Mold – Things Gone Wrong Tom Hamilton, CIH OccuHealth, Inc. 44 Wood Avenue Mansfield, MA 02048 800-729-1035 t_hamilton@occuhealth.com 4/10/2019

Mold – Things Gone Wrong Purpose is to present a situation where the mold got out of control due to: Homeowner/Owner Ignorance Remediation Contractor Blunders Disagreement between insurance company and owner in regard to coverage for water and mold damage due to owner negligence. 4/10/2019

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Health Effects Media headlines and inaccurate information lead to occupant paranoia, distrust and a sense of helplessness. 4/10/2019

Where Is Mold? All surfaces and well as the indoor air contain mold spores and are not sterile Mold spores grow from moisture in combination with a nutrient. Nutrients can be common household dust, wood, paper, etc. 4/10/2019

Health Effects Nearly everyone responds differently No one knows the exact exposure that ‘sensitizes’ people In general, many fungi are allergenic More than 60 species are known to produce allergens that cause hay fever and asthma. 4/10/2019

“Risky Molds” Stachybotrys chartarum Aspergillus Versicolor Aspergillus Fumigatis Aspergillus Flavus Fusarium moniliforme Finding amplifications of these molds indoors is not typical and requires a risk management decision. 4/10/2019

ACGIH Bioaerosol Position There are no TLVs for interpreting environmental measurements of… Total fungi found Specific culturable or countable molds Infections agents Assayable biological contaminants – MVOCs, antigens, etc. 4/10/2019

Total Bioaerosols - Problems There are no established exposure limits for molds Human responses range from none to serious for a material, therefore, an appropriate exposure limit for one bioaerosol may be entirely inappropriate for another. It is not possible to collect and evaluate all bioaerosol components using a single sampling method. Information relating bioaerosol concentrations to health effects is generally insufficient to describe exposure response. 4/10/2019

Guidelines on Molds AIHA Health Canada NYC Department of Health: Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments, 2000. ACGIH WHO 4/10/2019

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Case Study – Home in MA Homeowner left for vacation Came back and found water from broken heater pipe in basement level was flooding lower level Owner panicked and drove to Logan airport, flew to Minneapolis Neighbors reported water running down driveway to town water department ~2 weeks later 4/10/2019

Case Study Town water department shut off water Owner finally returned ~4 weeks later to find something like this….. At this time she finally called her insurance company. 4/10/2019

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Air Testing With Airocells Air Testing for total airborne mold spores was conducted Results show very high levels of airborne mold spores, especially Aspergillus All persons entering home must wear PPE 4/10/2019

Case Study - Remediation Remediation plan involved gutting the entire home, three stories - contents Insurance company considered rejecting claim, and public adjuster threatened lawsuit Homeowner was put on drugs and nearly had nervous breakdown Industrial hygienist was used as a pawn between adjusters – why? 4/10/2019

Closure Home was eventually cleaned and rebuilt Industrial Hygienist got paid, most friends believe he dodged a bullet (like Neo in the Matrix) Remediation contractor still waiting to be paid (since 2003) 4/10/2019

Finding Mold Moisture – water reservoirs or building materials wet more then 48 hours Nutrients – dirt, dust, soiled surfaces, carpets, wood, latex paint, drywall Lack of Ventilation – lack of disturbance, lack of competing molds 4/10/2019

General Remediation Actions Fix the moisture cause that led to the growth Remove moldy materials under negative pressure containment in such a manner that dusts and spores are not dispersed into adjacent clean or occupied areas Biocide treatment or encapsulation of moldy surfaces does no substitute for physical removal of the contaminants Remove all fine particles from the formerly moldy area through damp wiping and/or HEPA vacuuming prior to installation of new finishes in the occupied space 4/10/2019

Remediation How to remediate Does it have to be removed? Use negative air, use positive air, have a neutral zone Does it have to be removed? Clean it, spray it, encapsulate it 4/10/2019

Being Proactive Document everything 4/10/2019

Being Proactive Eliminate water accumulations and dampness Keep interior RH less than 60% Avoid the use of fleecy extended surface materials where dampness occurs Dry building infrastructure as rapidly as possible following a leak or a flood Develop a plan of action for dealing with moisture problems such as spills or floods. Remove moisture hidden within the building infrastructure. 4/10/2019

Being Proactive - Checklist Is there evidence of current or past water damage? Is visible mold present on interior finishes and construction materials? Are moisture problems evident in the building envelope? Is there evidence of hidden microbial growth, such as musty odors? Do moisture levels indicate a problem with RH levels? Are porous materials such as carpet and insulation present in damp areas? 4/10/2019

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Tom Hamilton, CIH OccuHealth, Inc. 44 Wood Avenue Mansfield, MA 02048 800-729-1035 t_hamilton@occuhealth.com 4/10/2019