Air at Bench Elementary clear of toxic mold spores

[Guest guest]

Air at Bench Elementary clear of toxic mold spores

By LAURA TODE

Of The Gazette Staff

Montana

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?

display=rednews/2006/01/28/build/local/70-bench-mold.inc

After numerous tests, the air in Bench Elementary School has been

found free of toxic mold spores. The last five of six tests showed

no presence of Stachybotrys mold spores in any classrooms.

In November, air-quality tests at the school detected low levels of

Stachybotrys mold, which releases a toxin that, in healthy people,

can cause symptoms similar to hay fever, including watery eyes,

runny nose and sneezing. People with an acute sensitivity to the

toxin or those with allergies, asthma or lung diseases are likely to

have more severe symptoms. In extreme cases, the toxins released by

Stachybotrys mold have resulted in death.

Bench Principal English said the testing was done after several

teachers reported experiencing similar eye, nose and throat

irritation in their classrooms.

In initial tests, Stachybotrys was detected in one classroom where

the entrance to a damp crawlspace was located. In the crawlspace,

the mold was discovered growing on insulation wrapped around a

heating pipe.

The door to the crawlspace has since been sealed, and fans with

specially equipped filters were installed to draw air out of the

crawlspace to keep mold spores from entering the room.

Emerging research on the health risks associated with Stachybotrys

mold suggests that levels of more than 1,000 spores per cubic meter

are considered dangerous. The highest level of the dangerous spores

detected in any one test at Bench was 176 spores per cubic meter.

The last four tests performed at the school have not detected any

Stachybotrys spores.

Follow-up tests were done in every occupied space in the building.

While no Stachybotrys mold spores were discovered in the follow-up

tests, common Aspergilus Pencillium mold was detected, but not at

dangerous levels.

" As it stands right now, we don't have any problems, " English said.

At a parent's request, three children, all siblings, were granted

transfer requests to attend another school. According to English,

one of the students was particularly sensitive to molds and other

allergens, and for the sake of convenience, all the students in the

family opted to transfer.

At the end of the school year, Bench is slated for installation of a

new heating and ventilation system. At that time, the mold on the

pipe insulation will be removed along with the rest of the old

system.

Contact Tode at ltode@... or 657-1392.