THE BATTLE AGAINST MOULD

[Guest guest]

THE BATTLE AGAINST MOULD

By Stovell

http://www.theroyalgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20070116/LIFESTYLE/101160179

We should respect mould. This is the advice of internal buildings

environmental expert Gressin. Mr. Gressin was brought to

Bermuda to help with the recent mould clean-up at CedarBridge

Academy. He said the microbes abound in warm humid conditions and

are found absolutely everywhere.

" People should not be afraid of mould they should respect it. It is

necessary for recycling and plays an important role in breaking down

organic matter, " he said.

There are hundreds of different types of mould and efforts to kill

them all would render us at tremendous risk for disease. According

to Mr. Gressin mould spores are in the air and at normal levels pose

no risk to healthy humans.

Asked about aspergillus, the mould variety that rose to prominence

in the recent CedarBridge clean-up, Mr. Gressin said it's fine at

normal levels.

" I've run about 1,000 tests on the Island in all kinds of places, "

he said. " And I've found it present everywhere. It's even found in

Alaska. It is a problem at high levels. It's the volume that is

getting you sick. In sterile places like hospital operating rooms

and computer rooms you may not find them but you can never keep your

home like that. If you did that in your home you would get sick the

first time you left the house, " he said.

" Mould helps us more than it hurts. "

He said that mould existed in Biblical times and noted that the book

of Leviticus advises people to try to clean it themselves or if it

is too much to call a priest for his help. If all else fails the Old

Testament says they should take the problem and dump it in an

unclean place.

It's more than 2007 years later and the advice has only changed

slightly. Today safety guidelines in the US still recommend that

people clean small areas of mould growth themselves.

The New York Department of Health standard stipulates that the

average person can tackle areas ten to 30 square feet.

Instead of calling a priest, modern-day people are advised to call

an environmental cleaning specialist. In Bermuda that means the

Environmental Health Office or a private company like TES Ltd. or

Bermuda Water Consultants. These professionals should be consulted

for infestations talking up an area over 100 square feet. And not

unlike the Leviticus advice, in situations where the mould has

completely taken over environmental consultants will suggest

demolition.

Mr. Gressin of Professional Building Inspectors, Inc. said his

company is frequently contracted to do mould clean-up. " I do a lot

of work in Florida where the conditions are much the same as here in

Bermuda, " he said. " It's warm and it's humid. "

" It's easy to think of it in a triangle. One point is temperature,

one is food and one is water or humidity above 60 percent. Remove

any of these points and the mould cannot grow, " he said.

Mould growth is not synonymous with being dirty. Mr. Gressin said

when he goes into a home he doesn't assess how dirty or clean it

is. " You can have a very dirty home, that is very dry and so there

will be no problems with mould there, " he said. Similarly a very

clean home that is damp may have very high levels of mould growth.

In many cases omitting the food source is the easiest way to

eliminate mould especially in the home setting. Any organic matter

is food for mould. It will not grow on glass or plastic. Carpets are

a wonderful breeding ground for them as are heavy curtains and

upholstery fabrics. Mr. Gressin said in his opinion carpet should

not be used in the Bermuda environment at all.

" Do not use carpet, it's like landing in a ploughed field for mould.

On tile there's no food source, " he said. " And I can get a tile

floor really clean with a mop and some bleach (bleach does kills

mould but doesn't have a residual effect) in a way that is almost

impossible with a vacuum. "

When a home does require professionals to step in and clean up, Mr.

Gressin said the process is fairly quick. He said in many cases the

family could continue to live in the premises while the work is

going on but usually recommends that the elderly and those with

weakened immune systems stay with a friend.

The clean up method used depends on the extent of the problem. There

is an industry manual on the topic that is very specific on exactly

what course to take at the various stages of contamination. The

Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification S520

is the manual used. It details what equipment and products should be

used and Mr. Gressin said environmental cleaning companies usually

adhere very strictly to it.

Asked what homeowners can do in Bermuda to kill mould Mr. Gressin

recommended cleaning with anti-microbial agents like 480,

Microband and Shockwave. He said where carpets are used hepa

vacuuming is best. " But the hepa vacuums you buy in the shops are

not the real thing, " he said.

" Bleach will kill mould but is only good for about five minutes, " he

said. " Where there is a lot, a mask should be worn and it needs to

be the right type of mask a P100 or N95 not just the little ones you

find in the hardware store. Special garments are also necessary, " he

said.

[Guest guest]

That's why we are afraid of it, it breaks down organic matter...like

us.

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> THE BATTLE AGAINST MOULD

>

>> " People should not be afraid of mould they should respect it. It is

> necessary for recycling and plays an important role in breaking down

> organic matter, " he said.