Re: FW: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control Technology for Mold

[Guest guest]

I too received it.

L.

President

Indoor Environmental Management, Inc.

10640 Deme Drive

Suite J

Indianapolis, IN 46236

Fax

---- Original Message ----

From: schampion@...

To: iequality

Sent: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 11:21 AM

Subject: FW: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best

Available Control Technology for Mold

Just curious as to whether or not other iequality folks got this too. 

I asked to be removed, but am not sure how I ended up on their list in

the first place…

 

-S.C.

 

--------

From: pmedina@...

Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 5:25 PM

To: sc@...

Subject: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control

Technology for Mold

 

[image Removed]

[image Removed]

 

 

[image Removed]

Photo courtesy of Alliance Environmental

 

 

 

[image Removed]

DryAir equipment is used to pasteurize a Calif. home.

ThermaPure® + Traditional Remediation

Best Available Control Technology

 

Dear Stacey Champion,

 

Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP wrote a significant article that was

published in the November 2006 issue of ICS Cleaning Specialist.  In

this article Geyer demonstrates the power of heat and how the

best available control technology is using structural pasteurization®

in conjunction with traditional remediation.

 

“In situations where the best available control technology is needed,

the addition of structural pasteurization to traditional remediation

will provide significantly increased value and benefit,†writes Geyer.

 

ThermaPure® licensees are specially trained on using high temperatures

for microbial remediation.  To learn more about this process or to use

this process on a project please contact me at or visit

our website at www.thermapure.com.

 

Sincerely,

 

Medina

Marketing Manager

 

[image Removed]

Mold Remediation with Heat

By Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP

 

There is a debate raging in the field of mitigation and remediation of

bacteria, viruses, mold and other indoor biological contaminants, such

as insects. That debate focuses on the two main treatment methods: heat

or traditional remediation.

Structural heating, also known as structural pasteurization, is a

process that essentially pasteurizes a building, or a portion of the

building. This is a chemical-free process, and is much more complex

than simply applying heat to a structure or an architectural element.

In general, the process heats a structure either directly, via

propane-fired heaters, or indirectly via boilers outside the structure

that provide a heated medium to heat exchangers placed within the

structure. In addition to heating, the process employs a large number

of fans and ducting to evenly distribute heated air within the building

and/or treatment area, and heat-tolerant fan units equipped with

high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to scrub the air clean

and physically remove biomass and aerosols.

Treats Different Size Areas

Structural pasteurization is very scalable, i.e., it can be used on

small areas, such as under a kitchen cabinet where a dishwasher’s

waterline popped loose, or it can be used to heat entire structures

(e.g. a single family dwelling) or individual floors of structures

(e.g. a multi-story health-care facility or multi-family building).

Structural pasteurization has the ability to heat interstitial and

inaccessible spaces, and penetrate into architectural elements, drying

and killing biological organisms in their place, something that

conventional mold abatement methods cannot do. It is best used in

conjunction with the gross removal of contaminated architectural

elements, the cleaning of accessible surfaces, and leaving sound

elements in place and inaccessible surfaces undisturbed. Once gross

removal and surface cleaning is complete, the treatment will dry moist

building materials, oxidize odors, kill most biologicals, and

physically remove significant amounts of aerosols and biomass

associated with the event that caused the mold to initially colonize

and grow.

Conventional physical remove-and-replace methods often demolish and

throw out significant quantities of non-damaged building materials in

order to access inaccessible and un-occupied spaces, such as wall

cavities, in the quest to scrub and remove minor mold colonization.

While this may be warranted for building materials that have become

unsound due to excessive moisture and loss of integrity, there is, more

often than not, a large quantity of building materials that are

marginally affected by moisture and mold colonization, and are

therefore otherwise sound and aesthetically acceptable. In these areas,

surface cleaning and restoration is warranted. Structural

pasteurization can mitigate the remaining moisture that is promoting

biological growth and kill the colonization without the expense of

removal, rebuilding, and the inherent loss of use.

High Temperatures Kill Indoor Biological Contaminants

Structural pasteurization is based on the age-old science that as you

increase temperature, the number of viable organisms decreases. This is

why we cook our food, pasteurize our milk, and keep cooked foods above

140F at the buffet line.

Recently, Dr. Ralph Moon of HSA Environmental provided Association of

Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration members with a presentation on

thermal remediation. Dr. Moon presented the approximate upper limit for

survival of fungi at 132F to 140F. In a related article, Dr. Harriet

Burge of EM Labs recently stated that available literature reports that

a temperature of 160F for duration of 4 to 6 hours is appropriate for

whole-house treatment of fungi.

Most microorganisms that inhabit our structures live within a specific

range of temperatures that is conducive to their growth and

amplification, and it generally resembles temperatures similar to what

we humans like – the mesophiles.

Structural Pasteurization is a Complex Process

In structural pasteurization, the key is reaching a target temperature,

sustaining that temperature for a specific amount of time, and

maintaining an equal distribution uniformity of that temperature

throughout the structure or portion of the structure being treated.

Reaching and maintaining a temperature of 160F for several hours is a

complex task that requires highly skilled technicians. It requires a

thorough knowledge of the heating equipment, treatment processes,

building components, and thermal dynamics. Certified heat technicians

must be thoroughly trained and experienced in heating structures.

Buildings are complex and use a variety of building materials of

varying physical properties, thermal mass, and conductivity. Some

building components and contents are not tolerant of pasteurization

temperatures, and must therefore be protected or removed prior to

heating. Safety for the structure, its contents, and the technicians

applying heat is always a concern. The process requires a specifically

engineered process applied in a safe and diligent manner that will vary

according to the building, the environment, the target organism and

extent of growth, distribution uniformity, air pressures,

HEPA-filtration requirements, temperature sensing, thermal imaging,

humidity, moisture content, and a host of other relevant criteria.

What About Efficacy?

Does structural pasteurization kill mold? Yes. Will it kill all the

mold in all the spaces of a building and remove all the biomass

associated with mold growth and amplification? No! But neither will

conventional mold remediation methods or processes.

Can structural pasteurization meet the same level of clearance as

conventional mold remediation? Yes. The current standard of care for

achieving clearance (i.e. a condition fit for re-occupancy) is based on

the comparison of indoor mold spore concentrations to outdoors. There

are hundreds of projects conducted by consultants and laboratories

providing post-treatment analysis of remediation projects using

structural pasteurization, and most clearance results demonstrate that

the process achieved lower concentrations of both viable and nonviable

microorganisms, and resulted in lower concentrations of airborne

biomass, than did traditional remediation.

Some consultants question the efficacy of the process for the

mitigation of allergens and mycotoxins. These are both complex issues.

Mycotoxins are chemicals (e.g., fungal metabolites), and although high

temperatures will oxidize some of them and air filtration will remove

some of them, pasteurization temperatures will not mitigate all of

them. Pasteurization temperatures will also impact allergens, reducing

some but not all of them.

It is interesting to note that this issue is not of great concern with

all remediation methods. Few, if any, specifications exist that require

mycotoxins and/or allergens to be reduced to specific levels, and

neither are mycotoxin nor allergen concentrations typically found in

clearance standards. Yet these issues have become a major item of

debate for critics of thermal remediation.

It is important to look at the structural pasteurization technology as

an additional tool, not as a replacement method. In situations where

the best available control technology is needed, the addition of

structural pasteurization to traditional remediation will provide

significantly increased value and benefit. Whenever possible or

practical, gross remediation should be used to remove accessible

biomass. The reality is that everyone and every method leaves

biological materials behind all the time; no living space is sterile

post-abatement. Knowing this, we measure the acceptability of occupancy

by evaluating the indoor concentration of aerosols in air, or on

surfaces, and compare results to practical standards. If indoor air

concentrations are acceptable, we ignore what is left behind. This is

logical because mold is ubiquitous and we cannot, nor would we want to,

eliminate it in entirety; it is not practical to do so. Moreover,

structures that have had thermal remediation often have a much lower

concentration of viable spores left behind.

Structural pasteurization: another weapon to consider in the

remediator’s battle with mold.

To be removed from this mailing please reply to this email with the

“Remove†typed into the subject.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Stacey, Thanks for calling our attention to this great article by our own Geyer, PE, CIH, etc and etc. Maybe would be available to openly discuss the process here in a short educational seminar for the benefit of any skeptics. Isn't it fantastic we have a professional engineer among us with expertise in this state of the art tool for microbial remediation? Let's ask him. Ken Gibala ============================= FW: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control Technology for MoldJust curious as to whether or not other iequality folks got this too. I asked to be removed, but am not sure how I ended up on their list in the first place.-S.C.From: pmedinathermapure [mailto:pmedinathermapure] Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 5:25 PMTo: scchampionindoorsSubject: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control Technology for MoldPhoto courtesy of Alliance EnvironmentalDryAir equipment is used to pasteurize a Calif. home.ThermaPure® + Traditional RemediationBest Available Control TechnologyDear Stacey Champion, Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP wrote a significant article that was published in the November 2006 issue of ICS Cleaning Specialist. In this article Geyer demonstrates the power of heat and how the best available control technology is using structural pasteurization® in conjunction with traditional remediation. "In situations where the best available control technology is needed, the addition of structural pasteurization to traditional remediation will provide significantly increased value and benefit," writes Geyer.ThermaPure® licensees are specially trained on using high temperatures for microbial remediation. To learn more about this process or to use this process on a project please contact me at or visit our website at www.thermapure.com.Sincerely, MedinaMarketing ManagerMold Remediation with HeatBy Geyer, PE, CIH, CSPThere is a debate raging in the field of mitigation and remediation of bacteria, viruses, mold and other indoor biological contaminants, such as insects. That debate focuses on the two main treatment methods: heat or traditional remediation. Structural heating, also known as structural pasteurization, is a process that essentially pasteurizes a building, or a portion of the building. This is a chemical-free process, and is much more complex than simply applying heat to a structure or an architectural element. In general, the process heats a structure either directly, via propane-fired heaters, or indirectly via boilers outside the structure that provide a heated medium to heat exchangers placed within the structure. In addition to heating, the process employs a large number of fans and ducting to evenly distribute heated air within the building and/or treatment area, and heat-tolerant fan units equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to scrub the air clean and physically remove biomass and aerosols. Treats Different Size Areas Structural pasteurization is very scalable, i.e., it can be used on small areas, such as under a kitchen cabinet where a dishwasher's waterline popped loose, or it can be used to heat entire structures (e.g. a single family dwelling) or individual floors of structures (e.g. a multi-story health-care facility or multi-family building). Structural pasteurization has the ability to heat interstitial and inaccessible spaces, and penetrate into architectural elements, drying and killing biological organisms in their place, something that conventional mold abatement methods cannot do. It is best used in conjunction with the gross removal of contaminated architectural elements, the cleaning of accessible surfaces, and leaving sound elements in place and inaccessible surfaces undisturbed. Once gross removal and surface cleaning is complete, the treatment will dry moist building materials, oxidize odors, kill most biologicals, and physically remove significant amounts of aerosols and biomass associated with the event that caused the mold to initially colonize and grow. Conventional physical remove-and-replace methods often demolish and throw out significant quantities of non-damaged building materials in order to access inaccessible and un-occupied spaces, such as wall cavities, in the quest to scrub and remove minor mold colonization. While this may be warranted for building materials that have become unsound due to excessive moisture and loss of integrity, there is, more often than not, a large quantity of building materials that are marginally affected by moisture and mold colonization, and are therefore otherwise sound and aesthetically acceptable. In these areas, surface cleaning and restoration is warranted. Structural pasteurization can mitigate the remaining moisture that is promoting biological growth and kill the colonization without the expense of removal, rebuilding, and the inherent loss of use. High Temperatures Kill Indoor Biological Contaminants Structural pasteurization is based on the age-old science that as you increase temperature, the number of viable organisms decreases. This is why we cook our food, pasteurize our milk, and keep cooked foods above 140F at the buffet line. Recently, Dr. Ralph Moon of HSA Environmental provided Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration members with a presentation on thermal remediation. Dr. Moon presented the approximate upper limit for survival of fungi at 132F to 140F. In a related article, Dr. Harriet Burge of EM Labs recently stated that available literature reports that a temperature of 160F for duration of 4 to 6 hours is appropriate for whole-house treatment of fungi. Most microorganisms that inhabit our structures live within a specific range of temperatures that is conducive to their growth and amplification, and it generally resembles temperatures similar to what we humans like - the mesophiles. Structural Pasteurization is a Complex Process In structural pasteurization, the key is reaching a target temperature, sustaining that temperature for a specific amount of time, and maintaining an equal distribution uniformity of that temperature throughout the structure or portion of the structure being treated. Reaching and maintaining a temperature of 160F for several hours is a complex task that requires highly skilled technicians. It requires a thorough knowledge of the heating equipment, treatment processes, building components, and thermal dynamics. Certified heat technicians must be thoroughly trained and experienced in heating structures. Buildings are complex and use a variety of building materials of varying physical properties, thermal mass, and conductivity. Some building components and contents are not tolerant of pasteurization temperatures, and must therefore be protected or removed prior to heating. Safety for the structure, its contents, and the technicians applying heat is always a concern. The process requires a specifically engineered process applied in a safe and diligent manner that will vary according to the building, the environment, the target organism and extent of growth, distribution uniformity, air pressures, HEPA-filtration requirements, temperature sensing, thermal imaging, humidity, moisture content, and a host of other relevant criteria. What About Efficacy? Does structural pasteurization kill mold? Yes. Will it kill all the mold in all the spaces of a building and remove all the biomass associated with mold growth and amplification? No! But neither will conventional mold remediation methods or processes. Can structural pasteurization meet the same level of clearance as conventional mold remediation? Yes. The current standard of care for achieving clearance (i.e. a condition fit for re-occupancy) is based on the comparison of indoor mold spore concentrations to outdoors. There are hundreds of projects conducted by consultants and laboratories providing post-treatment analysis of remediation projects using structural pasteurization, and most clearance results demonstrate that the process achieved lower concentrations of both viable and nonviable microorganisms, and resulted in lower concentrations of airborne biomass, than did traditional remediation. Some consultants question the efficacy of the process for the mitigation of allergens and mycotoxins. These are both complex issues. Mycotoxins are chemicals (e.g., fungal metabolites), and although high temperatures will oxidize some of them and air filtration will remove some of them, pasteurization temperatures will not mitigate all of them. Pasteurization temperatures will also impact allergens, reducing some but not all of them.It is interesting to note that this issue is not of great concern with all remediation methods Few, if any, specifications exist that require mycotoxins and/or allergens to be reduced to specific levels, and neither are mycotoxin nor allergen concentrations typically found in clearance standards. Yet these issues have become a major item of debate for critics of thermal remediation. It is important to look at the structural pasteurization technology as an additional tool, not as a replacement method. In situations where the best available control technology is needed, the addition of structural pasteurization to traditional remediation will provide significantly increased value and benefit. Whenever possible or practical, gross remediation should be used to remove accessible biomass. The reality is that everyone and every method leaves biological materials behind all the time; no living space is sterile post-abatement. Knowing this, we measure the acceptability of occupancy by evaluating the indoor concentration of aerosols in air, or on surfaces, and compare results to practical standards. If indoor air concentrations are acceptable, we ignore what is left behind. This is logical because mold is ubiquitous and we cannot, nor would we want to, eliminate it in entirety; it is not practical to do so. Moreover, structures that have had thermal remediation often have a much lower concentration of viable spores left behind. Structural pasteurization: another weapon to consider in the remediator's battle with mold. To be removed from this mailing please reply to this email with the "Remove" typed into the subject.

[Guest guest]

I too get the same e-mail from multiple

sources from ThermaPure and others. I believe there is a service that ThermaPure

subscribes and pays for.

Moffett

From: iequality [mailto:iequality ] On Behalf Of rlaiam@...

Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2006

10:27 AM

To: iequality

Subject: Re: FW:

ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control Technology for

Mold

I too received it.

L.

President

Indoor Environmental Management, Inc.

10640 Deme Drive

Suite J

Indianapolis, IN 46236

Fax

---- Original Message ----

From: schampioncommspeed (DOT) net

To: iequality

Sent: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 11:21 AM

Subject: FW: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best

Available Control Technology for Mold

Just curious as to whether or not other iequality folks got this too.

I asked to be removed, but am not sure how I ended up on their list in

the first place…

-S.C.

--------

From: pmedinathermapure

[mailto:pmedinathermapure]

Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 5:25 PM

To: scchampionindoors

Subject: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control

Technology for Mold

[image Removed]

[image Removed]

[image Removed]

Photo courtesy of Alliance Environmental

[image Removed]

DryAir equipment is used to pasteurize a Calif.

home.

ThermaPure® + Traditional Remediation

Best Available Control Technology

Dear Stacey Champion,

Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP wrote a significant article that was

published in the November 2006 issue of ICS Cleaning Specialist. In

this article Geyer demonstrates the power of heat and how the

best available control technology is using structural pasteurization®

in conjunction with traditional remediation.

“In situations where the best available control technology is needed,

the addition of structural pasteurization to traditional remediation

will provide significantly increased value and benefit,” writes Geyer.

ThermaPure® licensees are specially trained on using high temperatures

for microbial remediation. To learn more about this process or to use

this process on a project please contact me at or visit

our website at www.thermapure.com.

Sincerely,

Medina

Marketing Manager

[image Removed]

Mold Remediation with Heat

By Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP

There is a debate raging in the field of mitigation and remediation of

bacteria, viruses, mold and other indoor biological contaminants, such

as insects. That debate focuses on the two main treatment methods: heat

or traditional remediation.

Structural heating, also known as structural pasteurization, is a

process that essentially pasteurizes a building, or a portion of the

building. This is a chemical-free process, and is much more complex

than simply applying heat to a structure or an architectural element.

In general, the process heats a structure either directly, via

propane-fired heaters, or indirectly via boilers outside the structure

that provide a heated medium to heat exchangers placed within the

structure. In addition to heating, the process employs a large number

of fans and ducting to evenly distribute heated air within the building

and/or treatment area, and heat-tolerant fan units equipped with

high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to scrub the air clean

and physically remove biomass and aerosols.

Treats Different Size Areas

Structural pasteurization is very scalable, i.e., it can be used on

small areas, such as under a kitchen cabinet where a dishwasher’s

waterline popped loose, or it can be used to heat entire structures

(e.g. a single family dwelling) or individual floors of structures

(e.g. a multi-story health-care facility or multi-family building).

Structural pasteurization has the ability to heat interstitial and

inaccessible spaces, and penetrate into architectural elements, drying

and killing biological organisms in their place, something that

conventional mold abatement methods cannot do. It is best used in

conjunction with the gross removal of contaminated architectural

elements, the cleaning of accessible surfaces, and leaving sound

elements in place and inaccessible surfaces undisturbed. Once gross

removal and surface cleaning is complete, the treatment will dry moist

building materials, oxidize odors, kill most biologicals, and

physically remove significant amounts of aerosols and biomass

associated with the event that caused the mold to initially colonize

and grow.

Conventional physical remove-and-replace methods often demolish and

throw out significant quantities of non-damaged building materials in

order to access inaccessible and un-occupied spaces, such as wall

cavities, in the quest to scrub and remove minor mold colonization.

While this may be warranted for building materials that have become

unsound due to excessive moisture and loss of integrity, there is, more

often than not, a large quantity of building materials that are

marginally affected by moisture and mold colonization, and are

therefore otherwise sound and aesthetically acceptable. In these areas,

surface cleaning and restoration is warranted. Structural

pasteurization can mitigate the remaining moisture that is promoting

biological growth and kill the colonization without the expense of

removal, rebuilding, and the inherent loss of use.

High Temperatures Kill Indoor Biological Contaminants

Structural pasteurization is based on the age-old science that as you

increase temperature, the number of viable organisms decreases. This is

why we cook our food, pasteurize our milk, and keep cooked foods above

140F at the buffet line.

Recently, Dr. Ralph Moon of HSA Environmental provided Association of

Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration members with a presentation on

thermal remediation. Dr. Moon presented the approximate upper limit for

survival of fungi at 132F to 140F. In a related article, Dr. Harriet

Burge of EM Labs recently stated that available literature reports that

a temperature of 160F for duration of 4 to 6 hours is appropriate for

whole-house treatment of fungi.

Most microorganisms that inhabit our structures live within a specific

range of temperatures that is conducive to their growth and

amplification, and it generally resembles temperatures similar to what

we humans like – the mesophiles.

Structural Pasteurization is a Complex Process

In structural pasteurization, the key is reaching a target temperature,

sustaining that temperature for a specific amount of time, and

maintaining an equal distribution uniformity of that temperature

throughout the structure or portion of the structure being treated.

Reaching and maintaining a temperature of 160F for several hours is a

complex task that requires highly skilled technicians. It requires a

thorough knowledge of the heating equipment, treatment processes,

building components, and thermal dynamics. Certified heat technicians

must be thoroughly trained and experienced in heating structures.

Buildings are complex and use a variety of building materials of

varying physical properties, thermal mass, and conductivity. Some

building components and contents are not tolerant of pasteurization

temperatures, and must therefore be protected or removed prior to

heating. Safety for the structure, its contents, and the technicians

applying heat is always a concern. The process requires a specifically

engineered process applied in a safe and diligent manner that will vary

according to the building, the environment, the target organism and

extent of growth, distribution uniformity, air pressures,

HEPA-filtration requirements, temperature sensing, thermal imaging,

humidity, moisture content, and a host of other relevant criteria.

What About Efficacy?

Does structural pasteurization kill mold? Yes. Will it kill all the

mold in all the spaces of a building and remove all the biomass

associated with mold growth and amplification? No! But neither will

conventional mold remediation methods or processes.

Can structural pasteurization meet the same level of clearance as

conventional mold remediation? Yes. The current standard of care for

achieving clearance (i.e. a condition fit for re-occupancy) is based on

the comparison of indoor mold spore concentrations to outdoors. There

are hundreds of projects conducted by consultants and laboratories

providing post-treatment analysis of remediation projects using

structural pasteurization, and most clearance results demonstrate that

the process achieved lower concentrations of both viable and nonviable

microorganisms, and resulted in lower concentrations of airborne

biomass, than did traditional remediation.

Some consultants question the efficacy of the process for the

mitigation of allergens and mycotoxins. These are both complex issues.

Mycotoxins are chemicals (e.g., fungal metabolites), and although high

temperatures will oxidize some of them and air filtration will remove

some of them, pasteurization temperatures will not mitigate all of

them. Pasteurization temperatures will also impact allergens, reducing

some but not all of them.

It is interesting to note that this issue is not of great concern with

all remediation methods. Few, if any, specifications exist that require

mycotoxins and/or allergens to be reduced to specific levels, and

neither are mycotoxin nor allergen concentrations typically found in

clearance standards. Yet these issues have become a major item of

debate for critics of thermal remediation.

It is important to look at the structural pasteurization technology as

an additional tool, not as a replacement method. In situations where

the best available control technology is needed, the addition of

structural pasteurization to traditional remediation will provide

significantly increased value and benefit. Whenever possible or

practical, gross remediation should be used to remove accessible

biomass. The reality is that everyone and every method leaves

biological materials behind all the time; no living space is sterile

post-abatement. Knowing this, we measure the acceptability of occupancy

by evaluating the indoor concentration of aerosols in air, or on

surfaces, and compare results to practical standards. If indoor air

concentrations are acceptable, we ignore what is left behind. This is

logical because mold is ubiquitous and we cannot, nor would we want to,

eliminate it in entirety; it is not practical to do so. Moreover,

structures that have had thermal remediation often have a much lower

concentration of viable spores left behind.

Structural pasteurization: another weapon to consider in the

remediator’s battle with mold.

To be removed from this mailing please reply to this email with the

“Remove” typed into the subject.

[Guest guest]

" Best Available Control Technology " or BACT is a term in the air

pollution regulations that applies to emission control devices for air

pollution sources. This can be an incinerator, baghouse, or other

equipment that the EPA states is or accepts as BACT.

I am not aware that the EPA has certified " structural pasteurization® "

as BACT.

On the other hand, heat treatment of a structure does have a place as a

remediation technique. I would think that using the term " treatment "

technology " rather than " control " technology would be a more accurate

description.

In addition, the use of the term " Best " may also be inappropriate. If

one defines " best " as having the least amount of mold spores, then

thorough cleaning and replacement with new building materials would be

" better/best " than heat treatment.

I would really like to see a study of this treatment technology on the

reduction in the levels of spiders, roaches, dust mites, (mice?-what

about the smell of dead mammals?) etc and reduction other allergenic

materials. If heat also reduces these in the whole structure, then

this treatment would provide " significantly increased value and

benefit. "

Bob

[Guest guest]

, , Ken, , and others:

I feel left out...I didn’t get the ThermaPure email blast! And I didn’t know that they were using the CS article in email blasts; though I did give ThermaPure permission to re-print or use it. For the skeptics out there (e.g., Wane Baker), I didn’t receive a dime in compensation for the article or ThermaPure’s use of it! The sole purpose of the CS article was to get the word out regarding an mitigation/abatement method that works. Tis all.

To answer Ken’s question....Yes, I can answer people’s questions regarding heat treatment....an educational seminar?, I’m not sure what you have in mind?. I have been heating buildings and building materials for many years, in many ways, and with varying degrees of success and failure. And have I had failures! Some will make you laff. I have made some bonehead mistakes in the past too. I’ve never hurt anyone, nor have I left behind a condition that was unsafe or unhealthful. But I have damaged architectural components and melted a lot of things. I have never set fire to a structure either.....at least not while heat treating it. Often, my initial failures did not achieve the efficacy or uniformity that I wanted to achieve, and there is a real risk of making the problem worse if not heated correctly. This said, I try use every failure as a learning opportunity; even if it is a costly opportunity. From these failures I have a fairly good idea of the merits and limitations of heat treatment. Moreover, I can honestly say that if the heat treatment is done correctly, it surely bests any other single treatment or abatement method/technology; and typically at a lower cost, faster turn-around, and with less demolition.

One big limitation of heat treatment....it is not agent specific. That is, if you only want to dry out moist building materials and kill active mold growth, but leave the termites, dust mites, odors, etc., intact....it can’t do it. Heat will affect all biologicals and all odors. It is not specific in eradication and/or neutralization. Consider heat to be a broad-spectrum abatement method. It can be sized to heat-treat a small area, but all things in that area are going to be heated; therefore, heat-intolerant items need to be removed and/or protected.

Also, I have heard some people use the terms “structural heat-treatment” and “sterilization” in association together. I don’t do that and I am very quick to point out that sterilization is not possible or practical. I use the term: pasteurization; which is more akin to what I am trying to accomplish when performing structural heating. For example, if milk were sterile, it could sit on the shelf without refrigeration for a month and not change in food value. Pasteurization is not sterilization, albeit, pasteurization significantly reduces the biological content in milk, thereby increasing its self-life while reducing potentially harmful biologicals in the food product. This is the basis/foundation of heat-treating structural materials, i.e., it increases the life and use of the asset while reducing potentially harmful biologicals that may negatively affect the occupants therein and/or decompose the asset. Heat treatment is a great value for many many applications.

The article written for CS stands on its own merits. Anyone having a question or comment, and I will endeavor to best answer it based on my experiences and projects heat treating buildings.

For what it is worth....

--

Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP

President

KERNTEC Industries, Inc.

Bakersfield, California

www.kerntecindustries.com

I too get the same e-mail from multiple sources from ThermaPure and others. I believe there is a service that ThermaPure subscribes and pays for.

Moffett

From: iequality [mailto:iequality ] On Behalf Of rlaiam@...

Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2006 10:27 AM

To: iequality

Subject: Re: FW: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control Technology for Mold

I too received it.

L.

President

Indoor Environmental Management, Inc.

10640 Deme Drive

Suite J

Indianapolis, IN 46236

Fax

---- Original Message ----

From: schampion@... <mailto:schampion%40commspeed.net>

To: iequality <mailto:iequality%40yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 11:21 AM

Subject: FW: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best

Available Control Technology for Mold

Just curious as to whether or not other iequality folks got this too.

I asked to be removed, but am not sure how I ended up on their list in

the first place…

-S.C.

--------

From: pmedina@... <mailto:pmedina%40thermapure.com> [mailto:pmedina@... <mailto:pmedina%40thermapure.com> ]

Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 5:25 PM

To: sc@... <mailto:sc%40championindoors.com>

Subject: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control

Technology for Mold

[image Removed]

[image Removed]

[image Removed]

Photo courtesy of Alliance Environmental

[image Removed]

DryAir equipment is used to pasteurize a Calif. home.

ThermaPure® + Traditional Remediation

Best Available Control Technology

Dear Stacey Champion,

Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP wrote a significant article that was

published in the November 2006 issue of ICS Cleaning Specialist. In

this article Geyer demonstrates the power of heat and how the

best available control technology is using structural pasteurization®

in conjunction with traditional remediation.

“In situations where the best available control technology is needed,

the addition of structural pasteurization to traditional remediation

will provide significantly increased value and benefit,” writes Geyer.

ThermaPure® licensees are specially trained on using high temperatures

for microbial remediation. To learn more about this process or to use

this process on a project please contact me at or visit

our website at www.thermapure.com.

Sincerely,

Medina

Marketing Manager

[image Removed]

Mold Remediation with Heat

By Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP

There is a debate raging in the field of mitigation and remediation of

bacteria, viruses, mold and other indoor biological contaminants, such

as insects. That debate focuses on the two main treatment methods: heat

or traditional remediation.

Structural heating, also known as structural pasteurization, is a

process that essentially pasteurizes a building, or a portion of the

building. This is a chemical-free process, and is much more complex

than simply applying heat to a structure or an architectural element.

In general, the process heats a structure either directly, via

propane-fired heaters, or indirectly via boilers outside the structure

that provide a heated medium to heat exchangers placed within the

structure. In addition to heating, the process employs a large number

of fans and ducting to evenly distribute heated air within the building

and/or treatment area, and heat-tolerant fan units equipped with

high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to scrub the air clean

and physically remove biomass and aerosols.

Treats Different Size Areas

Structural pasteurization is very scalable, i.e., it can be used on

small areas, such as under a kitchen cabinet where a dishwasher’s

waterline popped loose, or it can be used to heat entire structures

(e.g. a single family dwelling) or individual floors of structures

(e.g. a multi-story health-care facility or multi-family building).

Structural pasteurization has the ability to heat interstitial and

inaccessible spaces, and penetrate into architectural elements, drying

and killing biological organisms in their place, something that

conventional mold abatement methods cannot do. It is best used in

conjunction with the gross removal of contaminated architectural

elements, the cleaning of accessible surfaces, and leaving sound

elements in place and inaccessible surfaces undisturbed. Once gross

removal and surface cleaning is complete, the treatment will dry moist

building materials, oxidize odors, kill most biologicals, and

physically remove significant amounts of aerosols and biomass

associated with the event that caused the mold to initially colonize

and grow.

Conventional physical remove-and-replace methods often demolish and

throw out significant quantities of non-damaged building materials in

order to access inaccessible and un-occupied spaces, such as wall

cavities, in the quest to scrub and remove minor mold colonization.

While this may be warranted for building materials that have become

unsound due to excessive moisture and loss of integrity, there is, more

often than not, a large quantity of building materials that are

marginally affected by moisture and mold colonization, and are

therefore otherwise sound and aesthetically acceptable. In these areas,

surface cleaning and restoration is warranted. Structural

pasteurization can mitigate the remaining moisture that is promoting

biological growth and kill the colonization without the expense of

removal, rebuilding, and the inherent loss of use.

High Temperatures Kill Indoor Biological Contaminants

Structural pasteurization is based on the age-old science that as you

increase temperature, the number of viable organisms decreases. This is

why we cook our food, pasteurize our milk, and keep cooked foods above

140F at the buffet line.

Recently, Dr. Ralph Moon of HSA Environmental provided Association of

Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration members with a presentation on

thermal remediation. Dr. Moon presented the approximate upper limit for

survival of fungi at 132F to 140F. In a related article, Dr. Harriet

Burge of EM Labs recently stated that available literature reports that

a temperature of 160F for duration of 4 to 6 hours is appropriate for

whole-house treatment of fungi.

Most microorganisms that inhabit our structures live within a specific

range of temperatures that is conducive to their growth and

amplification, and it generally resembles temperatures similar to what

we humans like – the mesophiles.

Structural Pasteurization is a Complex Process

In structural pasteurization, the key is reaching a target temperature,

sustaining that temperature for a specific amount of time, and

maintaining an equal distribution uniformity of that temperature

throughout the structure or portion of the structure being treated.

Reaching and maintaining a temperature of 160F for several hours is a

complex task that requires highly skilled technicians. It requires a

thorough knowledge of the heating equipment, treatment processes,

building components, and thermal dynamics. Certified heat technicians

must be thoroughly trained and experienced in heating structures.

Buildings are complex and use a variety of building materials of

varying physical properties, thermal mass, and conductivity. Some

building components and contents are not tolerant of pasteurization

temperatures, and must therefore be protected or removed prior to

heating. Safety for the structure, its contents, and the technicians

applying heat is always a concern. The process requires a specifically

engineered process applied in a safe and diligent manner that will vary

according to the building, the environment, the target organism and

extent of growth, distribution uniformity, air pressures,

HEPA-filtration requirements, temperature sensing, thermal imaging,

humidity, moisture content, and a host of other relevant criteria.

What About Efficacy?

Does structural pasteurization kill mold? Yes. Will it kill all the

mold in all the spaces of a building and remove all the biomass

associated with mold growth and amplification? No! But neither will

conventional mold remediation methods or processes.

Can structural pasteurization meet the same level of clearance as

conventional mold remediation? Yes. The current standard of care for

achieving clearance (i.e. a condition fit for re-occupancy) is based on

the comparison of indoor mold spore concentrations to outdoors. There

are hundreds of projects conducted by consultants and laboratories

providing post-treatment analysis of remediation projects using

structural pasteurization, and most clearance results demonstrate that

the process achieved lower concentrations of both viable and nonviable

microorganisms, and resulted in lower concentrations of airborne

biomass, than did traditional remediation.

Some consultants question the efficacy of the process for the

mitigation of allergens and mycotoxins. These are both complex issues.

Mycotoxins are chemicals (e.g., fungal metabolites), and although high

temperatures will oxidize some of them and air filtration will remove

some of them, pasteurization temperatures will not mitigate all of

them. Pasteurization temperatures will also impact allergens, reducing

some but not all of them.

It is interesting to note that this issue is not of great concern with

all remediation methods. Few, if any, specifications exist that require

mycotoxins and/or allergens to be reduced to specific levels, and

neither are mycotoxin nor allergen concentrations typically found in

clearance standards. Yet these issues have become a major item of

debate for critics of thermal remediation.

It is important to look at the structural pasteurization technology as

an additional tool, not as a replacement method. In situations where

the best available control technology is needed, the addition of

structural pasteurization to traditional remediation will provide

significantly increased value and benefit. Whenever possible or

practical, gross remediation should be used to remove accessible

biomass. The reality is that everyone and every method leaves

biological materials behind all the time; no living space is sterile

post-abatement. Knowing this, we measure the acceptability of occupancy

by evaluating the indoor concentration of aerosols in air, or on

surfaces, and compare results to practical standards. If indoor air

concentrations are acceptable, we ignore what is left behind. This is

logical because mold is ubiquitous and we cannot, nor would we want to,

eliminate it in entirety; it is not practical to do so. Moreover,

structures that have had thermal remediation often have a much lower

concentration of viable spores left behind.

Structural pasteurization: another weapon to consider in the

remediator’s battle with mold.

To be removed from this mailing please reply to this email with the

“Remove” typed into the subject.

[Guest guest]

<warning: extreme sarcasm ahead.>

OK, I'm in. as long as Ken thinks this is a good idea, I'm fully on-

board. and of course, Mike is the ONLY P.E. on this list, right?

heck, let's use Mike's heat " pasteurization " <choke, gag> and Ken's

ozonation TOGETHER and make absolutely certain that we KILL KILL KILL

those nasty, toxic, death-dealing microorganisms, insects and

anything else that might be in the house. maybe a bit of

gluteraldehyde just for good measure. some phenol, and maybe a bit

of radon, too. yeah, that's the ticket.....

<sigh>

Wane

<><><><><><><><><><><>

Wane A. Baker, P.E., CIH

Division Manager, Indoor Air Quality

MICHAELS ENGINEERING

" Real Professionals. Real Solutions. "

Phone , ext. 484

Cell

Fax

mailto:wab@...

On the web at: http://www.michaelsengineering.com

" To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be

more fun? "

- Graham

>

> Dear Stacey,

>

> Thanks for calling our attention to this great article by our own

Geyer, PE, CIH, etc and etc.

>

> Maybe would be available to openly discuss the process here

in a short educational seminar for the benefit of any skeptics.

>

> Isn't it fantastic we have a professional engineer among us with

expertise in this state of the art tool for microbial remediation?

>

> Let's ask him.

>

> Ken Gibala

>

> =============================

>

>

>

>

>

> ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available

Control Technology for Mold

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Photo courtesy of Alliance Environmental

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> DryAir equipment is used to pasteurize a Calif. home.

> ThermaPure® + Traditional Remediation

> Best Available Control Technology

>

>

>

> Dear Stacey Champion,

>

>

>

> Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP wrote a significant article

that was published in the November 2006 issue of ICS Cleaning

Specialist. In this article Geyer demonstrates the power of

heat and how the best available control technology is using

structural pasteurization® in conjunction with traditional

remediation.

>

>

>

> " In situations where the best available control technology

is needed, the addition of structural pasteurization to traditional

remediation will provide significantly increased value and benefit, "

writes Geyer.

>

>

>

> ThermaPure® licensees are specially trained on using high

temperatures for microbial remediation. To learn more about this

process or to use this process on a project please contact me at

or visit our website at

www.thermapure.com<http://www.thermapure.com/>.

>

>

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

>

> Medina

>

> Marketing Manager

>

>

>

>

>

> Mold Remediation with Heat

>

> By Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP

>

>

>

> There is a debate raging in the field of mitigation and

remediation of bacteria, viruses, mold and other indoor biological

contaminants, such as insects. That debate focuses on the two main

treatment methods: heat or traditional remediation.

>

> Structural heating, also known as structural

pasteurization, is a process that essentially pasteurizes a building,

or a portion of the building. This is a chemical-free process, and is

much more complex than simply applying heat to a structure or an

architectural element. In general, the process heats a structure

either directly, via propane-fired heaters, or indirectly via boilers

outside the structure that provide a heated medium to heat exchangers

placed within the structure. In addition to heating, the process

employs a large number of fans and ducting to evenly distribute

heated air within the building and/or treatment area, and heat-

tolerant fan units equipped with high-efficiency particulate air

(HEPA) filters to scrub the air clean and physically remove biomass

and aerosols.

>

>

> Treats Different Size Areas

>

> Structural pasteurization is very scalable, i.e., it can be

used on small areas, such as under a kitchen cabinet where a

dishwasher's waterline popped loose, or it can be used to heat entire

structures (e.g. a single family dwelling) or individual floors of

structures (e.g. a multi-story health-care facility or multi-family

building).

>

> Structural pasteurization has the ability to heat

interstitial and inaccessible spaces, and penetrate into

architectural elements, drying and killing biological organisms in

their place, something that conventional mold abatement methods

cannot do. It is best used in conjunction with the gross removal of

contaminated architectural elements, the cleaning of accessible

surfaces, and leaving sound elements in place and inaccessible

surfaces undisturbed. Once gross removal and surface cleaning is

complete, the treatment will dry moist building materials, oxidize

odors, kill most biologicals, and physically remove significant

amounts of aerosols and biomass associated with the event that caused

the mold to initially colonize and grow.

>

> Conventional physical remove-and-replace methods often

demolish and throw out significant quantities of non-damaged building

materials in order to access inaccessible and un-occupied spaces,

such as wall cavities, in the quest to scrub and remove minor mold

colonization. While this may be warranted for building materials that

have become unsound due to excessive moisture and loss of integrity,

there is, more often than not, a large quantity of building materials

that are marginally affected by moisture and mold colonization, and

are therefore otherwise sound and aesthetically acceptable. In these

areas, surface cleaning and restoration is warranted. Structural

pasteurization can mitigate the remaining moisture that is promoting

biological growth and kill the colonization without the expense of

removal, rebuilding, and the inherent loss of use.

>

>

> High Temperatures Kill Indoor Biological Contaminants

>

> Structural pasteurization is based on the age-old science

that as you increase temperature, the number of viable organisms

decreases. This is why we cook our food, pasteurize our milk, and

keep cooked foods above 140F at the buffet line.

>

> Recently, Dr. Ralph Moon of HSA Environmental provided

Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration members with a

presentation on thermal remediation. Dr. Moon presented the

approximate upper limit for survival of fungi at 132F to 140F. In a

related article, Dr. Harriet Burge of EM Labs recently stated that

available literature reports that a temperature of 160F for duration

of 4 to 6 hours is appropriate for whole-house treatment of fungi.

>

> Most microorganisms that inhabit our structures live within

a specific range of temperatures that is conducive to their growth

and amplification, and it generally resembles temperatures similar to

what we humans like - the mesophiles.

>

>

> Structural Pasteurization is a Complex Process

>

> In structural pasteurization, the key is reaching a target

temperature, sustaining that temperature for a specific amount of

time, and maintaining an equal distribution uniformity of that

temperature throughout the structure or portion of the structure

being treated. Reaching and maintaining a temperature of 160F for

several hours is a complex task that requires highly skilled

technicians. It requires a thorough knowledge of the heating

equipment, treatment processes, building components, and thermal

dynamics. Certified heat technicians must be thoroughly trained and

experienced in heating structures.

>

> Buildings are complex and use a variety of building

materials of varying physical properties, thermal mass, and

conductivity. Some building components and contents are not tolerant

of pasteurization temperatures, and must therefore be protected or

removed prior to heating. Safety for the structure, its contents, and

the technicians applying heat is always a concern. The process

requires a specifically engineered process applied in a safe and

diligent manner that will vary according to the building, the

environment, the target organism and extent of growth, distribution

uniformity, air pressures, HEPA-filtration requirements, temperature

sensing, thermal imaging, humidity, moisture content, and a host of

other relevant criteria.

>

>

> What About Efficacy?

>

> Does structural pasteurization kill mold? Yes. Will it kill

all the mold in all the spaces of a building and remove all the

biomass associated with mold growth and amplification? No! But

neither will conventional mold remediation methods or processes.

>

> Can structural pasteurization meet the same level of

clearance as conventional mold remediation? Yes. The current standard

of care for achieving clearance (i.e. a condition fit for re-

occupancy) is based on the comparison of indoor mold spore

concentrations to outdoors. There are hundreds of projects conducted

by consultants and laboratories providing post-treatment analysis of

remediation projects using structural pasteurization, and most

clearance results demonstrate that the process achieved lower

concentrations of both viable and nonviable microorganisms, and

resulted in lower concentrations of airborne biomass, than did

traditional remediation.

>

> Some consultants question the efficacy of the process for

the mitigation of allergens and mycotoxins. These are both complex

issues. Mycotoxins are chemicals (e.g., fungal metabolites), and

although high temperatures will oxidize some of them and air

filtration will remove some of them, pasteurization temperatures will

not mitigate all of them. Pasteurization temperatures will also

impact allergens, reducing some but not all of them.

>

>

> It is interesting to note that this issue is not of great

concern with all remediation methods. Few, if any, specifications

exist that require mycotoxins and/or allergens to be reduced to

specific levels, and neither are mycotoxin nor allergen

concentrations typically found in clearance standards. Yet these

issues have become a major item of debate for critics of thermal

remediation.

>

> It is important to look at the structural pasteurization

technology as an additional tool, not as a replacement method. In

situations where the best available control technology is needed, the

addition of structural pasteurization to traditional remediation will

provide significantly increased value and benefit. Whenever possible

or practical, gross remediation should be used to remove accessible

biomass. The reality is that everyone and every method leaves

biological materials behind all the time; no living space is sterile

post-abatement. Knowing this, we measure the acceptability of

occupancy by evaluating the indoor concentration of aerosols in air,

or on surfaces, and compare results to practical standards. If indoor

air concentrations are acceptable, we ignore what is left behind.

This is logical because mold is ubiquitous and we cannot, nor would

we want to, eliminate it in entirety; it is not practical to do so.

Moreover, structures that have had thermal remediation often have a

much lower concentration of viable spores left behind.

>

> Structural pasteurization: another weapon to consider in

the remediator's battle with mold.

>

> To be removed from this mailing please reply to this email

with the " Remove " typed into the subject.

>

[Guest guest]

Ken –

It’s been discussed – perhaps you should

review the archives. I was certainly not asking for another ad nauseam

discussion, just asking a simple question..

There are many qualified professionals who contribute to

this group. What exactly is YOUR area of expertise to comment on “state

of the art” microbial remediation tools? Conducted any assessments

lately? Written any microbial remediation protocols?

We now are aware that you are a proponent of both ozone

and ThermaPure’s technology. That’s great – but WHAT DO

YOU DO??? Not a tough question.

Arrrggghh.

Stacey Champion

* Ad nauseam is a Latin

term used to describe something that has been continuing " to the point of nausea. " For

example " This topic has been discussed ad

nauseam " : it has been discussed extensively and everyone is

tired of it.

* Argumentum ad nauseam or argument from repetition

or argumentum ad infinitum is a

flawed argument, whereby some statement is made repeatedly (possibly by different

people) until nobody cares to refute it anymore, at which point the statement

is asserted to be true because it is no longer challenged. This is a form of proof by assertion.

From: iequality [mailto:iequality ] On Behalf Of kengib .

Sent: Saturday, November 18, 2006

12:08 PM

To: iequality

Subject: Re: FW:

ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control Technology for

Mold

Dear Stacey,

Thanks for calling our attention to this great article by our own

Geyer, PE, CIH, etc and etc.

Maybe would be available to openly discuss the process

here in a short educational seminar for the benefit of any skeptics.

Isn't it fantastic we have a professional engineer among us with

expertise in this state of the art tool for microbial remediation?

Let's ask him.

Ken Gibala

=============================

ThermaPure + Traditional

Remediation: Best Available Control Technology for Mold

Photo courtesy of Alliance

Environmental

DryAir equipment is used to pasteurize a Calif.

home.

ThermaPure®

+ Traditional Remediation

Best Available Control Technology

Dear

Stacey Champion,

Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP wrote a significant

article that was published in the November 2006 issue of ICS Cleaning Specialist. In this

article Geyer demonstrates the power of heat and how the best

available control technology is using structural pasteurization® in

conjunction with traditional remediation.

" In situations where the best available

control technology is needed, the addition of structural pasteurization to

traditional remediation will provide significantly increased value and

benefit, " writes Geyer.

ThermaPure® licensees are specially trained on

using high temperatures for microbial remediation. To learn more about

this process or to use this process on a project please contact me at (800)

375-7786 or visit our website at www.thermapure.com.

Sincerely,

Medina

Marketing Manager

Mold

Remediation with Heat

By Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP

There

is a debate raging in the field of mitigation and remediation of bacteria,

viruses, mold and other indoor biological contaminants, such as insects. That

debate focuses on the two main treatment methods: heat or traditional

remediation.

Structural heating, also known as structural pasteurization, is a process

that essentially pasteurizes a building, or a portion of the building. This

is a chemical-free process, and is much more complex than simply applying

heat to a structure or an architectural element. In general, the process

heats a structure either directly, via propane-fired heaters, or indirectly

via boilers outside the structure that provide a heated medium to heat

exchangers placed within the structure. In addition to heating, the process

employs a large number of fans and ducting to evenly distribute heated air

within the building and/or treatment area, and heat-tolerant fan units

equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to scrub the air

clean and physically remove biomass and aerosols.

Treats

Different Size Areas

Structural

pasteurization is very scalable, i.e., it can be used on small areas, such as

under a kitchen cabinet where a dishwasher's waterline popped loose, or it

can be used to heat entire structures (e.g. a single family dwelling) or

individual floors of structures (e.g. a multi-story health-care facility or

multi-family building).

Structural pasteurization has the ability to heat interstitial and

inaccessible spaces, and penetrate into architectural elements, drying and

killing biological organisms in their place, something that conventional mold

abatement methods cannot do. It is best used in conjunction with the gross

removal of contaminated architectural elements, the cleaning of accessible

surfaces, and leaving sound elements in place and inaccessible surfaces

undisturbed. Once gross removal and surface cleaning is complete, the

treatment will dry moist building materials, oxidize odors, kill most

biologicals, and physically remove significant amounts of aerosols and

biomass associated with the event that caused the mold to initially colonize

and grow.

Conventional physical remove-and-replace methods often demolish and throw out

significant quantities of non-damaged building materials in order to access

inaccessible and un-occupied spaces, such as wall cavities, in the quest to

scrub and remove minor mold colonization. While this may be warranted for

building materials that have become unsound due to excessive moisture and

loss of integrity, there is, more often than not, a large quantity of

building materials that are marginally affected by moisture and mold

colonization, and are therefore otherwise sound and aesthetically acceptable.

In these areas, surface cleaning and restoration is warranted. Structural

pasteurization can mitigate the remaining moisture that is promoting

biological growth and kill the colonization without the expense of removal,

rebuilding, and the inherent loss of use.

High

Temperatures Kill Indoor Biological Contaminants

Structural

pasteurization is based on the age-old science that as you increase

temperature, the number of viable organisms decreases. This is why we cook

our food, pasteurize our milk, and keep cooked foods above 140F at the buffet

line.

Recently, Dr. Ralph Moon of HSA Environmental provided Association of

Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration members with a presentation on

thermal remediation. Dr. Moon presented the approximate upper limit for

survival of fungi at 132F to 140F. In a related article, Dr. Harriet Burge of

EM Labs recently stated that available literature reports that a temperature

of 160F for duration of 4 to 6 hours is appropriate for whole-house treatment

of fungi.

Most microorganisms that inhabit our structures live within a specific range

of temperatures that is conducive to their growth and amplification, and it

generally resembles temperatures similar to what we humans like - the

mesophiles.

Structural

Pasteurization is a Complex Process

In

structural pasteurization, the key is reaching a target temperature,

sustaining that temperature for a specific amount of time, and maintaining an

equal distribution uniformity of that temperature throughout the structure or

portion of the structure being treated. Reaching and maintaining a

temperature of 160F for several hours is a complex task that requires highly

skilled technicians. It requires a thorough knowledge of the heating

equipment, treatment processes, building components, and thermal dynamics.

Certified heat technicians must be thoroughly trained and experienced in

heating structures.

Buildings are complex and use a variety of building materials of varying

physical properties, thermal mass, and conductivity. Some building components

and contents are not tolerant of pasteurization temperatures, and must

therefore be protected or removed prior to heating. Safety for the structure,

its contents, and the technicians applying heat is always a concern. The

process requires a specifically engineered process applied in a safe and

diligent manner that will vary according to the building, the environment,

the target organism and extent of growth, distribution uniformity, air

pressures, HEPA-filtration requirements, temperature sensing, thermal

imaging, humidity, moisture content, and a host of other relevant criteria.

What

About Efficacy?

Does

structural pasteurization kill mold? Yes. Will it kill all the mold in all

the spaces of a building and remove all the biomass associated with mold

growth and amplification? No! But neither will conventional mold remediation

methods or processes.

Can structural pasteurization meet the same level of clearance as

conventional mold remediation? Yes. The current standard of care for

achieving clearance (i.e. a condition fit for re-occupancy) is based on the

comparison of indoor mold spore concentrations to outdoors. There are

hundreds of projects conducted by consultants and laboratories providing

post-treatment analysis of remediation projects using structural

pasteurization, and most clearance results demonstrate that the process

achieved lower concentrations of both viable and nonviable microorganisms,

and resulted in lower concentrations of airborne biomass, than did

traditional remediation.

Some consultants question the efficacy of the process for the mitigation of

allergens and mycotoxins. These are both complex issues. Mycotoxins are

chemicals (e.g., fungal metabolites), and although high temperatures

will oxidize some of them and air filtration will remove some of them,

pasteurization temperatures will not mitigate all of them. Pasteurization

temperatures will also impact allergens, reducing some but not all of them.

It is interesting to note that this issue is not of great concern with all

remediation methods Few, if any, specifications exist that require mycotoxins

and/or allergens to be reduced to specific levels, and neither are mycotoxin

nor allergen concentrations typically found in clearance standards. Yet these

issues have become a major item of debate for critics of thermal remediation.

It is important to look at the structural pasteurization technology as an

additional tool, not as a replacement method. In situations where the best

available control technology is needed, the addition of structural

pasteurization to traditional remediation will provide significantly

increased value and benefit. Whenever possible or practical, gross

remediation should be used to remove accessible biomass. The reality is that

everyone and every method leaves biological materials behind all the time; no

living space is sterile post-abatement. Knowing this, we measure the

acceptability of occupancy by evaluating the indoor concentration of aerosols

in air, or on surfaces, and compare results to practical standards. If indoor

air concentrations are acceptable, we ignore what is left behind. This is

logical because mold is ubiquitous and we cannot, nor would we want to,

eliminate it in entirety; it is not practical to do so. Moreover, structures

that have had thermal remediation often have a much lower concentration of

viable spores left behind.

Structural pasteurization: another weapon to consider in the remediator's

battle with mold.

To be

removed from this mailing please reply to this email with the

" Remove " typed into the subject.

[Guest guest]

If you attend a conference (AIHA, IAQA, etc.), the exhibitors will usually have the attendee list (including the emails). That's part of the reasons that they charge the exhibitors a lot of money. Attendees write down their email address because they want to receive good information. However, if you ever requested to be removed from their emailing list, they cannot send you emails again even they got your email address from another source after your request. Unless you use a different email address, then they won't know that you are the same person. Wei Tang QLab Stacey Champion wrote: Just curious as to whether or not other iequality folks got this too. I asked to be removed, but am not sure how I ended up on their list in the first place… -S.C. From: pmedinathermapure [mailto:pmedinathermapure] Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 5:25 PMTo: scchampionindoorsSubject: ThermaPure + Traditional Remediation: Best Available Control Technology for Mold Photo courtesy of Alliance Environmental DryAir equipment is used to pasteurize a Calif. home. ThermaPure® + Traditional RemediationBest Available Control Technology Dear Stacey Champion, Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP wrote a significant article that was published in the November 2006 issue of ICS Cleaning Specialist. In this article Geyer demonstrates the power of heat and how the best available control technology is using structural pasteurization® in conjunction with traditional remediation.

“In situations where the best available control technology is needed, the addition of structural pasteurization to traditional remediation will provide significantly increased value and benefit,” writes Geyer. ThermaPure® licensees are specially trained on using high temperatures for microbial remediation. To learn more about this process or to use this process on a

project please contact me at or visit our website at www.thermapure.com. Sincerely, Medina Marketing Manager Mold Remediation with Heat By Geyer, PE, CIH, CSP There is a debate raging in the field of mitigation and remediation of bacteria, viruses, mold and other indoor biological contaminants, such as insects. That debate focuses on the two main treatment methods: heat or traditional remediation. Structural heating, also known as structural pasteurization, is a process that essentially pasteurizes a building, or a portion of the building. This is a chemical-free process, and is much more complex than simply applying heat to a structure or an architectural element. In general, the process heats a structure either directly, via propane-fired heaters, or indirectly via boilers outside the structure that provide a heated medium to heat exchangers placed within the structure. In addition to heating, the process

employs a large number of fans and ducting to evenly distribute heated air within the building and/or treatment area, and heat-tolerant fan units equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to scrub the air clean and physically remove biomass and aerosols. Treats Different Size Areas Structural pasteurization is very scalable, i.e., it can be used on small areas, such as under a kitchen cabinet where a dishwasher’s waterline popped loose, or it can be used to heat entire structures (e.g. a single family dwelling) or individual floors of structures (e.g. a multi-story

health-care facility or multi-family building). Structural pasteurization has the ability to heat interstitial and inaccessible spaces, and penetrate into architectural elements, drying and killing biological organisms in their place, something that conventional mold abatement methods cannot do. It is best used in conjunction with the gross removal of contaminated architectural elements, the cleaning of accessible surfaces, and leaving sound elements in place and inaccessible surfaces undisturbed. Once gross removal and surface cleaning is complete, the treatment will dry moist building materials, oxidize odors, kill most biologicals, and physically remove significant amounts of aerosols and biomass associated with the event that caused the mold to initially colonize and grow. Conventional physical remove-and-replace methods often demolish and throw out significant quantities of non-damaged building materials in order to access inaccessible and un-occupied

spaces, such as wall cavities, in the quest to scrub and remove minor mold colonization. While this may be warranted for building materials that have become unsound due to excessive moisture and loss of integrity, there is, more often than not, a large quantity of building materials that are marginally affected by moisture and mold colonization, and are therefore otherwise sound and aesthetically acceptable. In these areas, surface cleaning and restoration is warranted. Structural pasteurization can mitigate the remaining moisture that is promoting biological growth and kill the colonization without the expense of removal, rebuilding, and the inherent loss of use. High Temperatures Kill Indoor Biological Contaminants

Structural pasteurization is based on the age-old science that as you increase temperature, the number of viable organisms decreases. This is why we cook our food, pasteurize our milk, and keep cooked foods above 140F at the buffet line. Recently, Dr. Ralph Moon of HSA Environmental provided Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration members with a presentation on thermal remediation. Dr. Moon presented the approximate upper limit for survival of fungi at 132F to 140F. In a related article, Dr. Harriet Burge of EM Labs recently stated that available literature reports that a temperature of 160F for duration of 4 to 6 hours is appropriate for whole-house treatment of fungi. Most microorganisms that inhabit our structures live within a specific range of temperatures that is conducive to their growth and

amplification, and it generally resembles temperatures similar to what we humans like – the mesophiles. Structural Pasteurization is a Complex Process In structural pasteurization, the key is reaching a target temperature, sustaining that temperature for a specific amount of time, and maintaining an equal distribution uniformity of that temperature throughout the structure or portion of the structure being treated. Reaching and maintaining a temperature of 160F for several hours is a complex task that requires highly skilled technicians. It requires a thorough knowledge of the heating

equipment, treatment processes, building components, and thermal dynamics. Certified heat technicians must be thoroughly trained and experienced in heating structures. Buildings are complex and use a variety of building materials of varying physical properties, thermal mass, and conductivity. Some building components and contents are not tolerant of pasteurization temperatures, and must therefore be protected or removed prior to heating. Safety for the structure, its contents, and the technicians applying heat is always a concern. The process requires a specifically engineered process applied in a safe and diligent manner that will vary according to the building, the environment, the target organism and extent of growth, distribution uniformity, air pressures, HEPA-filtration requirements, temperature sensing, thermal imaging, humidity, moisture content, and a host of other relevant criteria. What About Efficacy? Does structural pasteurization kill mold? Yes. Will it kill all the mold in all the spaces of a building and remove all the biomass associated with mold growth and amplification? No! But neither will conventional mold remediation methods or processes. Can structural pasteurization meet the same level of clearance as conventional mold remediation? Yes. The current standard of care for achieving clearance (i.e. a condition fit for re-occupancy) is based on the comparison of indoor mold spore concentrations to outdoors. There are hundreds of projects conducted by consultants and laboratories providing post-treatment analysis of

remediation projects using structural pasteurization, and most clearance results demonstrate that the process achieved lower concentrations of both viable and nonviable microorganisms, and resulted in lower concentrations of airborne biomass, than did traditional remediation. Some consultants question the efficacy of the process for the mitigation of allergens and mycotoxins. These are both complex issues. Mycotoxins are chemicals (e.g., fungal metabolites), and although high temperatures will oxidize some of them and air filtration will remove some of them, pasteurization temperatures will not mitigate all of them. Pasteurization temperatures will also impact allergens, reducing some but not all of them. It is interesting to note that this issue is not of great concern with all remediation methods. Few, if any, specifications exist

that require mycotoxins and/or allergens to be reduced to specific levels, and neither are mycotoxin nor allergen concentrations typically found in clearance standards. Yet these issues have become a major item of debate for critics of thermal remediation. It is important to look at the structural pasteurization technology as an additional tool, not as a replacement method. In situations where the best available control technology is needed, the addition of structural pasteurization to traditional remediation will provide significantly increased value and benefit. Whenever possible or practical, gross remediation should be used to remove accessible biomass. The reality is that everyone and every method leaves biological materials behind all the time; no living space is sterile post-abatement. Knowing this, we measure the acceptability of occupancy by evaluating the indoor concentration of aerosols in air, or on surfaces, and compare results to practical standards.

If indoor air concentrations are acceptable, we ignore what is left behind. This is logical because mold is ubiquitous and we cannot, nor would we want to, eliminate it in entirety; it is not practical to do so. Moreover, structures that have had thermal remediation often have a much lower concentration of viable spores left behind. Structural pasteurization: another weapon to consider in the remediator’s battle with mold. To be removed from this mailing please reply to this email with the “Remove” typed into the subject. Wei Tang, Ph.D.Lab Director QLab5

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