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YSU Moldy:

by John Booth, Tribune Chronicle

Aug 2004

YOUNGSTOWN - The presence of black mold spores has forced the closure of nine Youngstown State University classrooms, affecting several hundred students, university officials said Thursday.

Test results received Wednesday identified spores of Stachybotrys chartarum in samples taken from three classrooms and a hallway in Beeghly Center, YSU spokesman Walt Ulbricht said.

About a dozen classes in the affected rooms were canceled Thursday.

Those will resume today in Fedor Hall.

''In some cases, it's in the ceiling area, behind ceiling tiles. In other cases, it's behind some wallboard,'' Ulbricht said. ''The samples were taken Aug. 28 and 29 and then sent out for analysis.''

Molds can cause allergic reactions similar to hay fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma can experience difficulty breathing.

Ulbricht said a handful of faculty members and students complained of ''eye irritation and minor respiratory problems'' after attending classes in the rooms.

The test results did not quantify the amount of black mold spores detected but assigned each area a designation on a five-tier scale ranging from ''none'' to ''massive'' amounts of spores.

The four areas that tested positive for the spores were in the three mid-level ranges: one showed the presence of ''few'' spores, one showed ''many'' and two showed ''numerous'' spores present.

Other areas of Beeghly Center will remain open, Ulbricht said, including the swimming pool, gymnasium and fitness center.

Len Perry, director of the university's Office of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, will oversee the placement of between 40 and 50 air quality monitors throughout Beeghly Center to check for possible spreading of the spores.

''Mold spores are found everywhere that we live,'' Perry said in a news release. ''It only becomes a problem when they are highly concentrated.''

A flooding problem in one of the classrooms in July spurred Perry's checks on the rooms, Ulbricht said. During a follow-up investigation, he said, Perry noticed the potential for black mold.

Mold Problems Mounting for Homeowners

Written by CBC News Online Staff
December 18, 2002

OTTAWA - Insurers say they're alarmed by the growing number of claims from homeowners about mold problems.

The Rouseaus of Richmond, B.C. were concerned when their two daughters, Teddy and Andy, started having health problems.

Teddy came down with a chronic cough.

"She would cough and cough and cough until she started retching," says Tammie Rouseau, their mother.

Andy had cark circles forming under her eyes. The family moved out of the townhouse they were living in after discovering mold.

"It was creeping out of the corner at the foot of the tub and there were these black spots all over the roof and if you paid attention to it, you could see it move. It moved toward the taps and moved out into the room," says Tammie.

Dr. John Molot, a specialist in environmental medicine, says mold causes a host of serious health problems.

"They're tired, their concentration is off and maybe they are a bit moody and then they'll have other complaints which could include sinus infections, chronic congestion, asthma, headaches, tension headaches, migraine headaches," says Molot.

Molot says he believes the mold problem got worse with the trend toward energy efficient housing. Homes are now less drafty, but inadequate ventilation creates a mold-friendly environment. Flooding is also part of the cause.

Some homes are so full of mold that families have been forced into hotels for weeks. The Golabs of Taber, Alberta moved out of their house after their basement flooded.

"I had migraines, the next minute it was a bleeding nose. My daughter was vomitting. We couldn't figure out why," says Trish Golab.

The Golabs racked up repair bills of more than $50,000.

Some homeowners have discovered their insurance companies have already cut them off. Gary McCandless says his coverage was removed after a previous claim. When his basement flooded for a second time, he found out he wasn't insured.

"They literally terminated all our insurance…autos, both homes, everything."

He and his other employees are now working out of a trailer.

"We've been here for five months. It's not uncomfortable but it is inconvenient," said McCandless.

McCandless says the company has told him it believes there's mold growing behind one of the brick walls. With no insurance to help, McCandless is now doing the job of cleaning up and destroying the wall with the mold.

Mold In Paradise.

Mold costs still growing
By Tim Ruel

The cost of the mold infection at Hilton Hawaiian Village has reached an estimated $55 million, because of a $15 million jump in expected spending on system and product improvements, Hilton Hotels Corp. said today.

The Beverly Hills, Calif.-based company plans $35 million in mold-related spending this year, which is in addition to $20 million in charges taken by Hilton last year for investigation and remediation efforts. It's still not clear how much of the damage will be covered by insurance, Hilton officials told analysts today.

Hilton Hawaiian Village shuttered the $95 million Kalia Tower six months ago when it found mold was growing uncontrollably in guest rooms. The hotel ripped out all the furnishings in each room, including wallpaper, carpeting and drapes, to avoid further contamination. Hilton expects to reopen the 453-room, 24-story tower between April and June, which means the tower will have been closed about a year.

A lesser amount of mold was also found in Hilton's time-share Lagoon Tower, where improvements are expected to cost $7 million. The Lagoon Tower has remained open.

Hilton disclosed the costs along with its fourth-quarter earnings report. Net profit rose 900 percent to $40 million, or 11 cents per share, compared with $4 million, or 1 cent per share, in fourth quarter 2001.

Analysts on average were expecting earnings of 10 cents per share, according to research firm Thomson First Call.

Revenue rose 8 percent to $957 million from $887 million.

For the full year, Hilton earned $198 million, or 53 cents a share, on $3.85 billion in revenue. In 2001, earnings were $166 million, or 45 cents a share, on $3.99 billion in revenue. Hilton projected room revenue, a combination of occupancy and room rates known as RevPAR, at owned hotels would be about flat for the year and that earnings per share for fiscal 2003 would be in the mid- to high-40-cent range.

Hilton owns, manages and franchises more than 2,000 hotels worldwide

Toxic Mold. Is your home at risk?

Wednesday, June 1, 5:55 p.m.
By Kurt Aaron
Toxic Mold: Is Your Home at Risk?

Web Links

	EPA Guide to Toxic Mold
	Health Risks of Toxic Mold
	PA Dept. of Health
	Toxic Mold Photos

Could your house be making you sick? Could you be suffering from symptoms of toxic mold and not know?

One of Pennsylvania's leading experts on mold, Dr. Hernando Perez of Drexel University in Philadelphia has been studying the effects of mold on the human body for more then ten years.

"Mold is everywhere. It's been around forever. Ever since there's been inhabitants in the world," said Dr. Perez. He said mold spores float in the air coming into our homes from outside. They then stick to a surface and if that surface has moisture, the spores grow.

You typically see small amounts of mold growing in places such as bathtubs and sinks. What isn't typical is active mold growth in your home, or what experts call colonizing. That means your home has a moisture problem. If left untreated over a period of time, the colonizing can lead to toxic mold.

The three most common groups of mold that can produce mold poisons are Stachybotrys, which has been linked to deaths, Penicillium, which can cause hay fever-like symptoms and Aspergillus, which has been linked to mold growth in the lungs.

"These molds are microscopic. Sometimes we see them growing on walls but the real problem is what we can't see, the ones in the air that we breath in. These small particles are the perfect size to get into our lungs and cause problems," explained Perez.

The link between toxic mold and health problems prompted Pennsylvania to create a new task force on mold. The task force met for the first time in April.

Dr. Perez is on the panel and describes some typical symptoms a person might suffer from mold exposure. "Watery eyes, runny nose and sometimes a dry cough. Symptoms you normally would associate with a hay fever type of illness," said Perez. Other symptoms believed to be associated with toxic mold are certain types of hyper-sensitivity to breathing, skin infections, lung infections and bleeding, such as constant nose bleeds.

State Representative Jim Wansacz is also on the state's task force. He said toxic mold is a serious problem. "New construction of homes in which houses are tighter, mold is creating a lot more problems. People are getting sick. This is the first step, studying this, which we've never done before," Wansacz explained.

He wants guidelines for the construction of homes or additions. He said leaving wood exposed to rain and moisture for months can create perfect conditions for mold growth. When the home is framed and sealed, mold may begin to grow inside the walls.

David Gleason said he and his family experienced all of these symptoms while in their house in Moosic. Gleason said after several years of being sick and treated by doctors for everything except toxic mold, he contacted Dr. Ed Montz of Indoor Air Solutions in Pottstown.

Dr. Montz is considered one of Pennsylvania's leading experts on air quality and has testified in many court cases involving toxic mold and its effects on people. He tested Gleason's home and found toxic mold.

"The reason you're going through some of these ailments is you're having hyper-sensitivity to the molds in your home. I bet other chemicals are bothering you too, like perfumes? I said yes. He said get out of your house, leave everything. Find some place to go immediately because you are definitely killing your family. Two weeks later we got the full report showing our readings were off the charts," recounted Gleason.

That was five years ago and even though they left their home in Moosic, Gleason said he and his family still have health problems. He said doctors have told him those health problems may never go away.

Montz said mold can grow anywhere but there are two hot spots. "Attics and basements. Roofs are prone to leak. You get mold on sheathing material, even on the rafters of the roof," Montz explained.

The doctor said basements are also a hot spot because they're often damp and that can lead to mold growth.

"You can develop a considerable amount of mold growth. We've seen people get ill from as little as a 12 inch area of mold on something as simple as a ceiling tile," said Dr. Montz.

If you do find a small area of mold no larger than nine square feet, you can clean it yourself. First find the water source and stop it. If you don't the mold will continue to grow.

If you find a larger area of mold, the doctor recommends hiring a professional to clean it. They will also test each room in your home for toxic mold.

Finding a professional to test your home thoroughly can be expensive. The cost could exceed $1,000. Using a reputable company is very important, according to Representative Wansacz. His office is receiving a lot of calls from people who say they have been taken advantage of by companies who say they can clean up mold.

To determine if you have a moisture problem or mold growth, use a flashlight look in those areas. Check the surface of the wood, drywall, wallpaper, carpeting and even ceiling tiles. Any areas which appear to have odd colors such as black, green or white are probably mold growth.