Guest guest Posted January 21, 2000 Report Share Posted January 21, 2000 The London Free Press January 8, 2000 CLEAN, DRY ENVIRONMENT FIRST STEP TO FIGHTING MOULD JAMES ANDERSON, MLT, AEROBIOLOGIST LONDON Regarding the article, Mould at school non-toxic (Dec. 23). Stachybotrys atra seems to have replaced sick building syndrome as a media buzzword. If the presence of S. atra in the school portables had been confirmed, you would have been reporting a much different set of symptoms than those of irritants or allergies. Yes, epicococcum grows on decaying plants, but so do most of the more than 60,000 known fungal species. Fungi produce reproductive units called spores which become airborne and will reproduce if they settle on appropriate organic material (which may be building material containing cellulose) which is or becomes damp. Incidentally, epicoccum spores comprise a very small percentage of the daily spore flora of the outdoor air and many different kinds of spores can produce building contamination. No, carpets are not sources of dampness and mould, but are actually reservoirs. Carpets are also a good home (read reservoirs) for dust mites. Monitoring the air quality sounds productive, but the first step should be to assure a clean and dry environment: no carpets, no leaks, minimal condensation, relative humidity below 50 per cent, maintenance of HVAC systems, and so on. I applaud the persistence of concerned parents. Air quality concerns should not be limited to the workplace. Parents of allergic/asthmatic children who do what they can to make the home environment tolerable are forced to send them to a less friendly place. We should not be concerned with just peanut allergies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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