Housing's war on mold continues
By Leslie King
Contributing Writer
September 29, 2003
Student housing units Delta one, two, three and
four are being treated for mold and mildew problems.
Mold and mildew come from moisture resulting
from humidity. The South is more prone to this problem because it is near
water. Mold and mildew are at peak growth during the summer.
Dr. Dale Adams, vice president of student
affairs, said, "mold and mildew in Mobile is synonymous."
The type of mold that has been found is
unidentified. However, mold can cause some health problems. According to
information furnished by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions in
sensitive individuals.
Allergic responses include hay fever-type
symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rash
(dermatitis). Allergic reactions to mold are common. They can be immediate
or delayed. Molds can also cause asthma attacks in people with asthma who
are allergic to mold.
In addition, mold exposure can irritate the
eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic
people. Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types are not
commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold.
Some students are trying to cope with the mold
and mildew while others have had bad experiences.
Tujuana McGee stayed in Delta three and had a
bad experience with mildew. Her room had mildew on top of the door,
running down the walls and ceiling, as well as on the bathroom walls.
"I feel that something should been done about
it, because I spent three days trying to clean the mildew off the walls
and all of it still didn't come off. I had to end up changing rooms. I
think it's ridiculous that we pay quite a bit in room tuition and nothing
gets done about it," she said.
In most rooms, mold and mildew is most likely to
be found on the corners of the ceilings and in the bathroom area.
Fortunately, steps are being taken to solve this
issue. An outside contractor has helped to get the situation under control
in Delta one and two by installing dehumidifiers. Due to moisture found in
individual rooms and not in the building, individual dehumidifiers have
been installed. Some buildings have dehumidifiers installed within them.
Although all the rooms were built around the
same time, there is no reason why one room has mildew and the other room
next door doesn't have any at all, Adams said. Delta three and four are in
the process of getting dehumidifiers.
Joe Green, director of housing, said studies are
being conducted using dehumidifiers to figure out how much moisture is
coming into the rooms. Dehumidifiers not only collect moisture, but they
measure it as well.
Green said the mold and mildew problem is not
uncommon. "Mold and mildew is an issue for everyone in the housing
business. Every journal that I pick up to read concerning housing has this
problem listed in it," he said.
There are some procedures students can take to
help prevent mold and mildew. It is best to keep the windows and doors
closed, especially on days when the humidity is high. Open doors and
windows allow excess moisture to enter.
The air conditioner should also always be on.
When taking a shower, it is best to close the bathroom door and turn on
the exhaust fan. Some rooms have these fans in the light switch, while
other rooms have them on a separate switch.
Green said right now there haven't been any
specific complaints and that this is an ongoing problem that they are
trying to deal with on a daily basis.
Both Green and Adams are optimistic about the
future concerning this problem. "Seems like we have it under control now.
We have spent a lot of money to get the situation under control," Adams
said.
Mold Advice & Help
1. Hire a
Certified
Mold Inspector or use our Do-It-BEST-Yourself
mold test kits for
mold mildew
mold inspection and
mold testing for various
types of mold to find and identify
mold in homes and houses,
mold spores,
black mold,
black mold toxic, other
toxic molds,
water mold, other
dangerous molds,
household mold,
basement mold,
attic mold,
heating-cooling duct mold, and
crawl space mold.
2. Hire a Certified
Mold Remediator or use our Do-It-BEST-Yourself
mold products for
mold in home problems,
mold cleaning, to
kill house mold,
mold abatement,
mold remediation,
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mold prevention.
3. For
mold training,
mold education, and
mold certification, visit:
Mold School.
4. If you are experiencing
black mold symptoms, other
mold symptoms, a
mold allergy,
symptoms of mold allergy, or you want to see
black mold pictures, visit
Mold. |
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