Is Mold in Schools Making Your Children Sick?

LA Testing offers mold and other indoor air quality (IAQ) testing services for school districts across California to protect students and faculty.

Pasadena, CA

Last month the Los Angeles Times published an article entitled “Toxic schools: Could mold be the reason your child is sick?” The article highlighted the story of a six year old boy who had for two years experienced breathing problems, headaches, vomiting and other health ailments. The article states that once the mother of the boy discovered her child’s school was being treated for mold she moved him to another school and “his health problems vanished.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can cause illness requiring absence from school, and can cause acute health symptoms that decrease performance while at school. In addition, recent data suggest that poor IAQ can reduce a person’s ability to perform specific mental tasks requiring concentration, calculation, or memory.”

Many aging schools have seen their budgets decreased as state and local budgets get squeezed from the recent economic challenges. This has caused some maintenance projects to be postponed or delayed indefinitely. Common occurrences at many schools include such problems as water infiltration, plumbing issues and HVAC failures. Each of these can lead to potential IAQ problems involving mold and other contaminants.

LA Testing, an affiliate of EMSL Analytical and a leading indoor air quality testing laboratory, provides analytical services and testing supplies to help identify mold, bacteria and other microbial contaminates in schools. “The first step in preventing health problems in California’s schools is to identify conditions that are conducive for mold growth,” reported Ben Sublasky, National Director of Client Services for LA Testing and EMSL Analytical. “Identifying problematic areas and reacting swiftly to them can prevent microbial growth and health problems for the students and faculty. Simple air testing procedures can identify if, and where, excessive airborne mold levels exist.”

To learn more about mold or other IAQ testing services please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 303-0047.

About LA Testing and EMSL Analytical, Inc.
LA Testing and EMSL Analytical are providers of environmental testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The companies have an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Ben Sublasky

National Director of Clients Services/Operations Manager

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

Contact via E-mail