Duct Cleaning: The Good, The Bad...and The Need for An International Consensus Standard

Cleaning ventilation system ductwork has been a topic of controversy for several years. Guidance documents are available for duct cleaning, but uniformity in application of remediation and cleaning methods is inconsistent in many cases. Means and methods for cleaning range from high-volume negative pressure vacuum cleaning of residential ductwork ...to use of sanitizing agents on the interior of galvanized ducts...to ultraviolet germicidal irradiation for treatment of re-circulated air and control of infectious viral aerosols in operating room suites. A comprehensive visual inspection of the components of the building ventilation system and a risk assessment to determine the nature and magnitude of contamination form the basis of effective remedial cleaning. This presentation describes a proposed industry standard of care for duct cleaning and a quantitative method to determine an acceptable level of cleanliness. The information presented underscores the need for an international consensus standard for duct cleaning.