School's mold levels normal

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February 15, 2006

School's mold levels normal

Air-quality specialist suggests removing carpet at Souderton's West

Broad facility.

By Malinchak

town,PA

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/quakertown/all-

b1_2moldfeb15,0,4785595.story?coll=all-newslocalquakertown-hed

Several air-quality specialists have graded the air inside a

Souderton elementary school as normal after elevated levels of mold

were found in the building last year.

The report on the air inside West Broad Street Elementary School was

presented on Monday night to about 35 parents who attended a special

meeting on the matter.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency engineer Cristina Schulingkamp

said that as a preventive measure, all carpeting in the school

should be removed.

''We do not recommend carpets in a school,'' she said. ''They are

just not worth the effort to maintain. You're better off with

tiles.''

She said carpets absorb moisture and trap spores, dust and other

contaminants that remain unless there is a continual cleaning

program in place.

There are about 11 carpeted rooms in the school that are included in

a program to remove carpeting from all schools in the Souderton Area

School District.

''That is the district's highest priority,'' Assistant

Superintendent Brad Clemens said.

School janitors found mold in the vents of three classrooms in July,

and two environmental firms — JMI Environmental of Swoyersville,

Luzerne County, and Indoor Air Solutions of Pottstown — were called

in to test the air for the bacteria.

Investigators for the two companies discovered a higher-than-normal

level of the mold and were asked to clean it. The mold was cleaned

before school resumed in the fall, and since then, the school has

had the air tested three times. The tests all have shown normal

levels of mold.

Indoor Air Solutions President Ed Montz presented data with the

amount of mold spores found in the rooms.

''You have to trust me when I say these numbers are low,'' Montz

said. ''These are good numbers. I would let my child in these

rooms.''

Montz said the real issue with mold is the accumulation of water in

the rooms, and his inspection found no evidence of water problems.

Water problems, Montz and Schulingkamp said, usually come from

leaking roofs or pipes, or poor drainage around the building, but

none of those problems was found at the school.

State Department of Health industrial hygienist Judith Gostin said

her department does not do testing, but instead performs visual

inspections.

Her inspection, she said, found the school clear of signs of

moisture, and to be in good condition overall.

Schulingkamp performed a more intense visual inspection, which found

minor problems such as bubbles on the roofing material that indicate

a potential for a water leak; windows and doors in need of some

caulking; and several blocked ventilation ducts.

She also encouraged students to frequently wash their hands and

drink more water to help fight infections.

Despite the clean report, Souderton resident Kathleen Neely said

there is still something in the school making her two children sick.

Her 10-year-old son, , suffers from asthma only at school, and

her 8-year-old daughter, , has chronic headaches.

Souderton resident said his 8-year-old daughter, is,

was removed from the school by a doctor's order. The doctor, he

said, found she was suffering from environmental asthma linked to

the air quality in the school.

is, he said, has been moved to Vernfield Elementary School and

no longer suffers from the ailment.

School Principal ann Boyd said the school received three

complaints from parents about the air. There are about 500 students

in the school.

Malinchak is a freelance writer.