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Bedbugs bounce back: Outbreaks in all 50 states

THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (California)                                          
April 8, 2007 Sunday   
Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer 

Walter has stopped hugging his friends. He is throwing out his clothes and furniture, and he rarely comes out of his Tenderloin hotel room anymore. He's not suicidal, but darn near. He has bedbugs.

Nearly eradicated in the United States 50 years ago, resistant strains of "super" bedbugs are infesting mattresses at an alarming rate. In what's being touted as the biggest mystery in entomology, all 50 states are reporting outbreaks of the blood-sucking nocturnal critters. 

Pest control companies nationwide reported a 71 percent increase in bedbug calls between 2000 and 2005. Left alone, a few bedbugs can create a colony of thousands within weeks. "We never treated bedbugs until 2002. Now we have a dedicated bedbug crew working on this every day," said Luis Agurto, president of Pestec in San Francisco. Agurto's arsenal includes a vacuum, steam heat to cook the bedbug eggs and targeted spraying of insecticides. It takes three, eight-hour visits and about $500 to $750 to exterminate one room. A whole house would cost closer to $5,000. 

The bulk of Agurto's clients live in low-income hotels and shelters in the Tenderloin, but he's been called to five-star hotels and suburban homes in Walnut Creek. Bedbugs have been found in moving vans, public transit seat cushions, airplanes, college dorms and even a Bay Area meditation retreat. They spread by hitching a ride on your clothes or in your luggage and crawling off to infest your home or apartment building. 

Nearly 300 bedbug infestations were reported to San Francisco health officials in 2006, more than double the number in 2004. Most of the cases involved travelers discovering bedbugs in upscale hotels. The size and shape of a lentil, bedbugs lay eggs during the day and hide in your bed, clothing and light sockets. At night, they suck your blood, leaving itchy bumps on your skin and little bloody excretions on your sheets. They don't pass diseases, but they are incredibly difficult to exterminate, even following their blood hosts who move to new apartments trying to get away. 

The bedbug resurgence has sparked Web sites like bedbugger .com, where people share extermination tips, bite mark photos and counsel each other through the stigma. There are bedbug symposiums, cover stories in American Entomologist magazine and dozens of videos depicting infestations on YouTube. California just issued its first state bedbug guidelines, and New York lawmakers want to ban the sale of reconditioned mattresses after 4,600 bedbug cases were reported in 2006. 

"The Laundromat near my building is packed, the tenants are in there, washing everything they own and giving each other knowing glances," said Walter, who has been battling bedbugs for five weeks and fears he will be kicked out of his Tenderloin studio and made a pariah if he reveals himself.

Lady Bug, a beagle professionally trained to sniff out bedbugs, makes regular rounds with Agurto's Pestec crew in San Francisco. On Friday, the dog inspected Tina Blade's room at the Empress Hotel in the Tenderloin, smelling the bed frame, baseboards and carpet.

To Blade's relief, Lady Bug deemed the room all clear. Blade is not among the dozen people who have had bedbug infestations in the 90-room Empress, but she has been bitten at other single-room occupancy hotels in the neighborhood. 

"I'd always heard that nursery rhyme, 'Don't let the bedbugs bite,' but I never knew it was real until I moved to San Francisco," she said.

Empress manager Roberta Goodman is proactive about bedbugs. She conducts tenant meetings, keeps Pestec on call and has Lady Bug in every month to make sure the bugs are staying at bay.

"I can keep our community educated, but I can't control the guests who are coming in and out; that's why we do monthly checks," she said.

Bedbugs were nearly eradicated after World War II, when exterminators and homeowners used DDT to get rid of the pests. 

Experts say bedbugs are making a comeback because of increased global travel and a shift toward less-toxic pest control. As people are backing away from harsh chemicals and indoor spraying, the bugs are becoming increasingly resistant to the pesticides.

"We don't use as harsh chemicals as we used to, we don't spray mattresses with insecticide before selling them anymore, and the bugs are getting increasingly resistant to the few chemicals we have left," said public health biologist Laura Krueger, who wrote the new bedbug guidelines for the California Department of Health Services. 

Nearly all exterminators use pyrethroids, which are a synthetic version of pyrethrum, the substance found in chrysanthemum flowers. But last fall, at the University of Kentucky, some of the nation's best bedbug researchers delivered some sobering news -- while they could kill bedbugs born in the lab with pyrethroids, four groups of adult bedbugs brought in from the outside were unaffected.

Because bedbugs are such a new phenomenon, people don't know what to do about them and are often unwittingly making their problem worse, said Nobugsonme, a New York woman who runs the bedbugger.com Web site to help sufferers cope. 

A victim herself who wanted to remain anonymous, No bugs on me said in a phone interview with The Chronicle that a series of pest control visits is the only way to get rid of the bugs. Moving the mattress, sleeping in the living room, using a bug fogger or moving in with a friend will only relocate the bugs, she said.

"People who throw away all their possessions and battle this for months and spend thousands on pest control only to relocate and have the bugs reappear are really traumatized," she said. "They are getting only a few hours of sleep at night, they feel itchy all the time, some go to therapy over it."

Thirty percent of people don't have skin reactions to bedbug bites, and may not notice an infestation until it has gotten out of control. 

Pest control researchers are experimenting with alternatives such as steaming or freezing the bugs to death, and some New Jersey exterminators are gassing them with the termite killer Vikane. UC Berkeley urban entomologist Vernard Lewis is trying to get grant money to build a baited bedbug trap. Bedbugs give off a distinctive odor, described as rotting coconuts, and that's probably how the males and females find each other, he said. 

"If we can mimic that funk, that stink, I think we could make baits and monitor them," Lewis said.

Until the experts figure it out, bedbug sufferers will have to help each other fight back and raise awareness.

When Atlanta filmmaker Kyle Tekiela made a short bedbug film noir and put it on YouTube, he was shocked by how many people contacted him begging for help with bedbug problems. 

"Students from all over the country sent me videos of their dorm rooms," Tekiela said. "This one guy did a 360 where the ceiling meets the walls and there was a three-inch band of bedbugs all the way around."

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Online resources

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ALL ABOUT BEDBUGS BEDBUG FACTS -- Wingless insects of the family cimicidae. -- Small, flat, oval, reddish-brown body. Adults are about the size of an apple seed. -- Feed on human and animal blood. -- Active at night and bite any areas of exposed skin. -- Can infest a home and hide in crevices or cracks around beds or furniture. -- While some bites may go unnoticed, bites may also result in localized swelling and itching, and the areas may become inflamed or infected when scratched. -- Are not believed to transmit diseases to humans. -- Females lay from 200 to 500 eggs, which are covered with a glue and hatch in about 10 days. There are five progressively larger nymphal stages, each requiring a single blood meal before molting to the next stage. -- Can go without feeding for as long as 550 days. -- Can suck up to six times its weight in blood, and feeding can take 3 to 10 minutes. -- Adults live about 10 months, and there can be up to three to four generations of bedbugs per year.

Source: University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources

BEDBUG TIPS

When traveling: -- Check your hotel bed mattress for bedbugs. Look in the seams of the mattress and box spring. Look behind the headboard, and pull out the drawers and check the seams underneath the drawers. Report any bugs to the manager and move to another room, but not next door, directly above or directly below the infested room.

-- Keep your luggage on the luggage rack.

-- Vacuum your suitcase and wash all of your clothes in hot water after you return from a trip. Use dryer on hottest setting.

Day to day: -- Inspect carefully before buying used furniture. -- Use metal instead of wood bed frames. -- Live minimally -- get rid of the figurines, picture frames and clutter near your bed, which make a perfect playground for bedbugs. 

Bedbugs in your house:

-- Call a professional exterminator, who will need to make several visits over one to two months to kill all the adults and eggs.

-- Wrap your mattress and box spring with a plastic or allergen cover and place the bed legs in cups of water. -- Fill wall cracks.

-- Wash infected clothing and sheets in hot water and dry on the hottest setting to kill the bugs.

-- When discarding infected possessions, wash and double-bag them in plastic first.

-- Vacuum repeatedly, and immediately put the vacuum bag in double-plastic and discard.

-- Do not move your mattress, sleep in a different room or sleep at a friend's house -- that will guarantee spreading bedbugs to other locations.

-- Do not buy household insect sprays or bombs

-- bedbugs are resistant and will move to another room and infect more parts of your dwelling.

In San Francisco:

-- Reluctant landlords who fail to eradicate bedbugs can be reported to the San Francisco Department of Health, Environmental Health Section, (415) 252-3800. Tenants can also file a complaint at 1390 Market St., Suite 210, San Francisco.

Sources: International Bed Bug Symposium, Washington, D.C., September 2006; www.bedbugger.com 

Copyright 2007 San Francisco Chronicle
All Rights Reserved

Government Agencies Warm Up to Heat Treatment: New Applications for an Old Process

by Sean P. Abbott , Ph.D.
March 1, 2007

Government agencies, schools and other institutions have recently looked towards heat treatment as an effective solution to some common biological contamination problems. The new technology is being considered as an appropriate non-chemical approach to problems in situations where legislation requires or business climate is leaning towards environmentally responsible solutions to contamination issues.

Most of us are familiar with the term pasteurization. Pasteurization is a process to eliminate human pathogens and reduce the overall concentration of microorganisms in food and industrial processing (Stetzenbach and Yates 2003). Louis Pasteur developed heat preservation processes between 1854 and 1864 when he determined that bacteria were causing wine to spoil. Through experimentation, he discovered that when heated to a certain threshold and held for specific period of time, the bacteria could be killed without damaging the wine. Later applications for pasteurization included other liquids such as milk and fruit juices, and heat has become an important tool for reducing biological contamination and an important method of preservation throughout the food industry. Pasteurization is distinct from sterilization, which uses extreme physical or chemical means to eliminate all biological agents (for example, autoclave treatments of surgical instruments), but may adversely affect the food or other materials being sterilized (Black 1999, Doyle et al. 2001).

In recent years, indoor environmental technicians have honed the engineered application of dry heat to a whole building, a portion of the structure, or its contents, with the purpose of killing targeted organisms. The principle of this process, often termed “structural pasteurization” or “thermal disinfection,” is similar to pasteurization in that it has demonstrated that certain microorganisms are susceptible to heat and that overall microbial levels could be significantly reduced. Each organism has a specific thermal death point, and many of those inhabiting built structures fall within the range of efficacy for this process. The thermal death point for organisms, including species of insects, arthropods, fungi, bacteria and viruses, is a function of temperature and duration coupled with biomass and environmental factors. Death rates at high temperatures for short durations may be equivalent to lower temperatures for longer times.

The application of thermal disinfection processes to biological problems in structures has proved successful in a number of situations. In all cases where heat treatments are employed, the process is used in conjunction with traditional remediation methods that rely on physical removal of contaminated building materials and control of aerosols through the use of HEPA filters.

Insect Control in Schools

With the increasing public concern regarding exposure of children to chemical agents and the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs in California schools, the use of heat treatments for control of insects has recently been expanded. Insect pest control was one of the first applications of heat treatments to structures (Forbes and Ebeling 1987, Ebeling 1994), and has since found wide acceptance in the pest control industry. Effectively employing dry heat as a means of eradicating insects was pioneered by Dr. Walter Ebeling and Dr. Mike Linford at UCLA in the 1970s. The thermal death points were documented for a number of common pests and laboratory experiments were performed to confirm the efficacy of heat against all stages in the life cycle of the insects including adults, larvae and eggs.

Inside temperatures are raised to 140-150 F and structural timbers reach 120 F, maintained for one hour. Currently, heat treatment is one of only two methods approved by the State Pest Control Board of California for whole-building eradication of drywood termites (CA Dept. Consumer Affairs 1998). Other effective applications of heat treatment have been noted for the control of cockroaches in commercial buildings and bedbugs in hotels. In cases of building water intrusion, thermal disinfection may also aid in reducing the spread of mold and other fungi by controlling the insect and other arthropod vectors of dispersal.

Flood Restoration and Remediation of Sewage-Impacted Areas with Associated Bacterial CFlood Restoration and Remediation of Sewage-Impacted Areas with Associated Bacterial Contaminationontamination

A private university for photography, film and graphic arts located in Ventura County, Calif., experienced severe flooding from rainstorms in early 2005. During this period, several of the buildings on campus were impacted with water levels reaching two to three feet. A local environmental consultant was called in to determine the extent of contamination by sewage-related bacteria (Escherichia coli and other coliforms), a concern with all the flooding that had occurred through agricultural lands and widespread backup of the County sewer system. The consultant’s initial findings indicated the presence of E. coli, generally considered the most reliable indicator of contamination by human fecal waste. The university needed the facility to be dried rapidly to allow early re-occupancy of the school and prevent the growth of mold, in addition to the need to eliminate the health hazards associated with the presence of sewage bacteria.

Heat treatment was used to accomplish this objective in conjunction with physical sewage clean-up methods. Thermal death points for E. coli have been documented over a range of temperatures and durations, such as 140 F (60 C) for 45 minutes (Padhye and Doyle 1992). Temperatures at this site were elevated to 145 F to accomplish rapid drying and exceed the thermal death point of E. coli. Air circulation was increased with additional fan units and HEPA-filtered air scrubbers. Air scrubbers were used continuously to capture aerosol generated by the thermal movement and air exchange. Post-drying samples demonstrated non-detection of E. coli in all areas inspected. The university was open for business exactly one week after the flooding shut down all operations. Given the concerns expressed by facility management over use of antimicrobials, the quick and effective resolution to a potential catastrophe by using the non-chemical approach offered by heat technology demonstrated the appropriateness of the process for this application.

Hantavirus Disinfection, Yosemite National Park

The National Park Service identified approximately 44 buildings scattered throughout Yosemite National Park that required management for potential rodent infestation in order to manage the risks of park personnel contracting the potentially lethal Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). The usual vector for the virus is the deer mouse (Peromyscus species), a small rodent common in many natural and rural areas throughout North America.

The difficulties in managing rodent infestation in park buildings are numerable. Rodent activity is easily identified in occupied areas of the structures, but inaccessible areas such as attics, crawlspaces, and wall cavities are also frequently inhabited by the rodents and the presence of rodent excreta and contaminated nesting material is expected in these areas.

A study by the World Health Organization determined that Hantavirus can be inactivated by a variety of methods including chloroform, ether-alcohol, acid below pH 5.0, phenol, sodium hypochlorite, E60 cobalt irradiation and heat at 60 C for 30 minutes (Lee et al. 1999). Given the restrictions on the use of chemicals within National Parks, heat treatment was selected for use in these buildings. The thermal disinfection process monitored the elevation of temperatures in the structures to 150 F (65.6 C) for two hours, to meet or exceed the lethal temperature and time parameters established by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). This was combined with traditional physical filtration processes including cleaning using HEPA vacuums with workers outfitted in appropriate PPE and use of HEPA air filtration devices during the heating and air exchange process.

An additional benefit to using the heat process was the exclusion of rodents. Because of the gradual increase in temperature during heating, any rodents present in the building will be driven from the structure while it is easy to exit. Following the treatment, rodent exclusion techniques were applied to prevent re-entry. Other organisms such as insects, mites, fungi and bacteria were also potentially killed during the process, adding to the overall building hygiene by effectively reducing biological contaminants within these buildings.

Conclusion

The application of heat treatments of buildings and the process of thermal disinfection of the indoor environment clearly has merit in control of insect pests, rapid drying of structures, elimination of viable bacteria in sewage contamination situations and reduction of hazards of exposure to Hantavirus in buildings with rodent infestations. The process also has potential for more widespread control of microbiological organisms and may provide an additional means of combating some of the adverse health effects associated with exposure to biological material in residential and commercial buildings.

Current efficacy studies are ongoing to address the potential application of heat treatment as an aid in situations where mold and bacterial contamination has occurred due to water intrusion events. The potential for heat denaturation of proteins for reduction of some allergen levels in residential buildings is also being investigated.

ThermaPure® Saves Time, Money and Gets the Results

AAR, Inc., a ThermaPure® licensee, was contracted to remediate mold in the water damaged 4000 square foot Texas DPS Drivers License building.  The water damage impacted the ceilings, interior walls and the building envelope.  The traditional removal included removing impacted sheetrock, ceiling tile, and other affected materials.  Post remediation sampling indicated that the project had not met passing criteria.  Additional cleaning was done and once again failed clearance tests.  A review of remaining materials concluded that the remaining mold contamination was growing on a gypsum board material between the exterior cladding material and the interior metal studding.

AAR proposed ThermaPure® to kill the active mold growth within the building envelope.  The process was accepted by the consultant, TexStar Labs, and the client.  AAR placed tarps on the outside of the building and heated both the interior of the structure and the building envelope.  They preheated the building using a remote heater with heat exchange units and then used direct fired heaters to boost the temperature to the target of 160F and held it for four hours.  Negative air machines and air scrubbers were used to capture aerosol generated by thermal movements and air exchanges.

Post remediation testing was successful and the client was able to begin their build-back.  Using ThermaPure® saved the client thousands of dollars by avoiding costly removal and reconstruction of the building envelope.  Awesome job AAR!

Mold dampens Emeryville condominium owners' lives

By Cecily Burt, STAFF WRITER, Insidebayarea.com

EMERYVILLE — Juanita Carroll Young's family is busy with all the tasks many people do this time of year: shop, send out cards, decorate the Christmas tree.

Only this year, like the past two years, the Youngs, and several of their neighbors who own leaky condominiums in the Terraces at EmeryStation, will be spending the holidays in a hotel, not in the comfort of their own homes. It's not by choice. The owners of more than 20 condos in Emeryville have been living a nomadic — but not too spartan — existence at the Woodfin Suites hotel since August 2004. That's when it became clear that water leaks and subsequent mold problems in their condos would be not be quick, easy or inexpensive to fix.

At that point the developer's insurance company moved most of them into the hotel, their furniture and many other belongings left behind or placed in storage. A few people have since moved to apartments, but the bulk of them remain at the Woodfin. And though many of the displaced homeowners — who refer to themselves as "moldies" — feel slightly odd when they complain about having to stay at the very nice and comfortable hotel, that doesn't mean they aren't frustrated as heck by the delay in moving back to their own homes.

"My daughter is 11, she was 8 when we moved in," said Young about her daughter Larissa Campana. "She learned to ride her bike in the parking lot behind the hotel. "Nobody really has that much pity for me, somebody does come in and clean my room every day," she added wryly.

The 101-unit Terraces at Emery Station on Horton Street is the residential component of Wareham Development's planned 20-acre campus that includes two office buildings and the Amtrak station, which is owned and managed by Wareham. The condominium project was completed in 2003, but it wasn't long before residents started reporting drips and leaks when the rainy season started.

Craig Winsor and his partner bought their 1,100-square-foot loft in July 2003. It features floor-to-ceiling windows and an eclectic view of urban life that he loves.

Winsor said he first noticed the drips from his 22-foot ceilings on New Year's Day, 2004. He said management at first blamed it on the bad storms that winter. Then the mold happened, construction defects were discovered, lawsuits were filed and all hopes of quick fixes and promises of moving back have faded as the months go by. Wareham's insurance company pays for their suite at the Woodfin while he continues to pay the mortgage on the condo and $420 a month in Home Owner's Association dues. Winsor has an adjustable rate mortgage due in 2008. He put off refinancing because the wall in his unit is exposed down to the studs, awaiting repair, while the attorneys for both sides haggle over what should be done to fix the problem and get ready for trial in case nothing is resolved.

"I go up and down," said Winsor, who visits his condo from time to time and has remodeled his bathrooms while living at the hotel. "Sometimes I get really livid and frustrated, that's why I don't go to all the meetings (to get updates on the repairs). I'd rather pretend it's not happening, I guess."   Calls to Wareham were returned by Tim Gallen of Gallen Associates, a public relations firm. Gallen said the lawsuit prevented him from commenting about anything related to the water or mold problems, the proposed resolution, or the timetable for returning people to their homes.

Wareham's attorney, Erik Buzzard of Palumbo Bergstrom LLC in Irvine, said it is true that Wareham initially thought the problem could be quickly fixed and people would be able to move back in. Buzzard said the developer doesn't own the building and the homeowners association has control over how the repairs are done and Wareham "can't just go in and do whatever it wants." The insurance companies for the developer and subcontractors stepped in and started negotiating with the home owners' association over the type and extent of those repairs. The two sides couldn't agree, and the association filed a lawsuit earlier this year, Buzzard said.

"I couldn't give you all the details on the back and forth," he said. "There is a process in California where the developer gets to do something before litigation starts. That process happened, the insurance companies got involved, now it's just a matter of the insurance companies not being able to agree to what the repairs should be."

Cynthia Truelove, president of the homeowner's association at the Terraces, said both sides hired forensics experts to study the problem. Both sides agree on the cause of the water intrusion and subsequent mold, and both sides agree there were identified construction defects.

But that agreement so far hasn't translated into action. "The magnitude of the construction defects, the costs and adequate funding of the liability, exceeds the amount of insurance in the first insurance policy," Truelove said, adding that a so-called "wrap" insurance policy that covers all the subcontractors been activated, adding more lawyers to the negotiations.

"The case hasn't settled," Truelove said. "There are insurance carriers involved and we are moving to trial on this." Buzzard said Wareham has a good track record in Emeryville and has worked hard to make it a better community for both business and its residents. He said the company has not forgotten about the residents and the company is "genuinely concerned" about them and committed to resolving the problems. Unfortunately, he said, the litigation process slows things down.

"Wareham is devoted to the community and it's not leaving or abandoning the community," he said. That may be, but some displaced residents aren't feeling the love right now. "This is our third Christmas at the hotel," Young said. "We set up a tree, but I couldn't find the box with our Christmas ornaments this year, which really made me mad."

Young's family made the best of the situation, popping popcorn and weaved strands of the fluffy kernels and cranberries to hang on the tree. Larissa designed and cut out paper ornaments and created small cachets of potpourri with hot pink Silly String curlicues, popcorn and cranberries.

"Every spring and summer that comes we are very hopeful there will be a fix, then every September that comes, it's too late because another rainy season is coming," Young said. "You gotta just find some humor in the whole thing."

IAQ Problems in Schools Are Preventive. Structural Pasteurization™ with ThermaPureHeat, a Preventive Process for Schools

By: Larry Chase 

Indoor air quality (IAQ) issues in schools have become a major problem affecting both property and the well being and performance of teachers and students.  The reasons for IAQ problems in schools are numerous and include both external and internal causes.  Ranging from weather events to construction and maintenance, the quality of indoor air may be cumulatively impacted by these causes. 

Natural events such as storms or hurricanes may cause damage to building systems allowing moisture to enter the structure.  Water damage to a structure provides an opportunity for the growth of mold or fungi.  Water damage that is the result of flooding or sewage discharge may also result in contamination from other pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminthes.  These pathogens may be extremely harmful to the health of school occupants.

High levels of moisture in structures will also lead to an increased presence of insects and arthropods.  Some of these, such as dust mites, are primary allergen triggers and will provide an environment that is unhealthy for many occupants, particularly asthmatics.  Additionally, insects may be detrimental to the integrity of the structure, such as termites or wood-boring beetles.  Insects may also be vectors for the movement of mold spores or other biological pathogens from an impacted area to other areas of the structure.

Indoor air quality issues in structures may also be the result of construction material selection.  This is particularly true with the portable structures that are used for much of new school construction.  Certain synthetic or manufactured materials such as flooring or wall coverings may emit or off-gas chemicals that include volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  VOCs can be irritants and cause respiratory illness.  Some VOCs, such as formaldehyde, are known to be toxic or carcinogenic.  At higher levels, VOCs are noticeable by odor and many people may experience eye or respiratory irritation.

Other sources of poor indoor air quality may be the result of inclement weather during construction allowing high moisture levels in framing timber.  Lumber that is exposed to rain or high levels of humidity during storage may also be high in moisture content and have lumber mold colonies present prior to construction.  These higher levels of moisture may not create a visual problem after occupancy, but oftentimes there will be odors present.  Odors typically represent a hidden problem and may be difficult to locate a source.

Odor in portable structures may be an indicator of another hidden problem.  Odors may be the result of moisture in the sub-area.  High moisture levels in sub-areas may lead to biological growth on the sub-floor.  Moisture in sub-areas is difficult to control.  High water tables, inclement weather, high humidity, lawn sprinkler systems may all contribute moisture to a sub-area.

These paragraphs do not represent all of the potential causes of poor indoor air quality in schools, but list several of the conditions that may be sources of problems.  The best response to these and other potential IAQ problems is preventive.  Recognition that these problems are typical to all types of buildings, not just schools, and that they can be prevented before they become a health issue is the cornerstone to healthy schools.

The primary preventive process should be whatever is required to prevent moisture from intruding the structure.  Known water leaks from damaged roofs, plumbing, windows, etc., should be repaired or replaced.  Damaged materials need to be replaced and visible contamination should be removed. 

Oftentimes, this is not enough, water intrusion is complex and difficult to find.  There is a preventive process that can be deployed that will provide a healthier building under all of the circumstances previously listed.  ThermaPure® is a process that is used to disinfect a structure of many unwanted pathogens, pests and odors.  Similar to the process used for 150 years to pasteurize food products, ThermaPure® can be used to “pasteurize” or disinfect a structure.  It should be noted that ThermaPure® also has value as a remediation tool, but these comments are as a preventive tool.

ThermaPure® is a patented process that employs the application of heat to a structure for the purpose of reducing biological growth, chemical off-gassing, and various attendant odors.  ThermaPure® is known to be effective in killing mold, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, helminthes and insects in a structure.  It will reduce chemical sensitivity by increasing the off-gassing process and capturing or exhausting VOCs.  Using a convective heating process, the structure reaches uniform temperatures at levels known to kill or reduce the target organisms or chemicals.  Using engineering controls, ThermaPure® delivers temperatures capable of preventing the continued growth and development of potential biological pathogens.

In schools, ThermaPure® may be implemented as a preventive measure after new construction, during continuing school maintenance operations, or following significant impact events such as floods or hurricanes.  In each of these applications ThermaPure® will resolve multiple potential indoor air quality problems.  Heat does not differentiate between the targets.  In other words, the treatment of a structure with heat will dry the structure, impact the potential colonization of mold, bacteria, and other pathogens, reduce VOCs, kill insects and remove odors simultaneously.  And, it is a non-chemical, non-invasive process.

School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs are mandated in some states and recommended in most.  One of the principle tenets of a successful IPM program is the reduction of the use of harmful chemicals.  ThermaPure® can be used for pest eradication without the use of chemicals and also can be used in place of biocides for mold and bacterial remediation.  Structural pasteurization with ThermaPure® is a good addition to a school’s preventive maintenance and IPM programs.

Preventive Maintenance Indoor Air Quality Safety Program:

The application of ThermaPure® during the following situations:

New Construction: 

The benefits are:

  • Dry framing timbers
  • Kill lumber mold
  • Kill insect infestations
  • Inhibit future biological growth
  • Prevent new mold growth when Borates are applied
  • Increase dimensional stability of framing system
  • Reduce lumber shrinkage and attendant problems

New Portables:

The benefits are:

  • Dry sub-area and sub-flooring systems
  • Disinfect sub-area
  • Reduce VOCs from synthetic and manufactured materials
  • Prevent colonization of mold introduced during construction process
  • Bring structure to desired ambient environment

Existing Structures Impacted by Storms or Hurricanes:

The benefits are:

  • Rapidly dry structure before mold and fungus can colonize
  • Kill pathogens from flooding, i.e. bacteria, viruses and helminthes
  • Reduce odors
  • Reduce reconstruction time and costs
  • Non-chemical process

Existing Structures Impacted by Maintenance Items:

The benefits are:

  • Rapidly dry impacted area before mold and fungus can colonize
  • Kill pathogens from sewage spills, i.e. E. coli bacteria
  • Reduce odors
  • Reduce reconstruction time and costs
  • Non-chemical process

Ongoing Maintenance in a Humid Environment:

The benefits are:

  • Reduce or eliminate odors
  • Reduce allergens such as DerP1 dust mite allergen
  • Keep structure dry to inhibit future mold and fungal growth
  • Disinfect for various potential pathogens – addresses multiple contaminants
  • Non-chemical process
  • Not an occupational hazard

There are chemical alternatives to ThermaPure®.  Healthy school initiatives and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs are directing schools away from the application of chemicals.  Following are some of the reasons that ThermaPure® is a preferred alternative to chemical biocides:

  • Chemical biocides will not reduce the moisture
  • Chemical biocides require MSDS
  • Chemical biocides leave residual odor and VOCs
  • Chemical biocides cannot penetrate into inaccessible areas
  • Chemical biocides require FIFRA compliance and EPA registration
  • Chemical biocides may require pesticide notice to parents regarding chemical use on school buildings
  • Chemical biocides present an occupational hazard to applicator and occupants

Thermal Pest Eradication in Structures

By William Quarles 

            Heat as a commercial structural pest control method was developed by Dr. Walter Ebeling and Dr. Charles Forbes, who reported on their work in a number of IPM Practitioner articles in the 1980s and 1990s. They joined forces with Dr. Michael R. Linford and David Hedman who then commercialized the process and added significant patents.  Their joint venture was called TPE Associates.  Structural heat treatment is now called ThermaPureHeat® and is still going strong, with a larger number of providers and an expanded pest range. For customers seeking alternatives to pesticides for termites, bed bugs, mold and other problems, heat can be an effective solution.

Thermal Limits

            Since insects, unlike mammals, have no way to metabolically regulate their temperatures, they are vulnerable to extremes. Each species has an optimal temperature, and a temperature above or below which they cannot survive. For instance, larvae of the rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, will die after one hour at 103°F (39.4°C), but the body louse, Pediculus humanus, is more resistant, requiring 116°F (46.6°C) for one hour (Mellanby 1932; Ebeling 1994a). At 130°F (54.4°C), heat will kill male German cockroaches, Blattella germanica, in 7 min, a nymph of the western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor, in 6 min; an adult flour beetle, Tribolium confusum, in 4 min; and an adult Argentine ant, Lithepithema humile, in 1 minute (Forbes and Ebeling 1987).

            Though effects of heat are a function of both temperature and time, even brief exposures to high temperatures can be lethal. High temperatures can cause separation of DNA strands, conformational changes in proteins, enzyme inactivation, cellular disruption, desiccation and other effects. If thermal changes are slow, insects may adapt through heat shock proteins and other mechanisms. If the thermal changes are rapid, insects are not able to adapt, and quickly die (Denlinger and Yocum 1998).

            For many museum pests, the lethal temperature is 37-64°C (99-147°F), depending on length of exposure. Shorter times are needed at higher temperatures. At the upper temperature limits, great increases in the speed of mortality can come from small increases in temperature (Rust and Reierson 1998). For instance, Forbes and Ebeling (1987) found “surprisingly little tolerance of four species of insects, including drywood termite pseudergates, to temperatures above the normal range in nature.” The greatest gain in insecticidal efficacy came from the increase from 115 to 120°F (46.1 to 48.9°C), particularly for adults of the flour beetle, Tribolium confusum, and [western] drywood termite pseudergates.  For these insects, there was an approximately eight-fold decrease in the period required for 100% mortality as the temperature increased from 115 to 120°F (46.1 to 48.9°C).” These laboratory experiments led Forbes and Ebeling (1987) to establish 120°F (48.9°C) for 30 minutes as the minimum thermal standard for drywood termite mortality. Commercial heat operators currently use exposures of 130°F (54.4°C) for one hour as a practical standard. Termite intestinal microbes that are responsible for digesting cellulose die at lower temperatures. So even if a termite should initially survive a heat treatment, it would probably die of starvation (Mannesman 1969;1970; ThermaPureHeat 2006).

Original Heat Treatment Process

            The original Thermal Pest Eradication process is detailed in (Ebeling 1994b; Forbes and Ebeling 1987; Ebeling 1997). Heat is generated by propane-fueled heaters located outside an infested building.  A propane heater (400,000 BTU) draws in air and blows it past a ring of flame at the other end, which heats it, producing what is called the "processed air."  The heaters are equipped with wheels and handles to facilitate movement and placement.  When the proper number of heaters are used and all are in the proper position for maximum effect, they are suitable for practically any type of heat job.

            Flexible, collapsible, Mylar® ducts conduct the hot, processed air into the building and under thermal barriers (tarps) suspended from the eaves.  Tarps are required because heat must penetrate the outer wall from both sides.  Field experience has shown that the roof need not always be covered.  It may have composition shingles or roofing paper, as under tile, which would not allow hot air to escape.  Wood shingles allow for passage of air, but not so rapidly as to prevent adequate heating of infested wood members in the attic.

            There must be a powerful heat-resistant fan in every room to rapidly mix process and ambient air and prevent stratification of hot air.  The fan is used to blow hot air down against the floor, the air moves across the floor in all directions, then up the walls and across the ceilings.

New Technology

            The heat technology for insects originally developed by Forbes and Ebeling and commercialized by Linford and Hedman involved propane heaters that used blowers to direct hot air into structures. Heating was monitored with thermocouples placed into large beams and other areas that are more difficult to heat. The temperatures inside the largest beams were used to decide when the heat had “cooked” all the termites in the structure.

 

Heat treatment for insects is licensed by TPE Associates, which is owned and operated by Hedman and Linford.  A new company called E-Therm licenses and trains companies in the use of ThermaPureHeat for microbial and chemical remediation (see below).  This new company is owned by David Hedman, who was issued a patent for treating microbials and chemicals with heat.  Hedman is “deeply passionate about IPM” and views heat as a “cornerstone technology for IPM.”  He also sees ThermaPureHeat as a tool to reduce the use of biocides and other chemicals in environmental remediation (Hedman 1999; 2002; 2006).

The patent base for ThermaPureHeat has been expanded to include 13 patents or patents pending, 27 Trademarks, and volumes of copyrighted and trade secret materials.  Research and development by Hedman and Linford resulted in major changes in the area of heat generation.  Now, heat is produced at a central source such as a trailer. Water is heated to a high temperature, then pumped through insulated hoses to heat exchangers located near or inside a structure. This technology makes it possible to produce air temperatures of 150°F (65.6°C) without exposing structures to flames or heater exhausts. Heat can be transmitted through fairly long distances through the hoses, and the easy deployment of hot water hoses makes treatments of high rises and large industrial plants possible.

Another big change is the incorporation of computer technology. The heat distribution is monitored by infrared cameras and digital thermal probes connected to a laptop computer. Cold spots can be quickly identified by thermal imaging, while digital probes monitor temperatures inside wood. Feedback controls allow fans to change the heat distribution to insure that cold spots are treated. The computer monitoring also produces a paper trail of the heat process that allows clients to be presented with a written report (Hedman 2006).

Heat as a Synergist

            Heat can be used as a stand-alone treatment or can be employed to effectively enhance other insecticides. For instance, a 2-hour exposure to 110°F (43.3°C) will not kill the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum. Boric acid by itself is also ineffective. However, if beetles are confined to a thin film of boric acid and heated in this manner, they will all die (Ebeling 1990).

            In January of 1990, Columbia Pest Control, a company operated by Mike Linford, treated a 90,000 ft3, free standing restaurant in Irvine, CA.  The treatment process began at midnight and continued until about 5 AM.  Voids of the structure had been previously dusted with boric acid.  Since wall void temperatures only reached 115°F (46.1°C), the crew believed that the treatment had not obtained lethal temperatures long enough to kill all the roaches (Quarles 1995; Linford 2006).

            A week later a health inspector called.  She had planned to shut down the restaurtant as a health hazard, instead her monitoring traps showed no roaches after two days, and only one roach in 20 monitoring traps two weeks later.  Linford later concluded that non-lethal heat had synergized with the slow-acting boric acid, and the combination had eradicated the roaches.  Linford applied for and received a patent on heat synergism in September of 1990 (Linford 2006; Chaudoin and Linford 1990).

Efficacy for Termites

            An important standard of efficacy in structural pest control is the callback. If there are problems with the treatment, the operator is called back to mitigate it. For structural fumigation for termites, callback rates have been estimated at 5-15% (Ebeling 1997).  According to heat treatment operators surveyed by the author, heat is this good or better (Quarles 1998).  Pest control operators that do heat treatments are usually happy with the flexibility that heat provides and the low frequency of callbacks (Quarles 1994ab; Quarles and Bucks 1995).

Heat and Bed Bugs

            The pest control industry was founded on treatments for bed bugs and rats. These pests can be so difficult to eliminate that professional help is often needed.  Bed bugs have shown a resurgence in the last few years, especially in commercial lodgings.   According to Linford and Currie (2006), “Special difficulties that hotels, motels, and multiple units face with respect to bed bugs are significant. If a client is exposed to pesticidal residue and gets sick, the person may sue.  If the inhabitant is bitten several times, the result may be the same…”

            Even when standard pesticide sprays and dusts are used, bed bugs may not be eliminated. Bedbugs hide in books, clothes, cracks, crevices and other areas. Heat can reach lethal levels inside mattresses, pillows, wall voids, books and all contents within a given habitation.  According to Linford and Currie (2006), “Because bed bugs typically migrate upward, rooms on several floors can be treated simultaneously within 4 to 8 hours depending on the number of heaters and the size of the treatment.  What that means is that rooms can be rented out by 6 PM if treatment commences in the morning hours. The loss of revenue is minimized, or eliminated by using heat…”

Bed bug Protocol

            To be successful for bed bugs, heat should be used as part of an IPM protocol. The presence of bed bugs are first confirmed by inspection. Then a treatment plan is prepared. The client is given instructions to prepare for heat treatment by removing clutter, washing clothing and bedding, and caulking cracks and crevices. Heat probes are inserted into the most difficult places to heat, and into known attractive harborages. Heat treatment is concluded after probes show temperatures of 140°F (60°C) for two hours (Linford 2006).

 

Even Rats

            Though heat technology was developed for elimination of termites and woodboring beetles from structures, the heat process can also kill other insects inside a structure and has been used to treat bedbugs, fleas, and other insects.

            Heat technology is even being used for rodent control. Rat nests can be identified with thermal imaging and heat can be used in conjunction with exclusion. The rats have to leave during heating. And the hot air which blows out of the structure allows identification of rat holes and entry points. These can then be sealed (Hedman 2006).

Mold and Microbials

            The major extension of the technology has been for heat remediation of microbials. Many microbials can be killed by heating to pasteurization temperatures of 150-160°F (65.5-71.1°C) for at least 30 minutes. Some viruses, such as hantavirus, are inactivated at these temperatures. According to Hedman, at least 50 structures in U.S. parks have been treated to inactivate hantavirus. The odors and particulates associated with rodent urine are also removed by the hot air and filters (Hedman 2006).

 

            Incorporation of air filters during the heating process has allowed ThermaPureHeat to do a better job and to extend the pest range. Heat desiccates dust inside a structure, and the blowers agitate air currents so that dust becomes airborne. Filters then remove dust mite allergens, microbials and other components of house dust. According to Hedman (2006), this means that mold fungi and other airborne particulates that are “deleterious to respiratory health” are removed from the air.

 

            When heat is used in mold remediation, standard mold remediation techniques are used first. So damaged materials are removed in a containment area. The heat treatment is used to further purify the air and the structure by thermally inactivating remaining mold, and removing microbials and allergens from the air by filtration (ThermaPureHeat 2006).

Thermal Cure of “Sick Buildings”

            Many volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as carpet adhesives, paints, and formaldehyde from particle board, are built into a building at the time of construction or in remodeling.  Others are maintenance products such as cleansers, polishes, disinfectants, deodorizers, and pesticides. Pesticides and VOCs found inside cause an estimated 3,000 cases of cancer each year (Wright et al. 1991; Jantunen et al. 1997; Ott and Roberts 1998). 

            Air sampling has found more than 300 different VOCs in structures, causing symptoms ranging from unpleasant odors to headaches, nausea, eye, nose and throat irritation, and coughs. Other symptoms are central nervous system depression, vertigo, fatigue, irritablity, memory loss, and decreased reaction time. In various mixtures and concentrations, and perhaps combined with microbials, VOCs can cause the "sick building syndrome" (Jantunen et al. 1997).

            Air in many buildings is more contaminated than outside air.  According to a World Health Organization estimate, nearly 30% of the buildings in the United States have indoor-air-quality problems.  The recirculation of indoor air, contaminants and all, resulted in a rise in employee complaints about headaches, watery eyes, and fatigue (Jantunen et al. 1997; Ott and Roberts 1998).

            Heat can be used for thermal removal of VOCs. According to Ebeling (1997), the house that he and Forbes bought for heat experiments “had, at the time of purchase, a strong odor of paint, cigarette smoke, and other odors of unknown origin.  All odors were completely eliminated by our first heat treatment, using temperatures up to 150°F (65.5°C)....Rapid circulation of a high volume of hot air, along with continued egress of contaminated air, appears to be an efficient and highly effective way of ridding a building of contamination by unhealthful VOCs, including pesticides.” VOCs have also been removed by a slow bakeout at 90°F (32.2°C) over the period of several days (Girman 1989).

Safety

            For chemically sensitive individuals, heat or some other alternate method may be the only technique possible. Heat treatment means freedom from toxic technology. Thousands of heat treatments have been performed on structures in California and elsewhere since 1987. Generally, any damage has been minor. Care must be taken to remove heat sensitive items from a treatment area, or protect them with a thermal blanket. Special care must be given to vinyl windows.  Over the course of more than 100,000 ThermaPureHeat treatments, there has only been one fire associated with a treatment.  This may have started as a brush fire (Hedman 2006).  Even with this blemish, heat a better record than structural fumigations, where deaths have been recorded when the security of the fumigation tent is breached, or when occupants enter too soon (Derrick et al. 1990; Pest Control 1987).

8.7.06: Bedbug infestations on rise across U.S.

By KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press Writer

ATLANTA - After waking up one night in sheets teeming with tiny bugs, Josh Benton couldn't sleep for months and kept a flashlight and can of Raid with him in bed.

"We were afraid to even tell people about it at first," Benton said of the bedbugs in his home. "It feels like maybe some way your living is encouraging this, that you're living in a bad neighborhood or have a dirty apartment."

Absent from the U.S. for so long that some thought they were a myth, bedbugs are back. Entomologists and pest control professionals are reporting a dramatic increase in infestations throughout the country, and no one knows exactly why.

"It's no secret that bedbugs are making a comeback," said Dan Suiter, an associate professor of entomology at the University of Georgia.

Before World War II, bedbug infestations were common in the U.S., but they were virtually eradicated through improvements in hygiene and the widespread use of DDT in the 1940s and 1950s.

Bedbugs are tiny brownish, flattened insects that feed exclusively on the blood of animals and humans. Their bites may cause itchy red welts or swelling.

Unlike mosquitoes, though, they are not known to transmit blood-borne diseases from one victim to another. They are extremely resilient and very difficult to exterminate. Experts say bedbugs are not necessarily an indicator of unsanitary conditions.

In the past four years, reports of bedbugs have significantly increased in U.S. cities, from New York to Honolulu, especially in hotels, hospitals and college dormitories — all places with high resident turnover.

The National Pest Management Association, which represents many of the country's pest control companies, says the number of bedbug reports have increased fivefold in four years.

The Atlanta branch of pest-control firm Terminix saw no cases of bedbugs in 2004 and only three or four last year. But in the first six months of this year, they've had 23 new cases, said Clint Briscoe, a spokesman.

Experts are not entirely sure what has caused the marked increase. Some speculate that increased international travel and immigration may be partially to blame.

The tiny bugs may be hitching a ride in the luggage or clothing of travelers. This could explain the high concentration of the pests in cities like Atlanta and New York, which attract a lot of international traffic.

Another factor is a change in pest control practices. Companies are spraying more responsibly now, Suiter said. Instead of indiscriminately saturating the perimeter of all rooms, they often use more conservative measures and do large-scale spray treatments only when there's an infestation. As a result of consumer demand, less toxic chemicals are also being used.

"The bottom line is it may be a convergence of all those factors, but none of that really explains the rapid increase in recent years," said Michael Potter, a professor and urban entomologist at the University of Kentucky.

Experts agree that the public needs to be educated about bedbugs — on the symptoms and how to prevent them.

"A lot of people, including some physicians, don't even think they're real," Potter said. As a result people may go months before realizing the source of their discomfort.

In Hawaii, where tourism is a major industry, state lawmakers passed a resolution for a prevention campaign after infestations at some hotels damaged their reputations and annoyed travelers. Similarly, legislation for a bedbug task force has been proposed by New York City Councilwoman Gail Brewer.

For Benton, a 31-year-old graduate student, the bedbugs sparked a seven-month battle that included bug bombs and the tossing out of his and his fiancee's bedroom furniture.

They gave up and moved out of their apartment in New York and eventually moved back to their native Memphis, Tenn. Benton said the bugs essentially drove them out of New York because they couldn't sleep knowing the bugs may be anywhere.

"The main part of it is psychological trauma that they create because of the idea that they are feeding on you at night," Benton said. "It's still hard to talk about if it's anywhere near bedtime."

IAQ Combats Avian Flu Virus

by Dr. Chris Landon, MD and Dr. Michael R. Linford Ph.D., and David E. Hedman 

With the advent of the dangerous Avian Influenza H5N1 transferred by bird excrement and the like, people should know that Heat will inactivate the bird flu virus at 140ºF/60ºC and 30 minutes duration (United Nations Agricultural Department).  In the even clothing or other personal items become bird debris contaminated, these items can be heated as a form of disinfection.  Home clothes dryers (140º F plus) may be used for heating clothing which has been contaminated with bird flu virus.

Just like rodents, birds also infest homes, offices and other commercial structures.  We now have to consider that bird debris may be deadly.    A crack or a hole, the size of a quarter, will allow birds to penetrate and inhabit buildings.  Often birds contaminate the most vulnerable portions of structures.  Air handling equipment is frequently located on the top floor of edifices.  This equipment may be located in a plenum that, if infested by birds, can spread bird debris thus contaminating air throughout a building.  Building owners should consider heating the structure under the direction of a certified industrial hygienist.

Researchers at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta have discovered that one of the world’s most fatal epidemics, the 1918 Flu, was in fact a bird flu virus that directly infected humans.  With the benefits of current research, countries across the world are looking for efficacious tools to mitigate a potentially similar pandemic influenza that is at our doorstep now.

In the early 1860’s Louis Pasteur conducted tests that verified the “germ theory” and convinced most of Europe that it was factual.  Pasteur discovered that microorganisms are susceptible to elevated temperatures and that all living organisms have a specific thermal death point.  This process of heating food products to reduce bacteria to safe levels without damaging the food products became known as “pasteurization”.  There are a number of areas in which the technology of “pasteurization” may be applicable to the control of “PANDEMIC INFLUENZA”.  The word “pandemic” refers to an epidemic that affects several countries.

A communicable disease is one that is both contagious and also which can be passed on indirectly (as by a fomite or vector). A fomite is a physical object that acts as an intermediary in the transmission of a disease from one person to another.  For example, if you cough onto a door handle which another person then touches and then puts his contaminated hand in his mouth, the door handle has acted as a fomite.  Viruses generally fall at one inch per hour and stay alive on a flat surface or fomite for hours.

The virus H5N1 (Bird Flu or Avian Influenza) can remain viable for days in relatively low temperature and humidity if there is proteinaceous material.  There is the potential for spread of virus via fecal contamination on clothing and shoes, particularly if there has been insufficient attention paid to biosecurity.

ThermaPureHeat is a process developed and commercialized to disinfect buildings of molds, bacteria, aldehydes and allergens, insects and the like.  This process, which was awarded the Best New Product in the Nation by the National Society of Professional Engineers, is the engineered application of heat to either a structure, a portion of a structure, or to its contents with the purpose of killing targeted organisms including viruses and decontaminating fomites to safe levels within a given structure.

The ThermaPureHeat process utilizes thermal imaging cameras, temperature proves, fans, ducting, and portable heaters that raise the temperatures to between 110º F to 212º F.  The research performed by Pasteur, as applied to the current bird flu, could give us another tool to reduce the potentially catastrophic spread and infection on the bird flu virus using ThermaPureHeat.  ThermaPureHeat has been used to decontaminate buildings and their contents of anthrax (heating mail to 300º F), legionella and other harmful bacteria from sewage overflow, all types of insects, rodent infestations and other rodent-born hanta virus.

In terms of fomites associated with legal trade, one should consider bird infested buildings, live poultry, captive birds, pet birds, poultry meat and products, hatching eggs, eggs and egg products, feathers, manure, processed manure, and processed manure products, pigs and pig meat products.  It is possible that ThermaPure may be used to decontaminate food processing plants and other facilities and their contents of the H5N1 strain of Avian Influenza virus, thus potentially reducing the spread of the disease.

ThermaPureHeat could be used in health care facilities to decontaminate isolated portions of the facility which are dedicated to caring for patients infected with bird flu.  From the New England Journal of Medicine we find that the spectrum of disease has been described in hospitalized patients. Generally, the incubation period has been between 2-5 days, but has ranged up to 8 days after exposure (i.e., longer than other human influenza viruses). What is known is that transmission of human influenza A occurs by inhalation of infectious droplets and droplet nuclei, by direct contact, and by indirect (fomite) contact followed by self-inoculation of the respiratory tract and/or conjunctival mucosa.  For human influenza H5N1 infection, transmission has occurred by way of bird-to-human transmission.  Consequently, health care facilities could easily be disinfected using the ThermaPureHeat methodology and its associated pasteurization temperatures.

In health care facilities, combined standard, droplet, contact, and airborne isolation precautions (N-95 masks and negative pressure isolation) should be employed.  Because viral shedding may be protracted, especially in children, patients should be isolated for at least 7 days after the resolution of fever or possibly up to 21 days.  Thus, “repasteurization” using the ThermaPureHeat process may be useful in this setting.

The number of healthcare workers (HCW) having contact with H5N1-infected patients should be limited and these HCW should not care for non-infected patients. They should also be monitored for the development of fever. Health care workers that performed intubations during the SARS epidemic were the most likely to become infected.  By treating the facilities with the ThermaPureHeat process where interaction occurs between HCW’s and patients, the number of infected HCW’s may be reduced.


New Weapons in the War against Mold

Hurricanes in the Southeast, floods in the Northeast, massive rainfall in the Pacific Northwest: water is everywhere – and where there is excessive water, mold often follows.

Mold growth causes major problems for property owners, residents, and insurers alike.  According to the Insurance Information Institute, insurance payments for mold-related claims more than doubled to $3 billion from 2001 to 2002.  At the same time, new products that remediate mold damage have been coming into the market at a rapid pace.  The following are two recent additions.

ThermaPureHeat

A new heat treatment process developed by E-Therm, an environmental remediation innovator based in Ventura, California, ThermaPureHeat has proven to be an effective alternative to traditional demolition-based remediation and building drying methods.  The process uses super-heated, dehumidified air to disinfect, decontaminate, and dry out buildings much in the same way heat is used to pasteurize milk and kill bacteria in wine.

In the ThermaPureHeat process, technicians use propane-powered heaters and air blowers to inject superheated air into the affected space, raising the temperature of a single room or an entire structure as high as 160 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours.  Heat has been shown to be effective in destroying active mold growth sites and killing viable mold spores, bacteria, viruses, insects, and other heat-sensitive pests and organisms.  Heat also accelerated the off-gassing of odors and toxins, even in inaccessible areas, without the use of chemicals.  One of the main benefits of heat is that its proper application can dry out wet buildings much quicker than can the air movement and dehumidification processes typically used by flood restoration contractors.

Used in conjunction with limited remove-and-replace remediation – or as an alternative to it in some instances – the heat treatment process could save U.S. insurers $1 billion or more annually while minimizing liability and increasing clearance testing success rates.  Heat also allows the contractor to treat many building materials in place, thereby enabling the owner to avoid the trouble and expense of unnecessary removal of walls, flooring, cabinets, and furnishings.

Traditional mold remediation involves limited or extensive demolition of affected building materials and extensive cleaning using techniques such as wire brushing, sanding, high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) vacuuming, and microbial wipe-down.  As with all response actions, the more extensive the demolition, the higher the rebuilding costs.

“Cost escalates when suspected mold requires the teardown and build-back of structures that may be salvageable,” says Joe McLean, CEO of Alliance, a California-based environmental contractor that deals extensively with mold and asbestos remediation.  “For instance, if a consultant specifies removal of a four-foot perimeter on four walls because moisture has wicked up one, the teardown and build-back of showers, cabinets, countertops, and such significantly increase costs.”

Because insurers often cover building structures, their contents, as well as loss of use, long remediation projects forcing the occupants to leave for weeks or months can also rack up high secondary costs.  The cost for meals, replacement housing, or, more significant, insuring lost business can sometimes exceed remediation costs.

Inaccessible areas such as wall cavities, crawl spaces, headers, doorjambs, and vapor barriers present another dilemma for owners: either spend a large amount of money to reach, remove, and replace building structures in these areas, or leave them with potential live mold or mold spores that could lead to reinfestation.

Removal and replacement of mold-affected areas can also be complicated by other factors, such as when building structures like studs or floor joists are affected, or when historic features such as frescoes, carved wood, or decorative plasters prove difficult or prohibitively expensive to replace.  “If physical removal is the only acceptable remediation method, you may as well demolish the building, because you can’t simply scrub mold off the surface when its roots grow into the substrate,” says Michael Geyer, president of Kerntec Industries, a California-based environmental consulting firm.  Mold, as a fungus, is a plant whose roots grow into the substrate of building materials and whose spores are like the seed-bearing fruit of a tree, he explains.

“To properly handle mold, you have to handle the moisture problem,” adds Geyer.  “Applying heat through a process like ThermaPure’s is not only lethal to mold and other biohazards like bacteria and insects, but it also dries out the substrate, structure, and architectural elements.  This helps prevent future recurrences since the substrate is no longer hospitable to growth.

“Mold in a wall cavity doesn’t necessarily need to be removed as long as it’s effectively killed and not part of the occupied space,” says Geyer.  “In instances of mold to moderate water intrusion of short duration, substrate removal is usually unnecessary and unwarranted except when visibly contaminated or when architectural elements are compromised.”

Recently, a large investment group purchased a student housing complex at a major Southern California university.  During the due diligence period, building inspections revealed water damage or elevated moisture levels in 109 of 122 residential units, along with an extensive termite problem.  Complications included an accelerated restoration schedule, budget constraints, and a summer occupancy schedule which was already booked.  The client was faced with a very difficult problem as moisture survey readings indicated significantly elevated levels in building materials within almost every bathroom in the complex.  Traditional remediation efforts would have required destructive openings in every location where moisture readings were significantly above background levels.  This would have required complete closure of the facility and several months of demolition and reconstruction affecting virtually 90 percent of the units in the complex.

Instead, the consultant recommended the ThermaPureHeat process to restrict demolition to only those areas where physical damage or visible mold growth was present.  Of the 109 units needing remediation, only ten units required extensive demolition, including cabinetry or shower stall removal.  ThermaPure effectively killed the mold in inaccessible areas, allowing minimal removal and replacement as part of site remediation. 

This significantly cut required restoration time and costs.  All units were HEPA cleaned and sampled as part of traditional post remediation testing, with all 122 units passing.  By working in selected buildings and moving quickly through the complex, the university was able to house specialty groups and camps throughout the summer, meeting its stated obligations and generating revenue without interruption. 

Total savings were estimated at $4 million using ThermaPure compared to traditional remove and replace remediation, and the heat treatment simultaneously eradicated the termite infestation.  The complex owner is repeating the process at another large multi-residential property in Texas.

While ThermaPure cannot eliminate traditional remediation when mold is visible, it is now an option that insurance companies and property owners can consider in order to shrink escalating water damage and mold liability costs.  Multiplied by the 1 million-plus residences and businesses affected by water damage and mold in the last year alone  ThermaPure could create savings of $1 billion dollars annually by salvaging existing structures and speeding recovery to minimize loss of business and reduce secondary expenses.


Most Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors. Indoor Air Quality One of Top Threats!

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is becoming a significant, worldwide health crisis.  According to the EPA, most Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors.  Studies have broken this down to approximately 65% in the home and 25% in some other indoor setting such as work, school, shopping, a friend’s home, etc.  Pollution levels are higher indoors than outside.  The EPA estimates that the indoor levels of many pollutants are 2-5 times higher than outdoor levels, and at times as much as 100 times higher.  Because of these findings, the EPA has ranked indoor air quality as one of the top five environmental threats to human health.

The EPA has been paying special attention to indoor air quality in schools. According to the EPA, 20% of the American public, 55 million persons, spend their time in elementary and secondary schools. They estimate that one-half of the nation’s 115,000 schools have indoor air quality problems.  Millions of school children are impacted by poor indoor air.

Other groups are reaching similar concerns. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently conducted a survey that indicated one-third of the 70 million Americans who work indoors are working in buildings that are breeding grounds for contamination from molds, bacteria, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde.

It is no wonder the American Lung Association estimates 160 million Americans are breathing bad air. These statistics are conclusive in pointing out a large and growing national health concern.  Indoor air quality has created an enormous market for a variety of manufacturers, consultants and testing laboratories, and remediation contractors. ThermaPure® overlaps a number of these markets and can play a significant role in the management of this ubiquitous problem.

Building Science — High Temperatures and VOCs

The concept of building bakeouts to reduce VOC emissions dates back to the 1980s.  The process was oftentimes employed as a building commissioning process prior to occupancy of a new structure.  The building HVAC system was used to elevate the temperature in the structure and generate as many air exchanges as possible over a several day period.  The higher temperatures were effective in increasing emissions, but the building HVAC system was not able to remove the vapors.  Additionally, primary emissions were not significantly impacted as the bulk of emissions came from secondary and sink sources, the easiest sources to create emissions.  Because these emissions were not removed, they adsorbed to porous materials in the structure.  The result of these problems was the indoor air quality was oftentimes worse than before the bakeout.

Project Profile: Formaldehyde Reduction

Their home was only completed six months before they were forced to move out.  Of the four person family, only the father seemed to be unaffected by an environmental phenomena that had been present since they moved in their new home.  In fact, the mother had spent some time in the hospital with pneumonia that she attributed to the indoor air in their home.  Many people who entered the home complained of an odor and experienced irritation of their nasal passages and burning in their eyes.  The builder responded with a series of tests, but initially none were conclusive as to the cause. 

The consultant that responded to the builder initially performed mold tests and did not find anything of concern.  They continued testing and performed a variety of tests for chemicals, including a TO-15 that had formaldehyde as one of the analytes.  This testing determined the formaldehyde levels to be 85 ppb, not significantly high, but certainly high enough to cause problems with sensitive persons.  The house had been repeatedly aired out and the levels were probably considerably lower than when the family was forced to move out.  Of the four person family, only the father seemed to be ppb, not significantly high, but unaffected by an environmental certainly high enough to cause phenomena that had been present problems with sensitive persons. ThermaPure process is brought to you by from Alliance Environmental Group.   The ThermaPure process saved $4 Million in remediation.

Heating up Hawaii Hotels and Resorts ThermaPure®Heat Treatment for Pest Management

By Scott Duzan

Why would you possibly want to heat up Hawaii? Perchance, your hotel, resort or restaurant has had complaints regarding cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas or termites. If so, you might want to consider what heat treatment can do for your property. The ThermaPure® heat treatment process is a new environmental remediation technology that uses superheated, dehumidified air to treat various environmental concerns.

Background

Heat has long been used by man to disinfect and sanitize. In the 1860s, Louis Pasteur developed the pasteurization process, which involves using heat to kill harmful microorganisms in milk, juice and other foods. That brings up cooking with heat. The main reason heat is used in cooking is to reduce the number of microorganisms present in the dish. Heat also is used in the creation of vaccines. Vaccines are composed of heat-killed strains of a specific virus that are then injected into a patient in order to boost antibody response. In summary, heat has a proven track record for disinfecting and sanitizing.

The ThermaPure® heat treatment process was developed by E-Therm, an environmental remediation company located in Ventura, Calif. In layman’s terms, heat treatment is pasteurization applied to a building — the building is injected with superheated dry air, a process that kills various pests and microorganisms. The ThermaPure® heat treatment process has five basic applications: 1) pest management, 2) microbial remediation (mold, bacteria and virus), 3) volatile organic chemical elimination, 4) odor reduction and 5) construction dryout.

How Does it Work?

The initial work begins with an inspection of the property to determine if heat treatment would be an effective choice for the targeted environmental concern. Once heat treatment has been given the green light, the project site is prepared for treatment. Preparatory work typically involves removing heat-sensitive items and setting up the equipment and containment. This process can usually be completed in a few hours. Depending on the project and structure, the sprinkler system may need to be momentarily shut off and isolated. The equipment used in heat treatment is relatively simple: portable propane heaters, air blowers, Mylar ducting and digital thermometers. Treatment times vary depending on the scope of work and project size but usually range between one to four hours. Temperatures also vary depending on the targeted environmental concern, but usually range between 130-160 degrees. The entire heat treatment process often can be completed in eight hours or less.

Why use Heat Treatment?

To begin with, the ThermaPure® heat treatment process has proven to be successful and as a result has garnered industry support. It was recently awarded the Best New Product honor by the National Society of Professional Engineers. In addition, there have been multiple case studies supporting the success for each of the five main applications of heat treatment.

Heat treatment is a multifunctional technology, meaning that while treating a structure for bed bugs, for example, you also are improving the indoor air quality of the structure and eliminating other pests at the same time. Heat treatment can be completed in off-peak hours to minimize business interruption. It is also flexible in scale: treating an entire structure, specific areas or separate floors. If high temperatures are a concern for the structure, lower temperatures can be employed for longer durations. Heat treatment also has less of a “scare factor” compared to traditional remediation methods. Heaters and air blowers are less likely to raise questions from guests, versus workers wearing masks and Tyvek suits spraying chemicals. Perhaps the strongest advantage of the ThermaPure® heat treatment process is safety. No toxic chemicals are used, there are no lingering residues and there are no threats to pets, plants and, most importantly, people.

Fresh Baked Pests

Pests are a big problem for everyone in Hawaii. Recent research indicated that there are approximately 40 pest management companies on the island of Oahu alone. This clearly illustrates the severity of pest issues in Hawaii. Several historical studies have shown that increasing temperatures leads to shorter mortality times for insects. The ThermaPure® heat treatment process follows this same mantra. It has proven to be effective in treating multiple types of insect pests, including drywood termites, cockroaches, dust mites, bed bugs and fleas. All of these pests are present in Hawaii, and hospitality guests most definitely do not want to encounter them during their stay.

ThermaPure® heat treatment is effective in killing not only adult insects but also the eggs and juvenile forms. This makes the ThermaPure® heat treatment process effective in wiping out entire colonies of pests. It is important to note that heat treatment can be used for small scale infestations or entire structure infestations. Another common concern in the pest management industry is resistance; because of the resistance issue, either higher dosages of the pesticide must be used, or the pesticide must be applied more frequently. None of the targeted pests have shown signs of developing resistance to heat application. No overnight move-out is required for heat treatment either, as most projects can be completed in less than one day. Heat also has better penetration through building materials than chemical sprays and fumigants. This translates into killing those hard-to-locate pests inside wall and ceiling cavities and in utility chases.

Heat Makes Sense

Guest complaints about bugs lead to bad reviews, and the word spreads via Internet sites like Expedia and Travelocity or through travel guides, from Lonely Planet to Frommer’s. These bad reviews reflect negatively on a given property and may cast suspicion on area wide properties. With tourism as Hawaii’s economic base, ThermaPure® offers the hospitality industry an effective alternative to pest management.

 

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