THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 16, 1995 TAG: 9511160662
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Education
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
POOR MAINTENANCE of Tarrallton Elementary's air-conditioning system contributed to elevated levels of mold and mildew that sparked recent complaints by irritated teachers and students, according to a consultant hired to assess the building's air quality.
In an Oct. 25 report to school administrators, TC Consultants Inc., of Norfolk, said a water-cooling tower that circulates air throughout the building's ventilation system ``was found to be poorly maintained, with significant growth of mold and mildew.''
The report also noted that air filters had deteriorated in some classroom air-conditioning units, which were observed blowing mold spores and pieces of filter into classrooms.
``Several teachers from the school voiced complaints regarding absences due to sinus problems, allergic-type reactions in asthmatic children, upper respiratory irritation, and a dark substance blowing out of air-conditioning units in the rooms,'' wrote Richard A. Vogel Jr., vice president of operations for TC Consultants.
About 450 children attend the school.
In response to the report, Deputy Superintendent J. Frank Sellew wrote in a Nov. 3 letter to Tarrallton parents that school officials had started to ``move aggressively'' to address the problem.
``Indoor air quality maintenance is an important element in maintaining the proper instructional environment,'' Sellew wrote. ``Rest assured that we will focus whatever attention is necessary to accomplish this goal at Tarrallton.''
Sellew said school officials are acting on a half-dozen recommendations issued by TC Consultants. They include a clean-up of visible mold and mildew growth and a ``full-scale building assessment to identify and repair'' defects in the school's ventilation system.
``I think we've done everything right and have been aggressive in pursuing this,'' Sellew said in an interview last week.
William Wood, the school system's director of risk management, safety and property control, said new and ``more effective'' air filters have been installed in air-conditioning units. He also said teachers have been given Lysol and other cleaners to wipe up mold and mildew that recurs.
Wood said additional air samples will be taken to determine how successful the clean-up actions have been.
The region's high humidity creates a climate for mold and mildew, which can be found in homes, schools and other buildings throughout Hampton Roads, Wood said. A dozen other schools in the area have reported similar problems, some linked to poorly maintained ventilation systems.
Tarrallton's problem is compounded because the school is located near a marsh that is a ``reservoir'' for the fungi, TC Consultants reported.
School officials said Tarrallton's library periodically has been a hotspot for mold and mildew the past two years. Previous problems have been traced to leaks in a wall water pipe and defects in the air-conditioning unit serving the library.
The library was closed for about six weeks at the beginning of school last year while mold and mildew were cleaned off books and repairs made, the TC Consultants report said. Numerous books were thrown out because of excessive mold and mildew, the report said.
A parent of two second-grade girls at Tarrallton brought the latest outbreak to public attention last month when they became sick at school after complaining of asthma-like problems. They were hospitalized for several days, and the mother, Pat Jackson, said the girls' doctor linked their symptoms to breathing dust or mildew in the air.
The TC Consultants report said the company found elevated levels of several types of mold and mildew that can cause allergic reactions in some people, including penicillium and cladosporium.
The report, for example, said that one or more ``colony forming unit,'' or CFU, per sample of penicillium is ``normally indicative of poor indoor quality conditions.'' A sample from the library contained 36 CFUs of penicillium. A sample of four to six CFUs of cladosporium is considered normal in Hampton Roads, but a sample from the center had 68 CFUs, the report said.
Jackson said she has been satisfied with the school's response.
``I wasn't out to get enemies from this, I just wanted them to realize there was a problem and to clean it up, and they did it,'' Jackson said last week. ``I'm satisfied.''
Wood said that nature probably will give school officials a helping hand with the approach of winter. Cold weather slows the growth of mold and mildew. by CNB