Crohn's Disease and mold

[Guest guest]

From: slack.henry@...

Date: Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:14 pm

Subject: Crohn's Disease and mold

iequality/message/6639

Stuart -

My cousin's daughter was ill as a young woman, eventually diagnosed

with

Crohn's (I think because nothing else fit very well). They later

found

that all the walls in her bedroom were moldy (FL home) and fixed it

after she moved out. My personal suspicion is that the mold made her

sick all along -- and the sicker she was, the more she stayed in her

bedroom, of course. But I'm not a doctor, I'm an engineer.

I would recommend that s/he move, if at all possible. You can do a

lot

of cleaning (HEPA vacuum, damp wiping, and things that don't raise

dust), looking in and replacing ductwork, and searching for mold in

the

insulation or walls which may have picked up the water from the

floor.

But that's a lot to look for. Moving is sometimes much easier -- but

clean the possessions that are moved, so that a billion spores aren't

moved, too.

Henry Slack

Henry Slack, P.E.

U.S. EPA Region 4

Indoor Air Program

(404) 562-9143

For more assistance, try EPA's Web site, www.epa.gov/iaq

or call EPA's Indoor Air Quality Information Clearinghouse

(800) 438-4318. Experts are available 9-5 M-F

===============================================================

From: Stuart McCallum <smmccallum@...>

Date: Wed Apr 12, 2006 12:03 pm

Subject: suggestions requested... smmccallum

Offline

Send Email

Invite to 360º

Peeps,

My help has been requested thru my wifes church with regard to a

church member with Crohns Disease. A pro bono job... It seems he got

sent home from hospital and developed other symptoms and ended up

readmitted. His doctor suggested looking for mold at home... Hence

my involvement.

The home is an older single wide trailer that had a water damage

issue some time in the past that resulted in the floor being

replaced. As a result the floor is now just untreated and uncovered

plywood. There is some evidence of water staining around the shower

stall and other mold growth in the bathroom. The moisture meter says

the wood is dry so my feeling is that what I saw was drips from the

shower door accumulating over time. Outdoor rh was ~15% while the

bathroom was ~33%. A moisture problem or a pile of damp towels? AOC

sampling didnt show anything I regard as significant. The only thing

I feel I may be able to point to right now is housekeeping issues.

Lots of dust under and behind things. Evidence of rodents under the

sinks. That type of thing.

So I dont have a lot of info or background on this patient/home and

it really needs someone with more experience and knowledge than I

have to deal with this. But there isnt the money for a consultant so

one wont be hired. So they've got me...

I would appreciate thoughts from y'all. Things to look for and/or

consider. I'd hate to have this guy come home from hospital and get

sick again.

Cheers.

Stuart McCallum