Public awareness of indoor air quality has greatly increased in recent years. People are becoming more aware of the systems that supply air to our living and working spaces and how they are critical to the maintenance of a healthy, indoor environment. Sick-building syndrome is a condition caused by low indoor air quality (IAQ) brought on by improperly built or serviced air filtration systems and it is becoming more prevalent in today’s modern work environments.
Symptoms of sick-building syndrome can include dizziness, irritated eyes, skin rashes, coughing, asthma attacks, headaches and upper respiratory distress. This can cause an increase in employees taking time off of work, it can reduce productivity in the work environment and not only hurts a company’s bottom line, but also opens your business up to possible legal ramifications.
When it comes to the causes of sick-building syndrome, improper servicing of your building’s HVAC air filtration system can be the cause. The environment inside your HVAC fluctuates based off your workspace and external weather conditions; but one thing all these systems have in common is their need for regular condenser coil cleaning.
The condenser coil in an HVAC system is does the important job of cooling the warm air drawn in by the fan before it is then redispersed through the filtration system back into the environment. In the process of doing this, moisture can build up and collect particulate matter which over time develops into what is known as “biofilm.”
What is Biofilm?
Biofilm is any group of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and can adhere to a surface. These cells are frequently embedded within a self-produced matrix and create what can best be described as a “slime.” Biofilms may form on non-living surfaces and can be prevalent in industrial and hospital environments as well as in nature. Biofilms are usually found on solid surfaces submerged in or exposed to an aqueous solution, particularly in high humidity climates.
Bacteria living in a biofilm usually has significantly different properties from free-floating bacteria of the same species; as the dense and protected environment of the film allows them to cooperate and interact in various ways. This can mean increased resistance to detergents and antibiotics, as the dense extracellular matrix and the outer layer of cells protect the interior of the community. In layman’s terms, it can be very difficult to thoroughly kill bacteria in a biofilm living in your HVAC system which can be detrimental to the health of employees.
One of the main reasons biofilms are so problematic in HVAC systems is because they can grow in many moist and warm environments and on virtually every non-shedding wet surface. Most filters in HVAC systems are made of a non-shedding material that become wet from usage, leading to the perfect environment for biofilms to form. Biofilm buildup can also affect the heat flow across a surface and increase surface corrosion.
Within an HVAC system, the most likely locations for biofilms to develop include the air conditioning coils and condensate pans. While some EPA registered antimicrobials can be applied in these locations, established biofilms can disperse infectious airborne particles throughout the HVAC system, and they are more difficult to remove. In order to ectively combat these problems, using a proprietary probiotic surfactant cleaning solution is one of your best options.
What are Surfactants and how do they work?
Surfactants are the most versatile products of the chemical industry and are utilized in every industrial area ranging from household detergents to food items and pharmaceuticals. The term surfactant is an amalgamation of the words “surface active agent.” Simply put, they are special molecules that will cause a decrease in surface or interfacial tension and allow the biofilm to detach from the non-shedding surface.
Because of their amphiphilic nature, surfactants absorb at the air-water or oil-water interaction. As they interact, surfactants align themselves so that the hydrophobic part is in the air (or oil) and hydrophilic part in water. For simplicity, let’s consider only the air-water interaction. The cohesive forces between the water molecules are very strong making the surface tension of water high. As surfactants absorb, they break these interactions. The intermolecular forces between surfactant and water molecule are much lower than between two water molecules and thus surface tension will decrease, allowing the biofilm to be removed.
Dangers of Biofilm Buildup in your HVAC System
Biofilm buildup can be very dangerous and problematic for the general health of your building’s occupants. Formation of a biofilm begins when free-floating microorganisms attach to a surface, such as when hot air is cooled over a condenser coil. Once colonized, the biofilm grows through a combination of cell division and recruitment.
They can be irritants or the source of infections, some even deadly (like Legionella pneumophila, the organism responsible for Legionnaires disease). The CDC estimates that almost 100,000 Americans die every year from hospital acquired infections and at least one-third of hospital infection threats are due to airborne microorganisms.
The biofilm that builds up can give off products of metabolism known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds can produce an array of negative molecules released into the air that may range in effects on staff and patients from irritation, such as watery eyes and headaches, to more severe allergy and asthma responses.
And, within that biofilm, some of the organisms that have been identified as growing on the coil and drain pans of HVAC systems are known opportunistic organisms causing infections and upper respiratory problems.
The “Pros” of Probiotics
Probiotic coil cleaning products and services, such as those used by AFC, clean down to the microscopic level, making them ideal for all industrial air ventilation systems. These probiotic surfactants are certified green and are biodegradable, non-flammable and low on VOC production. These probiotic cleaners do more than just remove dirt and grease; they colonize surfaces with a healthy layer of probiotic bacteria to keep them cleaner for longer, while drastically improving the indoor air quality of your building.
Advanced Filtration Concepts is a
Certified Veteran-Owned Small Business.
