Critics say school mold downplayed

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Thursday, August 18, 2005

Critics say school mold downplayed

But district says inspections didn't find major problems

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/237061_schoolmold18.html

By JESSICA BLANCHARD

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Workers surveying Seattle Public Schools buildings earlier this year

found evidence of mold in at least nine schools, and potential

environmental hazards in a number of others.

Inspection reports cite suspected mold outbreaks, water leaks,

deteriorating ceilings and poor air quality in schools around the

city. At some schools, teachers, nurses and principals complained to

inspectors about health problems stemming from offices and

classrooms.

District officials, who earlier this summer characterized the mold

problem as minor and confined to a few schools, acknowledged that

patches of mold had been found in more buildings than before.

But they said follow-up inspections uncovered little evidence of

serious problems.

" I think generally, people were pretty pleased that it wasn't as

widespread as it could have been, " district spokesman s

said Wednesday. " But it's still a challenge for those schools, and

we want to make sure they're cleaned up. "

Mold doesn't typically pose a health risk to people, but prolonged

exposure to large amounts can be harmful, according to the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention.

Inspectors initially cited suspected mold problems at 14 schools,

poor air-quality readings at more than 15 schools and water stains

or leaks at more than 60 district buildings, according to reports

obtained by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

After conducting follow-up visits, the district has identified the

schools where mold was found as: High Point Elementary; Lafayette

Elementary; Salmon Bay School; Washington Middle School; South Lake

@ South Shore; African American Academy; Luther King Jr.

Elementary; Hale High School; and Arbor Heights Elementary,

where workers are still trying to fix a problem with water pooling

and mold growing underneath some classrooms.

Consultants there are still trying to figure out where the water is

coming from, and an independent toxicologist is conducting tests to

determine whether the rooms will be ventilated well enough for

students to use when school starts.

Workers already have fixed many of the problems at other schools,

including replacing more than a thousand ceiling tiles at Hale,

s said, and the district hopes to have almost all the repairs

completed before school starts Sept. 7.

The districtwide inspection was the first of its kind, and was

prompted by lessons learned after the discovery of lead-contaminated

drinking water in some of the schools, s said.

Since water-quality concerns were raised in 2003, the district has

spent millions to replace pipes and provide bottled drinking water

at affected schools.

Suspecting there might be mold in some schools and hoping to avoid

similarly costly repairs, the district sent teams of workers to each

school to evaluate potential environmental hazards and suggest

repairs.

Workers received training from Public Health -- Seattle & King

County and from the district's environmental coordinator, Dave Wick.

Then they conducted room-by-room air-quality inspections at the

district's 100 schools last spring. They measured carbon dioxide

levels and noted problems, such as visible mold, strong musty odors,

water leaks or stained ceiling tiles.

They cataloged hundreds of missing or stained tiles, cracked walls

and leaks or water damage in rooms throughout the district.

They also included notes from teachers, principals and school staff,

complaining of lingering sinus and respiratory problems and other

ailments.

Mark , a scientist and parent-activist who last year sounded

the alarm on contaminated drinking water, blasted the district for

downplaying the results of the inspectors' surveys, and suggested

they had done so to avoid having to make costly fixes.

Mold can cause serious health problems, especially for children who

have asthma, he said, and the district shouldn't ignore reports of

mold just because Wick says there's not a problem.

" These are the same environmental coordinators who concealed and

downplayed the significance of lead-contaminated drinking water for

over 12 years, " he said.

" It's no surprise they view mold as non-hazardous. "

Teacher Marilyn Mears said she wasn't surprised that inspectors

noted a water leak and some mold growing under the sink in her

kindergarten classroom at MLK Elementary.

Visitors had occasionally remarked on a musty smell, and she'd

repeatedly asked to have the recurring leak fixed.

But she was never personally bothered by any smells and said she

didn't think her students were, either.

" On one hand, if there are any health and safety issues, they

certainly need to be addressed, " she said. " But on the other hand,

at times there tends to be a little bit of hysteria. "

The survey also found relatively high carbon dioxide levels in rooms

at some schools, indicating potential air-quality concerns.

Carbon dioxide levels are normally higher inside a building. But,

generally, a reading above 1,000 parts per million indicates a room

needs more ventilation, said Karasz, a spokeswoman for the

Public Health Department.

Higher carbon dioxide levels can cause people to become drowsy and

affect performance, and may indicate the presence of other

contaminants in the air.

About 20 schools had rooms that registered CO{-2} levels above 1,000

ppm, and one had readings as high as 2,342 -- more than six times

the level found outdoors.

In his follow-up notes, Wick attributed the higher levels in some

rooms to teachers stacking bookshelves too high and blocking air

vents.

Unblocking the vents should solve the problem, he noted.

Wick acknowledged small patches of mold in a couple schools.

But in internal e-mails or in notes scribbled on the margins of the

inspector's reports, he dismissed most of their findings of mold,

musty smells or leaks, often saying he didn't see or smell anything

during his visits.

In many cases, what earlier inspectors had believed was mold, he

said, were simply water-stained ceiling tiles.

Unless there is an active leak behind the stained tiles, the

district considers them unsightly but not a health risk, though

experts have cautioned that it's impossible to determine the absence

of mold without testing.

District officials have not decided whether they'll continue annual

inspections.

They're training custodians and other workers in schools to identify

mold and other environmental problems, and are developing procedures

for school nurses to identify patterns of symptoms that might

indicate allergies to mold.

That way, " as soon as something suspicious might arise, it can be

addressed immediately, " s said.

School board member Sally Soriano said she'd like to see district

staff members follow up with people in the schools who may have been

affected.

" If you find some high readings, the next thing you should do is

call the people who have been in those environments, " she said.

MOLD SYMPTOMS

When moisture problems occur and mold growth results, building

occupants may begin to report odors and a variety of health

problems, such as headaches, breathing difficulties, skin

irritation, allergic reactions and aggravation of asthma symptoms.

All molds have the potential to cause health effects. Molds produce

allergens, irritants and, in some cases, toxins that may cause

reactions in humans.

The types and severity of symptoms depend on the types of mold

present, the extent of an individual's exposure, the ages of the

individuals, and their existing sensitivities or allergies.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

P-I reporter Frey contributed to this report. P-I reporter

Blanchard can be reached at 206-448-8322 or

jessicablanchard@....