Now, the enemy's mold

[Guest guest]

Now, the enemy's mold

After the floods; a new risk: as floodwaters recede, residents find

themselves battling a spreading, allergy-inducing fungus

By MARTIN ESPINOZA

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20060112/NEWS/601120303/1033/NEWS01

The brown floodwaters of the Russian River had long retreated from

inside the one-bedroom Guerneville cabin when home restoration

specialist Elsbree arrived.

Sealed tight in a failed attempt to battle floodwaters, the cabin

became a greenhouse for a new enemy, one whose smell is unmistakable.

" I have an iron stomach, but I had to immediately get out, " said

Elsbree, a local contractor hired to repair flood damage at a set of

red cabins on Drake Road. " The word 'stench' doesn't begin to

describe the smell. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. "

Mold, that creeping, allergy-inducing fungus, became the target of

Sonoma County health officials this week when they issued a post-

winter storm bulletin offering tips on how to deal with growing

spores brought on by the recent floods.

Health officials said excess moisture and standing water may

contribute to mold growth and may create health risks for some

people.

" Moisture is the problem. People must clean up and dry out their

homes and buildings quickly, " said Walt Kruse, director of

environmental health for the county Department of Health Services.

While medical opinions differ on the health risks posed by mold,

some researchers said there is a link between wet indoor

environments and an increased risk of respiratory problems such as

coughing, sneezing, nasal congestion, wheezing and throat irritation.

Health officials said people who suffer from asthma, allergies or

other respiratory problems may be more sensitive to mold. People

with compromised immune systems also could be more affected by mold.

" The research has also been showing that even people who do not have

allergies can also experience these same types of symptoms if

they're exposed to either large quantities (of mold) or buildings

that remain damp over time, " said McNeel, a research

scientist with the Environmental Health Investigations Branch of the

state Department of Health Services.

Al Haas, chief of the Allergy Department at Kaiser Permanente

Medical Center in Santa , said mold allergies are extremely

rare. And he said the medical profession does not know for certain

whether mold is truly an important cause of a variety of illnesses.

" Until we have more knowledge, we neither want to dismiss it nor

become hysterical about it, " he said. " But it is prudent to

eliminate mold to the extent that we can in our homes. "

That process was under way along Drake Road this week, where Elsbree

tore out moldy drywall, base cabinets and vinyl floors. To dry out

the rooms, Elsbree said he used large fans for several days straight.

" These houses were never built to be fish tanks, " he said.

On Tuesday, he attacked the wooden floorboards and wall studs and

framing with a solution of water and bleach, a treatment many

Russian River residents and business owners are familiar with.

On River Drive, just east of the Hacienda Bridge, Eran Matalon, a

Santa physician, spent part of Wednesday afternoon cleaning his

family's vacation home. He pointed to mold growth on the underside

of a cabinet drawer.

" The little bit of mold we breathe in everyday life is no big deal

for healthy people, " he said. " But in cases like this, where there

is a major flood or lots of water damage, you can get an

overwhelming amount of spores ... that can be serious for even

healthy people. "

Mark Belhumeur, owner of the Village Inn in Monte Rio, said he had a

cleaning crew ready to attack mold and silt as soon as the

floodwaters receded.

" We're fortunate because our ground floor has no sheetrock, and

consequently we didn't have anything that acts like a wick in water

that's going to swell and stink, " he said.

Just down the road on River Boulevard, homeowner Gilbert

said his home got about 2 feet of standing water and he would be

forced to tear out the lower 4 feet of drywall and insulation.

McNeel recommended that homeowners remove drywall at least a foot

above the highest water mark.