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Article: Photos: New Research is a Breath of Fresh Air for Heating and Air Conditioning Units.
- Article from:
- Biotech Week
- Article date:
- August 5, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 NewsRX. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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If you turn on your car air conditioner on a hot summer day and are overwhelmed by the smell of mildew, it is because mold is growing in the air conditioner unit. The same phenomenon occurs on a larger scale in the heating and air conditioning (HVAC) units of buildings. HVAC units provide dark, moist environments -- perfect breeding grounds for the bacteria and fungi that are associated with foul odors and decreased efficiency. To combat this phenomenon, the U.S. Department of Defense is funding research into antimicrobial copper components that can control the growth of organisms that grow in HVAC units. The units are installed at the military barracks at Fort Jackson in ...