Mold Exposure a Potential Health Concern for Some College Students Living on Campus

This past summer, The Wall Street Journal published an article about the high costs some universities and colleges have had to deal with when faced with mold contamination issues on campus. In one of the examples from the article, a university in Indiana spent over half a million dollars to fix mold issues in just two of its many dormitories.

It doesn’t take much for mold to begin to grow indoors in any type of building. A water leak, broken plumbing, flooding or humidity issues could all result in the growth of mold. In fact, most wet or moist building materials, furnishings and personal belongings will support the growth of mold in as short as 48 hours if not properly dried.

Mold multiplies by producing microscopic spores that are so small they easily float through the air and can create indoor air quality (IAQ) issues. At elevated concentrations, these can be a respiratory concern.  A common response is to have an allergic reaction, which could be immediate or delayed.  Allergic responses often include hay fever-like symptoms such as headache, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rash. For many people who suffer from asthma, exposure to mold can trigger an attack. Mold is also an irritant that can cause issues with the eyes, skin, nose, throat and lungs of individuals whether or not they are allergic to it.

“Many facilities within schools, colleges and universities sit empty or are only partially utilized during the summer months,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “A small water leak or moisture issue that goes unnoticed for a few months can sometimes turn into a costly problem. Preventing mold issues through proactive building maintenance and responding immediately to water, moisture and humidity issues can often prevent these problems from occurring.” 

Identifying mold issues to protect students, faculty and other building occupants are the IAQ experts at EMSL Analytical, Inc. EMSL operates a network of laboratories throughout the United States and Canada that offer a wide range of indoor environmental testing services, sampling supplies, easy-to-use test kits and monitoring instruments.

For more information about this or other IAQ and environmental, health and safety issues, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email  info@EMSL.com . Indoor environmental test kits can be accessed at www.EMSLTestKits.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical, Inc. is one of the leading testing laboratories with 40 locations throughout the United States and Canada. EMSL is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider specializing in fast laboratory results for mold, bacteria, Legionella, USP 797, pathogens, asbestos, lead, soot, char & ash from fires, VOC’s, odors, radon, formaldehyde, indoor air quality, microbiology, environmental, industrial hygiene, radiological, food, beverage & consumer products and material testing services for the identification of unknown substances. EMSL services both professionals and the general public. EMSL maintains an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies including, but not limited to A2LA, AIHA LAP, LLC. (AIHA EMLAP, AIHA IHLAP, AIHA ELLAP), NVLAP, CDC ELITE, CPSC, CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX DOH, NJDEP and multiple other state accrediting agencies. Please visit our website at www.EMSL.com for a complete listing of accreditations.  In addition, EMSL carries a wide range of Sampling Equipment and Investigative Products for environmental professionals.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail