Scientists, Government Officials Search for Answers to Moldy Questions

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http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/toxicmold020509.html

The Fungus Among Us

Scientists, Government Officials Search for Answers to Moldy Questions

By Geraldine Sealey

May 9 - Pam and her family lived in their Southfield, Mich., home for

only 24 days before the mold drove them out.

's then-7-year-old daughter Melina, who calls her " human radar

detector, " started suffering multiple, uncontrollable attacks that

says eventually led the girl to lose 70 percent of her lung capacity. The

entire family itched with hives and their noses bled.

The newly bought three-bedroom house, which said reeked unforgettably

like dirt and sulphur, soon became suspect. Searching for what made the

family sick, teams of investigators, sewer and gas workers and cleaners

marched through the property.

Frantic, called every health official she could reach, from the

federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention down to the local health

department. Her inquiries yielded little.

A team of environmental specialists finally found the alleged culprit: A

green-black, slick mold called Stachybotrys chartarum, one of several

species often referred to as " toxic mold, " growths that produce poisons that

can seep into the body through the nose, mouth and skin.

The sickening slime, reputed to cause maladies from headaches to coughs to

memory loss, has been found in schools, police stations, workplaces, public

housing projects and residences across the country and is getting more

attention as plaintiffs and defendants, toxicologists and doctors spar over

its risks. Even entertainer Ed McMahon filed a $20 million lawsuit last

month claiming that toxic mold killed his dog.

Once her sick house was diagnosed in April 2001, figured the " system "

would kick in and solve the problem.

" At first, I thought that someone would step in and save us, " she said.

Instead, describes frustrating negotiations with insurance agents,

real estate companies, public health officials, physicians and government

agencies. Even at the highest levels of government and science, found

more questions than answers about the health effects of mold, despite a

pileup of scary anecdotes, hefty insurance claims and big-money jury

verdicts.

Federal Bill In the Works

Less than a month after closing on her new home, and her two

daughters were told to flee, and leave their contaminated possessions

behind.

's family has lived out of boxes ever since, unable to afford another

home or apartment, because neither 's homeowner's insurance policy nor

her warranty covered her losses. Her family camps out at a friend's home,

while their moldy house is being foreclosed this month, and the case is in

litigation.

" Has it devastated me? Absolutely it has, " she said. " My story is no

different than anybody else's. If you're rich, you're poor when you get

through with this. "

But 's story is different from anybody else's. She happens to be the

office manager and district scheduler for U.S. Rep. Conyers, a veteran

Democratic congressman from Detroit, who will introduce federal legislation

in the next few weeks named " Melina's Bill " for 's daughter. The bill

aims 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.

Conyers' bill would require states to license and monitor mold inspectors

and mold " remediators, " or removers, call on the CDC to authorize a

long-term study, allow states to tap federal dollars to clean mold

disasters, provide mold insurance and require homeowners and real estate

developers to disclose mold problems with house sales.

Mold: The Next Asbestos?

The drive to address the problems of toxic mold, however, is stymied by one,

glaring factor: Scientists are divided over the poison potential of mold.

Some researchers are convinced that toxic molds are killers. Federal health

officials, on the other hand, do not even recognize the blanket phrase

" toxic mold, " only admitting that some molds can be toxic to some people.

In part, Conyers' legislation was inspired by the CDC's reluctance to indict

mold for its potential danger. " Based on what we're hearing from Detroiters

and people all over the country, it's much more of a hazard than the CDC

thought it was, " said Segal, Conyers' legal assistant on health policy.

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 just needs moisture to begin growing, and can sprout up on a number of

different building materials - 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.

When molds are disturbed, their spores can become airborne, getting into

noses, mouths and lungs. While common molds do not usually cause health

problems for most healthy people, experts say, some allergy or asthma

sufferers can be sensitive to molds, and contract skin rashes, runny noses,

eye irritation, and coughs.

New Govt. Panel Seeks Answers

Then there are the so-called toxic molds, such as Strachybotrys chartarum,

Aspergillus, and Penicillium, that produce toxins called " mycotoxins, " which

are known to cause adverse health effects such as fatigue, nausea,

headaches, and respiratory and eye irritation.

Some researchers say mold is not just dangerous but deadly. Dr. Dorr

Dearborn of Rainbow Children's Hospital in Cleveland, a leading mold expert

who has studied pulmonary hemorrhaging in infants, has connected infant

deaths to Stachybotrys mold.

But the Centers 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, says W. Elliott Horner, laboratory director for Air

Quality Services in Atlanta, Ga.

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. "

In hashing out the financial responsibilities for mold damage, homeowners,

insurers and lawyers also say they can use some additional guidance from

scientists.

Toxic mold cleanups can be costly, reaching into the millions in some cases,

and are seldom completely covered by homeowners' insurance.

Nonetheless, a Texas insurance agents group put state homeowner insurer

losses from mold damage at $138 million for December 2001 alone. Nationwide,

some estimate that toxic-mold liabilities could rival the $60 billion paid

out for asbestos claims.

Confusion over what kind of mold damage should be covered by insurance has

led to a proliferation of expensive lawsuits.

Last year, a jury awarded $32 million to a Texas couple who sued Farmers

Insurance Group, claiming the company failed to adequately and swiftly cover

repairs for a water leak that led to mold damage and harmed their family's

health.

Big-money jury verdicts awarded to alleged mold victims only exacerbate the

insurance problem, insurance industry officials say. As a result, some

insurance companies are removing or restricting mold and mildew coverage

from homeowners' insurance policies or raising rates.

" Mold litigation is the Wild West, there are no ground rules, " said M.

Goldberg, assistant general counsel for the American Insurance Association.

" If you are a plaintiff's lawyer you will be able to find an expert to

testify that mold caused this adverse effect in this person. We need to

address that by getting some real science on this stuff, " Goldberg said.

Although some may say the " epidemic " of toxic mold is just a lot of hype

until scientists understand it better, Pam says she has all the

evidence she needs to prove that mold can be poisonous. For those who still

have questions, she offers up her mold-infested home for anyone brave enough

to enter.

" I have a house they can stay in for two days if they want and see what

happens, " said. " I'll pass the key to anybody. "