BIOFILMS AND BUILDING MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Biofilms in HVAC What are biofilms? Biofilms and energy loss Biofilms, IAQ & health risks How Germicidal UVC Emitters™ can help

What’s going on in our air handlers? * 07/16/96 What’s going on in our air handlers? BIOFILMS: A complex microbial matrix growing on coils and drain pans *

* 07/16/96 Biofilms Biofilms are composed of different microorganisms adhering to surfaces and producing polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acids. This material allows the biofilm to stick together and develop attached communities. They are attached to our coils and drain pans. Life in a biofilm provides protection from penetration of outside agents such as antimicrobial agents. *

Biofilm Effects on Occupants * 07/16/96 Biofilm Effects on Occupants Frank Infections (Aspergillosis, etc.) Mild to debilitating allergies Immunosupression Carcinogenicity such as Aflatoxin Severe Inflammation (B1, 3 glucan) Irritations (VOCs, musty odors, etc.) *

Airborne Allergies & HVAC * 07/16/96 Airborne Allergies & HVAC Pontiac Fever / Humidifier Flu-like Symptoms Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis Bronchitis, Allergy, Asthma Childhood Asthma Sinusitis, Headaches, Burning Eyes Tight Chest, Dizziness & Lethargy Chronic Fatigue *

Biofilm Effects on A/C Coils * 07/16/96 Biofilm Effects on A/C Coils It is an insulator reducing heat exchange efficiency It plugs interstitial spaces increasing pressure drop across the coil It reduces wetability resulting in moisture carry-over Mold effects on coils It’s an insulator reducing heat exchange efficiency It plugs interstitial spaces increasing pressure drop across the coil Reduces wetability resulting in moisture carryover *

Biofilm Thickness & Energy Costs Film Thickness on Fins 0.006in/150 microns 0.012in/300 microns 0.024in/600 microns 0.036in/900 microns Increase in Energy Consumption 5.3% 10.8% 21.5% 32.2%

Water & Air We drink 2 quarts of water per day * 07/16/96 Water & Air We drink 2 quarts of water per day We worry! We carry & drink bottled water We breathe 20,000 Quarts of air per day Are we concerned? Do we care? What do we do? *

Would you eat a sandwich made with this bread? * 07/16/96 Would you eat a sandwich made with this bread? *

Then why would you breathe the air from an air handler like this? * 07/16/96 Then why would you breathe the air from an air handler like this? *

* 07/16/96 DUCTWORK *

* 07/16/96 COIL AND DRAIN PAN *

* 07/16/96 COIL CLEANING *

Coil Chemically Cleaned 3 Months Ago * 07/16/96 Coil Chemically Cleaned 3 Months Ago *

After UVC - 6 Months Later * 07/16/96 After UVC - 6 Months Later *

Energy Facts HVAC uses 60% of building energy Dirty coils use up to 30% more energy Energy costs up

UVC Energy Solutions Reducing energy consumption Clean coils improve Heat transfer Airflow Compressor run time Operational efficiency Thermal comfort Decreased fan use Reducing energy consumption Reducing utility bills

Case Study: Rio Grande Regional Hospital, McAllen, TX * 07/16/96 Case Study: Rio Grande Regional Hospital, McAllen, TX $500,000 annual energy savings 2 chillers taken off-line *

Microorganism Basics How Big Are They? * 07/16/96 Microorganism Basics How Big Are They? Mold 1 to 5+ microns Bacteria 0.5 to 4 microns Viruses 10 to 750 millimicrons (1000th of a micron) A Micron is 1 / 390,000 of an inch! *

Microorganism Basics How Fast Do Bacteria Multiply? * 07/16/96 Microorganism Basics How Fast Do Bacteria Multiply? Under ideal conditions, bacteria and viruses may double every 20 minutes. The formula becomes 2n, therefore in 24 hours, there are 272 or approximately 7 x 1013 which is…. Under ideal conditions, bacteria and viruses may double every 20 minutes. Therefore, the formula becomes 2n. Doug: 70 T not visible 70 TRILLION ORGANISMS! *

Cooling Coil Area 30 TRILLION MOLD PARTICLES! * 07/16/96 Cooling Coil Area We can have 4 x 107 or 40,000,000 mold particles per inch2 A typical 4 ft x 6 ft coil with 10 fin rows per inch & 8 inches deep = 7.5 x 105 or 750,000 square inches That becomes 4 x 107 x 7.5 x 105 = 30 x 1012 or … Doug: 30T in Square Inch 30 TRILLION MOLD PARTICLES! *

* 07/16/96 With a Coil of 5,000 sq. ft. Equivalent of nearly 50% of the building area Or 10 of the 60 rooms looking like this … *

* 07/16/96 *

UVC IAQ Solutions Reduced spread of airborne infection * 07/16/96 UVC IAQ Solutions Reduced spread of airborne infection Reduces allergy & asthma triggers Reduced chemical use Reduced maintenance & labor costs No ozone or secondary contaminants Reduced liability Kills or inactivates microorganisms that grow, disseminate and circulate in air handling systems Reduced health risks caused by surface and airborne mold, bacteria and viruses Removed pollutants and contaminants that trigger allergic reactions and asthma Reduced absenteeism Improved employee and occupant productivity *

Resulting in… Reduced absenteeism Reduced antimicrobial use Reduced antimicrobial resistance Reduced health care costs Improved productivity

Case study: Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo * 07/16/96 Case study: Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo Neonatal Care Unit Reduced Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) Reduced antimicrobial use Reduced antimicrobial resistance $800,000/year reduction in direct costs UVC installation costs of $25,000 2 ½ year study *

Case Study: IKEA, Milan, Italy * 07/16/96 Case Study: IKEA, Milan, Italy IKEA, Milan, Italy, where the staff had a 38% reduction in Absenteeism in direct comparison with their previous records and the other stores in the area. 38% REDUCTION IN STAFF ABSENTEEISM *

Water Conservation Solutions Condensate reclamation Cooling tower make-up water Landscape irrigation Gray water for flushing Reduced water use Reduced operating costs Reduced chemical use Improved chiller efficiency

Case Study: University of Delaware, Newark, DE * 07/16/96 Case Study: University of Delaware, Newark, DE Reclaim of clean condensate for make-up water $4000-6000 water cost savings Reduced biocide & chemical use Improved indoor air quality 15-20% energy savings 6 Month Payback *

H1N1 Transmission….

The Role of HVAC Systems and Airborne Infection Transmission

Bioaerosols Larger droplets fall to the ground Smaller droplets (1-5 micron diameter) evaporate and become droplet nuclei Remain suspended in air for hours or days, traveling long distances or recirculating within a building envelope

Droplet Nuclei Transfer One cough can generate 3000 droplet nuclei Talking for 5 minutes can generate 3000 droplet nuclei Singing can generate 3000 droplet nuclei in one minute Sneezing generates tens of thousands droplet nuclei, which can spread to individuals up to 10 feet away. Initial velocities can be up to 100 m/s

"We don't have solid data on the effect that hand washing has on the transmission of H1N1" Source: CDC spokesman Tom Skinner (in an e-mail)

ASHRAE Position Many infectious diseases are transmitted through inhalation of airborne infectious particles termed droplet nuclei Airborne infectious particles can be disseminated through buildings including ventilation systems Airborne infectious disease transmission can be reduced using dilution ventilation, specific in-room flow regimes, room pressure differentials, personalized and source capture ventilation, filtration and UVGI

Questions to Ask What is the output of the device? Has the device been independently tested under HVAC conditions? Where will the device be installed What is the dose per watt? =

Summary Improves indoor air quality * 07/16/96 Summary Improves indoor air quality Reduces spread of airborne infection Reduces allergy & asthma triggers Reduces utility bills Saves maintenance, labor & material costs Returns coil capacity to “as-built” Increases the life of the coil *

* 07/16/96 Thank You *