Mould in courthouse identified as potentially deadly strain

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http://www.canoe.ca/CalgaryNews/cs.cs-01-24-0021.html

Wednesday, January 24, 2001

KILLER SPORES FOUND

Mould in courthouse identified as potentially deadly strain

By LICIA CORBELLA, CALGARY SUN

It's small but it's powerful.

It has closed down the Alberta Court of Appeal building and locked

Alberta's newly sworn-in Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's

Bench out of his office.

Stachybotrys chartarum -- a potentially deadly mould -- has been lurking

in the walls and ceilings of the stately 89-year-old sandstone building

located at 530 7th Ave. S.W.

Associate Chief Justice Sulatycky, formerly with the Court of

Appeal, just moved numerous shelves of books -- many of them rare -- to

his new office at the Court of Queen's Bench, just a stone's throw from

the Court of Appeal.

His new office has been cordoned off for fear that his artifacts may have

been contaminated with the mould which was transported from his office at

the Court of Appeal.

" The Court of Appeal was closed as of Friday and the 43 people who worked

there will be moved into temporary offices at the Monenco Place office

tower, " at 801 6th Ave. S.W., said Dupuis, spokesperson for Alberta

Infrastructure, which owns the Court of Appeal building.

Dupuis says tests will soon be conducted to find out whether the mould --

which is greenish black and slimy -- exists in significant or

insignificant amounts.

The problem reached a pinnacle just before Christmas when one of the

justices collapsed and others were complaining of headaches and other

ailments.

The Justices then had an independent firm test the air quality and the

foul-smelling mould was found.

This is the same mould that sickened six staff member at Rockyview

Hospital and which the Calgary Regional Health Authority is spending

$70,000 to fix.

Stachybotrys chartarum has been documented to produce a series of potent

toxins including satratoxins and other toxins affecting the immune system

and if the spores are breathed into the lungs it can cause acute pulmonary

bleeding.

Copyright 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership. All rights reserved.

Professor Tang Lee (lee@...) and Ms. Troy Stooke from The

University of Calgary conducted the indoor air quality investigation and

recommended the closure of this courthouse. He is currently a visiting

professor at the Center for Regenerative Studies, California State

Polytechnic University, Pomona.