The Center for School Mold Help

These three children with leukemia allegedly contracted fungal infections that ultimately killed them, very sadly, in a hospital undergoing renovations, where mold was stirred up during construction and entered other parts of the building. This situation often occurs in schools, as well, during "mold cleaning" or construction, and children (by definition, who have less-developed immune systems) and adults are exposed to infectious fungi such as aspergillus through inhalation, dermal (skin) or digestive routes. We often hear from (or about) people who were completely well previously and developed aspergillosis* , a fungal infection with a 50% or higher mortality (death) rate, from mold-infested buildings where improper remediations were taking place. Some of these are now dead from the infection. Note that the CDC uses the word "usually" when they state that immuno-compromised people are the ones who can become sick The general public still has no idea of these exposures nor do facilities managers prevent them, most often are quite ignorant of proper procedures to protect the occupants of moldy buildings during construction. Our hearts go out to the suffering families (SMH).

*see 40 references to aspergillosis on our site, below

This Washington Post articles describes, with photos, the extensive problems a family experienced when they bought a "dream house" that was found to have made the parents ill, according to jurors.  This is a common occurrance in America - one that would be preventable with required education for the construction industry, and proper, enforced building codes, with practices that will protect new construction from being moldy from Day One. Today's building materials - such as sheetrock and engineered wood - are so easily colonized by molds that contractors must take extra precautions while building - and many may have no idea how to prevent mold. Mold-resistent building materials and techniques for construction should be part of readily available instruction - with building codes that require their use, to avoid tragedies such as this one, all too common (SMH).

School districts must use extreme caution in the use of mold-killing or inhibiting products. The EPA Indoor Air Quality division DOES NOT recommend the routine use of antifungals, for instance, as these are classified as pesticides and the EPA states, "Biocides are toxic to humans, as well as to mold." (see below). Yet, without informing parents or school staff, thousands of schools throughout the United States are "fogged" or sprayed with fungicides, indoors. Worse yet, some disreputable companies may make false claims about a product and scam the school district, subjecting the occupants to unknown chemicals that can sicken them. "A 2004 Courant article about the scheme noted some students and staff still were sick — if not sicker — after the mold removal work was done (Hartford Courant, below). " In their haste to use a "cheap fix", school districts may poison the occupants further with chemicals. These articles show how a NY man deceived and allegedly "bilked" three school districts in CT: Easton, Bristol and Manchester. Further, "Schongar also deceived representatives from the three school districts by falsely representing that he and Microb Phase had a partnering relationship with the EPA when no such relationship existed, Dannehy said."

School districts - there are no cheap fixes for mold. You must remove the mold through proper remediation techniques. Be forewarned. (SMH)

"The House voted Wednesday to strengthen whistleblower protections for federal employees, including those working for the Transportation Security Administration and others employed in national security areas.

The bill also would create specific protections for those who expose abuses of authority by those trying to manipulate or censor scientific research in federal agencies for political purposes. Critics of the George W. Bush administration alleged that scientific findings were often influenced by politics."

 Both of the above areas (whistleblowing on mold related to national security and toxic federal buildings and incidences of the manipulation of science related to mold) have been common complaints during the Bush administration.