Air Purification - What to Choose?

Indoor Air Purification - What to Choose?

We live in a toxic world, no surprise! Over the past 50+ years we have increasingly seen the impacts that air-tight, energy efficient buildings have on occupants who are exposed constantly to many of those toxins as they are emitted, produced, or re-circulated throughout their spaces. Your home may be the ONLY place you can control such exposures and it should become a ‘safe haven’ to provide recovery from all those toxins you can’t get away from elsewhere.

When it comes to controlling and reducing indoor environmental toxins and contaminants it is essential to include air purification processes in your plan. While this industry has grown tremendously in recent years, there are many product claims made that can’t be validated, so it’s very confusing to navigate through these choices. Fortunately there are a few stand- out tried and true technologies that outshine in performance and effectiveness. We have personally used these and recommended them to our hundreds of clients over the past 27 years very successfully.

Air purification, no matter the technology, is divided into either ‘PASSIVE’ or ‘ACTIVE’. Think mouse-trap vs prowling cat. A mouse-trap may sit in the corner and can’t do a thing unless the mouse comes to it and is entrapped. That is passive. On the other hand, if you have a cat in the home, it may be prowling, seeking, hunting and finding that mouse where it’s hiding. That’s active.

Likewise, with air purification, passive types would be those that require air to process through them, the most common example being a filter. Contaminants that never get to the filter would not be processed or impacted by the system. Filters are limited in ability to draw air to them. Even a ‘whole-house’ filter will have very limited capacity to collect from dead air pockets, stale air in tight spaces, from around obstacles or from surfaces. In addition, filters can only trap particles down to a designated particle size. Since even nano-sized particles of the exudate of bio-contaminants are prevalent in the indoor environment this is a very real limitation. Many toxic particles can pass right through a filter and recirculate back into the breathing space. So, even though filtration is essential, it can’t be the TOTAL solution.

Some filtration systems also have adsorbent filters, ie charcoal for volatile organic compound capture. These can be helpful in some reduction but we have not found significant changes in pre and post testing for VOC contaminants in many cases.

Another passive type air cleaner is the UV light. These are most often placed in the air handler at the cooling coil area of the AC to help reduce microbial growth. They have a very limited ability to have impacts on bio-contaminants that are not in close vicinity to them and some traveling pollutants can pass by it too quickly in the airflow to have been ‘deactivated’. Many cooling coil assemblies are A shaped or like an upside down V. A single UV light can’t shine on all sides of the coil fins where much of the contamination can occur. This is a serious limitation to consider.

Active types of air purification are those that produce elements that cleanse the air AND surfaces within the supplied environment without dependence on gathering the pollutants to

a central location. These fall into the ionization production (negative ions, bi-polar ions, multi- clustered ions, di-electric barrier ions etc), and PCO-like-types of photo-catalytic oxidation that have more impact on the indoor environment with purification processes that ‘reach out’ into those spaces.

Some of these active purifiers produce ozone as a design, some as a by-product, and some with NO measurable ozone production. UV lightwaves can be utilized that are non-ozone producing and/or a dual wavelength that can both make ozone and destroy ozone instantaneously to produce the photo-catalytic ionization effect, but have no residual measurable ozone in the supplied environment. How these various technological components work together to process out the contaminants in air and on surfaces is a technical subject. There is a great deal of information and credible testing results available to support the efficacy and safety of some of these products, with ongoing studies and new developments continuing.

Ozone often gets a ‘bad rap’ due to the misunderstanding of it’s presence in natural fresh outdoor air. It is a component of outdoor air but only in very low levels is it considered ‘natural’. EPA considers ozone to be ‘fresh air levels’ when it is less than 0.05 parts per million or 5 parts per billion. Anything over that level is considered ozone production or ozone generating. In higher levels ozone can be very irritating, causing respiratory distress. This happens outdoors on highly polluted days where ozone rises with the level of pollution being generated and we get ‘ozone alerts’.

We never recommend using any ozone in indoor occupied spaces unless it is well within fresh outdoor air levels and known to be well-tolerated by any exposed occupants. Over many years of working with our most sensitive clients and various types of air purifiers it is our policy to not use any ozone-producing units in occupied spaces. We do sometimes recommend limited and controlled treatments of unoccupied rooms or contents with ozone when we are able to coach our clients through the process.

Ozone has been in use as a mycotoxin degradation tool in food sources, and there is ample research in the agricultural world for this function. It is effective and does not leave unwanted by-products or changes in the food quality. We have yet to find adequate studies on indoor environmental mycotoxin and other bio-toxin reduction or degradation using ozone.

Speaking of fresh air, how much fresh air is your home getting? Do you open windows? Most people don’t do much of that. Fresh air from outdoors can help dilute indoor air pollutants, especially chemicals. Exchanging some of your stale bad air for fresh outdoor air can really improve the indoor environment. The problem is, how do you keep out the humidity, pollens, allergens, toxins etc? There are ventilation systems that are set up within the HVAC that add a percentage of fresh air into the return to mix with your house air. It may be filtered on the way in, there may be some inline dehumidifier as part of it (in very humid climates) or it may be designed to have the filtration and dehumidification take place as a function of moving through the HVAC handler with a central filter in place.

Your HVAC pro should be well-versed in the various ventilation options and what may be best for your home but you must factor in regular maintenance. The intake ducting will no

doubt become contaminated, the filters will need to be changed, any inline dehumidifiers serviced/cleaned and some type of owner-accessible on/off switch added. You would want to close it off during an outdoor contaminant event such as nearby pesticide or herbicide applications for instance.

An added benefit to ventilation is the easier pathway for ‘new air’ or make up air to come into the home when you are running your clothes dryer, exhaust fans or moving air out of the home. Without a designed source of new air, the make up air may be coming from the crawlspace, attic, wall cavities etc that may bring nasty molds or bacteria with it. A well- designed ventilation system can be adjusted to put a slightly positive pressure in the home so polluted air would tend to push outwards instead of drawing inward.

Take your cues from the fresh air in the outdoor natural environment, away from common pollutants, where you feel like breathing deeply. If you can get anywhere close to that benefit in the indoor environment you may be reversing some of the many drawbacks found in indoor air quality control.

In my opinion, every indoor environment needs filtration, active purification, and often ventilation. Some air purifiers do both filtration and active purification, although they will obviously have some space/coverage limitations. Active air purification targeted contaminants can include molds and mycotoxins, bacterial and other bio-toxins, virus, allergens, chemical pollutants, odors and particle pollution. We, over the years, working with our ultra-sensitive clients, opt for the active purification which does not produce measurable ozone, along with adequate filtration. Client-response has been overwhelmingly positive.

The active purification must have multi-technologies to best enhance effectiveness and broad-based coverage of a supplied area. This includes ionization that is very similar to that generated outdoors in fresh air environments, combining some negative ions in a little higher ratio to positive ions. Dispersing something that produces ions is challenging because an ion neutralizes its charge when it hits an obstruction or surface. Most ion-producing equipment installed in an HVAC doesn’t change the ion levels in the airspace of the home in any significantly measurable way because it is neutralized within the ducting. For that reason I have been very selective in using ones that have proven ionization that does affect the supplied air. This is essential in enabling the ‘precipitation’ or settling-out of the tiny micro- sized particles from the air that normally hang out in the breathing zone for hours to days. Clustering the tiny non-settling particles to create larger sizes that settle more quickly from the breathing zones is important. The larger sized particles also have a greater chance of being carried to a filter for efficient capture.

Secondly, as noted above, while I see some advantages to small amounts of ozone used for air cleaning or special room/content cleaning, it often is misunderstood or is an element that some of our very environmentally sensitive clients can’t tolerate. So my second criteria is to have a no-ozone option but still have enhanced air purification. Some of our favored products can do both, treat without ozone or do special timed treatments in closed rooms with some ozone production, but these are only free-standing units, not HVAC installed.

Thirdly, in order to have the best production of the purification molecules that are combinations of hydrogen and oxygen a high quality quad-metallic (4 noble metals) target material is needed with a particular wavelength of light that creates them as it shines on the target. These molecules then enter the airspace and have an effect on airborne and surface contaminants.

Of course, we can’t say enough about having a well-executed on-site assessment of your home performed prior to providing a ‘solution plan’ for creating a healthier indoor environment. Moisture or humidity issues, mold/bacterial growth sources, high VOC emissions, high house-hold chemical use, toxic mattresses or other reservoirs of bio- contaminants etc all need to be addressed at the source first. Air purification, in my opinion, is a tool for maintaining and enhancing good air quality but should not be used as a fix-all or band-aid.

We prefer to consult our clients on what may be best for their particular situation and help them get the best pricing for their chosen products. Check with us for our latest recommendations. Tell us your story. We’d love to be a part of your journey to achieving a healthier living environment.

Linda Eicher, Cornelius NC
Co-owner, Environmental Services Group Carolinas ESGCarolinas.com
Linda@esgcarolinas.com

House Hunting Guide for Mold Ill or High-Risk Occupants

We’ve had many requests for some type of guide to follow when trying to find a healthier home, or to use as a tool to determine if a current home may have vulnerabilities to moisture and other unhealthy environmental challenges. This document was created as a starting point but is in no way inclusive of all factors that may need to be considered.

Click on this link: House Hunting Guide

Hidden Mold Investigation Case Summary

This home was initially inspected primarily for molds with limited non-invasive methods. The family had lived in the home for several years but the husband was experiencing symptoms that his doctor diagnosed as mold-related. One particular area of the home where he felt almost immediate symptoms upon entering was the master bathroom and attached master closet. 

The lab analysis results from dust sampling taken at this time revealed some elevation of a water damage indicator mold called Chaetomium globosum, a mold associated with mycotoxin production. Additional molds of concern among the Aspergillus species were also significant.

 A second-phase inspection was scheduled after noting an area of the master bathroom where some painted-over patching had been done. Suspected hidden mold from a previous leak needed to be found invasively. This was performed in conjunction with a remediation contractor so containment and engineering controls could be implemented. 

After a small area of ceiling and upper wall was opened it was evident that the sheetrock backing was moldy. A surface sample was taken for lab ID and found to be Chaetomium, Aspergillus, Bispora and Alternaria. 

The investigative holes were temporarily patched and the contained area cleaned of residual dust along with the use of a HEPA scrubber air filter while plans were made to have the area remediated. Once remediation commenced a much broader area of water damage and mold growth was found inside the ceiling and the wall cavity. 

Post-remediation testing passed set criteria. The openings into the attic and wall cavity were temporarily sealed with plastic and tape until build-back took place. The sensitized occupant noted he was no longer experiencing symptoms when in the master bathroom. 

The question that often comes up is how much can hidden mold inside the building envelope effect occupants? There is no simple answer because so many people have no observed reactions while others can have an immediate and profound response. We do know there is a genetic factor involved that makes about a quarter of the population especially susceptible to mold and bio-toxin exposures. 

Care should always be taken when performing an invasive mold investigation since even tiny amounts of released mold spores/fragments and toxins can cause sensitized occupants to become ill. We find it best to coordinate this with a mold remediation contractor as a second-phase of the assessment process so the area can be contained and put under proper engineering controls. At the most on a first visit we may do a cavity air sample which only requires a hole about 3/8” to insert the tube and use the same hole to view inside the cavity with an endoscope. This may not be as definitive as a larger opening, but could mean less risk of releasing the contaminants. Either way there will be some damage to the finished surfaces which will be sealed but not fully repaired.

Linda Eicher is co-owner of Environmental Services Group Carolinas LLC. She and her husband John have dedicated the past 23 years to the indoor environmental health field. They specialize in helping environmentally ill and sensitive people identify the contaminants in their homes and workplaces and guide them through the process of creating a healthier indoor environment. Linda is also an author and educator, providing course work in specialized areas of Advanced Assessment and Remediation for Mold and IAQ Professionals, serving in this role for NORMI (National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors) since 2008.

©2018 Linda Eicher All Rights Reserved

"I'll Just Have Water Please"

That's what we say to our waiters when we aren't ordering a beverage, right? Have you ever been served water at a restaurant and realize it tastes so bad you might have to order a beverage after all? Sometimes I think restaurants refrain from using water filters for that very purpose! Anyway, that's not really the point of this article, but I wanted to bring you to a realization that tap water isn't always very drinkable. Now, assuming you're a reader from the US where most drinking water is supplied through public systems, you've probably had this experience. Water can carry many components that create poor taste and odor, as well as not-so-detectable ones, that may have some harmful effects. Since 70% of our bodies are made up of water, and we can only survive without it a few short days, isn't it essential to make sure the water you drink is as clean as possible?

This article is going to give you a general overview of the challenges we face with our drinking water quality. 

First of all, where does water come from? Is it limitless and renewable? We have usable access to less than 1% of all the earth's water.  Water goes through a natural process of evaporation from ground sources, into the atmosphere and back. That's over-simplification, but most of us know our water resources get low when we haven't had enough rainfall.  As water concentrates in  lakes, rivers and waterways and underground, it can carry contamination from many sources. Chemicals, heavy metals, human and animal waste, mining and factory discharge, and living organisms such as bacteria and parasites are commonly found in the earth's water.

Let's take a look at this in relation to our use of the water and our health.

From the beginning of history, one of man's biggest threats has been biologically contaminated drinking water causing disease and death for millions. In first-world countries we have overcome that danger with various disinfection processes, the most common being the use of chlorine. Now, you may not know chlorine itself is dangerous to our health and linked to cancers, but it has become a "necessary evil" in our modern world. Since most public treatment systems use chlorine and the water often comes from surface water sources such as lakes and rivers, the chlorine mixes with organics in the water and creates what is called "disinfection by-products". These are a host of chemicals that can cause even more illness and cancer. One of the primary chemicals from disinfection is called Trihalomethanes. Just this week in our region of North Carolina they reported elevated levels of this in our drinking water. 

Toxic chemicals in drinking water are becoming so common now that public awareness is beginning to increase.  Another big chemical threat is the many pharmaceuticals that get dumped into our water supplies. How does this happen? Did you ever flush an expired drug prescription down the toilet? How about the instances where illegal drugs are flushed during a drug raid? Narcotics, contraceptives, hormones, antibiotics, anti-depressants, you name it, it's probably ended up in a water source near you. And, don't forget, any drugs you take can leave your body with your waste and flush into the sewer on a daily basis. You must be saying to yourself by now, HOW does that have anything to do with drinking water? Well, brace yourself! MANY of our municipal water treatment centers are downstream from sewer treatment centers. In our area we have sewer plants discharging water into the same lakes and river system that our water treatment plants are drawing the water supply from. The term "toilet to tap" is getting very real in many areas of the country. In fact, California is already converting sewage to drinking water in the midst of severe drought.

See this short excerpt video from 60 Minutes on CA Toilet to Tap Reality

Our public water treatment systems are often aging, as are the miles of water supply lines snaking through urban areas, sometimes laying within the same trenches as the sewer lines. So, even if the treatment plant succeeded in removing all targeted contaminants (except, of course, the disinfecting chemicals and added fluoride), you have no guarantee that what comes out of your faucet is safe. 

Well water users are also vulnerable to the many ground water pollutants that can travel from miles around through underground aquifers to reach and contaminate private or community wells. Gasoline products leaking from storage tanks, toxic chemical dumping and farming chemicals are just a few ways your well water could be compromised. Microbial contaminants are also a primary concern in well water as are heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. 

So, where does that leave you and your options for healthier water? You may be one of the millions that regularly purchase bottled water, thinking it's better than your tap water. Well, maybe not! Many bottled waters are simply bottled tap water with no filtering or treatment process. Others use some form of treatment, but storing water in a plastic bottle can leach chemicals from the bottle, especially in  warmer temperatures. The bottles themselves have become a landfill issue, even heavily polluting our lakes and streams. 

To ensure you are getting the safest and healthiest water to drink, you really need to consider your own "point-of-use" water treatment. It may be confusing to choose from the many options for water filtering or water purification. In order to know what treatment your water needs you should answer some simple questions: 

1) Is your water from a city source, community well or private well?

2) Have you had a water test to screen for specific contaminants or do you have a water report from your municipal services? You can request this if you have a public water supply and some areas offer free testing. Remember, though, you may not get a comprehensive test that shows all the varied contaminants, so be careful. 

There are testing options from simple and limited home kits starting at around $20 to full analysis at nationally certified labs at upwards of $300. Understanding your water quality is a valuable tool in deciding what water treatment system is going to serve your needs. 

Filtration options are varied from simple carbon refrigerator or pitcher-type filters to multi-stage processes either at one tap or on the whole house. Added media beyond carbon can help reduce some chemicals and metals that carbon can't remove, such as fluoride. Disinfecting is an added component for well water that could be infected with e-coli or other disease-causing microbes. Point of use options also include water ionizers or alkalizers, which are gaining popularity in the US. 

You can find water quality consultants who are trained to guide you through the process of water analysis and treatment options. Be aware though, some professionals are not without bias and may be sales reps for specific water treatment systems. 

If you'd like to participate in our NORMI National Water Screening Project short survey, it will allow you to request valuable free phone consultation with the author of this article. 

Linda Eicher is an Indoor Environmental Health Professional specializing in assessing indoor air quality, water quality and mold since 1995. She is the CEO of Environmental Services Group Carolinas, LLC.  

Could You Have a Sick Home?

If you have symptoms of illness that seem to be worse or happen only when you are home, you may have a "sick" home!

• If you have had water damage that has not been professionally mitigated, you may have some hidden molds, possibly toxic.
• If you see moisture or water droplets on your Air Conditioner vents or any part of the system, you may have mold or bacteria in your ducts.
• If you have a crawlspace and it has dampness you may be getting mold in your indoor air - about 40% of the air in your home comes from your crawlspace.
• If you have poor attic ventilation, you may have mold growing on some surfaces
• If you have a plugged up or loose dryer vent hose you may have some molds, dust and allergens in your home.
• If your home is on a slab you may be getting moisture vapor coming from the ground into your carpet pad or flooring, causing hidden mold growth.
• If you home is less than seven years old, or you have remodeled, you may have high chemical fumes that can cause sensitivities and illness.
• These are only a FEW items that may be causing your home to be unhealthy.

So what can you do? Get professional counsel! We offer FREE on the phone consultations and we LISTEN to you and your concerns. 

Call us TODAY!