State health department warns of mold danger

[Guest guest]

Now this is odd, how can this possibly be??? (said sarcasticly)

Mr.Chamberlain said (below), could he be misguided, not reading up

to date information, would rather benefit big corporation, instead

of protecting human life? What is their agenda or is it just brain

fog?

Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services

While studies show a link between health problems in workers and

mold in occupational or industrial settings, Chamberlain said, no

similar link has been found on a residential level.

>>> Now according to the State Health Dept of VT,(below) they say

some may react very badly and could run into serious health

problems, hmmmm. Must not be reading the same book. Now who would

you believe? I tip my hat off to Vermont.. And I think

Mr.Chamberlain needs to be recertified or certified along with the

rest of his credentials.

KC

" If you let things get wet, you will probably have some kind of mold

growth, " Bress said. " Everyone reacts to it differently, but some

people react badly to it and run into serious health problems. "

State health department warns of mold danger

By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN, Reformer Staff

Brattleboro,VT Reformer Wed, 02 May 2007 0:06 AM PDT

Wednesday, May 2

BRATTLEBORO -- Wet basements are as much a rite of spring in New

England as baseball and daffodils.

But the Vermont Department of Health is reminding homeowners that

now is the time to take care of water damage before it spawns mold

growth that could trigger serious health issues, especially for

people with upper respiratory problems.

Bress, a state toxicologist with the health department, said

any soft surface will provide ideal conditions for the growth and

proliferation of mold.

" If you let things get wet, you will probably have some kind of mold

growth, " Bress said. " Everyone reacts to it differently, but some

people react badly to it and run into serious health problems. "

Hard surfaces such as plastic, wood and metal can be cleaned with a

bleach solution. Any soft surface that has gotten wet is impossible

to clean and has to be removed to prevent the mold growth from

spreading.

Likely sources of mold growth include carpet, insulation, plaster,

paper products, soft wood, wall board and ceiling tile.

After the recent rainy weather in Vermont, any basement that gets

wet is likely to have had some sitting water in it.

Bress sent out the health alert this week to encourage property

owners to get ahead of the problem before it gets worse.

Renters can also call their landlords if there is a wet basement in

a house or apartment. Landlords are required by law to take care of

flooding problems. If they fail to clean up the standing water the

town health officer can be called to force action.

Small areas can be cleaned, but Bress stressed that professional

cleaning companies should handle larger mold problems.

If anyone in the house is allergic to mold, disturbing the area

without taking the proper precautions can lead to serious health

problems.

Mold can cause a runny nose, itchy eyes and sneezing. More severe

allergies might cause a rash or headache and mold can also

exacerbate asthma. " Some people are immune and some people react

badly to it, " Bress said. " We recommend that you remove the water

source. "

Putnam, co-owner of Brown & Hardware, said it has been

a steady wet-basement season, with Putnam reporting average sales of

sump pumps, cleaning products and dehumidifiers.

The warmer weather encourages mold growth and Putnam said that

homeowners usually purchase dehumidifiers, paint products and

cleaning products as the mold appears when things warm up.

" If you don't get your basement dried out, you start to have

problems, " Putnam said.

Weiss-Tisman can be reached at hwtisman@... or 802-

254-2311, ext. 279.