MOLD ASSESSMENTS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
Blog Layout
Biocide Usage When Cleaning Sewage Backups
Jason Yost • Nov 25, 2022
Should Biocides Be Avoided During Sewage Cleanups?
Someone wrote to me, asking about my previous blog on biocide usage on water damage and mold remediation projects. He, rightfully, points out that the conversation was focused on their use on mold. He, then, goes on to explain that he’s a water damage restoration technician, who gets called out to remediate sewage backups. He asks, “Should biocides be avoided during sewage clean ups too?” This is a great question.
Before I answer it, I want readers to know that I won’t be getting into a descriptive discourse on what biocides are. For that, I ask you to read my previous blog. I want to focus on this question asked as a follow up. That said, for the purpose of this blog, we are defining biocides as a product used to kill and liberate unwanted, sewage-based bacteria from the indoor environment, during the cleaning phase of remediation.
The short answer is no. But the use of these products requires knowledge of what one is dealing with (e.g., types of bacteria), the extent of damages, and the processes of removal prior to the application of products during the process of remediation. Allow me to explain.
The process of sewage remediation involves several things, including but not limited to the following:
- The removal of sensitive building materials. These materials can include those that won’t hold up to the cleaning process. These can include those worn or compromised in ways that prevent cleaning without damaging them further or those materials sensitive to cleaning (e.g., drywall and insulation).
- The removal of building materials obstructing the cleaning process. Often there are materials that obstruct the cleaning process (e.g., drywall that prevents access to the wall cavity where the backup took place). The only way to access the debris for removal is to remove the obstruction.
- Extraction/physical removal of excess water. This is, often, achieved in two stages. The first is the extraction process where the technician utilizes an extraction machine to remove standing water. The second involves structural drying (e.g., negative air machines, dehumidifiers, and/or air moving/filtration devices).
- Physical cleaning of surfaces within the work area. This involves processes whereby particulate debris is removed by HEPA vacuuming, steam cleaning, damp wiping, and/or other processes applicable to the removal of debris (visible and microscopic).
Obviously, if a trained professional is removing excess (i.e., standing) water and the materials containing high levels of unwanted bacteria, they’re quickly removing a large portion of the unwanted bacteria from the indoor environment. This has an immediate effect on the condition of the indoor environment, reducing the risk to occupants. This should be understood as the physical removal of an unwanted environmental stressor and the preferred method of remediating any indoor environment exposed to any environmental stressor. The problem with sewage backups is that one cannot extract all of the excess water from all of the building materials nor the bacteria associated with the backup, thus the cleaning and structural drying requirements.
That said, the use of biocides can’t be haphazard. They must be specific to (1) the organisms one is removing (2) the micro-climates applied (i.e., those services applied), (3) and its potential toxicity to the building occupants. (For more on the toxicity and limitations of biocides, read my previous blog.) For example, most sewage backups include organisms like Escherichia coli (E. coli), Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacteroides. Products that have not been developed to kill these organisms won’t be applicable for your cleaning needs. Additionally, if you’re cleaning a surface with a sticky substance on it, the product should be such that it aids in the liberation of that substance. Products that don’t aid in that process aren’t applicable to the cleaning process.
So, based on this description of biocide use, it should be clear that the use of biocides is to (1) aid in the liberation and removal of unwanted, sewage-based bacteria from the surfaces being cleaned (2) and increase the bacterial decay (i.e., death) rates, so that, when the professional technician has completed their work, it is immediately safe for re-occupancy.
With the latest changes to the IICRC S520, has the mold remediation standard lost its relevance? We'll talk about that in this blog.
In this blog, I'll answer some of the questions that I've received since publishing parts 1 and 2 on this topic.
In part 2 of this series, we'll look at a bait and switch risk one takes when hiring a mold remediator to perform mold assessments.
Do nanoparticles in consumer products pose an indoor air quality risk? Let's talk about that.
In this blog, we discuss how the mold assessor/remediator arrangement (discussed in part 1) injures property owners, managers, and insurers.
What does a company mean when they say "Get Your Free Mold Inspection"? Is there such a thing? In this blog, we'll discuss how to avoid the liabilities that come with this scam.
It's important to know what your indoor environmental quality assessor will provide you after the assessment, a recommendation or protocol. In this blog we'll explain the difference between the two and how each may impact you.
When you hear someone say they’re “certified”, what does that mean to you? Well, here in the southeastern United States (U.S.), it has come to mean a lot of different things, many of which have nothing to do with being certified. These scams have hurt a lot of people and businesses, which has led to us writing this blog.
In this blog, we'll discuss the truth about Stachybotrys and its health effects as well as give you some direction on what to do if you think you have a problem in your home or workplace.
Can this inhaled material cause these symptoms or illnesses? We get asked that a lot. In this blog, we'll discuss this question and why it's important during an indoor air quality assessment.
Contact Us
E-mail: myiaq@gulfcoastiaq.com
Call Us: 888 762 6322
Gulf Coast IAQ Headquarters
P.O. Box 181138
Tallahassee, FL 32318
Office Hours (EST)
- Mon - Fri
- -
- Sat - Sun
- Closed
