Is Mystery Mold to Blame for Student Sickness?

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September 14, 2007

Is Mystery Mold to Blame for Student Sickness?

http://elm.washcoll.edu/past/079/02/myst.php

BY KATIE BLAHA

News Editor

After discovering mold growing in a House bathroom on Saturday,

Washington College is in the process of having the air quality in all eleven

Western Shore buildings tested.

The eight students living in were relocated to new housing on Monday

morning. This is the first case of mold found in student housing.

WC hired MarCor, a company that performed air tests on the Western Shore on

Tuesday by sampling air from both inside and outside the environment. The air

concentrations are then compared to determine if it is dangerous or not. Tests

will also specify the type of mold found growing in and deem whether or

not the suite is livable.

Results and recommendations from the company will not be expected to return

until late next week, at which time WC will assess and decide how long the

students should remain in their new living situation.

Junior Jenna LaPointe, who lived in B, started feeling cold-like

symptoms of a sore throat and stuffy nose upon returning to campus this

semester. Other occupants of B and D began developing similar symptoms

within the following weeks.

" Last Thursday I was in the boys' suite [ D] and noticed the toilet was

leaking, " said LaPointe.

Senior le Aloisio, another resident of B, said, " Behind the toilet

in their bathroom there was about a foot long patch of mold. Apparently there

was a leaky pipe in the bathroom that was supposed to be fixed six months ago. "

After looking in their own suite they discovered mold coming out of the vent in

the bathroom and beginning to seep into the bedrooms, according to Aloisio.

As of press time, records had yet to be checked to see if there had been

previous work or problems in the suite.

The mold was reported to Maintenance on Friday and inspected on Saturday.

" On Sunday night we [the members of B and D] all got together and went

over our symptoms and people had the same symptoms, " said LaPointe.

After some of the members went to the Chester River Hospital on Sunday, they

were advised to go to Health Services where they were treated for the individual

flu like symptoms.

The eight members of the two suites were contacted by Sue Park and met with her

on Monday morning to relocate.

The four girls were put in to three triples in Minta while the four boys

were moved to Carroll; both were advised to bring as many belongings with them

as possible.

A time frame was not given to the students as to how long they will be in their

new locations.

Junior Austin , who lived in D said, " Now that I'm out of that

environment I'm starting to feel better. "

" Sue Park's been amazing about talking to our parents...and I think they

[student Affairs] did it really well and really quick...Sue Park has been

careful about not giving us a time frame but I'm hoping at most 2 weeks.

" Health Services are the ones that really pushed to move us into new housing and

got the environmentalists to come and test Western Shore, " said LaPointe.

Reid Raudenbush, Director of the Plant, said, " Mold is present everywhere and

there are tons of thousands of strains existing. Mold needs high humidity and

wet areas in order to grow. While there is no such thing as a toxic mold, there

are people who are more sensitive to it with respiration and asthma issues. "

A piece of wall behind the toilet had appeared to become wet in

according to Raudenbush, and MarCor has been asked to recommend a course of

action.

" In all of my 17 years here, I have never had a mold sample come back that's

considered dangerous, " said Raudenbush.

He said that the worst case scenario would be the need to replace the wall

completely and sanitize every surface in the suite, including the ceiling.

Drying equipment would have to be brought in to make sure all the moisture is

removed.

Another source of mold, air conditioning units, are also cleaned and replaced at

the end of summer and during winter break, according to Raudenbush.

" The most important thing to do is to keep rooms and areas dry without moisture

and water...if there's a roof leak or dripping, that gives mold an opportunity

to get started, " said Raudenbush.