Hurricane mold could cause new storm for Texans — sneezing

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Hurricane mold could cause new storm for Texans — sneezing

by Sara Sargent

Oct 07, 2008

Medill Reports - Washington,DC*

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=100009

Am I at risk for mold-related health problems?

People with asthma, allergies, chronic lung disease or other

breathing problems are typically more sensitive to mold. Although

there is a lot of talk about " toxic mold, " health reactions to mold

are uncommon among generally healthy people who are not predisposed

to mold sensitivity.

How do I get rid of mold?

If mold in your home has not spread too extensively, you might be

able to avoid hiring a remediation service and clean it up yourself.

1. If you think mold has contaminated your heating, ventiliation or

air conditioning system, do not run the HVAC system.

2. Fix plumbing leaks and other water-related problems as soon as

possible.

3. Scrub off or bleach mold located on hard surfaces. Dry completely.

4. Porous materials such as ceiling tiles, rugs, carpets, insulating

and padding probably need to be thrown away because mold is

difficult to remove completely from these materials.

5. When cleaning, avoid breathing in mold or mold spores. To limit

your exposure to airborne mold, you can purchase an N-95 respirator

to wear while cleaning. Wearing goggles and gloves is also

recommended.

6. To keep mold away once cleaning is done, use air conditioners or

de-humidifiers to maintain dry conditions.

WASHINGTON -- As residents in southeastern Texas begin to reoccupy

their homes and rebuild, they have yet another thing to worry about:

mold-related health problems.

For people suffering from mold allergies, asthma or chronic lung

disease, exposure to the mold caused by Hurricane Ike flooding could

trigger significant health complications.

" There will definitely be mold damage to people's homes: in the

carpets, drywall, baseboards, " said Dr. Louis Hamer, a pulmonologist

with Southeast Houston Pulmonology in Pasadena, Tex. " People who are

trying to clean that out will be exposed and there will be

exacerbation of asthma and allergies. "

Hurricane Ike, which hit the Texas coast on Sept. 13, forced

hundreds of thousands of Texans to flee. Since many did not return

to clean out their homes until recently, infrastructure and personal

belongings were exposed to water for a long time and developed a

significant amount of mold.

For those Texans with asthma or mold allergies, that makes daily

life uncomfortable.

According to Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the

American Lung Association, reactions to mold exposure include

headache, runny nose, burning eyes and skin rash.

" The biggest problem is allergies, " Edelman said. " In a city like

Houston, 15 percent of the population has asthma and another bunch

will have chronic lung disease and allergies. "

Based on what happened in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina—when the

number of respiration-related emergency room visits spiked—Edelman

said a similar phenomenon could occur in Texas.

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, 46 percent

of inspected homes had visible mold growth, according to a 2006

report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health

care providers and public health officials were concerned that

returning residents would be at risk for respiratory problems caused

by exposure to these water-damaged homes.

With lessons learned from Louisiana's experiences, the Texas

Department of State Health Services is urging people to remove all

mold-ridden materials in their homes, spokesman Doug McBride said.

" Mold grows in moist areas so, if for example you've got sheet rock

in the walls of your home and the water rises six inches off the

floor, you need to replace that sheet rock and any other materials, "

McBride said.

Removing mold from an indoor environment is crucial for people who

suffer from allergies or other ailments related to mold exposure. If

it has spread to the carpeting, padding or insulation of a house,

all of those must be thrown out.

Some non-moldy, salvageable items can be bleached, and dehumidifiers

can be placed around the house to ward off more mold growth.

RestorationSOS, a nationwide remediation company with several Texas

locations, has witnessed a major uptick in business since Ike hit.

Leo Nov, associate division manager, estimates that the company has

dispatched 180 crews to handle more than 1,000 remediation jobs. Nov

said many houses and buildings are covered, floor to ceiling, with

black mold.

" If people waited a bit too long to return to their homes, the mold

growth is extensive and people will most commonly report `sick

building syndrome' where they get nausea and headaches, " Nov said.

In the future, Nov suggests residents board up their homes and cover

them with tarps to reduce the amount of water damage. But with a

hurricane the magnitude of Ike, there is often little that

homeowners can do.

" We have a few families who had to leave their homes and relocate

because the mold just grew and grew and grew, " Nov said.