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http://www.naplesnews.com/02/10/naples/d839396a.htm

Friday, October 11, 2002

Mold problems in schools preventable by regular maintenance

By RAY PARKER, brparker@...

An Environmental Protection Agency official warned Thursday that even a mold

such as Stachybotrys, which has a notorious reputation, can have mild

varieties.

" It doesn't mean it's nasty ... there are five or six varieties (of

Stachybotrys), " Henry Slack, an EPA indoor air quality manager, told a group

of 100 during a discussion organized by the Collier County School District.

Stachybotrys was discovered six months ago inside portable structures at

Lake Park Elementary School. At the time, teachers and students complained

about symptoms related to toxic mold exposure: headaches, bloody noses,

fatigue.

Slack was one of seven speakers who, for 1½ hours, discussed indoor air

quality and the special problems confronting schools.

" Every school district is dealing with this problem, " said Althouse, a

environmental health and safety coordinator with the Florida Department of

Education. " A lot of this is blown out of proportion. "

He said 95 percent of mold problems are preventable by regular maintenance.

He suggested: classrooms have a relative humidity below 60 percent;

classroom temperatures around 75 degrees; and for maintenance crews to watch

the three main water sources for mold: air conditioning, roof leaks and

carpet cleaning procedures.

Even so, school officials can confront unique indoor air quality problems

caused by tight budgets, populated classrooms and portables.

Last spring, Collier County school officials adopted the U.S. EPA's program

to improve indoor air quality, said Ike Isett, a district school health

coordinator.

He said all schools have started by designating an indoor air quality

coordinator, as well as a team to monitor any problems.

The EPA material suggests districts adopt policies that support good indoor

air quality such as:

no animals in classrooms;

putting food into air-tight containers;

directing idling motor vehicles away from air intake vents; and

using carpet manufacturer's cleaning recommendations.

The symposium was held inside the school district's Administrative Center

with about 100 people attending, most of them school employees.

School Board member Abbott, who was very interested in the issue, said

she wasn't consulted about the evening's speakers. She said more parents

probably would have attended had the meeting been better advertised.

With students, many air quality symptoms, such as bloody noses, she added,

go unreported until there's a big problem. She suggested the district send

out an " epidemiology questionnaire " to parents.

" Otherwise, you don't know other kids in the same classroom are having

similar problems until parents sit down at a baseball game and start

talking, " Abbott said.

During the 20-minute question-and-answer session, some of the questions

dealt with the district's maintenance schedule and the school air

conditioning units.

Question: Are fresh air ventilation systems in all schools?

Officials: Yes.

Question: Is there a timeline to modernize older school systems?

Officials: Yes.

The EPA's Slack warned most district indoor air quality testing is an

unnecessary expense.

He said a district will spend $20,000 for a report but it won't be able to

tell officials where the mold comes from.

" If you see mold growing, you don't need to test, " he said.

But he added that a district may need to test for hidden mold for medical or

legal reasons.

The other speakers were: Eli Mobley, the district's director of risk

management; Elaine Wade, NCH Healthcare System's director of school nursing;

Dr. Brett Stanaland, an allergy, asthma and immunology specialist; and Joan

Colfer, Collier County Health Department director.

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