One School's Mold Problem
A recent CBS News story tells us that mold has found its way into
some schools. McKinley Elementary School in Fairfield, Connecticut
had to close its doors to students and teachers when stachibotrys
mold was found growing in storage areas. 40 to 60 teachers and students
got sick, with two having to go to the hospital.
Administrators at the school got suspicious when an unusual number
of students and staff reported similar symptoms - trouble breathing,
neurological disturbances, and fatigue. When investigator Dr.
John Santilli was called in, he found that flooding over the summer
had left the materials closet damp. When the closet was opened,
the black stachibotrys mold was found covering the walls and supplies.
Students at Whitaker Middle School in Portland, Oregon had a
similar story to tell. Parents noticed that their children were
complaining of similar flu-like symptoms and seemed unusually
fatigued. “I felt like something was standing on my chest,”
said teacher Janis Ingersole. “My skin was crawling. I had
hives and my face was puffed up like a pink.” Administrators
first feared it might be radon, but an investigation revealed
that the pipes of an old drainage system had leaked. The damp
environment created by the seeping water created a perfect breeding
ground for the dangerous mold.
CBS reported that some 14 million American children attend schools
with poor environmental conditions. In the last decade the rate
of allergic disease — like asthma — has doubled in the nation's
classrooms.
