” by working with the National Science Teachers Association to influence children to pursue scientific goals and, as Nye said wryly in his closing, “change the world.”

Immediately following the keynote came IAQA’s general membership meeting, opening with outgoing president Bob Baker’s farewell and congratulations to his successor, Tom Yacobellis. Baker reflected on IAQA’s growth from a handful of professionals in Florida to its current total of over 4,200 members, thanked the meeting’s sponsors, honored the board of directors, including three newly elected – Mark DeLisle, Wei Tang and Wane Baker – and announced the results of the board election held the previous day: Glenn Fellman, IAQA’s executive director, was elected secretary; Joe Hughes was named treasurer; and Andrew Äsk, Carl Grimes and DeLisle were elected as vice presidents.

Yacobellis reflected on the recent past, particularly IAQA’s unification with the American Indoor Air Quality Council and the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization, then spoke on IAQA’s new role in the industry. He also introduced a new feature for association members: IAQA Pro.Files, an online tool by which members can list and cite education, training, certifications and services for public search. Yacobellis closed by challenging members to think ahead, saying, “Let’s build the next level of IAQA.”

Fellman then delivered his executive director’s report, focusing on serving membership. According to his address, IAQA continues to attract new members, but retention continues below pre-unification numbers, an effect Fellman blamed partly on “a bad real estate market.” He turned to the annual members survey, to which 600 respondents provided “invaluable feedback now guiding the board and committees.” As Fellman stated, the members’ consensus was that IAQA “does ‘good,’” but the goal for 2008 was for members to feel IAQA “does ‘excellent.’”

Moving on to government affairs, Fellman introduced StateNet, an online resource for legislative tracking, updated monthly for national news and as-needed for more local material. He also mentioned position statements on specific legislation with the support of local chapters and members, singling out IAQA’s success in weakening Florida’s recent law regulating mold professionals.

Followed in theme by DeLisle in his capacity as chair of the IAQA Education Committee, Fellman also boasted of an online course catalog, expected to be operational by the end of the year, which will list courses offered by IAQA and others, distinguishing those reviewed and certified by IAQA.

Following DeLisle at the podium was Travis West, chair of the IAQA Chapter Relations Committee. He reported on chapter growth, contraction and reinstitution, calling for member activity in chapter affairs, chapter leadership on key issues and aid from the general membership in founding new chapters in major, as-yet-unrepresented markets.

Thumbs Mostly up on Technical Sessions
The first panels had already been held by the time members sat for the general meeting, but they were only a start. Twenty-nine technical sessions were scheduled for the three main meeting days, and members took advantage of the slew of information presented to gain recertification credits, speak with industry experts and make their feelings known on contentious issues.

Topics included mycology, moisture control, restoration, product usage, filtration and testing, plus a wide range of less well-known fields, such as electromagnetic fields and sewage contamination. Included among the presenters were some of the biggest names in the IAQ industry: Harriet Burge, Gail and Robert Brandys, Holly Bailey, John Banta and Wei Tang. A swipe-card feature, new to IAQA this year, allowed attendees to reliably track recertification credits earned.

Attendance in the sessions often numbered well into the hundreds. Speakers tried to allot time for questions within the tight schedule, but members were quick to speak with them during breaks if other sessions were soon to begin. Although most questions were respectful requests for clarification, a few heated comments were heard and at least one presentation created a minor row.

One session spoken of highly by many attendees was the Carl Grimes-moderated healthcare panel, “The Interdisciplinary Roles of IAQ Investigators and Abatement Pros Responding to Health Concerns.” Despite being held on the meeting’s first day before the majority of members had arrived, hundreds of attendees filled the room to hear Grimes lead noted physicians and researchers through a lively, stimulating discussion of science and health.
Allergist Nicholas Nonas discussed the “Health Effects From Microbial Contamination,” especially allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and other ailments resulting from mycotic growth in buildings. He was followed by Harriet Amman of the Washington State Department of Health, who addressed “Exposure to Bioaerosols in Health and Indoor Air,” which focused on wet buildings, toxicity, data analysis and exposure determination. Following Dr. Amman was Claudia Miller, professor and vice chair for community medicine of the South Texas Environmental Education and Research program, who discussed chemical intolerance and exposure and determining the source of a person’s illness via the Toxicant-induced Loss of Tolerance scale. Wrapping up the presentations was Ritchie Shoemaker, whose “SAIIE: A Health Index for People Re-exposed to Water-Damaged Buildings” introduced a number of “new players in clinical evaluation.”

A Mix of Perceptions
While most IAQA meeting attendees reported positively on their experiences, objective data indicate what Fellman described as “surprising” opinions. In a post-meeting online poll conducted by IAQA, 78.6 percent of responding members reported “[acquiring] knowledge and information at the technical sessions and workshops that will enable [them] to improve [their businesses].” Conversely, only 56.2 percent reported “[acquiring] knowledge and information at the technical sessions and workshops that significantly increased [their] understanding of indoor environmental quality.”

Of somewhat dark humor to a number of attendees was the irony of holding an IAQ event in a facility allowing indoor smoking – in the poll, 5.4 percent of respondents rated the indoor environmental quality of their guest rooms “worse than most,” compared to other hotels. Others wondered openly why Nye barely touched on IAQ issues in his keynote address.

Looking Ahead
Tran spoke of positive executive gains made over the meeting’s course and how they can influence IAQA going forward. “On the staff level, we had a lot of face-to-face meetings that created wide-open communication,” he said. “There were many productive committee and board meetings.”

As announced by Fellman during the general membership meeting, IAQA’s new programs will be enhanced by greater cooperation with local chapters and other organizations within the industry. To be held in Tampa, Fla. June 12–15, 2008, IAQA’s 11th Annual Meeting & Exposition will feature close cooperation with the five Florida chapters, harkening back to the association’s founding in 1995.

Additionally, IAQA and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America will jointly host the 2009 Indoor Air Expo Feb. 24–26 in Fort Worth, Texas while IAQA holds its 12th Annual Meeting and ACCA its 41st. According to a press release from ACCA, this will double the exposition in size and scope to an estimated total of over 3,000 attendees and more than 350 exhibitors.

As ACCA president and CEO Paul Stalknecht said, “Bringing IAQA in to hold their meeting at the same time, and to co-sponsor the Expo, means that Forth Worth in 2009 will be the biggest source of education, networking and learning opportunities ever seen in the indoor air industry. We are thrilled about the opportunities presented by this partnership.”

Fellman was no less enthusiastic, calling the move “fully consistent with the mission of IAQA ... We are excited about the new opportunities for our members and exhibitors, and we believe Fort Worth 2009 will go down as a landmark moment in the IAQ industry and profession.”

Recent research findings indicate that Americans and others are beginning to take their health, and that of the environment, more seriously when they open their wallets.

The findings of the 2007 ImagePower Green Brands Survey, released Sept. 27 at the Sustainable Brands ’07 conference in New Orleans, demonstrate an expectation of consumers to double their spending on green products and services in 2008 – up to an estimated $500 billion annually.

“This wave of research very clearly indicates an up tick in purchase intent for most consumers when it comes to green products and services, particularly those that are relatively simple to implement such as installing environmentally friendly lighting and upgrading to energy-saving appliances, said Tom Agan, managing director of Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, in a press release.

Furthering the ImagePower data are the results of a TANDBERG survey, released Oct. 2, which indicates an estimated 53 percent of the global consumer population – about 1.1 billion people – “prefer to purchase products and services from a company with a strong environmental reputation.”

In this survey, Ipsos MORI interviewed 16,823 consumers in 15 North American, South American, Asian, Australian and European countries with China, Australia and Sweden leading the way. Data also indicated that “eight in ten workers surveyed globally said they would prefer to work for an environmentally ethical organization.”

It’s not just consumer goods seeing green up ticks, either: The American housing market, despite its recent dips, is recording a consistent upward trend toward green homes. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders, in conjunction with McGraw Hill, a 20 percent rise of builders dedicated to green building issues in 2006 spawned a further 30 percent increase in 2007 – to an estimated 64 percent of all builders “either heavily or moderately involved in green building projects.”

Some major firms may be paying attention: A press release from Regency Centers, a U.S. owner, operator and developer of shopping centers, has announced a plan to incorporate sustainable, low-environmental impact elements into its properties.

Beginning next year, the company has “committed to LEED certify 20 percent of its 2008 development starts, 40 percent of 2009’s starts and 60 percent of its 2010 development starts. In addition, beginning next year, the company will incorporate LEED certification into redevelopments of existing properties.” As part of this “Greenlight” program, the company “plans to hire a sustainability officer to oversee corporate-wide initiatives and green building in the form of Regency’s sustainability plan.”

Understanding Green Building
Clarity lies ahead for those confused as to what “green” really entails. According to a press release, Green Builder Media will, beginning this month, “aim to define the somewhat ubiquitous term ‘green’ as it relates to building-related products and practices.”

To do so, GBM will partner with the NAHB Research Center to launch the “Defining Green VISION House” program, “a comprehensive market research and laboratory testing project to generate groundbreaking information about green building, including builder and consumer purchasing patterns and expectations for the future.”

The partnership goes deeper – GBM’s editorial director, Ron Jones, serves as chair of the consensus committee “taking the NAHB’s Model Green Home Building Guidelines” through the national certification processes of the American National Standards Institute and the International Codes Council.

As if to further facilitate these initiatives, GBM launches this month its Green Builder College online education platform “that will certify building professionals as ‘Green Builders,’” according to another GBM press release.
Should these initiatives bear certified fruit, American consumers and homebuyers intending to go green will find themselves one step closer to clarity.

Is There Any New Information on the Health Effects of Mold?
Dr. Harriet Burge
Director of Aerobiology
EMLab P&K
San Bruno, Calif.

Good question! I reviewed the literature beginning January, 2007 and found relatively few new studies on the health effects of fungi and nothing that presented any unusual effects that we have not already discussed in the past. The documentation that mold and dampness can cause respiratory illness (runny or stuffy nose, itchy eyes, asthma, possibly hypersensitivity pneumonitis) has been confirmed. Mycotoxin research continues to focus on laboratory animal research and these studies still have not provided evidence that mold growth in houses leads to exposure to sufficient mycotoxin to cause illness.

I did find several especially interesting studies on mold and health. The most interesting new information was presented by Mudari and Fisk (2007), who analyzed existing literature on asthma related to dampness and mold in homes, schools, offices and institutional buildings, and report that 21 percent of existing asthma is attributable to these conditions. This results in an economic burden of $2.1–4.8 billion annually in the United States.1 Another publication from Fisk and his group determined (from existing literature) that building dampness and mold are related to 30–50 percent increases in asthma and other respiratory symptoms.2 These studies reinforce the importance keeping houses dry and free of mold growth.

Depression is one of the symptoms often reported by those who believe they have a mold-related problem. A new study suggests that such depression is related to lack of control over the environment and health status independent of conditions in the home.3 This is an indication that “mold toxins” are not causing the depression, but rather the perception of being out of control. Depression may also result from exacerbation of asthma, which, of course, may be related to mold exposure.

Finally, although not directly associated with health, one paper describes experiments designed to determine the velocity of air flow necessary to dislodge stachybotrys spores from their conidiophores. Results indicate that airspeeds normally occurring indoors are 1,000-fold less than that required to dislodge stachybotrys conidia.4 This in part explains why so few airborne stachybotrys are found even with extensive growth and further supports the hypothesis that indoor mold-related health effects are unlikely to be related to inhalation of stachybotrys spores.

1. Mudarri D, Fisk WJ. Public health and economic impact of dampness and mold. Indoor Air 2007; 17:226-235.
2. Fisk WJ, Lei-Gomez Q, Mendell MJ. Meta-analyses of the associations of respiratory health effects with dampness and mold in homesIndoor Air 2007; 17:284-296.
3. Shenassa ED, Daskalakis C, Liebhaber A, Braubach M, Brown M. Dampness and Mold in the Home and Depression: An Examination of Mold-Related Illness and Perceived Control of One's Home as Possible Depression PathwaysAm J Public Health 2007:AJPH.2006.093773.
4. Tucker K, Stolze JL, Kennedy AH, Money NP. Biomechanics of conidial dispersal in the toxic mold Stachybotrys chartarum. Fungal Genetics and Biology 2007; 44:641-647.

Dr. Harriet Burge is director of aerobiology at EMLab P&K and associate professor and director of the microbiology laboratory at Harvard School of Public Health. Widely considered the leading expert in IAQ, Dr. Burge pioneered the field more than 30 years ago. She has served as a member of three National Academy of Sciences committees for IAQ, including as vice chair of the Committee on the Health Effects of Indoor Allergens.

To submit a question to Dr. Burge, write to her by e-mail at askdrburge@emlab.com. All questions posed to her will receive a reply, although space limitations prevent us from publishing them all. By submitting, you agree that your question and Dr. Burge’s answer may be published in a future edition of IE Connections.

Douglas Kladder
Director
Center for Environmental Research & Training
Colorado Springs, Colo.

The City of Jacksonville, Fla. was the host location for the 17th National Radon Meeting this past September, and undoubtedly many of its inhabitants or visitors who shared elevators or overheard conversations in restaurants were puzzled by cryptic terms such as picoCuries, dose-response, GSTM1 genes and sensitivity. But for those who attended the jointly held meeting between the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors (CRCPD) and the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, there was no confusion whatsoever, as leaders in the radon industry met to set some ambitious goals for the coming years and share new research and approaches to accomplish those goals.

EPA Sets Objective of Doubling Radon Mitigations
As the conference’s keynote speaker, Tom Kelley, director of the Indoor Environments Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, set the tone for the three-day meeting by setting a goal of doubling the rate of the installation of radon mitigation systems by the year 2012.

This objective is more than just doubling the number of radon mitigation systems installed since the EPA radon program began in the late 1980s, but rather doubling the annual rate of radon reduction system installations. Bill Long, also with EPA’s radon program, indicated that the current rate of radon system installations is 85,000 per year and that the EPA’s goal is for this number to be a brisk 170,000 annually in a mere five years.

For our readers unfamiliar with the EPA’s radon program, the EPA cannot mandate radon mitigation. Radon mitigation is a purely voluntary action unless local codes require that radon control systems be installed as a part of new home construction. Consequently, the kind of increases Kelley envisions will have to be the result of consumer awareness of radon risks and, more importantly, consumer desire to pay for these systems without special incentives, such as tax breaks or legal requirements.

The “doubling” term was a recurrent theme throughout the conference as CRCPD members met to discuss state and local programs that could be energized to achieve these results. Similarly, the term was heard on numerous occasions on the AARST side of the conference, as private industry will obviously need to grow to handle the increased demand that will come from the public outreach programs being initiated.

How Does the IAQ Industry Fit Into the Doubling of Radon Mitigations?
Traditionally, radon reduction has been accomplished by active soil depressurization systems that employ a fan and PVC pipes to draw radon from the sub-grade of a building. Although this approach is very successful and will continue to be used, there is also the impact of improving indoor air quality on indoor radon levels. Adding fresh air or balancing HVAC systems to improve IAQ concerns can have a significant collateral benefit on indoor radon levels. If you are marketing IAQ services and not recognizing the value-added feature you are providing for radon reduction, you are missing a marketing opportunity.

For individuals in the measurement side of IAQ, the increased promotions for radon mitigations will significantly increase the number of measurements required to identify problem homes, as well as verify post-mitigation reductions. If you are doing air quality surveys and are not offering radon measurement services, you are also missing an opportunity.

Paper Provides Data on Year-to-Year Variations
As always, there were a number of excellent papers presented at the conference. Singling out one should not mean it was any better than other papers presented, but rather that it provides some interesting information for the radon professional.

For those of us in the radon industry, one question that always comes up when talking to client is: How much can radon vary from year to year? We are taught in our entry-level radon courses that the longer a measurement device collects data, the more credence is given to its result. We also know from the EPA protocols that a three-month test trumps a short-term two – three day test, and a year-long measurement trumps all because it presumably measures conditions through all four seasons. But what about year-to-year variations?

Dr. Dan Steck of St. Johns University in Minnesota, who supports that state’s radon program, provided some interesting answers to the year-to-year variation question. His paper, soon to be published, presented data in which he has been able to conduct sequential, year-long measurements in 98 houses over the last 13 years. That’s correct – 13 years, with most case study homes having ten-year measurements and no house having fewer than three.

Given the effects weather can have on short-term radon measurements, one would expect that weather changes -- Minnesota can have both mild winters and severe winters from year to year – would also have an effect. Although there was a mean variation of 26 percent among the long-term results, the variation was random and not due to changing weather conditions.

What Dr. Steck did find, however, was that significant variations in year-to-year measurements can be observed when major changes to the home occur, such as an addition or the replacement of a heating system. So, perhaps with Dr. Steck’s data, one can assume that a year-long measurement taken in 2007 will be within 26 percent of a year-long measurement taken in 2010 – provided no significant changes are made to the building.

Steck was also able to compare the results of short-term measurements to the mean values of at least 10 year-long measurements in roughly half of the 98 homes studied in which he had historic short-term measurement data. This is an important comparison as many home buyers utilize a two–three day test to determine if there is a radon problem in a home which would give cause to follow-up action or mitigation.

In Steck’s study, he found that short-term measurements had the ability to correctly identify homes that would have 10-year radon averages above 4.0 pCi/L only 58 percent of the time. Or, in his words, the ability of a short-term test in these study houses to identify a radon concern was like “flipping a coin.” On the other hand, the short-term test had a better chance (96 percent) chance of correctly identifying a home with a multiple-year average less than the EPA guidance of 4.0 pCi/L. Note that the initial short-term tests were conducted in the lowest level of the home (the basement in 50 percent of the cases) and the multiple long-term measurements are an average of the actual living space (10 percent basement, 90 percent upper floors).

You may want to note that over 50 percent of the basements in which the screening tests took place had “true” radon over 4.0 pCi/L and that the prediction (diagnosis) was for the average of living spaces.

When asked about how he would redesign a testing methodology as a result of this data, Steck replied that, when conducting a short-term test, he would simultaneously deploy a long-term test as a secondary and more reliable means of determining exposure. Although this may be difficult for those conducting tests at the time of sale, within his recommendation there is some sage advice – even if the short-term radon test comes in at less than 4.0 pCi/L, recommend a long-term test to the buyers. This can save them from undue exposures as well as reduce your long-term liability as a professional.

For those wanting to read this and other papers presented at the AARST conference, a disk will be available from AARST later this year.

As always, who says there is nothing new in radon?

Douglas Kladder is director of the Center for Environmental Research and Technology Inc. He can be reached at dougkladdr@aol.com or by phone at (719) 477-1714.

Recently, it came to our attention that Mike Palazzolo, president of DuctPro International, was planning on franchising his company. We spoke with Mike about his decision, his company and the state of the duct cleaning/HVAC industry as he sees it.

Mike: First of all, let me thank you for investing this time and interest in our new venture. It is a large undertaking and we are very excited about it.

IEC: What brought you to the decision to franchise DuctPro International?

Mike: In the recent past, my eldest son, Michael J., assumed full control of the daily operations of Safety King, freeing up my time to pursue other projects that have interested us but that have heretofore been limited by time constraints. As you may know, we have been training students that wanted to be in the air-duct cleaning business since 1984. We conduct technician training and sales and marketing philosophy and principles.

So recently, my son Marcus, who is our lead technician trainer and exhibit manager, and my son Michael, our general manager, ganged up on me and said, “Dad, we should really consider franchising since that is basically what we do with training and supporting other companies throughout the industry.”

After we looked a little deeper, we realized we were indeed already doing a large part of what a franchise business does, and had the other aspects, such as sales and marketing, sales and marketing literature, maintenance and office administration, developed to a point that they could be easily implemented into a program. After training some 300 students over the years, we also realized that after they left our facility, we would lose touch and were unable to offer ongoing support like they would get in a franchise program. We also had no long-term benefit ourselves for the training we did.

So, if we could put together a program whereby we assisted companies on a daily basis and we could have perpetual benefit from doing so, while building a national network that had collective buying power and 100-plus minds spread across the U.S. doing collective problem solving, then everyone would win – even the industry at large.

IEC: On how many franchises are you planning, or how many franchises would make you consider the move a success?

Mike: Well, it is already a success. Safety King has signed an agreement to become the first franchise and will be used as the business development model. Our 15-truck business and state-of-the-art training facility will allow us to train quite a large number of new franchisees immediately and simultaneously.

I predict we will have 55 franchisees within two years, or by the beginning of 2010, and 250 total franchisees in the U.S. and Canada within five years. At that point, we will probably consider the pipeline full. Because our territory size is very large, we may not be able to have more than this and provide healthy protected territories to ensure our franchisees’ success. Our goal is to have fewer, but more powerful, franchise operators who desire large areas and can cover the entire market, so we are looking for people who are aggressive and want to grow a business to its full potential.

IEC: To whom are you marketing your franchises, and to whom are you marketing DPI services?

Mike: We feel that this is a natural transition for companies whose businesses are related to air-duct cleaning and have already or are rapidly approaching their full income potential in their existing discipline. Also, we think this would be attractive to companies for which air-duct cleaning would be a natural fit in their existing business model, so they can add another profit center without necessarily starting a new business.

We are going to be very selective about the people who come into our system. We are not going to just bring in whoever can write a check. The quality and professionalism of the collective group is of paramount importance to us, because as a national organization that is how we will be represented, that will be our reputation. That being said, our systems are such that even someone from the general public would be able to walk in without industry knowledge and have a successful, turnkey business in a short period of time. Existing air-duct cleaning companies would also benefit from being part of a larger group, but it will take a special businessperson to see that value. So it is more about mindset and professionalism than money and location.

Also, we intentionally increased our territory size and offered lower per-household franchise fees to attract companies that wanted to have a larger business and to be business owners and managers, rather than owner-technicians. Our territories should allow growth up to 10 trucks or more, so the business owners will be in a position to manage their companies and employees, have time to make sales calls and ensure good customer relations, and also enjoy whatever outside pleasures they desire.

Regarding whom we will train, our franchisees to whom to market the services, we will encourage them to mimic our very extensive, multi-tiered and multi-faceted sales and marketing program. Our market segments include residential and commercial customers, business-to-business referrals from HVAC professionals, carpet and restoration companies, chimney sweeps, government entities and specifiers at insurance companies.

IEC: What sorts of marketing and advertising do you intend to use?

Mike: Well, as you can imagine, after 39 years we have pretty much tried every sales and marketing avenue that exists. We only plan now to use the ones that have worked for us!

This is an area in which we excel. You might say our forte. We have developed a comprehensive sales and marketing plan that will be customized for each local outlet based on their local economy and demographics. We also have a national sales and marketing fund, run by marketing professionals, which is contributed to by every outlet.

We have been very successful with much of our advertising, especially radio and TV ads. These ads are already produced for the local outlets and can simply be customized for them. Because we will all use the same telephone number, 1-888-DUCTPRO, and have the same name, DuctPro, these local variations will be easily accomplished. We are already the company of choice for a well-known, nationally syndicated radio talk show host. And soon, these interviews will be national instead of local.

As dated or retro as it may sound, we have jingles produced and they get results. People hear them and remember them and sing them to us over the phone! The phone number itself is an excellent marketing tool, easy to remember and tells exactly who we are and what we do.

Even the selection of the name was a marketing decision. Although Safety King is the pre-eminent air-duct cleaning service provider for all of southeastern Michigan, we began using DuctPro almost 10 years ago with great success. Despite being the company known throughout the industry for training and success as one of the largest air duct cleaning companies in the United States and Canada, the name Safety King did not say who we are and what we do as easily as DuctPro does, and we feel we can easily broadcast DuctPro to consumers across the country. So, we chose to use DuctPro nationally. It is hard to build a company and a name and then decide to make it a national concern, then abandon the name. We felt it was for the good of all, so we did it.

Repeat and referral customers represent 50 percent of Safety King’s business. We realize it will take our new outlets a year or two to get to this point. Our sales and marketing program is designed to create new business and our overall training and professionalism, “our program,” is geared to encourage and capture repeat business.
We cannot and will not count on any single source of business. The old adage, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” is true. Our radio, TV and print media are designed to hit everyone. We also have targeted specific direct-mail campaigns to consumers and businesses. To drive commercial and business-to-business referrals, we host luncheons and meetings for groups and associations in our 14,000 square foot corporate headquarters and training center. We have embraced the Internet and have a tremendous and well-optimized Web site that is constantly updated. We are involved in marketing groups, clubs and associations. We make direct sales calls on businesses and commercial operators. Home shows and trade shows represent good opportunities to spread the name and garner business.

Additionally, and of significant importance, is our training of the DuctPro telephone staff. Their knowledge and ability are major keys to capturing business that may otherwise go to a “bait and switch” company based on perceived pricing. In our home area, metropolitan Detroit, an economy that is depressed, we have fierce competition. It is a hotbed of discounted air-duct cleaners using mediocre equipment and promoting unrealistic pricing, but we refuse to play their game. We sell our service and value. We have our prices and they are clear to the buyer. No bait and switch. And we are not the lowest-priced provider. We are, in fact, among the highest-priced companies in the area. We train our people to sell the value we bring as a professional service provider.

Training, professionalism, repeat business, new business, advertising, marketing. It is very successful. And we know how much it costs, what works and what doesn’t, how to get to market, what to avoid and how much a new business can afford and needs to spend. If you follow our program, it works. Because we have already produced the ads and have the marketing material, we save the local outlets expense, time and effort. It’s a great program.
IEC: How will DPI do what somewhat similar companies – DUCTZ, Service-Tech, Servpro, ServiceMaster – don’t?
Mike: As we reflected on this question, we realized that 80 percent of the companies you named have come to us for training after they were already in another franchise system. To us, that speaks volumes. But, to be specific by category, here are the highlights we feel set us apart from the pack:

Territory: We offer the largest territory, 250,000 households, we are aware of. We want our franchisees to be able to grow their businesses into multi-million-dollar enterprises without losing adjacent territories or paying more fees just to expand. With our territories, they should easily be able to grow to five trucks or more and realize their business and sales goals for the immediate and distant future.

Fees: On a cost-per-household basis, our combined territory and franchise fees are substantially less than most of our competitors (40 percent). Our ongoing fees are also less and we dedicate a large percentage of these fees to national advertising and branding/name recognition.

Experience: I personally have 39 years in the business. Starting from a one-truck operation, Safety King, now a DuctPro franchise and our business model, now has 15 large vacuum trucks and a number of smaller units. Through Safety King, we have provided business, sales and marketing training and technical training for the industry at large for years. For 30 years we’ve tracked the entire evolution of this industry, from infancy to where it is today. As a founding member of NADCA [National Air Duct Cleaners Association], our company has been responsible for establishing many of the industry standards as we know them today.

Training: As stated above, years of offering industry training have taught us the very best and most effective ways of conducting the various levels of education needed to make a duct cleaning business successful. We have the programs and documentation a franchisee needs to learn and maintain the highest level of knowledge for the air duct industry. The classroom training is second to none, only out-performed by our field training. Trainees go on actual jobs with NADCA-certified technicians using the best equipment available. Our inventory of equipment also allows excellent training on all levels of vacuum equipment, from portable to mid-size to the top-of-the-line power vacuum trucks. Every franchisee will easily be able to obtain NADCA and DCN [Duct Cleaners Network] certifications.

Equipment: We specify and allow only the very best equipment in the industry. The years of operating a large air-duct cleaning business have allowed us to test and evaluate all kinds of equipment and different suppliers to be able to say, with conviction, what works and doesn’t and what represents the best value for the dollar spent.

Support Services: To the best of our knowledge, we are the only franchise operation in this industry with a field manager in every franchise business at least every other month, helping with sales or training or both, as well as other areas franchisees identify as need areas. We have weekly training sessions, excellent Web support and the most comprehensive sales and marketing program available in the industry. All employees will be trained to pass the NADCA technicians test, regardless of whether they are employees from the start or new technicians added along the way.

Sales and Marketing: We offer a multi-tiered and multi-faceted local sales and marketing plan geared to driving business from multiple sources. Again, years of testing sales avenues and vehicles have given us the absolute knowledge of what works and how much it costs. Our national fund shares the expense, from franchise to franchise, city to city, of promoting the name across the country, making DuctPro the commonly referred name to residential and commercial customers. Our toll free number, offered in every market as part of the franchise package, will also be nationally broadcast and supported by national marketing and Web presence to drive business to each local franchise outlet.

IEC: What are your ultimate plans for DPI?

Mike: The word “International” was not put into the name by accident. After we have a fully developed U.S. network, we will expand in the Americas as well as overseas. Our final plans for this are not fully developed yet because our focus in on what we are doing now and here.

DPI will first be a national network of highly skilled, certified and professional service providers who can be relied on to provide a very valuable service to residential and commercial consumers alike. We will be a safety net for disaster situations, governmentally and socially responsible and synergistic with the green movement as it pertains to the health and well-being of the population at large.

Once the pipeline is filled, we will be capable of disaster response beyond any level currently available. Right now, we should be in California helping those people. Not exploiting the situation, but helping get people’s lives back on track and providing a healthy environment in which they can recover. Right now, there is no national concern that can react to this type of need. Safety King is among the largest single air-duct cleaning companies in the U.S., but we just cannot respond on a national level to disaster situations and service our local community at the same time. But imagine when there are 250 franchisees who can each spare a single vehicle to respond to emergencies. We will be able to make a real positive impact on people’s lives.

Air quality, actually the air itself, is something everyone on the planet shares. In the big picture, helping people have a healthier environment is a noble cause. The green movement in this country is a rising force, not a fad. We intend to play a big role in perpetuating the movement and improving people’s lives.

The parent company, DPI LLC, has set aside provisions for a substantial amount of income to go to selected charities. Our outlets will be urged to participate with us in philanthropic efforts to improve the planet and help those most in need. The charities have not been pre-selected and will be chosen annually based on current conditions, but will always go to a good cause.

We also plan to help other air quality-related businesses with quality programs and offer value to the consumer to become franchise operations of their own. Our experience in franchise development should be shared and we know a lot of people have some very good business ideas.

In summary, our ultimate plan for DPI is to have a large and powerful organization capable of helping our franchisees succeed and in helping the people and planet be healthier, and to be capable of assisting anywhere, anytime, when needed. We will bring value to our franchisees through training and support, sales and marketing and collective buying power. These things combined will make a healthier local business, capable of competing against any other business, and ultimately drive more profit to the bottom line. We have a moral and ethical responsibility to each other, and aren’t we lucky that we are actually in an industry that has a positive effect on people while providing us with a darn good living.

IEC: What is your take on the HVAC/duct cleaning industry?

Mike: Years ago, when the original 13 of us got together to form NADCA, the decision to organize into an association was based on creating a means of sharing and transferring information. Now, the organization has, through natural progression, become a policy-making body. We feel we, as a business, are in a position to better train and share information through a network.

The industry is a valuable and important one that ultimately has a good cause. Air quality and the air we breathe should be taken seriously. In some ways, the industry has been hijacked by those who see it as a way to make a quick buck and fail to offer real quality and value as service providers – those who do not see the true value that expertise in the field has and the benefit and importance of that expertise. This is unfortunate for the rest of us who value the profession and the reputation of the industry.

Ultimately, the industry will maintain a reputation and occupy a space of integrity and value for the services it provides, and those who hold us back will fall by the wayside, as happens in any industry, so long as we maintain the highest standards and expectations of ourselves and each other alike.

Paul Czerepuszko
Director, Automation Business Development
FLIR Systems, Inc.
North Billerica, Mass.

Frank Spevak
Marketing and Sales Manager
The Energy Conservatory
Minneapolis, Minn.

Optical imaging technology has improved greatly in recent years. It is now possible for consultants, small businesses, utilities and industry researchers to use new and increasingly affordable infrared cameras to detect a number of gases and compounds that can be harmful to workers, the public and the environment.

Development of VOC Leak Detection
For decades, the petrochemical industry has sought a cost-effective and easy-to-implement solution for the ongoing inspection of miles of pipeline to detect and repair leaks. Most piping, flanges and connections are fault-free, but a 1997 analysis by the American Petroleum Institute found that 0.13 percent of components are faulty, leading to 84 percent of the leaks or emissions that occur.

Nevertheless, it is this fraction of one percent that can cause catastrophic loss to life and property and significantly reduce refinery capacity and efficiency – something to be addressed in a global market sensitive to any disruption to petroleum-based assets.

Over time, a wide variety of instruments – most commonly referred to as “sniffers” – have been used to detect VOC leakage, although the demand for better, faster and smarter leak detection tools and techniques have continued to outweigh available technology.

Extensive work by infrared manufacturers has continued to advance the VOC optical imaging detection technology by incorporating cold filtering into a small, light and rugged handheld battery-operated mid-wave infrared camera.
Some of the first discoveries with the early cameras included gas plumes escaping from valves, gasoline vapors escaping a non-vapor-recovery hose at a gas station, as well as methane, propane, naphthalene and butane.

New IR cameras can detect methane, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), carbon monoxide and dozens of other gases. With the capability of detecting such gases, gas-finding camera applications will evolve in the same way that commercial/industrial thermography markets evolved for radiometric IR cameras.

The History of Finding Gas Leaks
Before IR cameras, handheld Toxic Vapor Analyzers (TVAs), or “sniffers,” were used to test for dangerous gases. TVA inspections must be conducted as point-to-point surveys in close proximity with pipes, valves and other VOC-carrying components. It is also easy to miss a leak as the devices provide no image showing the source of the leak.

Widespread use of TVAs had limitations. For example, a medium-to-large refinery can have 600,000 connections, valve packing, pressure relief valves and other connections. One operator can only monitor an average of 500 valves in an eight-hour shift. TVAs can be accurate in determining the concentration in ppm. However, as a single data point, leak concentration can be misleading.

Even if taken at the leak location, a small pinhole leak can exhibit a high concentration, whereas a large crack can be leaking orders of magnitude more gas, but have a lower measured concentration. Gas TVA technology requires the operator to “sniff” for leaks at numerous tagged locations and the process is limited by wind and other factors. Many companies use gas-finding cameras to detect leaks and sniffer technology to evaluate them in greater detail.

New and Efficient Method Scans Large Areas
The GasFindIR camera can be used to find leaks over significant distances depending on the size of the leak. One can often find small leaks at a 30-foot range with standard optics and GasFindIR cameras with longer focal-length lenses have been used successfully from helicopters to spot leaks from barges, storage tanks and gas pipelines. The GasFindIR infrared camera is able to survey over several thousand points an hour.

Many older plants, buildings and process-manufacturing environments are at risk because of aging equipment. A company-wide fugitive gas-emissions detection program can help to reduce health and safety hazards, save money and improve production by eliminating or recovering lost products.

Inspection Opportunities
“The natural gas system in the U.S. is vast, being comprised of hundreds of thousands of wells, hundreds of gas processing facilities, over one million miles of pipeline, and millions of consumers,” according to the Power Partners Resource Guide, which was published by an initiative of government and industry representatives established to help reduce greenhouse gases.

The report states the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has analyzed more than 100 emissions-reduction options. “Some of the more economic options that also represent relatively large opportunities,” the reports states, include:

• Practicing inspections and maintenance at gate stations and surface facilities;
• Installing systems to capture vented fuels;
• Installing dry seals on reciprocating compressors.

How Thermal Imaging Can Help
Organizations can use infrared cameras to find VOC leaks faster, more comprehensively and less expensively. Thermal imaging technology uses a special infrared imager employing a sensitive detector and a cold filter to observe active leaks.

The camera is capable of detecting volatile organic compound gas emissions from petrochemical facilities, gasoline refinery installations, natural gas pipelines, transfer stations, supertankers, moving railway tank cars and even landfills emitting methane gas and other chemicals into the environment.

The camera also can be equipped with a longer focal-range lens for distance surveillance, such as conducting pipeline surveys from a helicopter. A number of American gas transmission companies, including El Paso Natural Gas and Western Gas Resources, already have acquired the camera. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, Texas Petrochemical and other companies and agencies use gas-finding cameras to help reduce the risk of explosions, fines and greenhouse gas emissions.

Fugitive gas emissions contribute to global warming, cost industry billions of dollars in regulatory fines and damages and pose deadly risks to both workers and people living close to these facilities.

SF6 and the Utility Industry
“For years, electric utility transmission thermographers have wanted a camera that could spot leaking sulfur hexafluoride, SF6. As an insulating gas, SF6 is widely used by the electric power industry in high voltage circuit breakers to prevent arcing. ... Now there is an IR camera that can spot SF6 in very small amounts and is a completely passive system, requiring no infrared laser but for the smallest leaks,” according to a report delivered by Robert Madding and Robert Benson at the October 15, 2007 InfraMation Conference in Las Vegas.

The paper goes on to report, “in addition to electrical insulation, SF6 is used as a filler for bladders in athletic shoes, tennis balls, soundproof windows, and tires. It is also used for the ultrasound measurements of tumors, as well as retinal eye repairs in the medical field..

“The U.S. Navy also uses SF6 as a propellant component in the Mark 50 Torpedo. It is also used as a cover gas in die casting to prevent oxidation of magnesium, and in the electronic industry for chip manufacturing.
“U.S. electric utilities used over 1.5 million pounds of SF6 as refill for leaks. At the current price of about $10/lb., this amounts to $15 [million] annual cost to our electric utilities just to replace leaking SF6. Not to mention the reliability costs associated with potential downtime, outages, and expensive repairs. ... Recently a new IR camera based on a robust design for military applications has proven quite adept at finding SF6 leaks. It is small, quite portable, and extremely sensitive to SF6. The camera is completely passive and can find leaks as close as a few feet and as far away as tens of yards. A competent operator in a substation or high-voltage yard won’t miss much, if anything with this camera. The camera’s official name is the GasFindIR LW, as it finds gases with absorption bands in the long-wave portion of the IR spectrum and is useful for detecting VOC gases.”

In addition to enhancing safety and protecting the environment, GasFindIR also can deliver an economic boost. Service companies in the natural gas transmission business have documented cases in which over $2 million in annual savings have accrued from tackling as few as five leaks detected by the camera..

GasFindIR has been certified for the detection of a wide range of gases, including benzene, ethanol, ethylbenzene, ethylene, heptane, hexane, isoprene, MEK, methane, methanol, MIBK, octane, pentane, 1-Pentane, propylene, toluene and xylene, as well as butane, ethane, and propane.

Gas-finding infrared camera technology opens the door to an entirely new infrared market: Finding VOCs in a range of environments. Early adopters of gas-finding infrared cameras included the petrochemical industry. Use has spread to the utility and other industries.

Summary
The original gas-finding technologies evolved from a lot of hard work over a period of more than 15 years. Infrared imaging technology holds great promise for the development of new applications, including indoor air quality applications. Significant resources are invested in continued research and development, development of guidelines and training. The benefit of this commitment to industry and the public will be improved safety and cost-savings.

Paul Czerepuszko is a director at FLIR Systems, based in North Billerica, Mass. Paul began working in the infrared market for FLIR Systems (formerly Inframetrics) in 1994, as a district sales manager for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Paul has two degrees, a B.S. in manufacturing engineering technology from the Wentworth Institute of Technology and a degree in manufacturing engineering technology from Waterbury State Technical College. Paul can be reached at (978) 901-8478 or by e-mail at pac@flir.com.

Frank Spevak is a marketing and sales manager at The Energy Conservatory in Minneapolis, Minn. and has been with the company since 1999. He holds a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Loyola University of Chicago and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. Frank can be reached at (612) 827-1117 or by e-mail at fspevak@energyconservatory.com.

David Shagott
President
Abatement Technologies Inc.
Suwanee, Ga.

Whenever I read or listen to the news lately, it seems like there is a story about unsafe tires, tainted dog food, toys painted with lead-based paints or some other products imported into the United States from China. If there is any lesson we should take away from these episodes, it’s what an important role product safety and proper product testing play in our lives. The common thread that runs through all these episodes is that the problems would probably have been avoided had that testing been done.

This article addresses the problems related to product testing of the air filtration devices used by as the likes of environmental remediation and restoration contractors. Readers may be surprised to learn that hundreds of companies today may be using air filtration products that do not meet the requirements specified under current regulations and standards. This article addresses AFD third-party testing and approval requirements, how the process works and the important role it plays in helping to ensure that these products are indeed safe. It also explains how AFD users can determine whether their equipment meets these requirements.

Beware of “UL Listed” Components
I need to begin by attempting to clarify the facts about so-called “UL Listed” components, a term widely and incorrectly used regarding product safety approvals.

First of all, it is important to understand that there is no such thing as a “UL Listed” component. I repeat: There is no such thing as a “UL Listed” component!

Component manufacturers can submit individual components to Underwriters Laboratories for evaluation and classification as “UL Recognized” components. This designation simply means the component has been tested by UL and is approved for use within the rated capacity assigned to it. For example, a UL Recognized switch or relay with an 8-amp rating could be safely used in a device that draws 8 amps, but not in a device that draws 12 amps.

However, an AFD or any other device made with UL Recognized components does not mean the device in which these components are used is a UL Listed Device or safe to use. This would require testing of the entire device, not just the individual components. UL published a newsletter, “The world of difference between UL ‘Listed’ and UL ‘Recognized,” to address this very issue. The following passages are excerpted verbatim from this newsletter, which uses the UL1563 standard for health club spas as an example:

“If you can locate a nameplate marking on the spa with the complete UL Listing Mark and other specific information, the spa, the ‘end product’, meets the requirements outlined in UL1563.”

“If you do not find a UL Listing Mark on the product, you may find, on closer examination, that some of the individual components in the spa, such as the pump, control, heater or filter, have the UL Recognized Component Mark. Some manufacturers may claim that because the components are UL Recognized, the product in which they are assembled meets all the necessary requirements. But that’s not necessarily the case, because the UL Recognized Component Mark means that the component alone meets the requirements for a limited, specific use.”

“Use of UL Recognized components in a spa (or any other product) does not mean that the spa itself is UL Listed.”
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated problem with AFD. Most devices available or in use today are made with UL Recognized components; however, a substantial number of AFD in use today are not NRTL [Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories] listed devices.

The OSHA NRTL Testing Program
OSHA regulations require NRTL testing of the entire device before it is used in the workplace to ensure that the device meets specific test standards. These regulations incorporate various consensus standards developed by organizations such as the American National Standards Institute, UL and the National Fire Protection Association.
The primary underlying standard covering fan-equipped air filtration devices is UL507, Electric Fans. Some of these devices, such as those with plastic polymer components exposed to energized electrical components, must also meet UL94, Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices & Appliances.

To provide the necessary product testing and certification, OSHA has established a network of independent, OSHA-accredited product testing companies called Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories. Until 1988, UL and Factory Mutual Research Corporation were the only two OSHA-authorized testing companies. Today, equipment manufacturers can choose from a much larger number of OSHA-accredited NRTL.

To obtain a safety certification (Listing) for a device under the NRTL program, the manufacturer must submit a representative sample of that device to an NRTL, which then performs the following services:

• The NRTL determines which design and construction standards apply, and which tests are required, based on the intended uses for that device.
• The NRTL performs the necessary product testing in accordance with the appropriate construction and safety standards.
• The NRTL evaluates the product manual and other support materials the manufacturer is required to submit.
• The NRTL determines the quality control and testing procedures that will be required during the manufacturing process.
• The NRTL determines the specific warnings and markings required to appear in the manual and/or on the product.

Obtaining and Maintaining an NRTL Listing
When an NRTL finds that a device submitted by a manufacturer complies with the appropriate standards, it will issue a compliance letter to that manufacturer to confirm its finding. Once that letter is received, the manufacturer is authorized to affix a specific NRTL label or plate to each and every unit of that product model that it makes.

This label must include the certification-listing logo of that NRTL, the location number assigned to the manufacturer by that NRTL and other required information. The label also serves as the manufacturer’s assertion that the device to which it is attached is identical to the approved test model.

Under the OSHA NRTL accreditation program, the role of the NRTL and the costs device manufacturers incur continue long after the initial product testing is completed. Manufacturers are also required to pay for several unannounced annual NRTL inspection visits to each facility in which the certified products are made. The primary purpose of these inspections is to ensure that the products currently being produced are in fact identical to the approved designs.

If a manufacturer of an NRTL-listed device decides to make subsequent design changes to that device, or to substitute other components, units made with the new design cannot carry the NRTL marking until the NRTL has completed any required testing and evaluation and the manufacturer has received confirmation that the revisions are approved.

What Happens if AFD Fail NRTL Testing?
It’s important to understand that product design and performance standards can be quite stringent. A significant number of submitted products fail their first round of NRTL testing. Some fail more than once.

When a failure occurs, the NRTL will send the manufacturer a non-compliance letter, listing the various deficiencies of the device and the changes required to correct them. In some cases, these changes may be relatively simple, such as amending the manual language or rewording a product warning. In others, they may involve extensive, and perhaps expensive, design revisions. Once the required changes are made, the manufacturer can make arrangements to submit the device to the NRTL for reevaluation.

NRTL failures and additional testing can be costly for the device manufacturer and can significantly delay the introduction of a new product into the market. However, the ability to identify and correct potential safety problems before potentially unsafe devices reach the market is an essential objective of the OSHA NRTL program. This testing helps protect companies that purchase these types of devices from using unsafe products.

I am by no means saying or implying that all non NRTL-tested products would fail if tested to the required safety standards – I’m simply stating that, without this testing, there is really no way to know whether a product is in fact safe to use.

Why Aren’t All AFD NRTL Listed?
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to accurately quantify the number of AFD in use that are not NRTL listed, but some estimates run as high as 50 percent of all units out there. That’s pretty amazing, considering that the original OSHA standards were enacted more than 25 years ago, the expanded OSHA NRTL program almost 20 years ago.

I have been able to come up with only three plausible reasons why so many air filtration products are not submitted for NRTL testing. The first is money. Depending on the type of testing required, the initial certification costs alone are likely to run somewhere between a few thousand dollars and well over $10,000 per product model. The second is time. The testing and certification process requires preparation and can delay the introduction of a new product anywhere from several weeks up to several months. The third is a possible lack of awareness and/or understanding about the OSHA NRTL program.

From a contractor perspective, there really are no significant benefits to using AFD that are not NRTL tested and certified. It seems logical to expect that the cost savings realized by not testing an AFD would be passed on to users in the form of lower prices – that is certainly a possibility. However, I sincerely doubt many users will find a significant price difference.

What Are The User Risks?
On the other hand, there are some serious potential risks for the companies that use AFD in the event that untested devices prove to be unsafe and cause injuries and/or property damage. These can include:

• Injury to an employee, something no employer wants to see happen.
• OSHA citations and potential fines, since the OSHA regulations clearly hold employers responsible for making sure the equipment their employees use in the workplace is safe for its intended uses.
• Higher premiums for workers-compensation insurance as a result of employee injuries.
• Increased liability premiums in the event of injuries to non-employees and/or property damage, or perhaps even cancellation of coverage.

Safety First
To help protect your company, I offer the following recommendations regarding the air filtration equipment your company uses today or may purchase in the future:

1. Inspect the equipment your company already owns to determine whether it is NRTL certified. If it isn’t, you might want to ask your supplier why and ask how you can possibly know whether those devices comply with the applicable standards and are safe to use.
2. Evaluate the potential risks of continuing to use non-certified AFD versus the costs of replacing them as soon as possible.
3. Require any vendor under consideration for new AFD purchases to verify that the product being quoted is NRTL-certified. You might even require them to fax or e-mail you a copy of the certification.
4. When new equipment arrives, inspect it to verify that it is NRTL-listed by looking for the authorized NRTL certification label that must be affixed to each unit. It is typically located somewhere on the cabinet, often near where the power cord enters the cabinet.