Back to School Means Back to Mold for Some Students and Teachers

Last month, the Monroe County Reporter published an article that Monroe County Schools was delaying the start of the new school year by several days. The school district reportedly made the move to have time to move several hundred students and their teachers to another school building due to the presence of mold.

According to the article, water incursions have been an issue at the school in question for at least the last two years. Administrators decided to move the students when indoor air quality (IAQ) tests came back worse than outdoor samples.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Poor indoor air quality can impact the comfort and health of students and staff, which, in turn, can affect concentration, attendance, and student performance. In addition, if schools fail to respond promptly to poor IAQ, students and staff are at an increased risk of short-term health problems, such as fatigue and nausea, as well as long-term problems like asthma.”  

“Over the past six weeks or so, schools across the country have been busy reopening their doors for the new school year,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Unfortunately, what was discovered at the school in Monroe County happens all too frequently in every state of the nation. Many schools suffer from water leaks, plumbing issues and elevated humidity levels due to deferred preventive maintenance and postponed repair work on aging structures. With moisture, mold only needs about 48 hours to grow on most furnishing, books and many building materials. It doesn’t take long for a mold problem to develop.”

To help school administrators, teachers and concerned parents identify mold and other indoor environmental quality issues, EMSL Analytical, Inc. offers comprehensive testing services for a wide range of microbial and chemical indoor pollutants. The laboratory specialists provide all of the sampling supplies necessary, carry a wide range of air monitoring equipment and even offer easy-to-use test kits. They have also sponsored an educational video about IAQ issues in schools that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/jngqddmmoXY.

To learn more about this or other air quality and environmental testing services, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email  info@EMSL.com . To view the complete line of indoor environmental test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is one of the leading testing laboratories with over 45 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