Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/819351
1. Many pallets are constructed using green or wet wood. The wood will eventually dry below 20 percent, but mold fungi can grow into and sporulate on the pallet while this process occurs. 2. Pallets can be rewetted when exposed to the outdoors, allowing other mold fungi to colonize the wood. Free water may only be present on the wood surface for a short period of time, but it may only take a few days for a fungus to germinate, grow into the wood, and produce spores on the surface. The wood may already be dry by that time, but the damage will already be done. If your mold prevention strategy is based on moisture, then storage in a climate-controlled environment is essential. Key components to a strategy that prevent the likelihood of mold formation include: • Ensuring that pallets are not stored in moist environments. • Proper ventilation, particularly avoiding storing pallets in closed trailers because humidity can increase moisture levels leading to mold growth. • Keeping pallets off the ground. Moreover, air flow can be a mold deterrent on its own. If there is consistent air movement over the surface of the wood, it can prevent mold spores from landing and subsequently germinating on the wood. Large ceiling fans, or strategically placed floor fans can produce this sufficient air flow, but the surface of the wood must be exposed to the air to be effective. It should be noted that heat treating pallets is not a mold deterrent. Heat treating will kill wood pests; but will not have an impact on preventing mold growth and can promote mold growth because the treatment draws moisture and sugars to the surface, creating an environment for mold spores to colonize. Controlling Mold With Chemicals Since moisture control may not provide one hundred percent assurance against mold, another possible way to address mold concerns on pallets is chemical application. There are many chemicals on the market. Some chemicals are fungicides that aim to kill the mold on the pallet. Other chemicals work at preventing mold growth by sealing the wood and preventing mold growth. A popular chemical used to try to kill mold is bleach. The effectiveness of bleach is limited because it does not address the cause of the mold problem. Bleach may kill some of the surface mold, but it may not be able to penetrate and kill the roots, meaning mold will grow back. Simply put, it is a short-term mold removal solution, and is not particularly effective in preventing mold growth. Mold removal expert, Michael Pinto, CEO of Wonder Makers Environmental, states the following: "Perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of bleach when proposed as a cleaner or sanitizing agent is that its effectiveness is greatly reduced in the presence of organic material. To be a successful sanitizer, bleach must be used on clean materials and surfaces. This is why bleach products are used in the laundry after the wash cycle or in a commercial kitchen as a component in the third sink after the dishes have been washed and rinsed. The efficacy of bleach as a sanitizer is also compromised by heat and light. Despite the fact that chlorine odor may linger for some time after use, bleach loses strength so quickly that it is not considered to have a residual effect that would prevent future bacterial or fungal growth." There are a multitude of chemical products that exist on the market today, each having their own specific formulation that contain biocides that prevent mold growth. The active ingredients are primarily copper or boron-based and are typically more potent. According to Professor Morrell, there are also "non-biocidal" chemicals on the market that aim to kill and prevent mold using non-corrosive ingredients which, may be beneficial in situations where health concerns are paramount. These products use essential oils to prevent mold and may be certified on the FDA GRAS list. It is possible for these substances to penetrate deep into the wood and destroy the mold's root system, thereby preventing mold from growing back, even in adverse conditions. The challenge with most chemical treatments is that the toxicity can vary from product to product. It is vitally important that a pallet provider understands the needs of their customer to ensure that any chemical application meets any specific toxicity requirements. Many chemical formulations can be tailored to provide protection for a specific duration and set of environmental conditions. Be sure to palletcentral.com PalletCentral • March-April 2017 35 Moisture Control and Other Alternatives Business Blog by Sanjay Gupta