EPA Form EPA-4G2-K-97-002, October 1997

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

treatment of mold contamination on Should chemical biocides be applied bare sheet metal is much easier. to the inside of air ducts? Cleaning and treatment with an ERA- registered biocide are possible. Once A ir duct cleaning service providers fiberglass duct liner is contaminated r\may tell you that they need to apply with mold, cleaning is not sufficient to a chemical biocide to the inside of your prevent regrowth, and there are no ducts to kill bacteria (germs), and fungi ERA-registered biocides for the treat­ (mold) and prevent future biological ment of porous duct materials. ERA, growth. Some duct cleaning service NADCA, and NAIMA all recommend the providers may propose to introduce replacement of wet or moldy fiberglass ozone to kill biological contaminants. duct material. Ozone is a highly reactive gas that is regulated in the outside air as a lung In the meantime... irritant. However, there remains consid­ erable controversy over the necessity Experts do agree that moisture should and wisdom of introducing chemical not be present in ducts and, if moisture biocides or ozone into the duct work. and dirt are present, the potential exists for biological contaminants to grow and Among the possible problems with bio­ be distributed throughout the home. cide and ozone application in air ducts: Controlling moisture is the most effec­ tive way to prevent biological growth in Little research has been all types of air ducts. conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of most biocides Z Correct any water leaks or and ozone when used inside standing water. ducts. Simply spraying or other wise introducing these materials Z Remove standing water under into the operating duct system cooling coils of air handling units by may cause much of the material making sure that drain pans slope to be transported through the toward the drain. system and released into other areas of your home. Z If humidifiers are used, they must be properly maintained. Some people may react negtively to the biocide or ozone, causing Z Air handling units should be adverse health reactions. constructed so that maintenance personnel have easy, direct access Chemical biocides are regulated by ERA to heat exchange components and under Federal pesticide law. A product drain pans for proper cleaning and must be registered by ERA for a specific maintenance. use before it can be legally used for that purpose. The specific use(s) must Z Fiberglass, or any other insulation appear on the pesticide (e.g., biocide) material that is wet or visibly moldy label, along with other important infor­ (or if an unacceptable odor is pre­ mation. It is a violation of federal law to sent) should be removed and use a pesticide product in any manner replaced by a qualified heating and inconsistent with its label directions. cooling system contractor. A small number of products are Z Steam cleaning and other meth­ currently registered by ERA specifically ods involving moisture should not be for use on the inside of bare sheet used on any kind of duct work. metal air ducts. A number of products

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