MVOC odor & smell removal suggestions for buildings:

This article provides suggestions for the removal of MVOCs or "mold odors" or other MVOCS from sewage or similar sources in buildings. When simply cleaning up or removing an odor source has not been enough to stop mold smells or MVOC odor and gas complaints indoors, additional steps are needed.

These are detailed in the article below and include steps such as odor source isolation, removal of additional materials, use of odor sealants or deodorants and other measures to stop an indoor MVOC problem.

This article series explains MVOCs or mold volatile organic compounds, what makes MVOCs, the meaning of the presence or absence of moldy smells in buildings, and MVOC testing.

MVOC Smell or Odor Removal Suggestions

Here are the basic steps in curing a moldy smell or MVOC odor complaint or getting rid of indoor MVOCs from other sources such as a sewage backup:

1. Find and remove the mold that is the source of MVOCs or odors.
   
    This may involve both visible mold contamination and hidden mold reservoirs.
   
   So if you've removed visible mold but MVOC odors remain troublesome at a property, do not rule out the possibility that you have not found and removed all of the problem mold reservoirs. Be sure that all the mold reservoirs have been found and removed and that the causes of mold growth have been corrected.
   
   If there are wall, floor or ceiling cavities that are suspected of harboring hidden mold reservoirs, a reasonable strategy is to make a few small test cuts into the most-suspect areas - areas that have been wet, for example.
   
   On occasion we've had to make a strip cut of 12" in width across an entire ceiling or wall top or bottom to find which ceiling joist bay or wall stud bay suffered the passage of water from a leak or fire extinguishment.
   
   See MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD
   
   Watch out: from first hand experience I warn that the MVOC output as well as airborne spore-release levels from many fungi are very dependent on the ambient environment.
   
   Changes in temperature and humidity indoors and other factors such as air movement indoors or outside, changes even in barometric pressure, all affect the development and release of both mold spores and MVOCs into the air.
   
   Furthermore the same genera and species of mold may behave differently when growing on different substrates. Lowering the humidity, for example, may increase the release of some Aspergillus species spores such as A. flavus. Other research (Korpi 1998) documented surges in microbial activity at increased levels of RH.
2. Remove items:
   
   removing items from the room(s) of most severe odor complaint can help sort out the remaining odor sources and makes cleaning easier.
3. Clean hard surfaces that remain:
   
   using a low VOC cleaner used in the mold or fire remediation industries. Some cleaners include citrus-based cleaners or "extreme-duty" cleaners.
4. Wash or dry-clean removable soft goods:
   
   such as curtains, bedding, linens that are a suspected odor source.
   
   Professional cleaning of thick upholstered furnishings using HEPA vacuuming or ozone have been widely used but in my OPINION it is very difficult if not impossible to deodorize thick upholstered couches, stuffed chairs, carpets and carpet padding if if they have been exposed to prolonged high MVOC odors or worse, an over-treatment by ozone generators.
5. Ventilate
   
    the areas where MVOC odors persist.
6. Use heat
   
    to speed offgassing of soft goods that may have absorbed MVOC gases and odors.
   
   Both heat and humidity are important factors in the rate of offgassing of gases that have been absorbed into building materials.
   
   Gases tend to be absorbed into soft goods much more than hard materials: carpets, draperies, upholstered furnishings may need fresh air or even sun exposure to speed offgassing.
7. Dispose of items 
   
   that may absorb MVOCs and whose value may not justify further remediation expenses. Usually MVOC odors offgas out of curtains and furnishings when the space is ventilated with fresh air. However some mistakes, such as over-dosing a building interior with ozone can cause further chemical changes that produce chemical smells that are very persistent.
   
   A "cooked" carpet or carpet padding, for example resulting from excessive ozone exposure, may have to be disposed-of.
   
   See OZONE MOLD / ODOR TREATMENT WARNINGS
8. Seal odor-emitting surfaces: w
   
   e have had a few reports of persistent MVOC (or Ozone-caused) odors even in rooms where carpeting, furnishings, drapes, and all contents have been removed.
   
   I suspect that paints or floor coatings may have been affected by ozone-treatment.
   
   For a reader who intended to remove all interior wall and ceiling drywall, wall and ceiling insulation, clean exposed surfaces, apply a sealant, re-insulate and install new drywall, we suggested first performing a smell patch test kit to identify odor-emitting surfaces and then if she confirmed the walls or ceilings as the odor source, trying the application of a post-fire odor sealant paint on the drywall.
   
   See SMELL PATCH TEST to FIND ODOR SOURCE

Also see DISINFECTANTS, SANITIZERS, FUNGICIDAL-SEALANTS SOURCES for a list of sealants and deodorizing products to consider when curing an MVOC problem.

MVOC Odor Causes, Sources, Removal Articles & Products

• FIRE & SMOKE ODOR REMOVAL -
  
  methods used to remove fire & smoke odors from buildings, vehicles, & other enclosed spaces. What are the components of smoke? How does fire cause lingering odors in buildings even where some items are not visibly burned? How to deal with cigarette or cigar smoke odors. Research on fire & smoke odor control & removal; professional odor fire restoration associations can help find a diagnostic or fire/smoke damage clean-up expert.
• MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS -
  
  A guide to the probable sources of moldy or musty odors in buildings. Why do we smell a variety of different odors indoors, maybe from mold or from other sources? How to identify odors or gases by type, source, and toxicity. Noxious odors or smells in buildings can be diagnosed and cured. Environmental safety advice for home owners & home buyers. Un-biased mold and mold odor removal advice from a neutral party.
• Odor counteractants & washes or cleaners & sealants:
  
  spray-on odor counteractants are chemicals applied to reduce fire, smoke and other strong odors. These products are often used as a first-step in fire or mold odor remediation or restoration work, possibly followed by a surface sealant product.
  • DISINFECTANTS, SANITIZERS, FUNGICIDAL-SEALANTS SOURCES -
    
    Directory of producers/suppliers of disinfectants, sanitizers, & mold sprays. Directory of producers/suppliers of fungicides, fungicidal sprays, fungicidal sealants.
  • FUNGICIDAL SEALANT USE GUIDE -
    
    Use of biocides, sanitizers, fungicidal sealants and Anti-Mold Coatings to Kill Mold or Prevent Mold Growth; Mold spray paints, mold prevention by painting? Spraying carpeting with a sanitizer.
• Odor blocking encapsulant primers & paints:
  
  are sold at Home Depot, Loews, and from paint suppliers in the form (usually) a white alkyd based odor sealant primer/paint. These products are widely used to stop odors in buildings after extinguishment of a fire, and they can be successful in controlling or significantly-reducing fire and smoke smells. There are also water-based fire and smoke odor sealant products available.
  • DISINFECTANTS, SANITIZERS, FUNGICIDAL-SEALANTS SOURCES -
    
    Directory of producers/suppliers of disinfectants, sanitizers, & mold sprays and sealants or paints (coatings). Directory of producers/suppliers of fungicides, fungicidal sprays, fungicidal sealants.
  • FUNGICIDAL SEALANT USE GUIDE -
    
    Use of biocides, sanitizers, fungicidal sealants and Anti-Mold Coatings to Kill Mold or Prevent Mold Growth; Mold spray paints, mold prevention by painting? Spraying carpeting with a sanitizer.
  • MOLD CLEANERS - WHAT TO USE -
    
    Consumer's guide to mold cleaners, mold killers, mildewcides, fungicidals, mold soaps, mold sprays, etc. Pros and cons of most popular mold cleaning products, solutions, sprays, cleaners, or other approaches to mold cleaning systems. How to clean or remove mold properly. Mold clearance inspections after cleanup. Use of ammonia, bleach, surface cleaning, media blasting, CO2, quat compounds & other cleaners and disinfectants for mold cleaning, sanitizing, disinfection, of surfaces, clothing, & in the indoor environment.
  • MOLD SANITIZER, SPRAY, BIOCIDE USE GUIDE -
    
    Disinfectants, Sanitizers, mold spray encapsulants, disinfectants, encapsulants: products, choices, & use guidelines. Mold spray mistakes to avoid. Definition of biocide, disinfectant, sanitizer, sterilize. Guide to using disinfectants, sprays, and paints to control bacteria, mold, or other indoor environmental problems. Recommendation against biocides for mold remediation
  • Shellac based sealants are widely used in fire restoration and may work successfully to seal previously un-coated hidden wood surfaces on furniture such as the under-side of a table or back-side of an armoire.

MVOC Hazard & MVOC Removal Research

• Albrecht, Andreas, Guido Fischer, Gefion Brunnemann-Stubbe, Udo Jäckel, and Peter Kämpfer. "Recommendations for study design and sampling strategies for airborne microorganisms, MVOC and odours in the surrounding of composting facilities." International journal of hygiene and environmental health 211, no. 1 (2008): 121-131.
• Braathen, O. A., N. Schmidbauer, C. Lunder, P. Blom, and J. Mattsson. "ORM (optimal removing of moisture from water damaged building constructions)-MVOCS." In Proceedings of Indoor Air 2002, Monterey, CA, vol. 1, pp. 408-413. 2002.
• Hachem, Caroline, Paul Fazio, Jiwu Rao, Karen Bartlett, and Yogendra P. Chaubey. "Identification and transport investigation of microbial volatile organic compounds in full-scale stud cavities." Building and Environment 44, no. 8 (2009): 1691-1698.
  Abstract:
  
  An experimental project was conducted to investigate mold products, namely spores and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the cavity of full-scale stud wall assemblies. Twenty specimens were constructed and tested to inquire the capacity of wall cavities to restrain mold products, emanating from studs with 10% of their surface covered with mold, from penetrating into the indoor space.
  
  The tests were designed primarily to study the movement of spores. The project was subsequently extended to investigate the identification of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) and their transport through the building envelope.
  
  This paper presents the experimental design, testing procedure and a summary of the analysis conducted to identify mold related VOCs and their transport from the cavity to the indoor space, and the evaluation of the influence of experimental factors on this transport.
  
  Six experimental factors were investigated: air leakage path; mold presence; wall construction configurations (insulation, vapor barrier and sheathing material) and ambient conditions (dry and wet conditions). The chemical analysis of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) was performed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).
  
  Results are analyzed using multiple regression analysis to identify the mold related VOCs, and to determine the transport through the building envelope. Five VOCs are confirmed to be related to the mold presence in the cavity and the transport of these MVOCs is supported by the data
  
  . However, no significant effect of the construction factors on MVOC transport is detected.
• Haines, Sarah R., Emma C. Hall, Katarzyna Marciniak, Pawel K. Misztal, Allen H. Goldstein, Rachel I. Adams, and Karen C. Dannemiller. MICROBIAL GROWTH AND VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND (VOC) EMISSIONS FROM CARPET AND DRYWALL UNDER ELEVATED RELATIVE HUMIDITY CONDITIONS [PDF] Microbiome 9, no. 1 (2021): 1-20.
  Conclusion:
  Microbial growth and mVOC emissions occur at lower relative humidity in carpet and floor dust compared to drywall, which has important implications for human exposure.
  
  Even under elevated relative humidity conditions, the VOC emissions profile is dominated by non-microbial VOCs, although potential mVOCs may dominate odor production.
• Konuma, Rumi, Kiwamu Umezawa, Atsushi Mizukoshi, Kensuke Kawarada, and Makoto Yoshida. "Analysis of microbial volatile organic compounds produced by wood-decay fungi." Biotechnology Letters (2015): 1-8.
  Abstract
  Objectives
  Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) produced by the brown-rot fungus Fomitopsis palustris and white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor grown on wood chip and potato dextrose agar were analyzed by GC–MS.
  Results
  
  In total, 110 organic compounds were identified as MVOCs. Among them, only 23 were MVOCs commonly observed in both types of fungi, indicating that the fungi have differential MVOC expression profiles. In addition, F. palustris and T. versicolor produced 38 and 22 MVOCs, respectively, which were detected only after cultivation on wood chip.
  
  This suggests that the fungi specifically released these MVOCs when degrading the cell-wall structure of the wood. Time course analysis of MVOC emission showed that both types of fungi produced the majority of MVOCs during the active phase of wood degradation.
  
  Conclusion
  As both fungi produced specific MVOCs in the course of wood degradation indicates the possibility of the application of MVOCs as detection markers for wood-decay fungus existing in woody materials.
• Korpi, Anne, Anna-Liisa Pasanen, and Pertti Pasanen. "Volatile compounds originating from mixed microbial cultures on building materials under various humidity conditions." Applied and Environmental Microbiology 64, no. 8 (1998): 2914-2919.
  Abstract:
  
  We examined growth of mixed microbial cultures (13 fungal species and one actinomycete species) and production of volatile compounds (VOCs) in typical building materials in outside walls, separating walls, and bathroom floors at various relative humidities (RHs) of air.
  
  Air samples from incubation chambers were adsorbed on Tenax TA and dinitrophenylhydrazine cartridges and were analyzed by thermal desorption-gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, respectively. Metabolic activity was measured by determining CO2 production, and microbial concentrations were determined by a dilution plate method.
  
  At 80 to 82% RH, CO2 production did not indicate that microbial activity occurred, and only 10% of the spores germinated, while slight increases in the concentrations of some VOCs were detected. All of the parameters showed that microbial activity occurred at 90 to 99% RH. The microbiological analyses revealed weak microbial growth even under drying conditions (32 to 33% RH).
  
  The main VOCs produced on the building materials studied were 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol, and 1-octen-3-ol. In some cases fungal growth decreased aldehyde emissions. We found that various VOCs accompany microbial activity but that no single VOC is a reliable indicator of biocontamination in building materials.
• Kreja, Ludwika, and Hans-Joachim Seidel. "Evaluation of the genotoxic potential of some microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) with the comet assay, the micronucleus assay and the HPRT gene mutation assay." Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis 513, no. 1 (2002): 143-150.
• Kreja, Ludwika, and Hans-Joachim Seidel. "On the cytotoxicity of some microbial volatile organic compounds as studied in the human lung cell line A549." Chemosphere 49, no. 1 (2002): 105-110.
• Lorenz, W., T. Diederich, and M. Conrad. "Practical experiences with MVOC as an indicator for microbial growth." In Proceedings of Indoor Air 2002, pp. 341-346. 2002.
• Parkinson, Don-Roger, Tonia J. Churchill, Loay Wady, and Janusz Pawliszyn. "Investigation of mold growth in indoor school buildings by monitoring outgassed methyl benzoate as a MVOC biomarker." Indoor and Built Environment 18, no. 3 (2009): 257-264.
• Rao, Jiwu. "Investigation of Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds and their Transport through the Building Envelope." [PDF]
  Abstract:
  
  Full-scale wall specimens were constructed and tested to investigate the capacity of wall cavities to restrain mold products, emanating from studs with 10% of their surfaces covered with mold, from penetrating into the indoor space. The project was designed primarily to study the movement of spores.
  
  Tests were subsequently extended to investigate the identification of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) and their transport through the building envelope. This paper presents the approaches and results in the identification of the mold related VOCs, analyses of the MVOC transport from the cavity to the indoor space, and estimation of the influence of experimental parameters on this transport.
  
  The parameters investigated were: air leakage path; mold presence; wall construction configurations (insulation, vapor barrier and sheathing material) and ambient conditions (dry and wet conditions).
  
  The analysis of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) was performed using gas chromatography/ mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and the results were analyzed using multiple regression analysis to identify the mold related VOCs, and to determine the transport through the building envelope.
  
  Five VOCs were confirmed to be related to the mold presence in the cavity and the transport of these MVOCs was supported by these data. However no significant effect of the construction parameters was detected
• Schenke, S., S. Harpel, G. Fischer, H. Lindemann, T. Eikmann, and C. Herr. "Detection and assessment of microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOC) in normal bedrooms of children with airway disease: the GINA-study (Giessen indoor allergen study)." Umweltmedizin in Forschung und Praxis 14, no. 2 (2009): 95-104.
• Schwartze D, Kopf M, Hornberg C, Malsch Ak. Evaluating The Implementation Of Health–related Guidelines During Professional Assessment And Removal Of Indoors Mould Damage.
• Sun, Dongdi, Alicia Wood-Jones, Wenshuang Wang, Chris Vanlangenberg, David Jones, Patrice Simmons, Richard E. Baird, Todd E. Mlsna, and Julie Gower. "Monitoring MVOC Profiles over Time from Isolates of Aspergillus flavus Using SPME GC-MS." Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment 3, no. 02 (2014): 48.
• Tang, X. D., B. G. Wang, D. J. Zhao, S. L. Liu, Jie He, and Z. C. Feng. "Sources and components of MVOC from a municipal sewage treatment plant in Guangzhou." China Environmental Science 31, no. 4 (2011): 576-583.
• Wessén, B., and T. Hall. "Directed non-destructive MVOC-sampling; a method for source location of indoor pollutants." Indoor Air 4 (1999): 420.

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