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Radar Technology Detects Hidden Mold
Cutting-edge radar technology may soon make obsolete the slow, destructive and
expensive methods now available to detect hidden moisture and mold behind wallboards,
according to a report released by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology
Institute (ARTI).
Existing technology to detect mold behind walls requires stripping wall coverings
to inspect hidden surfaces visually or boring holes into numberous wall sections
to extract and culture samples. The disassembly and drilling must be done very
slowly and carefully to avoid spreading mold spores and fragments through the
building, which increases the cost of remediation, according to the report.
"The economic problems created by hidden moisture are enormous," said
ARTI's Director of Research Steve Szymurski. "Real estate property damage
from mold growth has cost millions of dollars and the price tag for this problem
is growing because of costly mold litigation. Therefore, developing better
detection instruments that can locate hidden problems quickly, inexpensively,
and nondestructively
is an important research priority."
In their feasibility study, Atlanta-based Georgia Tech Research Institute
(GTRI) investigators soaked gypsum wallboard, used in most homes today, with
water
infused with mold spores to encourage mold growth, and allowed the spores
to germinate
in a humid environment. Using a radar system, researchers scanned the wall
and found the technology to be effective in accurately pinpointing areas
of hidden
moisture behind the wallboard. While their research indicates that the technology
can feasibly provide an image detecting mold growth on the back of wallboard,
additional research is still needed to develop the technology so that it
can unequivocally distinguish mold growth from moisture alone.
In their report, GTRI researchers said the future challenge is to develop
a system small enough to be taken into the field by a mold remediation
practitioner.
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