Mold is back and it may be because of the bleach

[Guest guest]

Mold is back and it may be because of the bleach

By Brad Haynes

Eagle-Tribune

http://www.eagletribune.com/local/local_story_197064703?page=1

Although flood waters receded two months ago, there is a lingering

menace still causing damage and claiming basements throughout the

Merrimack Valley.

Mold is blooming with the help of the hot, humid and wet weather

over the past three weeks. But the real culprit may be the most

widely prescribed mold antidote - bleach.

" Bleach doesn't kill mold, " said Chirichiello, a mold

inspector with Peer Living Systems in North Andover, certified by

the National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors

(NORMI). " That just bleaches it. "

More precisely, bleach will kill the living organism on contact, but

won't destroy the spores - essentially, seeds - underneath. That is

why, despite the cleanup, mold has suddenly reappeared with the

spore-friendly weather.

" You're killing what's alive, but the roots and the carcass tend to

stay there, " explained Jeff Coco, North Andover director of

emergency management, who has recently received a half-dozen new

mold complaints from flood-damaged homes. " It's like mowing your

lawn down to bare earth - the vegetation is gone, but the roots

remain. And with the right conditions it will spring up again. "

Governmental agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency,

the Federal Emergency Management Agency and even local boards of

health say the standard recipe for killing mold is two teaspoons of

bleach and some water.

But some experts say fungicide and microbe-killing enzymes may be

the only way to eliminate mold once it's taken root.

" That's one big thing that came out post-Katrina, " Coco noted of the

Hurricane Katrina recovery crews that have confronted a moldy New

Orleans. " The nonpathogenic enzyme is a lot more effective than

bleach alone. "

Doug Hoffman, executive director of the Louisiana-based NORMI,

founded the certifying organization two years ago and has been

preaching the not-just-bleach gospel straight through the hurricane

relief efforts.

" Down here I really feel like a wolf crying out in the wilderness, "

said the mold expert. " FEMA is still handing out bleach by the

gallon. "

NORMI has certified more than 1,400 mold inspectors and remediators

in 42 states, though, who insist on using antimicrobial enzymes and

biocides in exterminating mold.

Texas and Louisiana are the only two states with a state-mandated

certification process, but Hoffman has noticed that well-trained

experts are in demand across the country.

" It's a hot issue, " he said, " In Texas they say, 'Mold is gold.' "

EPA representative Eugene Benoit, however, points out bleach is the

same commercial element in certain expensive treatments.

" That's where they can make a lot of money, so buyer beware, " he

said. " They're going to try and sell you everything they can. "

Hoffman responded that his organization makes recommendations, not

sales. " NORMI is a nonprofit. They don't sell products, " he said.

And the suggested products, Hoffman went on to emphasize, can be

less expensive than bleach and far " greener " - often water based,

nontoxic, and biodegradable.

Best solution: Keep dry

What all experts agreed on was the fundamental solution to a mold

problem: keeping the environment dry once it's gone.

" Most people with a mold problem have a humidity and moisture

problem, " Hoffman said, " so the conditions are right for it to come

back. "

" We say resolve the moisture problem and clean it up, " said Benoit,

who said a dehumidifier can pull as much as five gallons out of the

air every day. " We don't take the next step and say you have to

apply fungicide. "

Whatever the expense, Chirichiello said, cleaning your home is best

done right the first time.

" A lot of companies come in and renovate without sanitizing, " she

said. " Just because you call them and they did their job doesn't

mean you're done. "

Steve Mazur, owner of Ocean Carpet Care in Middleton, agreed saying,

if you don't, " the best thing to do is rip (your basement) out and

start all over. "

Mazur recalled one North Andover family in particular who turned

down his cleaning suggestions in the days after the flood.

" They chose not to do it and called back after six weeks to say they

think there's mold, " Mazur said. " I told them it's too late. I think

they're still not addressing the problem. "

Mazur has worked on a number of mold-infested basements in the

Merrimack Valley since the May flooding.

" We're getting a couple dozen calls a week, " said Dan Noyes, owner

of a ServiceMaster franchise based in Stoneham. That's up from one

or two weekly mold calls in an average year, he noted. " With the

heat, the excessive moisture, and the real humidity, the secondary

damages are a big thing. "

Homeowners not covered by flood insurance have also tried to do

their own cleanup, Noyes pointed out, but left dormant molds to grow

back when their guards are down. " It's like running a marathon for

13 miles and saying forget it. "

FEMA spokesman Hvinden, at his temporary office in Lawrence,

said any concerns are worth a call to federal inspectors, but he

confirmed that damages must be linked directly to the original

disaster event. He mentioned that enough complaints from the ongoing

rains may convince officials to extend the official declaration of

emergency.

BOX: Bleach Won't Cure Your Mold

Bleach kills living mold but not the seed-like spores. Bleach was as

effective as water at long-term mold extermination in a 2004 study

at Oregon State University.

What Will?

* Remove any mold-infected materials.

* Dry out the environment with dehumidifiers, fans and open windows.

* Microbe-killing enzymes and biocides can be more effective,

economical, and environmentally friendly than bleach.