Indeed, marine surveyors have a duty to understand the basics about mold. Beyond that, they have an obligation to document its presence if seen. More importantly, the marine surveyor can be a bridge from the customer to professionals qualified to help.
Help For Addressing Mold Contamination on Vessels is Available In addition to knowing the basics of identifying and documenting mold contamination on boats, the marine surveyor needs enough knowledge of mold remediation basics to be able to make appropriate referrals. Just like marine surveyors have their own technical terms for describing parts of the vessels and observed conditions, so does the mold remediation professionals.
At a minimum, marine surveyors should be aware that mold test results often lead to the classification of the situation into one of three categories. Condition 1 is defined as “normal fungal ecology.” This term is utilized because mold is a naturally occurring organisms that can be found in the air around the world. Indeed, some mold spores and other pieces of the fungal colonies are typically recovered from almost every sample. Since zero mold spores is not a threshold that defines a problem, the term ‘normal fungal ecology’ is utilized to indicate that the type and quantity of spores should not pose any structural or health issues.
Just as Condition 1 indicates that there generally is not a mold- related problem, Condition 3 is the term utilized to designate problem areas. Condition 3 indicates that there is visible mold growth in a particular part of the structure or vessel. Interestingly, the definition of Condition 3 includes mold growth that may be hidden but would be visible if it was accessible. For instance, mold growing between the deck and hull of the boat that cannot be accessed without removing materials or cutting an inspection hole would still fit the definition of Condition
76 | The Report • March 2020 • Issue 91
3 (See Figure 7). Many times, such hidden fungal growth is identified by the odors or through the use of inspection cameras or mirrors.
With Condition 1 representing a normal environment and Condition 3 representing identified problems, it is logical that Condition 2 is the term used for secondary contamination. The spores that are dispersed by fungal colonies eventually land somewhere. Generally, more spores settle closer to the source of the contamination than farther away. When a significant quantity of spores is deposited on surfaces from a Condition 3 contamination, it is described as Condition 2 or “settled spores.” This can be the trickiest type of contamination to identify during the survey because a fungal source growing on the coils of the air-conditioning system can push contamination into all of the enclosed areas of the boat. Understanding the importance of identifying Condition 2 areas is why marine surveyors often take surface samples throughout a vessel when contamination is seen or suspected on the HVAC coils, supply vents, or return grills.
Once a problem is identified, it can be quickly categorized with appropriate sampling data. Proper remediation involves the removal of source materials (Condition 3) and appropriate cleaning of all Condition 2 areas. Since the marine environment is conducive to fungal growth, the best remediation services will also offer the option of providing preventative treatments once the fungal growth has been appropriately removed and cleaned. A variety of chemistries and techniques are currently available to efficiently and safely address mold contamination problems.
Marine Surveyors Need to Lead the Way There is no doubt that the marine environment creates unique challenges to identifying and correcting problems related to mold growth on ships. By their very design, the marine vessels operate
in a wet environment. This means that the moisture to support fungal growth can be just inches away and only separated by plywood and fiberglass. Boats designers have become creative in using every square inch; meaning that there are lots of small spaces which are hard to access. The tremendous variety of materials (both porous and water resistant) used on boats also provides multiple nutrient sources for the development of mold colonies. Finally, the process of storing boats wrapped moisture tight for extended periods of time means that the fungal colonies can proliferate before being discovered.
Despite these challenges, marine surveyors need to be knowledgeable and objective; inspectors who understand the potential problems that mold growth presents on vessels. Sharing this information with the customer in a balanced and informative way separates the professional surveyor from the amateur.
*One organization is currently focused on offering such specialized services to the marine industry. After seeing the need, Wonder Makers partnered with RGS to provide a customized program of mold sample collection, documentation, analysis, and interpretation to meet the needs of the marine surveyors’ industry. More information is available about the services by following the link to:
www.marinemold.com.
About The Author Michael A. Pinto is one of the founders of Wonder Makers Environmental. This US-based firm provides
assistance with identifying
and resolving problems related to indoor environments. Mr. Pinto holds international credentials as a Certified Safety Professional, Safety Management Specialist, Certified Mold Professional, and Fire Loss Specialist. Michael authored the first comprehensive textbook on mold remediation and has been involved in the development of numerous documents that are part of the standard of care for mold industry. He can be reached at
info@wondermakers.com
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