Cleaning up a health hazard

[Guest guest]

She explained mold is not a poison but it is an allergen.

Cleaning up a health hazard

By SHAWNE K. WICKHAM

New Hampshire Sunday News Staff

21 hours, 49 minutes ago

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?articleId=ee366b9c-579f-45ec-

8664-7538920eaf04 & headline=Cleaning+up+a+health+hazard

New Hampshire Union Leader Sat, 21 Apr 2007 9:10 PM PDT

The immediate danger from last week's devastating floods may be

over, but the cleanup is just beginning.

And state public health officials are warning residents that the

water that has filled their basements, soaked carpeting and ruined

belongings could contain hidden dangers, such as sewage and toxic

chemicals.

" People need to realize that floodwater is inherently dangerous to

their health, " said , spokesman for the New Hampshire

Department of Health and Human Services. " It contains so many

possible substances that could either cause illness or physical

injury just by coming in contact with it. "

All that moisture also promotes the growth of mold, which can cause

health problems for the young, the elderly and folks with lung

disease or allergies.

" Unfortunately, it's not an easy fix, " said Rhonda , an indoor

air quality program specialist with the Department of Environmental

Services. " There's no real quick way of doing this. It's a lot of

elbow grease. "

And for many folks, it's already too late. " If an area that has

water intrusion is not completely dried within 24 to 72 hours, then

you have the great potential of mold growth, " said.

Mold loves water

She explained mold is not a poison but it is an allergen. And it

exists everywhere, inside and out. " But unless it has a water

source, it will not grow, " she said.

Add water, however, and it becomes " a potential health concern. "

Infants, young children, those with asthma and elderly folks who

have lung disease " are more at risk of having the sensitivity and

having upper respiratory symptoms develop with mold exposure, " she

explained.

And this weekend's warmer, drier weather may not be all that

beneficial, according to . In fact, she said, it's better to

keep the basement windows closed and run a dehumidifier. If you open

those windows, she said, " Warm air is introduced to a hole in the

ground, which is cold, and when you introduce warm to cold you have

condensation. "

Contaminants abound

said that floodwater that filled people's homes contains other

potential contaminants, such as sewage, battery acid and other

fluids from waterlogged vehicles, and chemicals washed from lawns.

And you cannot tell which of these upstream contaminants are in the

runoff that ends up in your own home. " Everything in its path is now

in that water, " he stressed.

" Any of those contaminants could be in the water and could be

harmful to the touch, which is why we tell people to avoid

floodwater if possible, " said. " If you have to go into it,

take precautions. "

That means wearing rubber boots, gloves and protective clothing to

keep the water away from your body, and thoroughly washing after you

come in contact with the water.

It also means disinfecting anything that has come in contact with

floodwater. " We recommend using a mixture of a quarter-cup of bleach

for every gallon of water. "

But both and cited a basic rule for cleaning up water

damage: " When in doubt, throw it out. "

That may mean throwing out furniture, carpeting -- or even your

kids' favorite stuffed animals if they were contaminated.

In many cases, sheetrock walls that have gotten wet will have to be

cut out and removed, along with the insulation. The cellulose in the

sheetrock, said, " is gourmet food for mold spores. "

Well safety

And you should make sure your own water is safe before you use it to

clean, cook or bathe, let alone drink it or brush your teeth,

said. " If you use well water and it's been flooded, you want to make

sure your well water is tested and disinfected before you use the

water, " he said.

How do you know if your well is flooded? " If the water has come up

to or over the well head, chances are your well has been overrun, "

he advised.

The state Department of Environmental Services recommends residents

whose wells have flooded get a basic analysis done, to test for

total coliform, E. coli, nitrate and nitrite. The test is available

from the state lab in Concord ($20), or from private testing

companies (check the yellow pages).

And if you are exposed to floodwater, recommends making sure

your tetanus/diphtheria booster is up to date. After flooding hit

southwestern New Hampshire hard in October, 2005, the health

department received reports of residents who became ill after

contact with flood water, he said.

Getting help

After last May's flooding, estimates she handled about 500

calls from New Hampshire residents worried about water damage and

mold. " I'm still getting calls from things that happened back in May

because things weren't done properly in the first place and they've

got mold growth back again. "

She's expecting another round of calls in the coming week. And for

some, the news will be grim. " Once mobile homes are flooded,

especially the older homes, they're gone. "

That's because the water wicks up into the walls, ruining the

insulation. These homes would need to be gutted, said.

As if all this weren't overwhelming enough, there's another concern

for residents trying to clean up after flooding, according to

: " It's a buyer beware market on who you hire to do this

professionally. "

" There is no licensing or state certification of mold remediators.

It's a multi-million dollar, unregulated business, and there are a

number of scams out there. "

" There are reliable, very qualified, knowledgeable people also, but

you have to interview them and make sure you have things in

writing, " she advised. It's also wise to ask whether the companies

are certified in mold remediation and how much experience they have.

She suggests educating yourself by visiting government websites --

such as those of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Centers

for Disease Control -- but she discourages people from using

Internet search engines to look for help.

" Because a lot of those are business-based, looking for your money,

and they'll scare you to death, " she said. " And when you're scared

enough and you want to protect your children, you'll open your

pocketbook. "

[Guest guest]

>She suggests educating yourself by visiting government websites -- such as

those of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Centers for Disease

Control -- but she discourages people from using Internet search engines to

look for help.

God forbid that people use those Internet search engines and stumble across

some non-censored information from primary sources - people who have actual

experience with this stuff.. rather than officials with political agendas..