Mold problems a mystery, as reactions vary

SUFFOLK

When a team of students from Virginia Commonwealth University tested Richmond public school classrooms for mold, the results were no surprise to industrial hygiene instructor Leonard Vance.

"What we found in Richmond is what you'll find anywhere around the country," Vance said.

About 60 percent of the classrooms tested had elevated mold counts compared to air outdoors. But the rest had no mold problems at all, despite being the target of complaints.

"Do they have a hypersensitive student? " Vance said. "Do they have a hypersensitive teacher?"

There are no firm standards for acceptable levels of indoor mold, and school districts must determine safe mold levels on their own, a task that includes trying to accommodate the most sensitive employees and students.

At least one South Hampton Roads school division has had to address the issue recently.

Earlier this month, a former fourth-grade teacher in Suffolk filed a lawsuit against the School Board. In the complaint, Cristina Hood said "excessive mold growth" at Booker T. Washington Elementary School caused her to have ongoing rashes and respiratory issues. She's seeking $600,000.

Suffolk school officials maintain that the building is safe but have declined to address specific concerns in the lawsuit.

The presence of airborne mold doesn't automatically indicate a hazardous environment, said Ram Tripathi, a toxicologist for the Virginia Department of Health.

Microscopic mold spores float through the air outdoors and in homes, schools and workplaces. If the spores find the right temperature conditions, moisture and a food source - perhaps ceiling tiles or drywall - they proliferate.

Managing moisture can be especially difficult for schools, often older buildings in need of constant upkeep.

"Water is awfully destructive," said Dan Hurley, senior director for risk management and safety in the Norfolk school division. "That's why it's important to keep it out."

Structures built in the past 30 or 40 years are tighter than their predecessors, said Vance, the VCU professor. That hampers air circulation and seals in humidity.

Pair those conditions with ongoing plumbing or roof leaks and a mold infestation is inevitable. Air handling systems can exacerbate the problem by spreading mold spores.

At highly concentrated levels, the spores can trigger asthma and other respiratory issues, even in people with no history of those conditions, Tripathi said. But for some people, even slight amounts of mold can cause health problems.

A damp climate doesn't help.

"On any given day, there's more mold here than many other areas because of the high humidity," said Dr. Cynthia Kelly, an Eastern Virginia Medical School professor who specializes in allergies and immunology.

Though higher than 20 to 30 years ago, the prevalence of asthma has begun to level off, Kelly said. Of those children who suffer from asthma, 40 to 80 percent have "allergic triggers," including mold.

Rashes, a runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, coughing and wheezing are common symptoms of mold allergies. But proving that someone with multiple sensitivities is having a reaction specifically to mold is tricky, Kelly said.

"It's very difficult to diagnose the problem in school systems," she said. "And it's very difficult to isolate one symptom to that environment."

So how much exposure is too much, and is one person's sensitivity enough to cause concern?

It's a fine line, said Vance, who was asked by Hood's attorney to be an expert witness in a separate mold-related case in Charlottesville.

"There are no exposure limits because a single mold spore could trigger a reaction in one person and a million mold spores could trigger a reaction in no one," he said.

For schools, the generally accepted practice is to compare the type and number of airborne mold spores outside with what's inside. The indoor mold concentration should be lower.

"If there are signs where you can see mold on the walls, on the ceiling, definitely you need to do something," said Vijay Ramnarain, who reviews school construction and renovation plans for the Virginia Department of Education. "The basic premise is a lot of common sense."

Most school divisions in Virginia, Ramnarain said, have staff members trained to deal with air quality issues.

The Virginia Beach school division, for example, has a team of nearly 20 people experienced in mold abatement, said Jim Morris, assistant director for school plant and environmental energy management. If crew members are busy and the project requires significant manpower, the work is contracted out.

In Suffolk, monitoring air quality falls to maintenance department administrators, who refer concerns to an environmental contractor. The Portsmouth school division follows a similar protocol.

An environmental specialist is on staff for Chesapeake Public Schools, but the division will occasionally turn to a contractor for a second opinion. Staff members often feel more confident about test results if they're done independently, said Steven M. Gilbert, assistant superintendent for operations.

For all the South Hampton Roads school divisions, air quality testing is generally prompted by complaints and is not routine. Employees who continue to have health problems, despite tests showing low mold levels, are given air cleaners or dehumidifiers, school officials said. Some are moved to another classroom or building.

Hood, the former Suffolk teacher now suing the School Board, accused school officials of manipulating and misrepresenting results from mold tests conducted in her Booker T. Washington Elementary classroom. According to the suit, Hood observed high humidity levels, leaks, mold and "buckling and warping" of floor tiles in Room 307.

Two weeks into the 2007-08 school year, Hood was diagnosed with bronchitis, sinusitis and lip inflammation, conditions her doctor attributed to mold exposure.

Despite treatment, her condition worsened, and an ear, nose and throat specialist told her not to return to the school.

The rookie teacher requested a transfer to another school, but there were no openings for which she was qualified, the suit says. Fearing repercussions from breaking her contract, Hood stayed on at Booker T. Washington Elementary.

She's feeling better these days, said Richmond-based attorney David Bailey. Hood is employed with another local division but still has concerns about moisture problems at her former school.

"We firmly believe it's making people sick," Bailey said.

Hattie Brown Garrow, (757) 222-5562, hattie.brown@pilotonline.com