'Common' Mold Discovered in Two Duke Residence Halls

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'Common' Mold Discovered in Two Duke Residence Halls

A Duke official said the mold does not present any serious health

risks to students

Thursday, August 31, 2006

http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2006/08/mold.html

Durham, N.C. -- Duke University officials have discovered a common

form of mold in two residence halls on West Campus and will begin

treating it next week.

A Duke official said the mold does not present any serious health

risks to students.

" These molds are considered allergens and could cause allergic

reactions in some people, " said Eddie Hull, dean of residence life

and executive director of housing services. " But the `black mold'

that we hear about as a real problem is not present. "

Hull sent an email this week to students in and Decker

towers, in the Edens Quadrangle, informing them that a common form

of mold had been found in a number of locations, including some

student rooms, common areas and a mechanical room where air handlers

push cool air to rooms.

Hull said Duke's Occupational and Environmental Safety Office (OESO)

was contacted immediately, and OESO inspectors collected air and

surface samples inside and outside the two buildings. The test

results determined that the mold inside the buildings " is well

within generally accepted standards of care, " Hull's email noted.

" The standard is a presence of mold inside a building will not

exceed 50 percent of the presence of the same mold outside the

building. In our case, the ratio is less than 20 percent and, in

many cases, much less than that, " Hull's note said.

" … The bottom line is that we do not have a serious problem. While

this is good news, we don't want the mold situation to persist

either, and are taking positive, proactive measures to eradicate

it. "

These steps, which will begin next week, include:

-- treating all rooms and common areas in the two buildings,

including student rooms;

-- inspecting and treating air handlers;

-- retesting after this work is completed.

Students will not be displaced from their rooms. " If any additional

work is needed, we will do it, " Hull said in his note.

As an additional precaution, Duke officials are testing the other

buildings in Edens Quadrangle, even though there is no indication of

mold there.

OESO director Wayne Thomann said the air sampling findings " do not

indicate a significant or unique exposure condition to the

students. " He added that OESO began working immediately with Duke

housing officials " to characterize the conditions and to develop a

rapid response plan to address this issue. "

Hull noted there are several types of mold, all common in this area,

that tend to grow on cool, moist, painted surfaces. He wrote to the

students living in the two residence halls he is sorry they will be

inconvenienced, but officials wanted to address the situation

immediately and " head-on. "

For more information, contact: Lawrence, Office of News &

Communications | (919) 681-8059 | keith.lawrence@...

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