Mold in my aprtment? help interpret mold test that was done by a company i hired

[Guest guest]

I had situation where i had a ceiling leak in my apartment i complained numerous

times to get it fixed was not taken care of (2 months ago) I had reason to

believe there could be some sort of mold growing not necessarily the toxic kind

but mold. I had test done and the results came out to show that i had 1170

cts/mc of cladosporium in my living area and 50 cts/m3 outside could this be

harmful to my 5 month old baby? other forms of mold found in my apartment were

alternaria, ascospores, basidiospores, chaetomium, epicoccum, and ulocladium.

they were all in higher levels than the outdoor tests, but still how could this

effect my baby and my husband and I? we are making it a big deal because they

are not taking care of this situation quick enough we are not there 1st

priority. So any information you provide will be a big help! And can i break my

lease legally reason unhealthy living ??Thanks

[Guest guest]

You should be concerned about the health of your family, and especially the

baby, as young children are more susceptible to the adverse health effects of

environmental contaminants, including mold and bacteria. If you have not

already done so, seek medical advice from a qualified physician with expertise

in mold exposures.

The sample results, which appear to be from spore trap samples, do indicate that

indoor mold sources likely exist. I say this primarily because of the presence

of Chaetomium, which is a mold that requires high moisture for growth. The

finding of this mold in indoor air samples warrants investigation into areas of

moisture and mold growth.

Interpretation of air samples should primarily focus on the qualitative nature

of the data. Quantitative comparisons often lead to erroneous conclusions.

Unless indoor fungal sources exist, the predominant fungi indoors should be

similar to outdoors. For example, if 90% of the outdoor air sample is

Cladosporium, the percentage of this fungus in indoor samples should be

approximately 90%. However, in winter months, using outdoor samples as

baselines can be biased by the low concentrations of fungi in outdoor air.

Another important issue to consider when comparing indoor and outdoor samples is

that conclusive comparisons can only be made if culturable air samples are

collected. Both the genus and species is required. For example, in your

samples, the Cladosporium in the outdoor air could be Cladosporium

cladosporioides, which commonly grows on decayed vegetation. However, indoors,

you might have a predominance of Cladosporium sphaerospermum, which is commonly

found on wet insulation. If your leaks came from the roof, and insulation

became wet, this could be the case.

If the leaks originated from a bathroom above your apartment, contamination

could include fecal related contaminants from toilet overflows. The samples

that were collected do not provide information on bacteria.

If the only thing your landlord has done is hire a company to collect one indoor

and one outdoor sample, I would be concerned that the data will be used to

declare the apartment safe. The fact that leaks occurred is sufficient

information to warrant concerns. A detailed visual investigation should be

conducted to determine the source of the leaks and the boundaries of the water

damage. The detailed investigation should include setting up containment to cut

access into the ceiling. Moisture measurements (and infrared imaging if

possible) should also be utilized in assessing the damages. Problematic molds,

such as Stachybotrys and Aspergillus, will most likely be found on the topside

of the drywall in the ceiling. Even though these molds are not reported in the

one indoor air sample, if contamination does exist above the ceiling, any number

of conditions could result in the liberation of molds from the drywall into the

living spaces.

Relative to whether the existence of water damage and mold are sufficient to

release you from your lease is dependent upon the conditions of your lease and

the position of your landlord. I have assisted many tenants in being released

from leases by simply performing an inspection and collecting moisture

measurements. After receiving a report that outlined the steps required to

effectively evaluate the problem and develop a remediation scope, the landlords

were willing to release the tenants from their leases.

If the problem has existed for an extended period, you should address potential

cross-contamination onto your contents. Certainly laundering clothing,

damp-wiping hard surfaced items, and HEPA-vacuuming other items would be

prudent.

Good luck. I hope this helps.

Connie Morbach

Sanit-Air, Inc.

>

> I had situation where i had a ceiling leak in my apartment i complained

numerous times to get it fixed was not taken care of (2 months ago) I had reason

to believe there could be some sort of mold growing not necessarily the toxic

kind but mold. I had test done and the results came out to show that i had 1170

cts/mc of cladosporium in my living area and 50 cts/m3 outside could this be

harmful to my 5 month old baby? other forms of mold found in my apartment were

alternaria, ascospores, basidiospores, chaetomium, epicoccum, and ulocladium.

they were all in higher levels than the outdoor tests, but still how could this

effect my baby and my husband and I? we are making it a big deal because they

are not taking care of this situation quick enough we are not there 1st

priority. So any information you provide will be a big help! And can i break my

lease legally reason unhealthy living ??Thanks

>

[Guest guest]

In addition to what Dr Thrasher wrote - which is very important - I

would focus on the water leaks and water damage with water

markings. If that is not removed they are not getting rid of the

mold growth no matter what the sampling results indicate.

Sampling is notorious for being wrong and should not be used to

verify anything by itself. It must be interpreted within the context

of other information.

Carl Grimes

Healthy Habitats LLC

-----

I had situation where i had a ceiling leak in my apartment i complained

numerous times to get it fixed was not taken care of (2 months ago) I had

reason to believe there could be some sort of mold growing not

necessarily the toxic kind but mold. I had test done and the results came

out to show that i had 1170 cts/mc of cladosporium in my living area and

50 cts/m3 outside could this be harmful to my 5 month old baby? other

forms of mold found in my apartment were alternaria, ascospores,

basidiospores, chaetomium, epicoccum, and ulocladium. they were all in

higher levels than the outdoor tests, but still how could this effect my

baby and my husband and I? we are making it a big deal because they

are not taking care of this situation quick enough we are not there 1st

priority. So any information you provide will be a big help! And can i

break my lease legally reason unhealthy living ??Thanks

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