GSU battles toxic mold problem

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GSU battles toxic mold problem

By Jenel Few

Savannah Morning News

The Georgia Southern University Eagles' locker room wasn't the only musty

and damp place on campus this summer.

Four types of mold - including the toxic mold stachybotrys - were found

growing in several campus buildings following reports of allergy-like

illness.

" We live in a hot, humid climate and sometimes things like this happen, "

said university spokesman Sullivan. " Mold is something we deal with

all the time, as everyone else in this part of the country does. "

In late spring, the university received a series of complaints about illness

caused by exposure to mold in Health Services, Communication Arts,

Center and Hall, according to a May 30 memo from University

Environmental Health and Safety Manager Gene .

" The visual inspection of the structures identified not only fungi growth

but insect fragments, dust/dirt, and flea infestation. " wrote. " The

visual inspection revealed that GSU does have work spaces that were both

unsanitary and unhealthy. "

An Atlanta based company called Air Quality Sciences was hired to test

samples of the molds to determine exactly what was growing on office walls,

ceiling tiles and carpets.The tests determined that four types of mold were

growing in the buildings: cladosporium, penicillium, aspergillus and

stachybotrys.

Cladosporium, penicillium and aspergillus are common indoor molds.

Stachybotrys is less common, but is not rare, according to the Centers for

Disease Control. It is called toxic mold because it produces toxins and has

caused hemorrhaging in rare cases involving people who were taking immune

suppression drugs or were exposed to the mold through a puncture wound or in

massive amounts.

" So far, based on what we've seen, in office buildings there's no evidence

to show that molds produce enough toxins to be deadly, " said CDC Medical

Epidemiologist Dr. Clive Brown.Georgia Southern's Communication Arts

building contained cladosporium, stachybotrys, penicillium and aspergillus

molds. The building is more than a decade old and a temporary portable

structure where communication arts classes and faculty offices are housed.

The Health Center had stachybotrys and cladosporium. This facility is home

to student health services.

The Center contained cladosporium, stachybotrys, penicillium and

aspergillus. The student newspaper is housed in this facility.

Hall had penicillium, aspergillus and stachybotrys molds. This

facility houses administrative offices. It was built in 1907.

Dripping air conditioners, high humidity, leaking roofs, and inefficient old

windows helped create the moist conditions that helped the mold flourish in

the aging buildings.

" In student health services someone had stacked several cases of soft

drinks. Some of the cans on the bottom ruptured and sprayed out onto the

carpet and wall in the storage room, " Sullivan said. " The moisture and the

sugar created mold. "

Molds are very common in buildings and will grow anywhere indoors where

there is moisture. Excessive humidity, water leaks and condensation in a

building provide the constant moisture necessary for mold growth.Many

building materials provide the nutrients that encourage molds to grow such

as wallpaper, ceiling tiles, dust, carpet and wood.

It is not necessary to determine if molds are toxic, according to the CDC.

They should all be treated the same with respect to potential health risks

and removal.

Experts recommend that the moisture source be stopped, moldy carpet,

drywall, insulation and wood be removed and replaced and salvageable items

be washed in a water and bleach solution.

That's exactly what university officials did.

" Once mold was identified, the physical plant cleaned up the visible mold

and some work is still ongoing to repair and prevent mold from forming

again, " Sullivan said.

The university is replacing the roof on the communication arts building and

extensive work was done to replace carpet, wallpaper and sheets in parts of

health services.

But the bleach and water can't wash away the health concerns of those who

were exposed to the mold. The initial tests don't indicate how many molds

were growing in the buildings and they don't say what kind of health risk,

if any, the mold posed.

Chuck Graham of Brown and Caldwell, an environmental safety firm hired by

the university, suggested on July 16 that air-quality tests be taken to

determine the quality of the air in the affected areas.

" To assess the exposure to building occupants, air samples from the

breathing zones of the occupants should be collected, " Graham wrote in a

memo to the head of university Public Safety. " Without these additional

data, information regarding fungus found on surfaces may have little

meaning. "

The university commissioned a company to begin taking air samples last

Thursday.

However, surface cleanup has already been completed, the moldy tiles and

carpets are gone and major replacements - such as the communication arts

roof - are nearly complete. The students, faculty and staff who reported

red-eyes, scratchy throats and headaches would never know how much mold they

were exposed to or how long they were exposed. " Nevertheless, what we're

concerned about is what's happening now, " Sullivan said.

Although some people complained of allergy-like symptoms, Sullivan said no

one became seriously ill. Two people did request that they be moved out of

the affected buildings. One has since moved back in and another, who was

diagnosed as having a sensitivity to mold, will remain in her temporary

office until the problem is resolved, according to Sullivan.

" I don't know of anyone who is seeking any kind of workman's compensation

claims, " he said.

For mold-sensitive people, exposure to molds can cause symptoms such as

nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, or wheezing. Some people, such as those

with serious allergies to molds, may have more severe reactions, including

infections. But not all people react to molds in the same way. And there is

no way to determine exactly how serious of a health risk Georgia Southern's

mold was.

According to the CDC, standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable

or normal quantity of mold have not been established.

" Most (mold reactions) are manifested as allergic reactions but this is

where it becomes murky because everyone reacts differently, " Brown said.

" There's no way to say what kind of how much can make a person sick. "

Higher education reporter Jenel Few can be reached at 652-0325 or

jfew@...

MOLD FACTS

Four types of mold -- cladosporium, penicillium, aspergillus and the toxic

mold stachybotrys - were found growing in several Georgia Southern

University buildings this summer following reports of allergy-like

illnesses. Cladosporium, penicillium and aspergillus are common indoor

molds. Stachybotrys is less common than other mold species but is not rare,

according to the Centers for Disease Control. It is called toxic mold

because it produces toxins and has caused hemorrhaging in rare cases

involving people who were taking immune suppression drugs, or were exposed

to the mold through a puncture wound or in massive amounts.

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ANTI-MOLD ADVICE

* Keep humidity levels below 50 percent

* Use air conditioners and de-humidifiers during humid months

* Provide adequate ventilation

* Add mold inhibitors to paint

* Inspect your building for water damage and visible mold as part of your

routine building maintenance. Mold-causing conditions, such as leaks,

condensation, and flooding should be corrected.

* Use a common-sense approach for all mold contamination in buildings and

homes, no matter what kind it is. In most cases mold can be removed by

cleaning with bleach and water. In severe cases, where wallpaper, carpet,

wood, ventilation systems and insulation are affected, those items should be

removed and a professional with experience cleaning mold should be

contacted.

* Stachybotrys is a greenish-black mold. In constantly wet conditions it can

grow on materials with high cellulose and low nitrogen content, such as

fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust and lint. It is called toxic mold

because it produces mycotoxins.

* Common health effects of mold are nasal stuffiness, eye irritation and

wheezing. More severe reactions, like fever and shortness of breath, may

occur among people exposed to massive amounts. People with chronic

illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease may develop mold infections in

their lungs.

* If you believe you are ill because of mold exposure, consult your doctor.

People with allergies may be more sensitive to molds. People with immune

suppression or underlying lung disease are more susceptible to fungal

infections.

Source: www.cdc.gov