Mold hits UH hall housing nursing and dental hygiene

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Thursday, August 8, 2002

Mold hits UH hall housing nursing and dental hygiene

The university says it is taking steps to solve the problem

By Leone

dleone@...

says in the seven years he has worked in the University of

Hawaii's Webster Hall, he suspected there was something in the air there

that aggravated his allergies.

In the late 1990s he raised questions about the repeated bouts of sinus

problems, headaches, itchy eyes, respiratory congestion and skin rashes that

he and his staff of four in information services experienced, said.

The university conducted an air quality test that reported Webster's air

within acceptable limits for dust, pollutants and carbon dioxide. But it did

not test for mold.

This year, said his concern increased as " white fuzzy stuff " started

growing on the leather jacket he keeps in his office and on laptop computer

cases. Mold even grew inside the ionic air filters in the computer lab

adjacent to his office.

Down the third-floor hallway where employee Gabe Hoeffken has worked for

more than two years, a similar white fuzz grows repeatedly on laptop cases.

said he cleans everything with Lysol or Formula 409, only to have the

mold regrow in a couple of weeks.

One room where he serviced a computer, said Hoeffken, had a pink mold

growing. The mold in his room, he said, reminded him of " stuff I've seen

growing in caves. "

On Webster's second floor, at least two classrooms have mold growing on the

walls, and a student reading room has mold growing on books.

All this seems out of place in a building with a decor that is reminiscent

of a hospital -- wide, clean white-tiled corridors with crisp gray accents.

Webster houses the UH School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene.

" I guess what it all comes down to is, we're supposed to have an environment

that is safe from health hazards to work in, " said after showing the

Star-Bulletin Webster's mold spots yesterday. " I believe this constitutes a

hazard. "

He e-mailed UH officials asking for action on June 10.

Diane Shimitzu, administrative officer for Webster, said steps are being

taken to attack the mold problem.

Custodians are scheduled to do a deep-cleaning of mold-infested spots in the

building during evening hours this week, Shimitzu said. Desiccants and

dehumidifiers are on order for placement in trouble spots. And building

maintenance crews will continue to try to adjust the air-conditioning system

to an optimum cooling level.

" I think we are very concerned about it. We are taking very active measures

about it. It's an issue that's very important to us, " Shimitzu said.

A basic problem may be that since the building was renovated about a decade

ago, the air-conditioning system " has never operated properly, " Shimitzu

said.

UH Facilities Director Kalvin Kashimoto said there is nothing wrong with

Webster's air conditioning, " it just needs adjustments. "