Spring Break
Mold infestation forces out two Moore Hall residents
Kelsey McKinney, Staff Writer, kelseym@smu.edu
Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: News
Her concern and past experience led her to unscrew the vents and look inside. She said she discovered the ducts were extremely dusty, and contacted RLSH to address the air quality problem.
According to Hallenbeck, when a student has a complaint about the air quality in a room, RLSH enacts a standard response. First, a staff member from Campus Planning and Plant Operations (CCPO) clean the coils, which the air comes in contact with while cooling it. If the problem persists, the air quality is tested. Depending on the results, it is decided whether any additional steps need to be taken.
A tour of the air-handling unit in the attic of Moore Hall revealed a seemingly clean system. The unit's coils and filters were clean. SMU also shines UVC lights on the coils, which kills mold spores in the air.
The girls moved into their room on Aug. 21, and two days later CPPO placed an Aircuity machine in their room to analyze the air quality.
As is standard practice, the machine was left in their room for one week to gather information about the types of particles present in the air. At the end of the seven-day period, it was removed, and a software system analyzed the information and compiled a report on the machine's findings.
SMU's Aircuity test showed "no action suggested," which is the highest rating, for air cleanliness and building pollutants. For comfort and ventilation it found "improvement possible." Looking further into the report, the temperature was at 75 degrees, and the machine is programmed to suggest the temperature stay at 72 degrees or lower.
After seeing the report, SMU determined there was no air quality problem. But Byers and her roommate were still suffering from allergies.
"You'd wake up and you're totally stuffed up and you sneeze all day," Byers said, who suffers from seasonal allergies.
McCain said she noticed her daughter, who is allergic to several types of mold, was experiencing itchy eyes, coughing and trouble sleeping.
According to Hallenbeck, when a student has a complaint about the air quality in a room, RLSH enacts a standard response. First, a staff member from Campus Planning and Plant Operations (CCPO) clean the coils, which the air comes in contact with while cooling it. If the problem persists, the air quality is tested. Depending on the results, it is decided whether any additional steps need to be taken.
A tour of the air-handling unit in the attic of Moore Hall revealed a seemingly clean system. The unit's coils and filters were clean. SMU also shines UVC lights on the coils, which kills mold spores in the air.
The girls moved into their room on Aug. 21, and two days later CPPO placed an Aircuity machine in their room to analyze the air quality.
As is standard practice, the machine was left in their room for one week to gather information about the types of particles present in the air. At the end of the seven-day period, it was removed, and a software system analyzed the information and compiled a report on the machine's findings.
SMU's Aircuity test showed "no action suggested," which is the highest rating, for air cleanliness and building pollutants. For comfort and ventilation it found "improvement possible." Looking further into the report, the temperature was at 75 degrees, and the machine is programmed to suggest the temperature stay at 72 degrees or lower.
After seeing the report, SMU determined there was no air quality problem. But Byers and her roommate were still suffering from allergies.
"You'd wake up and you're totally stuffed up and you sneeze all day," Byers said, who suffers from seasonal allergies.
McCain said she noticed her daughter, who is allergic to several types of mold, was experiencing itchy eyes, coughing and trouble sleeping.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Sam
posted 10/05/07 @ 8:26 AM CST
Both test were done on the same day at the same time. I live in Moore Hall and have not noticed any problems with mold. As far as the roach goes I have seen some of yall's rooms maybe if you took your trash out more than once every 3 weeks we would not have a problem with ants or roaches. (Continued…)
NoMoreSchoolMold
posted 10/05/07 @ 9:09 PM CST
The very elevated levels of the molds described can be dangerous and toxic. The general industry standard in the USA is that over 1,000 total spores cfu/m3 is acceptable, and sensitive people may react to 1/10th that. (Continued…)
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