Rethinking Marine Vessel

Rethinking Marine Vessel Air Quality - Part Four

David Levesque 

By now we hope all the readers have been finding our articles on Yacht Air Quality both informative and helpful. Combining more than two decades in air quality research and improvement, the Kanberra Group has been working closely with various areas of the marine industry to better understand the needs of boat owners, yacht captains and crews and provide detailed programmatic solutions to enhance marine experience and vessel maintenance. It is commonly accepted among yacht owners that the air inside cabin interiors will always have a certain aroma, a by-product of being out on the water. There is also the, again accepted, existence of mold and mildew, and the inevitable labor that comes with removing it from the yachts after storage and in-between use. Seafarers believe this is the way it has always been, and so it will always be. Today there are many technologies and systems available to help optimize and maintain YAQ. A variety of effective techniques and methods for improving cabin air and interiors not only enhances the well-being of passengers, but also improves the maintenance of the craft itself. There is no need to re-invent the wheel for YAQ. Many air quality solutions have been successfully utilized by the Kanberra Group on US Navy ships and other large vessels, as well as commercial buildings and hospitals. These solutions are easily adaptable to any size marine vessel.

Already a staple in the Mega-yacht industry, Kanberra Gel is making waves in many marine-related areas, as well as RV and automotive storage, pet and hardware stores and pharmacies. A semi-
solid, biodegradable gel composition made with pharmaceutical-grade Australian Tea Tree Oil, Kanberra Gel dissipates into the air to break down mildew, molds, bacteria and viruses at the molecular level. Tea Tree Oil is known around the globe as a natural antiseptic most commonly used topically. Thanks to the formula in Kanberra Gel, those same antiseptic and antifungal properties can now be realized though an airborne release.

The first rule of any air quality management program is “source control.” Remove the contaminants and you improve the conditions. Proper filtration allows for the control and removal of most of those contaminants, thus improving the quality of air flowing through the coil which in turn assists in coil maintenance, reducing ductwork debris accumulation and improving air flow. Kanberra Group’s exclusive 3-layer antimicrobial Kanberra Filters offer distinct advantages by allowing particles to load throughout the depth of the media, without clogging the first layer and reducing air flow. Kanberra Filters also have an internal wire frame which results in a better fit within the filter rack. This alone reduces bypass found with most cardboard frame filters. Kanberra Filters feature an antimicrobial treatment which reduces airborne microorganisms by up to 86.5% in one pass of air and are available through www.KanberraGel.com.

In a previous article we had written how in the indoor air quality industry we pay special attention to VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) and how to control them. VOC’s are emitted from housekeeping and maintenance products such as finishes, rug and oven cleaners, paints and lacquers, paint strippers, pesticides and building and furnishing materials. To limit your exposure to harmful VOC’s, consider selecting products labeled as being low-VOC emitting. Many of today’s paints are manufactured to this degree. Always use any chemical products with adequate ventilation, and in the event the culprit is a new piece of furniture or building material, use every opportunity possible to introduce fresh air into the area. Another alternative is a revolutionary new cleaning product called Activeion which uses the method of “Water Electrolysis” to effectively transform pure tap water into a general purpose cleaner and sanitizer. The water molecules are split into both acidic and alkaline droplets that clean and sanitize on contact. This one product alone can replace 8-10 of your normal household and marine cleaning products. Best of all, zero VOC emissions. More information on Activeion can be obtained by calling the Kanberra Group.

As mentioned above, the first rule of any air quality management program is “source control.” Remove the contaminants and you improve the conditions. However, and especially in marine applications, HVAC system equipment soiling is unavoidable. Soiling associated with microbial growth is especially difficult to clean. Bacterial metabolism releases a sticky waste, which creates a “Bio-film” that locks particles to the growing organisms. Molds help to further cement the mass together. Bio-films attach themselves to the fins on the cooling coil by etching into the surface to provide a secure holding. This etching eats away at the cooling coil and over time will decrease the amount of air passing through the system by acting as insulation media between the air and the coil. The air flowing through the cooling coil is not reduced in temperature adequately enough to allow the system to cool the vessel efficiently and in turn the system tries to compensate for the reduction of efficiency by running the compressor for longer durations. From an air quality perspective, bacteria, mold and fungi that colonize on the cooling coil create a range of toxic allergenic fragments. These contaminants release from the coil, accumulate in the supply ductwork, and find their way into the air steam to the occupied spaces. The solution is to remove the bio-film through maintenance, however the longer the components go between cleanings, the thicker and more resistant the soil becomes. Technicians must often resort to harsh or outright toxic cleaning compounds and extreme techniques in order to dislodge built up soil, however the use of any type of corrosive coil cleaner will eat away at the coil fins and tubing, thus reducing the life of the coil. The alternative is to replace the cooling coil, which has a greater cost than coil maintenance. Anyway you slice it, it all adds up to additional costs for the boat owner. The Kanberra Group offers a simple solution: We use an advanced enzyme cleaner and post-cleaning treatment. The cleaner effectively removes any existing bacteria or fungi by deconstructing the bonds allowing the bio-film to be gently washed away - ensuring a clean surface for the application of the treatment. The treatment leaves a thin coating on the coil surface. It is formulated to release a small amount of active biocides over a period of at least 12 months which reduces accumulation. And best of all, the coils can be cleaned and treated without removing the system. Additional information on coil maintenance can be obtained by contacting the Kanberra Group.