Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
containing thiocarbamate compounds are used to control infestations on
flooring joists and in post-flood rehabilitations.
B. Fungicides
Ortho
-phenylphenol and pentachlorophenol (PCP) are the most common
fungicides used in indoor environments.
Ortho
-phenylphenol is used as a
biocidal disinfectant, as described previously. The predominant (80%) his-
torical use of PCP, or penta, has been to preserve wood from fungal decay
and insect borers. Other uses have included controlling cooling tower algae
and fungi; waterproofing plywood and fiber board; and as a preservative in
paint, leather, rope, twine, burlap, and cable. It has also been used in herbi-
cidal formulations and as a disinfectant. Because it is a teratogen and possible
human carcinogen, use has been restricted since 1986, a result of an agree-
ment by PCP manufacturers and USEPA. Approved uses include preserva-
tion of wood products designed to be used outdoors, such as telephone poles
and other pressure-treated lumber. It was once used in the U.S. to preserve
timbers intended for log home construction and in Europe as a wood pre-
servative for a variety of indoor applications.
C. Insecticides
Insects, and occasionally arachnids (mites, spiders, ticks), represent major
pest control concerns in buildings. Pesticidal formulations used to control
insects and arachnids are described as insecticides and acaricides, respec-
tively. Active ingredients in insecticidal formulations used in or around
building perimeters have included diazinon,
p
-dichlorobenzene, chlordane,
heptachlor, chlorpyrifos, ronnel, dichlorvos, malathion, lindane, aldrin,
dieldrin, bendiocarb, methoxychlor, propoxur, methyl demeton, naphtha-
lene, and pyrethrins. Para-dichlorobenzene is the active ingredient in moth
balls; naphthalene is the active ingredient in moth flakes. Major insecticidal
classes or groups include chlorinated hydrocarbons, organophosphates, car-
bamates, and pyrethrins.
Acaricides have been developed to control dust mite populations in
residences. The active ingredients are benzoic acid esters. They are applied
as a powder to fabric surfaces that harbor dust mites, such as carpeting and
upholstery. Dust mite acaricides have not been approved for use in the U.S.
Insecticides used indoors may be applied in a variety of ways: as an
emulsion spray, fogging device (bug bomb), poison bait, or pet wash, or
impregnated in pest strips and pet flea collars, etc. They may be: aerosolized
(fly spray, bug bombs) or slowly vaporized (pest strips) into indoor air, applied
directly to interior surfaces (cockroach control) or to the soil surrounding
crawlspace and basement substructures and within the slab substructures
(termiticides), and used as solids near or on surfaces to be protected.
Many insecticidal formulations consist of one or more active ingredients
and so-called inert ingredients. Inert ingredients are proprietary compounds
