Last year when Hurricane Charley was approaching Florida’s west coast,residents were fleeing from the Category IV storm’s 8- to10-foot storm surge, high winds and impending catastrophic destruction.
Not long after, Hurricane Frances hit the east coast. The hurricane’s paths created a seemingly innocuous “X” factor in the middle of the state of Florida. Unfortunately, this “X” factor left in the very path of their destruction also had the potential for further catastrophic damage caused when moisture turns to mold in the built environment.
The same destruction has occurred this year in Gulf Coast states devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The Florida Agency For Health Care Administration (AHCA) issued a declaration after Hurricane Charley to all healthcare facilities in the state of Florida, stating its “serious concern that the indoor air quality has been compromised” after water damage and/or power outage, and that each healthcare facility shall “follow basic steps to insure the indoor air quality of the facility has not adversely effected the environment of care” in order to maintain state licensure.
“In the wake of these storms is a second wave of destruction,” said Alan Wozniak, President/CEO of Pure Air Control Services, a national provider of professional indoor environmental quality (IEQ) services. “This second wave can take as long as 24 hours to 6 months to arrive, but when it hits there can be serious health implications. The second wave is microbial deposition and amplification in the form of mold and bacteria propagules, which in some cases can be worse than the initial storm. In the rush to reconstruct, water damage is often ineffectively isolated, evaluated or removed.”
A proactive Mold/IEQ Home or Building Health checkup can easily avert a second phase IEQ disaster.
“As a leader in indoor environmental quality services, Pure Air Control Services is assisting federal governments, school boards, healthcare, city, county and state governments, facilities, and homeowners with recovery efforts from storm damage to buildings and homes assuring a quality indoor environment” said Wozniak.
In a recent publication, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) indicated that mold growth is likely to occur after flooding. It’s very important to clean and thoroughly dry any areas of the structure that have gotten wet from floodwaters.
“Failure to remove contaminated materials and to reduce moisture and humidity can present serious long-term health risks,” according to the Office of Indoor Air Quality at the Environmental Protection Agency.”
FEMA Coordinating Officer Ron Sherman emphasized that “if your home was flooded it could be harboring mold. Disaster recovery and health officials warn that victims of flooding should clean flood-damaged homes thoroughly now to avoid possible health problems from mold and mildew in the warmer months ahead.
Care must be taken to clean and completely dry any areas of the home that have gotten wet from floodwaters to prevent structural damage and adverse health effects from mold. “People are anxious to get on with their lives after a flood, but if you had flood waters in your home, take the time to clean thoroughly so problems don’t arise later that affect your home or your health,” said Sherman.
Molds are part of a group of micro-organisms called fungi that also includes mushrooms and yeasts. Molds are familiar to most people as food spoilers on items such as bread or fruit. Molds are nature’s decomposers in the food chain, and require the following conditions to grow:
* Mold spores (which are always present indoors and outdoors);
* The right temperature range, from 2 to 40 °C;
* A food supply, which means anything organic such as books, carpets, clothing, wood, drywall, etc.; and
* A source of moisture.
The last condition, moisture, is the only practical factor to control in most buildings.
If allowed to grow inside your structure, mold can be a problem because:
* It can damage your possessions, and
* It can cause health problems, for example, mold can cause allergic reactions such as asthma or allergic rhinitis, nonallergic reactions such as headaches, and other symptoms [including] lung and breathing infections.
When choosing a remediator, look for a provider that offers the following:
* Mold/IEQ Investigation Services - Environmental Scientists with backgrounds in microbiology, industrial hygiene, mechanical, building sciences, allergy/immunology;
* Environmental Diagnostics Lab (EDLab) – Microbial Laboratory Services (AIHA Accredited Laboratory #102795);
* Building Health Check (BHC) - Economical Building Evaluations that include Healthy Home and Healthy Building Checkups;
* IEQ testing equipment and training for the facility manager;
* Building Remediation Sciences – Ductwork Cleaning (NADCA Certified); and
* Mold remediator who follows NYC Dept. of Health Office of the Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology guidelines on Mold Assessment and Remediation.
The Florida Dept. of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) stated that “if you suspect you have a mold infestation, consult a professional immediately. Serious financial and legal consequences may result from not properly addressing known problems.”
Ed Zeigler is a manager with Pure Air Control Services, provider of building diagnostic services, environmental laboratory and remediation of indoor contamination. For nearly 20 years, Pure Air Control Services has provided recovery efforts from the consequence of major storms. For more information on mold remediaiton, call 1-800-422-7873 ext 804 or visit www.pureaircontrols.com.
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Pure Air Control Services, Inc.
1-800-422-7873
