As cleanup progresses, residents wary of mold

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As cleanup progresses, residents wary of mold

Local health experts say fears justified

DON COX

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL

Posted: 1/7/2006

Reno,NV

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AID=/20060107/NEWS10/601070324/1016/NEWS

Jack stood outside his flood-damaged business Friday in

Sparks, wearing a dust mask and fearing the worst.

" It takes a while for it to develop, " said , president of High

Sierra Lighting on Coney Island Drive. " It's like an allergy. "

is concerned about toxic mold.

He claims it resulted in long-term illness after the New Year's

flood of 1997. He doesn't want it to happen in the aftermath of last

weekend's flooding that left almost two feet of water in his and

other offices at an industrial park near the Truckee River.

" I ended up having sinus headaches, " said of his health

problems in 1997. " I was sick for a couple years. "

Inside another business on Coney Island Drive, named, ironically,

Water Safety Corp., company president Parise will replace

the wet Sheetrock in the walls, starting Monday.

He's concerned about toxic mold.

" I'm not going to get down in there, " Parise said as he kicked the

base of one wall with his foot. " I'm not going to get sick. "

, Parise and others occupying buildings and living in homes

damaged by recent flooding should be concerned about toxic mold,

local experts say.

" It's a significant occupational health issue, " said Dr.

Craner of Reno, a board-certified environmental medicine

specialist. " It's a significant indoor health issue. "

Especially after a flood.

" Within about 48 hours there is a chance of (mold) growth, " said

Abbott, a scientist in Sparks who studies mold. " There are a

million things in buildings (mold) can grow on. "

Abbott, who operates Natural Link Mold Lab, also warned about

possible sewage contamination after flooding.

" It would be good to mention the sewage issue as well, " said Abbott,

who identifies mold types to determine potential hazards. " The mold

is the secondary (issue). "

Mold grows on construction materials, such as Sheetrock, when they

are saturated, according to Craner and Abbott.

" They require a lot of water, not a little bit, a lot, like from a

flood, " Craner said.

Those molds, according to Craner, can cause illness.

" They get watery, itchy eyes, " Craner said of symptoms. " Sore

throat, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches. "

But those symptoms, according to Craner, can take a long time to

develop.

" It takes them months or years to figure out they are sick, " said

Craner, who has investigated hundreds of homes and buildings and

treated 1,500 people. " It often takes a long time to diagnose. "

said when he first became ill, he didn't blame it on mold. He

didn't know the cause.

" I went through two years of sinus headaches, " said , whose

company makes lighting for casinos. " It just hits you. "

, who employs between five and 10 people depending on the

amount of business he has, is cleaning his offices. Nobody is

working on casino lights.

" Because of what I went through, I can't ask my people to work in

that environment, " said.

Parise, whose company makes water filtration systems, plans to move.

He cleaned up after the 1997 flood. He's cleaning up after the

latest one.

" This is the last time, " Parise said. " We're going to move someplace

high. "