Mould – Untangling

What we Cannot SeeDr Claire Bird

VIRIDIS

V I R I D I S

What does NSW say?

Fixing the problem?

Option 1

CONTAMINANTS IN BUILDINGS

Microorganisms - Start outdoors – enter in air and on people

- Some grow on wet building materials – love cellulose –WATER = POLLUTANT!

- enter with sewage, surface runoff

- arise through poor building maintenance and condensation

ChemicalsFormaldehyde, phthalates and styrenes – wide range of sources and health effects. Not all VOCs are equal or identified. Other things can make us sick.

5

HEALTHY BUILDINGS IN DEMAND

6

National Australian Built Environment Rating System –NABERS for offices, NatHERS for homes – Energy Efficiency.

NABERS IE Rating

Green Star - Performance

WELL Building Standard - $100,000’s

Healthy offices get more points!!

What are

Microorganisms?

7

Microscopes

Microbes can’t be seen without them!

Fungi and buildings

• Like plants - cells to take up nutrients, release spores that land and germinate.

• Produce spores and fragments that can make people sick.

9

Bacteria, viruses & buildings

Do not break down building materials, bacteria can grow in wet environments

Found in sewage backflows, overground flow etc.

More likely to cause infection than mould

Bacterial infection often follow viruses, so do moulds

10

Where do microorganisms

live?Everywhere on Earth, in our bodies – 50% of our cells are bacteria

Their loss = our gain – in asthma and food allergies….Live on a farm!

A problem IN BUILDINGS

Why are microorganisms

important?

Bacteria drive our world, break down dead organic matter, and recycle nutrients to make food grow.

Some are very harmful and potential killers

Huge death tolls can be caused –

from bubonic plague to Ebola…

168 million DNA sequences – we know what less than half of them are

Important to facility managers?

Some harmful organisms live better on building materials than in the natural environment = MOULD

MOULD

Human health exposure routes to microorganisms

13

Allergies, Asthma, Immune disorders, Infection and Poisoning

Allergies and asthma, airway hypersensitivity

Infections – most commonly with compromised immune systems.

MVOCs cause respiratory problems – unquantified at present, but adverse health most strongly linked to ODOUR!!

Not just linked to sick, elderly or young people.

DR MELANIE MATHESON – UNIVERITY OF MELBOURNE

Toxic microorganisms in WDB

• Link between mould in buildings and mycotoxins in body is hard to prove

• Mycotoxin exposure in water damaged buildings damages immunity!!

• Many foodborne moulds (Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus) carry toxins, e.g. beer and cereals!

15

Case study – autoimmune disease

16

Main determinant is personal

sensitivity – not easily assessed.

Dealing with water damage to prevent contamination

•KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID - search using an SEO – in the right order• Identify the SOURCE of contamination (in our case

moisture) – Moisture first THEN mould!!!

• Delineate the EFFECT (in our case mould)

• Set end point and process - meet the OUTCOME(in our case healthy buildings)

17

What happened when?

Time is important – mould can start to grow and then double in size every 48 hours

Undertake:• Discussion with individuals who have knowledge of the

building or event

• Initial moisture inspection

• Visual inspection

• Note odours etc.

18

Finding the water…

Hole in roofNo insulation

Blocked gutter

Condensation

Unsealed door or façade

Leaking plumbing

Condensation/ventilation problemsCompromised

vapour barrier

Leaking drainage

Condensation/ leaking door

Damp clothing

Mould from condensation or leaking roof

On slope –potential for flooding

Air conditioner

Heater

Thermal bridging

19

What may be wet?

• Structure

• Determine if water is in:• Slab or subfloor

• Walls & ceilings

• Framework, including foot plates

• Insulation

• Furnishings/contents

• Air – measure temperature and relative humidity - tendency for condensation or hidden moisture

20

Finding hidden moisture

• Spotting hidden problems

21

Thermal imaging – finding moisture

22

Moisture readings• Scanning machines – even use microwaves

• Pin mode: AS 2455 – textile floor coverings

www.flooringtech.com.au

www.granger.com

23

Measuring moisture - moisture meter

• Moisture• Range of instrument

types

• Range of materials –concrete, timber, wall linings

• Can also measure moisture in air –temperature and relative humidity

24

Psychrometric chart

25

Map out moisture in the building – then work out where mould may be

26

Drying

• Professional expertise - IICRC

• Decontaminate first to prevent cross-contamination

• Dewatering

• Structural drying

• Subfloor drying and timber floor drying

27

Department of Health guidelines• The WA government released a guideline to classify the mould based on ‘simple’

versus ‘complex’ situations. Simple = <1m2, simple source. Complex = anything else.

• http://www.ehawa.org.au/documents/item/898

• “Any persistent indoor mould growth or excess dampness in buildings may cause problems and is a potential public health problem.”

Not endorsed by any professional association or body and therefore cannot be used as a Standard.

Institute of Inspection, cleaning and restoration certification –Water, fire, meth, trauma/crime scene and mould

Look for indicators of mould

• Check for visible mould!

• Check dewpoint conditions at affected and non-affected area.

• Check for possible mould on wet materials or adjacent areas using ATP and/or tapelift samples.

• Check for wood rot

• See where water may have moved!!

Check for hidden mould

• Examine air conditioning system, subfloor, roof void, cavities.

30

• Air conditioning systems - ideal mould habitats

• Dust/dirt settles onto surfaces behind filters

• Air inlet filters rarely checked or changed.

• System is often out of balance

• Coils should be cleaned regularly.

• Mould is released from supply air, and recirculated in return air

• Inadequate ventilation – allows moist air to be trapped and condense

• Fan blades and blower wheels an issue.

What to test for?

Paper and cellulose-based products

Find out where mould has reached

Particles in air can be impacted onto a slide through a slit

Mould can be seen when the slide is examined under a microscope.

Count spores and look for markers of water damage

32

Mould condition

• Informs what is needed for restoration.

• Use adhesive surface.

• Mould:

• Compare affected (non-compliant) to non-affected (compliant) areas.

• Condition 1 – Normal ecology = no action necessary.

• Condition 2 – settled spores from a water damaged source - rectification to remove spores required.

• Condition 3 – growing mould - remediation possible for non-porous/impermeable items only.

• Bacteria – measure if sewage is present

33

CASE STUDIES

34

Mould Awareness:CASE STUDIES

1. Storm damaged apartment building – Brisbane CBD

2. Collapsed residential ceiling – Brisbane suburbs

CASE STUDY 1: STORM DAMAGED

APARTMENT BUILDING – BRISBANE CBD

Three-storey apartment building in Brisbane CBD(45 apartment suites).

1983 construction.

Major hail storm - 27th November 2014.

Hail/wind driven rain broke windows on southernfaçade and flooding building.

Flooding also on ground floor through fire doorexits.

Viridis was engaged to assess building September2015 (around 10 months after flooding event!) tohelp solve causes of damage.

Building still occupied where heavy mould growthwas present.

Southern façade of building subject to hail damage

Moisture readings showing insurable damage

37

SCOPE OF WORKS

Conducted visual/moisture assessment toidentify problem areas in the building inrelation to an insurance claim.

Our role was to provide evidence of thebuilding condition and providerecommendations on courses of action toensure occupant safety in terms ofmicrobial risks. Heavy mould growth – found in both occupied and

vacated suites; with some rooms completely unaffected

VARIOUS BUILDING DEFECTS IDENTIFIED

Building defects water entry and mould growthand were unrelated to the insurable storm event.

leaking showers & plumbing

flaking ceiling paint from condensation

gaps around box air conditioners

undrained open atria

Later rainfall events compounded confusion

Time delay between storm event and siteassessment and poor maintenance

?? root cause of site observations??

Delay exacerbated existing problems confusionaround insurance cover. One example of many non-storm-related

building defects - Duct tape loosely covering a 100mm gap above AC unit

OTHER HAZARDS

Other hazards identified - including asbestoscontaining materials (ACM).

Each room was configured with an ‘engineered fire safety solution’. Various elements such as fire-check plasterboard, a sprinkler system, fire doors, sub-floor fire detectors and associated compliant hardware.

Asbestos containing vinyl floor tiles – located in some apartments, but not others

If any of elements of the fire system were to be damaged or compromised through investigative or remediation work, the system as a whole would be compromised.

Insurable or non-insurable loss?

41

Insulation – case study

• Insulation is critical in preventing cold surfaces forming and condensation occurring

• Diagram below shows a system that was causing issues in a Health centre in Mackay

42

Problem at health care facility

43

What was the issue?

44

What was the insulation solution?

45

What was causing pattern?

46

What was the answer?

47

What else could help?

48

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

Insist on accurate and defendable reports –specify requirements & provide training on site recording and reporting

• Assess based on moisture first, testing second, but clear based on moisture and microbial assessment

• Moisture – the key to microbial building health

• Monitor to avoid GUESSWORK and CROSSING FINGERS – know when it is dry!

• Avoid risks to occupant health, buildings and businesses

50

Thanks to: • Scott Matthews – organising the conference

• Mark Thomson – EcoEffective Solutions

• Dominic Dillon – Viridis

• Jonathan Dalton and Andrew Ling

• Robert Lord – Sustainability by Engineering, Environment by Design

51