Professor finds toxic mold in Midland homes

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06/26/2002

Professor finds toxic mold in Midland homes

By Shanna Sissom , Midland Reporter-Telegram

MIDLAND, TEXAS (MRT) - An expert on the harmful strand of Stachybotrys

spores, reported Tuesday having recently tested samples from a number of

local homes and detecting the dangerous substance growing in many of them.

With what has seemed to be a recent outbreak of toxic mold discoveries in

Midland area homes, Texas Tech microbiologist Straus, a nationally

acclaimed expert on the harmful strand of Stachybotrys spores, reported

Tuesday having recently tested samples from a number of local homes and

detecting the dangerous substance growing in many of them.

" I can't tell you the percentage but I will say quite a few of the homes

there in Midland have it, " Straus said.

The professor is a highly sought-after source nationwide for his extensive

research on harmful mold and " sick building syndrome. "

" That means there's something in that building that makes people sick and

that's what's going on in all the houses in Midland that have toxic mold, "

he explained.

A recent Reporter-Telegram report focused on the dangers of toxic mold spore

exposure and the serious health consequences some local residents have

experienced. In one case, a teen-age girl had seen eight or nine doctors,

none of whom could figure out what was causing her wide range of ailments

until she finally traveled to see an Arizona specialist who has seen a

number of Texans suffering from toxic mold exposure.

" There's probably only a handful of physicians in the country that

understand toxic mold, " Straus explained.

Midlander Violet Singh, whose daughter became seriously ill before toxic

mold was found growing inside their family home, is upset at the medical

community for generally not recognizing the effects of toxic mold.

In her personal research, she said she found several individuals throughout

the state who have paid in excess of $20,000 for extensive medical

examinations by some of the few physicians who consider toxic mold exposure

a bonafide medical condition.

Toxic mold is still being researched by the American Medical Association and

several Midland victims, who have asked to remain unidentified, reported

struggles with medical insurance and homeowner carriers in seeking

reimbursement.

" Certain insurance companies and certain medical professionals are having a

field day taking victims of mold to the cleaners, " Ms. Singh said.

However, the process of determining if a home has toxic mold does not have

to be difficult or expensive.

Collecting a mold sample from a home is easy, Straus said. He performs

examinations for just laboratory costs of $40.

While emphasizing that normal or " unharmful " mold grows on showers because

showers are wet 24 hours a day, Straus said suspect mold would be found near

leaks in places such as walls and flooring.