September 2007
Volume VI, Issue 2

Dear All,

It was good to see old friends, renew old acquaintances, and meet new people at this year's AIHce 2007 conference in Philadelphia. As always Randy Fike, Alice Delia and I find it a great opportunity to meet with you face to face and discuss new ideas, help with current applications, and discuss new approaches to air testing. We were also pleased to feature our new test method, PATI IAQ Check, a cost effective way of checking indoor air quality.

I recently reviewed an IAQ Digest of current articles and found, interestingly enough, that almost 50% of the articles still pertain to "mold issues". At PATI we get to hear about many different types of mold issues and we get to work on some very interesting applications. Randall Fike, Ph.D., in this edition's featured article "Sneaky Molds" writes about some common and maybe not so common places that mold can literally "hide."

As always, we welcome your feedback and ideas.   Please feel free to forward Trapped Air to others as well as to send any suggestions for future issues our way at trappedair@pati-air.com.

"Sneaky Mold"

By Randall S. Fike, Ph.D.
CTO, Prism Analytical Technologies, Inc.

Every investigator is aware of the less subtle hiding places for mold, like inside air conditioning units, around the standing water in the crawl space, behind the sagging drywall in the dining room, and in the mushroom garden in the basement. But, occasionally, PATI will report a MoldScan result indicating the presence of actively growing mold and the investigator will have great difficulty locating it. This article is a short summary of some of the sneaky hiding places where mold has been found. It also addresses the situation where a mold odor exists but no mold is present. Some remediation and preventative measures are also suggested.

Refrigerator/Freezers - In refrigerator/freezers, a significant thermal gradient exists between the freezer compartment and the exterior of the unit. Where the unit is not well sealed, condensation will form on the insulation. Eventually spores will get in and mold will proliferate. This is especially true in the freezer door. Fortunately, this is the easiest location in the freezer insulation to check. Also, in frost-free freezers, there is a drain line and a drain pan under the unit. Since there is very significant air movement under the unit and the pan is near the floor where spores and dust are easily kicked up by foot traffic, the condensation pan can quickly spawn mold growth. Replacing the door insulation, cleaning or replacing the drain line, and cleaning the evaporation pan are easy fixes; however, if the mold growth is between the compartment and the outer skin, replacement of the unit may be the only option.

Empty Beverage Cans - Since nearly everyone is into recycling, bins for empty cans are commonplace. Unrinsed food and beverage cans (especially beer cans) quickly develop mold. Since reducing beer consumption is untenable, rinsing the cans or returning them more frequently is recommended.

Trash cans - From wastebaskets to trashcans, good housekeeping is cheap remediation. Everyone is aware of the kitchen wastebasket but frequently a food item discarded in the den (or, more often, a teenager's bedroom) where the wastebasket may not be emptied for weeks can be a bigger problem. Where severe mold allergies are a problem, placing all items that could spawn mold in a separate container in the freezer until garbage day can be a good suggestion.

Potted Plants - This one is rather obvious but it does need to be mentioned. Potted plants with wood chips look appealing but are especially wicked. Replacement with artificial plants is usually the best solution but not using wood chips and watering less frequently can lessen the mold growth. Watering with bleach is not a good idea.

Sump Pumps - In the summer, when pump cycling may greatly diminish or even stop, mold can begin to grow in the sump hole. To prevent regrowth after cleanup, I have had success by pouring about a quarter cup (less if the sump hole is small) of hydrogen peroxide in the standing water and stirring it around, splashing it up a little on the sides and pipes to thoroughly wet the water line. This should be done every few weeks and an ample supply can be purchased at the local big box for about 50¢.

Stand Pipes and Traps - While bacteria-saturated biomass is typically more of a problem than mold, the odor from these hiding places can be offensive. Smells like diaper pail, urine, mold, and rotten meat are all common. Remember, sewers are like life, what you get out of them depends upon what you put into them. The cleanup is very easy though. Simply pour about a quarter cup of hydrogen peroxide in the sink and around the top of the drain (or into the stand pipe). Refrain from using the sink or stand pipe for at least half an hour. Within 24 hours the problem should be gone, however, with heavy buildup, several treatments may be necessary. A monthly treatment thereafter using a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide should prevent recurrence. While I have never seen any damage to PVC or cast iron pipes or to brass, plastic, and chrome drain rings, caution should be exercised when using this treatment.

Books - Newer books with acid-treated paper don't seem to have a problem with mold but older books, usually pre-1940, can have a problem. The only remediation of which I am aware is to wand the book, page by page, with UV light. Although I have never personally used this treatment and I'm not sure about how effective it is, it sounds like a laborious chore, especially if you're doing a full set of encyclopedias or a Tolstoy novel.

Mold Outside the Walls - Occasionally, MoldScan will detect hidden mold in a basement or crawl space where there truly is no mold present. Since this can easily turn into a "gotcha," the first place to check is outside, around the building. Mold will proliferate if wood chips or plant debris are present, especially if the ground is damp or poorly drained or if the wood chips/debris are up against the foundation. The MVOCs from this mold can penetrate the basement wall (especially a block wall) and enter the basement. Because MoldScan can find mold hidden behind walls, the mold outside will be detected.

These are not the only places that molds hide; they are just some of the less obvious ones. If you know of any other tricky hiding places or you know of any quick and easy remediation or preventative ideas for these hiding places, let us know and we'll pass the word on to our readers.

Technical Forum
Where can I find help?

In The News

Prism Analytical Technologies, Inc., (PATI) is the leading specialty analytical laboratory in the United States that is devoted to the chemical identification and analysis of contaminants in the air.   PATI's expertise includes:

Over the last 15 years PATI has pioneered the development of several technologies for the analysis of air.   These technologies include, for example, custom thermal desorption tubes and glass encapsulation to keep them free from contamination during storage.   They also include the concept of TDT Air Scan® which utilizes a thermal desorption tube and then couples Fourier Transform-Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) during the analysis to quickly and inexpensively identify and quantify hundreds of VOC's using only one sample.   PATI is also the only laboratory that has been successful in developing a technology, called Mold Scan^(TM), to determine mold metabolites on the parts per trillion level.

Our team of Analytical Chemists includes only degreed and highly trained analysts, the majority with advanced degrees. We have an industry-leading management and scientific team headed by Lester H. Keepper, President, and Randall Fike, Ph.D., Chief Technical Officer.

PATI supports many CIH, IHIT, CEHS, CPE, and CSP professionals and multidisciplinary consultants who are seeking to solve air quality problems.   PATI's clients include mold investigation and remediation professionals, safety specialists, medical doctors, manufacturing engineers, hospital administrators, public health departments, building owners and inspectors, commercial property managers, engineering and construction firms, insurance investigators, emergency response teams, real estate brokers, and legal professionals.   Contact PATI to discover the positive impact we can have on your air quality projects.

For more information on our products and services please visit our website.

When integrity, accuracy, and technical support are critical, you can rely on PATI - A CONSULTATIVE AIR TESTING LABORATORY.

PATI introduces PATI IAQ Check^(TM) at AIHce 2007 in Philadelphia. Description of PATI IAQ Check^(TM) can be found in this issue of Trapped Air.

Mark you calendars next year for AIHce 2008 Conference & Expo May 31 - June 5, 2008 in Minneapolis, MN. PATI will be exhibiting their IAQ AIR ANALYSIS services, booth 628.

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PATI is a consultative air testing lab which means we encourage you to ask questions whether you are in the planning stage of an air study or have questions regarding your analytical report.   When planning your next air project be sure to consult your PATI Tool Box. Quick easy to look up charts are provided for each analysis. Put our experience to work for you. 

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A historical overview with one paragraph on the writer and his or her history, one paragraph on your company - where appropriate, and one paragraph on your position / relationship with PATI.

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