Mold Fact Sheet
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
What is mold?
Molds are fungi that can be found both indoors and outdoors. No one knows how many species of fungi exist but estimates range from tens of thousands to perhaps three hundred thousand or more.
Where is mold found?
Molds are found in virtually every environment and can be detected, both indoors and outdoors, year round. Mold growth is encouraged by warm and humid conditions. Outdoors they can be found in shady, damp areas or places where leaves or other vegetation is decomposing. Indoors they can be found where humidity levels are high, such as basements or showers.
What kind of mold was found?
Penicillium/Aspergillus
What is the cause of mold?
Molds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores. Mold spores can survive harsh environmental conditions, such as dry conditions, that do not support normal mold growth. In this case, the extremely wet summer and historic rains in our area contributed to this problem.
How does mold affect people?
Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to mold can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay. Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath.
How did we find out about the problem?
Staff discovered the problem and appropriately reported it. It was immediately addressed by the CDSD facilities department.
How is CDSD fixing the problem?
The district’s overriding concern is the safety and health of students and staff. All of our efforts to fix the problem are geared toward protecting students and staff. The rooms in which mold was detected were immediately cleaned and tested. Dehumidifiers were installed and negative pressure was created to remove spores from the area. However, in addition to those measures, we hired a qualified professional restoration company that took over the cleaning operation on Sunday morning. The rooms will be re-tested on Monday to ensure that the environment has been returned to acceptable levels. The results of testing are expected on Tuesday morning. We are moving as quickly as possible to remedy the issue.
How did CDSD test the mold?
CDSD employed the services of a qualified professional testing company to test the mold once it was discovered and to re-test after cleaning. While the gathering of samples happened quickly, the testing of samples is not immediate, and takes time to process.
Does CDSD routinely test for mold?
The U. S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not recommend routine sampling for molds. Current evidence indicates that allergies are the type of diseases most often associated with molds. Since the susceptibility of individuals can vary greatly either because of the amount or type of mold, sampling and culturing are not reliable in determining your health risk. If you are susceptible to mold and mold is seen or smelled, there is a potential health risk; therefore, no matter what type of mold is present, you should arrange for its removal. Furthermore, reliable sampling for mold can be expensive, and standards for judging what is and what is not an acceptable or tolerable quantity of mold have not been established.