New Orleans, Heat, Mold Raises New Health Concerns

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Heat, Mold Raises New Health Concerns

Rich Lenz

POSTED: 4:10 pm CDT April 3, 2006

UPDATED: 8:26 pm CDT April 3, 2006

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NEW ORLEANS -- Record temperatures could lead to more mold growing in the

Hurricane-Katrina affected areas.

from the Center for Healthy Housing explained how the rising

temperatures help the mold grow.

“Once you get some heat on them and some moisture, that's going to help them

bloom. You're going to get new eruptions of mold colonies in these homes,â€

explained .

Currently, a “healthy home†has a spore count of about a 1,000 parts per

cubic meter of air.

“We're seeing over a million spore counts, in those homes when work's being

done, so, those are extraordinary numbers,†said .

Effects could range from a runny nose and a cough to significant

consequences. Also, mold spores can " hitch a ride " when a person leaves their

gutted

homes or neighborhoods.

“You need to have head covering so the mold doesn't get in your hair. You

can carry mold all over the place into a clean environment in your hair,â€

said

Randy son, a remediation expert.

To make matters worse, steady winds and a lack of rain whip even more mold

spores into the air, keeping them there.

“These homes around here that have not been torn out and gutted, we need to

work with the neighbors and make sure they're doing that because people are

coming back and finishing their homes, but then they have neighbors who

haven't done anything,†stated .

Even after a house is gutted, bleach does not permanently kill the mold

spores. The home should be treated with boric salts, which can be found at a

chemical supply store and some hardware stores.

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