For the building community if you have mold go directly to assessment and remediation.
Hospitals are advised to follow environmental guidelines from organizations like CDC and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). Labeled Dust busters by the American Institute (AIA) has issued Revised standard targeting airborne IC threats from construction. According to AIA you must have a working relationship with infection control practitioners and if not you better act real soon. JCAHO’s latest EC revision (EC.3.2.1), became effective on January 1, 2002, which mandates the requirement for you to work with Infectious Control (IC) staff and others to assess the risk renovation, construction, and demolition projects assessing patient safety. The updated standard complements and is a counterpart of the American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) 20001 Guidelines for design and Construction of Hospital and Health Care Facilities, which was released last spring. Visit our links at the very bottom of this page to all regulators and related compliance organizations.

Written as a minimum standard, the current design and construction projects have already exceeded these guidelines. The impulse; airborne mold and fungi spores-which can be released in dust generated by construction and renovation projects-contribute to the deaths of at least 5,000 patients each year. Some fungi such as Aspergillus are so deadly that a single spore settled into the lung of an immunocompromised patient can be fatal. Among bone marrow transplant patients, morality rates according to the CDC can be as high as 95% When combined with an increase in solid organ transplants and new chemotherapy regimens for leukemia patients, construction-related could create dust, an even greater dilemma.

Balancing the new guidelines the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) pushed for the inclusion of epidemiologists. The clinical representation utilized in combination with the design expertise of AIA and ASHE created a well balanced desired result.

In accordance with the AIA guidelines, JCAHO has more than 40 states requiring an Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) during the scheduling and planning phases of construction and renovation projects. JCAHO’s EC.3.21 mandates a “proactive risk assessment” to establish what effect a projected plan could have on air quality, infection control, utilities, noise, vibration and emergency procedures.

The ICRA only needs to address areas anticipated to be affected by a projected plan. And act accordingly to the recommendations from a multidisciplinary panel with expertise in infectious disease, infection control, risk management, facility design, engineering, construction, ventilation, safety and epidemiology.

Portable Air Scrubber for
Creating negative pressure during construction and restoration projects:

Biological Controls’ MICROCON® AS is a portable air scrubber and negative air machine that can vent to the outside. When utilized properly it will assist you with your project and mold abatement issues while keeping you in compliance. We here at Biological Controls highly recommend, visiting our online catalog page (link below) for an overview of a much broader picture to compliance.

Our hospital air purification systems with HEPA filtration can be equipped with UV Germicidal irradiation. The MICROCON® 800/400 series is the only patented mobile air purifier with CIRCUMFLOW® which creates a 360* air flow pattern and removes contaminated air from your breathing zone and meets or exceeds CDC recommendations for required air exchange rates. Equipment and systems which will far exceed not only construction projects compliance but the much larger issues within a hospital by being compliant with the guidelines and requirements of the AIA, CDC, JCAHO. All hospital rooms, isolation rooms, and all adjacent areas of your facility, which can be exposed to airborne pathogens and infectious airborne diseases. LINK TO CATALOG PAGE.

OTHER PRECAUTIONS in Mold Abatement and Utilizing the MICROCON® AS Air Scrubber

Moisture trapped in wall cavities mainly from leaky pipes or any number of other case scenarios, moisture is the first condition that must be present for a fungi mold spore to grow. In need of the right temperature and a carbon based material for a spore to feed on, the spores will then start to multiply very quickly. A mold spore will germinate in about four (4) hours once it is moisturized by getting wet.

There are a documented 260 different species of mold. Aspergillus, a species of mold competent of maturing at body temperature, is often deadly for persons who have become infected with invasive aspergillus, the actual disease. Estimates from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that health care associated infections affect at least two (2) million patients a year, accountable for 90,000 deaths of which 1000 are aspergillus related.

Mold and mildew absorb the organic world. These harmful matters include noxious organic substances that act as irritants, allergens, immunogenic agents, and toxic agents. They’re a disturbance and a problem whether spores are viable or not, their poisonous. Health effects from allergens include rhinitis, asthma, chronic and acute sinusitis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS) is well known in the workplace. Exposure if long term can result in mycotoxicosis specifically respiratory and cytotoxic/meaning cell death. Neurologic and fatigue are related symptoms.

Concerns of contractors regarding Mold & Mold Abatement is the uneasiness over health issues and property destruction caused by mold, which is at an all time high. In the North, estimates acknowledge approximately 30 percent of all city and suburban homes have mold. Public buildings, schools and hospitals also have high rates of mold. Mold is the highest profile Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) issue and mold remediation the fastest growing IAQ service! MICROCON® AS Air Scrubber is used by contractors in this mold remediation.

Causes of Indoor Mold Growth? Mold expands intrinsically on any organic substance or building material comprised of wood, spectrate of any kind, wallpaper, drywall, fabrics, ducting, insulation, carpeting, paint, and adhesives. Mold is in the air and when it finds a home on an indoor moist spot with hardly any UV light, it assimilates. Thousands of microscopic spores released into the environment while the destructive organism damages the materials on which they multiply. Mold and mildew are not the same, but they both contain enzymes and spores. Deceitful and treacherous mold, at its very early stages, is somewhat natural and unassuming. The enzymes being introduced to moisture and organic matter create the decomposition process. Spores are the manner of reproduction and the major health dilemma. Mold and mildew exposure cause Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS) or Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP). An ODTS episode after a solarity heavy lay open exposure to an allergen and can result in permanent lung damage, whereas HP requires repeated lay open exposures. At present there are no federal regulations on the assessment and/or remediation of mold, mildew or fungi in homes, the business world or public dwellings. The EPA is developing permissible exposure limits and standardized sampling protocols.

Undistinguished and unremediated mold in the indoor environments however, can be consequential and expensive as most any environmental hazards, if not remediated in the early stages. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and heavy rain creating water incursions and dampening of buildings are the primary cause of mold. Mold can survive when the relative humidity exceeds 60 percent and moisture (water) is present. Stationary water, water soaked damaged materials and wet exteriors also serve as a mold strain. Essentially the only way to eliminate all mold and fungi mold spores in the indoor environment is moisture control.

Mold testing, control, remediation and preventive maintenance can be achieved through the use of mold abatement equipment, MICROCON® AS Air Scrubber and air purification systems offered herein by Biological Controls.

Additional Resources

Click here for a list of useful links.

The MICROCON® AS Portable Air Scrubber
Creating negative pressure during construction and restoration projects

Biological Controls’ MICROCON® AS Air Scrubber is a HEPA filtered combination air scrubber and negative air machine utilized in mold abatement. MICROCON® AS is a portable air scrubber for creating negative air pressure in the demolishing, reconstructive, construction area and disaster projects. It is specifically designed for removal and containment of airborne pollutants such as mold spores and other hazardous airborne debris generated during the remediation process. Designed for versatility and portability, it can be utilized as either a negative air machine or air scrubber. During remediation activities significant amounts of airborne particulate, mold spores, bioaerosols, gas phase pollutants and odors are continually generated. HEPA filtration with a high CFM capacity. Designed utilizing a recessed control panel with pressure gauge, hi/off/low rocker switch, circuit breaker, and electronic digital hour meter.

The unit can be setup to create negative pressure by drawing air from an enclosed space using flexible ducting. This will allow contamination to be contained and prevent migration of pollutants outside the pressurized area during the construction process. As an air scrubber it is portable, compact, lightweight, and maneuverable for an individual to transport. Making it ideal for small volume applications and where space restrictions exist.

The MICROCON® AS Portable Air Scrubber will provide high volume air changes of HEPA filtered air to achieve the required air changes per hour (ACH). For in-room air cleaning and the removal of gas phase pollutants the addition of a carbon cell filter is needed.

The housing is heavy duty galvanized steel with a baked on enamel finish. Equipped with two convenient sturdy carrying handles, which are fastened to the top surface. A front mounted recessed panel houses a magnehelic gauge to monitor filter performance, a resettable digital hour meter to register usage, an illuminated rocker switch indicates operation and a resettable surface mounted circuit breaker. The fan is maintenance-free and the certified HEPA filter is a high capacity design with a self sealing disposable ring panel pre-filter.

A carbon cell can also be added. Filter change-out is easy and safe. Hazardous filters can be removed safely using a bag-out disposal system. A 10" duct collar is attached to the inlet face and air is exhausted through a 6" x 9" duct opening. An optional steel panel with a 10" duct collar can be attached over the exhaust opening for flex duct attachment.

Optional: MICROCON® AS Air Scrubber - UV units are also available with the addition of UV germicidal lamps downstream of the HEPA filter.