Smoke and soot

This is posted on behalf of Kirk Lively
<kirk.lively [at] us.belfor.com>

>I am writing for some professional advice concerning the lasting
>effects of exposure to smoke and soot particles. ...
> ...
>... I've also received conflicting
>reports from individuals who've been through similar situations and
>who've seen the odour return a year after having undergone
>treatment. While I recognize that soot particles, and the source of
>the offending odour are complex, and that factors such as exposure
>time, material type and treatment type all play into the success of
>the treatment, I wonder if we can make any generalizations about the
>odour returning or if we should even be concerned at all?

Smoke removal procedures are very specific to the item being
cleaned. One generality I can make is that source removal of the
soot particulate is the only way to guarantee odor elimination.
Ozone and other "deodorization" techniques are not always 100%
effective.

If scented odor masking agents are used without adequate smoke
particulate removal, once the scent dissipates, the smoke odor
returns. Even with ozone, if there is too much residual soot for the
ozone to react with, the ozone will not be effective at providing
complete deodorization.

There are several ways to check for complete odor removal.

    1.  Place the item inside a closed container that has no odor.
        Leave it in the container and let it get warm.  For
        instance, put it in a box, seal the box, and place it in the
        sun for a couple of hours.  Open the box and see if there is
        any residual odor.

    2.  For electronic equipment, just turn it on and let it get
        warm.  See if you notice any odor after the item has been on
        for a couple of hours.

Kirk Lively
Director, Technical Services
Belfor USA
2425 Blue Smoke Court South
Fort Worth, TX  76105
817-535-6793
Fax: 817-536-1167


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:51
                  Distributed: Tuesday, April 26, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-51-016
                                  ***