Going ætarplessÆ
IWS develops more efficient way to fumigate containers to kill pests.
By Chris Gillis
Killing pests hidden in cargo and packaging materials is no easy matter, and the task is made more difficult in the tight confines of ocean containers.
For years, the common method for pest eradication in containers has been to blanket them with large tarpaulins, open the container doors and start pumping lethal methyl bromide gas inside.
While effective, this method has come under increased scrutiny from federal regulators for its potential health risks to agricultural inspectors and port workers and to the environment. Methyl bromide use has been labeled a contributor to the depletion of the world's ozone layer.
Shippers of temperature-sensitive fruits and vegetable shipments, in particular, fret that the longer the doors of refrigerated boxes are left open the risk of reduced shelf life to their produce increases.
These challenges with traditional container fumigation encouraged International Warehouse Services and its subsidiary F&F Fumigation in Port Everglades, Fla., to develop a new pest eradication technology that takes the tarp off the box.
| Rogacki |
'For years we have been trying to develop a better way to fumigate that is cost-effective and reliable,' said Fred Rogacki, president of IWS, who developed the patent-pending, U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved Portable Container Door (PCD) with F&F certified operator James Teachman.
The PCD attaches directly to the cargo container carrying the produce so that there is little seepage of refrigerated air or the methyl bromide gas into the atmosphere. Essentially, the PCD replaces the normal door of the container during the fumigation process.
The PCD fumigation method includes:
' Fully opening and securing the container doors in the open position.
' Placing at least one circulation fan, a tubular fumigant introduction line, and three tubular gas monitoring lines in specific positions within the container.
' Installing corner block seals, and with a forklift placing the containment door apparatus in the container's rear opening.
' Securing the containment door by activating pneumatic cylinders to extend bolts into engagement with the container doorway.
' Inflating the peripheral gasket to create an airtight seal between the containment door and container.
' Opening the access hatch and connecting the various sampling and fan power lines using the inner surface connectors provided on the inside surface of the containment door.
' Sealing openings and outside air intakes on the container using suitable means.
' Injecting the required vaporized fumigant into the container via a shooting line.
' Monitoring fumigant concentration.
'The PCD only takes three to four minutes to put in place,' Teachman said in an interview. 'It takes a lot longer just to roll out the tarps for the traditional fumigation method.'
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| Teachman |
IWS and F&F began developing the PCD nearly two years ago. The concept received particular interest from ocean carrier CSAV and asparagus shippers from Ecuador and Peru, who agreed to test the PCD prototypes.
Teachman said the benefit to the shipper is that the PCD offers a faster fumigation and takes up less space so more containers can be fumigated at the same time. Fifteen containers can be simultaneously fumigated with PCD technology at Port Everglades and that number is expected to double in the next 12 months as more space becomes available in the port, he said.
He added the benefit to the shipper is that there is no change in temperature because the container remains closed during fumigation so fruits and vegetables stay fresher and have a longer shelf life. However, like the tarp method, the USDA still requires the reefer motors to be off during fumigation.
For the fumigator, the PCD's tight seal saves on increasingly expensive methyl bromide, which is now at $7 to $8 per pound due to decreasing production of the fumigant. It also means less potential exposure to the gas for their employees and agricultural inspectors, Teachman said.
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| The PCD fits within the opening of a container to eliminate seepage of refrigerated air and the methyl bromide gas used to fumigate the contents. |
With methyl bromide fumigation, it generally takes up to two hours to treat fleshy vegetables like tomatoes and asparagus; four hours for root crops, such as carrots and potatoes; and 16 to 24 hours for dense shipments like lumber and tiles (depending on the outside temperature) to ensure the eradication of pests.
Since the official unveiling of the new 'tarpless' fumigation system in November, Teachman said F&F has received 'a lot of inquiries' from shippers, ocean carriers, other ports and even the USDA, which wants to test the device with log shippers.
F&F plans to deploy the PCD at the Port of Miami in January. The company is considering other avenues for the PCD's use such as licensing the technology to other fumigators.
'We initially developed the PCD to take care of our customers in our own backyard,' Teachman said. 'We never imagined that we would gain this much attention from the industry at large.'