Mold fears downplayed; Air quality experts warn against overreaction

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http://www.star-telegram.com/news/doc/1047/1:METRO12/1:METRO120408101.html

Updated: Sunday, Apr. 8, 2001

Mold fears downplayed; Air quality experts warn against overreaction

By Melendez

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

The specter of so-called " black mold " creeping across North Texas is

creating unnecessary panic and a surge in the mold removal and testing

business, air quality experts say.

" I'm getting 200 calls a day. People are scared all that mold is killing

them, " said Ken McBride, regional industrial hygienist for the Texas

Department of Health. " I think they're overreacting quite a bit. "

Mold has been around forever, but the panic started just a few months ago,

McBride said. Mold growth has increased since the 1950s, when people began

building airtight houses that trap moisture and stopped cleaning bathrooms

and closets as often as they used to.

" Prior to the 1950s, we had plaster walls that wouldn't allow mold to grow

and oil- based paints that sealed the walls, " McBride said. " Back then, when

the wife never worked, people like my mother cleaned house twice a week. "

Mike Lee, air quality expert for the Fort Worth school district, said

teachers call every day worried about spots they find in their classrooms.

The district tested air quality twice in 1994 and again in 1999 and 2000.

Now, it is retesting 40 buildings that had mold and other problems. But none

of the problems warranted shutting down buildings, Lee said.

Lee said the media are fueling the panic by misusing the term " black mold. "

" There are at least 7,000 species of fungus, and 4,000 of them are black, "

he said, adding that one of the most benign, Cladosporium, is black, as is

one of the most dangerous, Stachybotrys.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said people with

allergies or immune deficiencies are more susceptible to mold. Stachybotrys

can produce toxins that cause breathing difficulties, dizziness, memory and

hearing loss, and flulike symptoms in sensitive people.

Another common mold, Penicillium, can grow to toxic levels, aggravating

allergies and asthma, sinus infections, headaches, coughs, and eye and

throat irritation, the CDC said. But there is no scientific link between

mold and illness.

Telling the difference between toxic and nontoxic molds can cost a lot. Some

laboratories that test for mold have raised prices from $20 to $150.

Kay Armstrong, president of Armstrong Laboratories in Arlington, said

business has picked up significantly since last year, when media reports

began. The company tests mold and other substances.

" As in all environmental concerns, we're all aware now of substances that

can cause problems, " she said. The company charges $150 to test a sample on

a piece of clear tape brought into the lab, up from $65 last year.

She said the price increase is to cover staff time to explain to people with

little knowledge of mold what they are dealing with and how to treat it.

Before, only people knowledgeable about mold, such as industrial hygienists,

requested tests and the same consultations weren't needed.

Armstrong charges $2,000 to $4,000 for an in-home survey, depending on the

number of tests required.

Cleanup jobs are handled by air-quality companies, some of which can be

found in the Yellow Pages.

A few companies are suddenly breaking into the mold cleanup business, said

Bob , owner of VideoAire/Enviromold of Fort Worth, which started

cleaning mold in 1989.

said consumers should beware of companies with little experience

because they can spread mold by shaking it loose or dragging contaminated

materials through the house.

" Mold is a living thing and when threatened by death, spreads its spores to

survive, " said.

The state does not certify companies to clean mold. Quade Stahl, chief of

the indoor air quality branch of the Texas Health Department, said he is

trying to form a committee to set certification standards.

McBride gives callers a list of testing and cleanup companies, but he

doesn't vouch for their work.

Insurance companies don't have a way of evaluating cleanup companies either.

An insurance industry spokeswoman said the media coverage of mold is

breeding a new cottage industry, and a lot of lawsuits for botched cleanups.

" What we're finding is this issue has opened the door for not-so-reputable

companies to say, `We're mold experts,' " said Ray, public affairs

director of the Southwestern Insurance Information Service in Austin.

" There's a lot of money to be made off of naive homeowners. "

When health concerns are present, insurance companies usually call for

independent testing and pay for major cleanups and temporary living

quarters, Ray said. Otherwise, they just take care of the problem that

caused the mold, which is usually a leak or condensation in the

air-conditioning system.

Household bleach kills most mold, but finding all of it is the key.

Buildings in many parts of the Metroplex are being torn apart because of

health concerns. The list of places closed because of mold appears to be

growing by the day.

Last year, it cost $78,000 to clean up a Denton County government building.

Since then, public and private buildings in Euless, Grapevine, Southlake,

Grand Prairie, Arlington, Hurst and Forest Hill have been closed for

cleanup. It cost $2.4 million to redo a Hurst fire station and $22,500 to

clean up a county tax office in Lake Worth.

McBride said the more people look for mold, the more they will find it. If

it is kept under control, it doesn't create a problem.

It doesn't make sense to close entire buildings when small patches of mold

are found, and no law requires buildings be shut down, he said.

Only in rare cases, usually when a house has been flooded or a roof has

leaked for years, does a house have to be gutted and all wallboard and

flooring removed, McBride said. He has seen just one case like that in

years -- a house in Dallas where the crawl space had been filled with water

for six months.

Instead, a public education campaign is needed. Prevention is key.

" If you can control the water, you can control the mold, " McBride said.

Melendez, (817) 390-7541

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