Does Mold Matter?

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http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=45972

Team 2: Does Mold Matter?

You Ask, We Investigate

There's a developing controversy within the scientific and legal community

as to whether there is such thing as toxic mold and whether it's a

potentially deadly dilemma or much ado about nothing.

For 9 years Kononen has lived in a mold-infested Salem subsidized

apartment. She has been fighting the mold all the while.

Mold on her walls. Mold in her vents. Mold that spread to her daughter's

shoes. Mold that bleach can't wipe out.

One bedroom tested positive for stachybotrys, a toxic mold that's a

carcinogen. Recently workers cut a hole in her bedroom wall to take test

samples that might yield the key to killing it.

" We kept getting sick and it never went away, " said Kononen, " and you start

wondering why aren't you getting better if you're taking the medicine and

it's still there. "

Lloyd of Jantzen Beach has already gone through the process Kononen is

just beginning. " When they first manufactured this home, they did not seal

this drain in the bathtub, all that water was pooling under my house for 2

years, " Lloyd told KATU News.

Though her manufactured home was just a year old, there was mold growing 6

feet high behind the drywall. Exactly one year ago Lloyd, who owns her own

home health care nursing service, found herself in the hospital.

" I knew I was dying, I knew it, I could feel it, " Lloyd recalled while

fighting back tears. " I was vomiting everyday...I started vomiting blood. "

Loyd suffered respiratory failure and fell into a week-long coma. One of her

hospitals bills totalled $29,000; the total cost of her medical bills came

to $36,000.

Lloyd blames toxic mold.

Heumann is a mold expert at the Oregon Health Division and knows

what's Lloyd's talking about. " They send out toxins. The mold and the spores

and the toxins get into your mucus membranes and into your lungs, and that

can cause symptomatic breathing problems or it can cause problems in your

whole system, " said Heumann.

The Center for Disease Control downplays the connection. " These case reports

are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxic mold and these

conditions has not been proven, " reads a statement on the CDC Web site.

" The CDC acknowledges there are varying opinions on mold in the scientific

and public health communities, " said CDC spokeswoman Bernadette Burden. For

this reason, she said, the CDC is working with the Institute of Medicine to

review mold literature to date. A report is expected by mid-2003.

Harriet Amman, senior toxicologist for the Washington State Department of

Health, sits on the new CDC mold panel, and admits that answers about mold's

effects are slow in coming. Research on indoor mold is fairly new, she said,

and quite complex.

Mold has the capability of producing toxins, but only under certain

conditions, she said. In some cases, mold might be growing, but producing no

toxins. And while toxins might be present, that does not necessarily predict

exposure or illness.

" We don't have a really good idea how prevalent the problems are, " Amman

said.

Further, researchers do not yet have good analytical tools for measuring

mold-produced toxins, according to W. Elliott Horner, laboratory director

for Air Quality Services in Atlanta, Georgia.

Hoping to plug one of the knowledge gaps, Horner is conducting a study of 50

homes for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to find the

baseline for mold. " In a nutshell we are asking 'what is normal?' " he said.

Few Answers, More Doctor Visits, Lawsuits

While researchers continue their work, doctors are seeing more patients

complaining of mold-related ailments.

Jerry Leiken, director of medical toxicology at ton Northwestern

Healthcare and Illinois' only full-time toxicologist, roughly estimates that

of the few patients who see him each week for mold-related complaints, about

10 percent actually are suffering from mold damage. He has little guidance

from federal health officials, though, to help him evaluate patients.

" We always look to the CDC to help us correlate but they haven't correlated

anything, " he said. " If you go to the CDC Web site, it says go see your

doctor. So, I evaluate every person individually and try to look for

symptoms that clinically could relate. "

" The issue is it can, " says Heumann, " it has no business being in a living

environment with you or me or with that family it needs to be gotten out of

there. "

That's what happened to the University of Oregon's basketball coach.

Ernie Kent and his wife gutted their home and filed a $5 million lawsuit

against their builder, the plumber and the plasterer.

Even Ed McMahon filed a $20 million dollar lawsuit last month claiming toxic

mold killed his dog.

Mold also effects schools. Two years ago toutle Lake Elementary was shut

down. This year, Scappoose Middle School is dealing with sick students.

While some compare mold to saccharine or asbestos, saying the government

will eventually acknowledge the dangers, others, despite the risk of

offending " victims, " say mold will eventually be acquitted of the charges

against it.

Trying to calm hysteria about toxic mold, public health officials will tell

you that molds are everywhere and exist in more than 100,000 species.

Although mold has thrived for centuries, even in homes, the growing

perceived threat of toxic mold is a relatively recent phenomenon.

New construction techniques and cellulose-based materials used in modern

homes, particularly since the 1970s, seem to encourage mold-growth.

Mold merely needs moisture to begin growing, and can sprout up on a number

of different building materials such as wood, ceiling tiles, paints, carpet,

sheet rock or insulation. When moisture builds up from leaky pipes or roofs,

high humidity, or flooding, conditions are ideal for mold growth.

At Kononen's apartment, a faulty dryer vent is being blamed for sending

moisture into the walls. Now the walls will likely have to be ripped open

and Kononen will have to move.

" I don't want to stay living like this, this ain't right, " she said.

It's been a year since Lloyd returned from the hospital, and she wishes she

could celebrate the anniversary. " We thought we got rid of it, " said Lloyd,

" I can't believe it's back. "

The mold has returned. It's in almost every window, and that's just the mold

that can be seen. Lloyd is now locked in a battle with the home manufacturer

to make things right again before she gets sick again.

" It's like a nightmare that never goes away, " said Lloyd.

Tips From Oregon Health Division:

The state health division recommends you don't spend money testing the mold

in your home. Instead use the money to hire someone to get rid of it,

because a harmless mold today could be replaced by a toxic mold tomorrow.

Unfortunately if you own your own home, state agencies are not obligated to

help.

Tips from the EPA:

To Prevent Mold:

Moisture control is the key to mold control, so when water leaks or spills

occur indoors - act quickly. If wet or damp materials or areas are dried 24

hours to 48 hours after a leak or spill happens, in most cases mold will not

grow.

Clean and repair roof gutters regularly.

Make sure the ground slopes away from the building foundation, so that water

does not enter or collect around the foundation.

Keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and

flowing properly. Keep indoor humidity low. If possible, keep indoor

humidity below 60 percent (ideally between 30 percent and 50 percent)

relative humidity. Relative humidity can be measured with a moisture or

humidity meter, a small, inexpensive ($10 to $50) instrument available at

many hardware stores.

Vent appliances that produce moisture, such as clothes dryers, stoves, and

kerosene heaters to the outside where possible. (Combustion appliances such

as stoves and kerosene heaters produce water vapor and will increase the

humidity unless vented to the outside.)

Use air conditioners and/or dehumidifiers when needed.

Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering. Use exhaust fans or

open windows whenever cooking, running the dishwasher or dish washing, etc.

If you see condensation or moisture collecting on windows, walls or pipes

act quickly to dry the wet surface and reduce the moisture/water source.

Condensation can be a sign of high humidity.

To Clean Up Mold:

Scrub mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, and dry completely.

Fix plumbing leaks and other water problems as soon as possible. Dry all

items completely.

Absorbent or porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may have to

be thrown away if they become moldy. Mold can grow on or fill in the empty

spaces and crevices of porous materials, so the mold may be difficult or

impossible to remove completely.

Avoid exposing yourself or others to mold.

Do not paint or caulk moldy surfaces. Clean up the mold and dry the surfaces

before painting. Paint applied over moldy surfaces is likely to peel.

If you are unsure about how to clean an item, or if the item is expensive or

of sentimental value, you may wish to consult a specialist. Specialists in

furniture repair, restoration, painting, art restoration and conservation,

carpet and rug cleaning, water damage, and fire or water restoration are

commonly listed in phone books. Be sure to ask for and check references.

Look for specialists who are affiliated with professional organizations.

Federal Bill In the Works

U.S. Rep. Conyers, a veteran Democratic congressman from Detroit will

introduce federal legislation in the next few weeks to protect consumers

from the physical and financial effects of toxic mold damage. Michigan state

lawmakers have proposed similar legislation, and California and New York are

among the few states that already have toxic mold laws on the books.

Currently, there are no state or federal standards for mold risks, and no

regulation of mold clean-up firms. Meanwhile, homeowners can find themselves

without insurance to pay for mold damage since most standard policies cover

only sudden damage, not maintenance problems such as slow water leaks.