Evidently, this has been a very moldy year — at least on the east coast. Mold Outbreak Plagues New England Schools:
An unprecedented mold outbreak, following the region’s rainy, humid summer, has delayed the opening of school for thousands of youngsters across New England and left some districts with six-figure cleanup bills.
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“Mold growth has been at a rate that we have never seen in history,” Condon said.The tiny spores, nurtured by a soggy and steamy July and August, also have vexed homes and other buildings across the Northeast. For classrooms left vacant for weeks, all the fungus needed to multiply into big problems was a leaky roof, a loose window, condensation from an air conditioning system or a section of shampooed rug left damp.
In healthy children, mold typically causes no more than hayfever-like symptoms in the eyes, nose and throat, but those with asthma and other breathing difficulties and immune system problems can be affected more severely, Condon said.
A spritz of household bleach or a good scrub with detergent will clean mold from hard surfaces, but cleaning other materials is a difficult, expensive task for districts already strapped for cash.
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New construction techniques aimed at reducing noise, such as carpeting and dropped ceilings, have made schools more difficult to clean than when walls were plaster and floors were tile, Condon said.