Mould may have brought medical miracles with the creation of penicillin in 1938, but now it is bringing sickness to University students as it infects homes throughout Eugene.

Dan Stih, a Healthy Living Spaces LLC certified microbial consultant, said Eugene gets a double whammy when it comes to mould because of the moisture both inside and outside. And while outside mould may not affect people, Stih said students and community members need to be increasingly wary of mould living indoors.

"Technically, all molds produce toxins," he said.

However, researchers have found that mould is more likely to produce toxins indoors because it has to work harder to survive.

Senior Nick Taylor said he lived in a "moldy apartment" his sophomore year. Although he and his roommate tried to wash off the mould, Taylor said he still felt continuously sick while living in the apartment.

"It was a never-ending cold," he said.

According to a study done by the New York City Department of Health, mould can commonly cause allergic reactions with symptoms ranging from a runny nose or eye irritation to congestion and coughing.

University Health Center Director Thomas Ryan said about 5 percent of the population is allergic to mould and might experience these symptoms. He added that in more serious cases there may be memory loss, headache or difficulty concentrating, but there is no proven causal link between the symptoms and the mould.

Stih said it is fairly easy for mould to grow indoors, as long as there is moisture in the environment. Places where mould can grow more easily include leaks around a toilet seal, under wet carpet, leaky plumbing in sinks or showers and underneath kitchen sinks.

C. Eric Devin, co-chairman of OSPIRG's Renters' Rights Campaign, blames the mould problem on Eugene's failure to institute a housing code.

"I am outraged that these conditions exist anywhere in Oregon, especially Eugene," Devin said. "However, Eugene's lack of a housing code is a major barrier in making sure that housing standards are upheld."

Until a housing code is implemented, many students will bear the responsibility of removing mould from their residences.

The Environmental Protection Agency Web site suggests people get rid of mould with a cleaning detergent and water mixture. Stih recommended borax and water, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site recommends mixing bleach with water.

The CDC Web site also advises people to keep the humidity level in a house below 50 percent, use an air conditioner or dehumidifier during humid months, use mould inhibitors that can be added to paints and clean bathrooms with mould-killing products.

For those not comfortable with cleaning mould on their own, contractors such as Healthy Living Spaces are available. Contractors will also do initial mould checks, Stih said.

Mould link to disease
- 14 February 2003,  Daily Express
 
A brief article warns that a toxic mould described as the 'asbestos of the 21st century' could be growing in more than three million UK homes, according to experts. The greenish-black mould, called stachybotrys chartarum, grows in damp dark areas and on materials such as wood and plasterwork. The mould is linked to lung disease and can exacerbate asthma, bronchitis, hay fever and allergies.

Mould spore - the real culprit
Mould are fungi that come in a variety of species and live both indoors and outdoors in dark, damp or wet places. The real culprits are mould spores - tiny bacteria produced by mould that become airborne or water-borne.

As many as 250 000 spores could fit on the head of a pin. In heavily contaminated areas, a person might breathe in as many as 750 000 spores per minute, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Serious symptoms
If you're mildly allergic to moulds, symptoms can include nasal stuffiness, eye irritation or wheezing. Among those who are more seriously allergic, however, symptoms can include fever and shortness of breath.

Prolonged exposure to mould in certain occupational settings, such as farms, is a particular concern. Farm workers continuously exposed to moldy hay, for instance, can develop a condition called Farmer's Lung, which causes fatigue, a chronic cough and other symptoms, says the CDC.

What can you do?
If you find you are sensitive to mould, experts advise avoiding places outside that might have high levels of mould, such as wooded areas, compost piles, hay bales or cut grass.

Indoors, you can take steps to decrease mould exposure by keeping humidity levels below 40 percent. Ventilate showers and cooking areas, and try using a bleach solution of one cup of bleach in one gallon of water to clean areas where there may be mould growth.

Insurers and homeowners could face significantly clean up costs as a result of research by the RICS which suggests that a toxic form of mould could be present in a quarter of UK residential properties, warns Reynolds Porter Chamberlain (RPC), the leading insurance law firm.
Toxic mould, known as Stachybotrys Chartarum, is believed to cause cancer, asthma bronchitis and other allergies and has already triggered a wave of multi-million-dollar claims in the United States.
RPC says that other non toxic forms of mould are commonplace in UK properties where the presence of water is a widespread problem. Mould often grows unseen behind walls and under floorboards but is frequently tolerated because it is not seen as a danger to health.
Comments Robert Hogarth, partner of Reynolds Porter Chamberlain: “The increased perception that mould and damp conditions can now present a serious threat to health may persuade property owners to remove the mould where in the past they would not have done so.
“The costs associated with surveying and removing toxic mould are likely to be significant. Insurers that have not yet written exclusion clauses for toxic mould into their policies should consider doing so.”

Commercial property
According to RPC, only some commercial property insurance policies wholly exclude the costs associated with removing and repairing damage caused by mould.
“Whether insurers or landlords pay for the clean-up of commercial buildings could be a potential source of conflict,” said Mr Hogarth.
RPC also points out that if toxic mould is discovered in a place of work employees might have reasonable grounds to refuse to work there while the building is detoxified. The cost of relocating workers and disruption to business could be significant.
For surveyors, the discovery of toxic mould in the UK could have a serious impact on professional indemnity premiums.
Said Mr Hogarth: “In the future surveyors may need to check buildings for the presence of toxic mould. Surveyors could be sued for diminution of value if they fail to detect harmful contaminants.”