Mold Closes California Daycare Center

This May, the College of the Sequoias closed the school’s daycare center after mold was found in up to seven areas throughout the building. Parents were contacted to pick up their children after the building was evacuated.

Close to 100 children were impacted and are now being cared for in another building on the campus. The mold was first discovered when an employee noticed what appeared to be mold growing on the wall. It was then tested and found to be Stachybotrys.

Stachybotrys chartarum is typically a greenish-black mold that can be found in properties with water damage or highly elevated humidity levels. It can grow on common materials found in buildings that contain a high cellulose and low nitrogen content. These include items such as fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust and lint. Growth occurs when there is moisture from water damage, excessive humidity, water leaks, condensation, water infiltration or flooding.

“Stachybotrys chartarum has been vilified by the media, resulting in strong public perception of the existence of good molds and bad molds, dangerous black molds, and deadly toxic molds,” reported Derrick A. Denis, V.P. Indoor Environmental Quality at CSC. “Color has nothing to do with the potential for mold related health effects. All molds can be irritants and allergens for susceptible populations, and some molds can infect or intoxicate susceptible populations. As a result of the potential for health effects, visible mold growth is considered unacceptable in indoor environments and the airborne mold concentrations indoors should be similar to those outdoors. These criteria for an acceptable environment apply to daycare centers and other occupied spaces,” he continued.

CSC recently cosponsored a public outreach video on Stachybotrys chartarum that can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGk2_jj6VH8

To learn more about how Clark Seif Clark can help with indoor air quality (IAQ), mold and other environmental issues please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both the public and private sectors address environmental health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.

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