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Monday Morning Mold October 25, 2004

Mold in the Media

October 25, 2004

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Mold Stories

-- $8.6 Million Settlement to Calif. Condo Owners For Defects, Personal Injuries (Sep 8, 2004)

-- RHA Senate asks for mold prevention - Senator says fungus making Patterson residents ill, but none have reported to health center

-- Target 5 Uncovers Mold Putting Families In Danger - Levels As High As 50 Times What's Considered Safe

-- 'Hidden decay' clause pivotal in lawsuit (Arizona Republic, AZ - Oct 22, 2004)

-- Bush's childhood home in Midland set to open next (Denton Record Chronicle, TX - Oct 23, 2004)

-- Mold Education: Fusarium Mycotoxins

-- Court Mold: Elbert County courthouse moves closer to reopening - Cleanup of mold could be done by Nov. 1, officials say (Rocky Mountain News, CO - Oct 15, 2004)

-- School Mold: Toxic mold removed from school rooms (Chester Observer Tribune, NJ - Oct 21, 2004)

-- Mold & Insurance (Charley, Frances, Ivan & Jeanne): Damage low, hurricane claims high in Florida's poorer areas (Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC - Oct 19, 2004)

-- Mold Litigation: Judge OKs $24 mil mold settlement - Trinity Homes and Beazer Homes, its parent, agree to fix about 2,000 houses (Indianapolis Star, IN - Oct 21, 2004)

-- Mold & Technology: AirQual acquires mold-resistent technology from DuPont (Boston Business Journal, MA - Oct 22, 2004)

-- Mold Seminars: FREE Allergy Seminar Oct 26 - Hear the Latest About New Treatments for Allergic Asthma and What They Mean to You From Noted Expert Aidan Long, M.D., Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts General Hospital (PR Newswire - Oct 21, 2004)

-- Mold Seminars: ASHRAE to host satellite broadcast (April 13, 2005) on mold (Contractor Mag, IL - Oct 19, 2004)

-- In the foodie arena, mold is a very good thing for cheese (Alameda Times-Star, CA - Oct 20, 2004)

-- For Fun: Lurking organisms create scary pumpkins (or, Have a Moldy Halloween!) (Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, IA - Oct 19, 2004)

This week's photo is of Fusarium infecting a pumpkin, from the Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture website. Yes, I know it looks gross -- but I could have put a picture of someone's toenails with a Fusarium infection.

$8.6 Million Settlement to Calif. Condo Owners For Defects, Personal Injuries (Sep 8, 2004)

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SANTA ANA, Calif. - Sept. 8, a settlement was reached of $8,571,028 in damages for construction defects and personal injuries claimed by residents of a four-story condominium complex in Santa Ana, Calif. Spectrum Community Association v. Bristol House Partnership, et al., No. 00CC 07398 (Calif. Super. Ct., Orange Cty.).

Plaintiffs alleged that the complex had mold and extensive water damage from leaking roofs, windows and balconies, faulty plumbing, defective bathtubs, fire sprinkler systems and drains.

RHA Senate asks for mold prevention - Senator says fungus making Patterson residents ill, but none have reported to health center

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The RHA Senate passed legislation Tuesday urging The University of South Carolina Housing to address mold problems on campus and announced its representatives for its first conference of 2004.

Executive committee member Terrill Wilkins supported the legislation. After meeting with a resident in the Patterson dorm, Wilkins said the mold problem became especially apparent.

Target 5 Uncovers Mold Putting Families In Danger - Levels As High As 50 Times What's Considered Safe

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COVINGTON -- A Target 5 investigation into dangerous mold and sick children in a Tri-state apartment building uncovered mold levels as high as 50 times what's considered safe.

'Hidden decay' clause pivotal in lawsuit (Arizona Republic, AZ - Oct 22, 2004)

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Mary Ann's 70-year-old home was insured with Allstate Insurance Co.'s "all-risk" homeowner's policy. After a window fell out of her home, Mary Ann hired a licensed pest-control inspector to determine the cause of the unexpected accident.

The inspector determined that the weakened window and weak floorboards in the living room, which were giving way, were caused by a fungus. Mary Ann then filed a claim with Allstate for repair of the damaged areas. Allstate denied the claim under the policy exclusion for any loss due to " . . . rust or other corrosion, mold, wet or dry rot."

Bush's childhood home in Midland set to open next (Denton Record Chronicle, TX - Oct 23, 2004)

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The small house on Ohio Avenue in this oil-rich region of West Texas once was home to two U.S. presidents - both named Bush. And though it won't look like it's had an extreme makeover, about $1.5 million went into restoring the childhood home of President George W. Bush, where he lived with his mother and father, the nation's 41st president.

Progress has been slowed by heavier than normal rainfall over the past several months, delaying work on the home's exterior. Windows, electrical wiring and the plumbing have been replaced. Asbestos, black mold and lead-based paint have been removed. The roof still needs replacing, and work crews still need to finish out interior walls and other details.

Mold Education: Fusarium Mycotoxins

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Despite intensive research, efforts to control Fusarium fungal infections and prevent or eliminate the presence of its mycotoxins in foods have not met with a great deal of success. Fusaria cause diseases, such as ear rot in corn and head blight and scab in wheat, that affect growth and yield of crops and were estimated to cause a loss of a billion dollars to wheat farmers in the USA in 1993. In addition, toxins produced by these fungi can be present, particularly in grains and grain products, in human foods and animal feeds. While animals may become sick from mycotoxin-contaminated feed, Fusarium toxins are apparently not carried over into milk, meat, and eggs.

At the Fifth European Fusarium Seminar, held in Hungary in August-September 1997, recent data on Fusarium infections in crops, the effects of Fusarium toxins on human and animal health, and different approaches to dealing with them were shared and discussed (1). In addition, a comprehensive, collaborative project involving investigators at a number of state universities in the north-central region of the USA has been established to explore methods to control Fusarium blight (scab) in wheat and barley and production of deoxynivalenol (DON) in these grains (2). Research areas will include: conventional and molecular approaches to plant breeding; monitoring of grain for contamination with DON and methods for post- harvest management of grain and detoxification; epidemiology and crop management to reduce the occurrence of scab; and enhancement of research and outreach information network.

Court Mold: Elbert County courthouse moves closer to reopening - Cleanup of mold could be done by Nov. 1, officials say (Rocky Mountain News, CO - Oct 15, 2004)

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The Elbert County courthouse, closed more than three weeks because of mold contamination, may reopen by Nov. 1.

County officials came up with the possible reopening date this week after receiving a report from an environmental consulting firm and a letter of complaint from state court administrators.

School Mold: Toxic mold removed from school rooms (Chester Observer Tribune, NJ - Oct 21, 2004)

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WASHINGTON TWP - Concerns over possible toxic mold in Old Farmer's Road School caused the evacuation of two classrooms in September, including one kindergarten class, but officials said on Tuesday, Oct. 12, that remediation efforts are solving the problem.

School officials and members of the Washington Township Education Association are "trying to work together to solve the problem," said Barbara Falk, president of the 240-member teacher group.

Mold & Insurance (Charley, Frances, Ivan & Jeanne): Damage low, hurricane claims high in Florida's poorer areas (Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC - Oct 19, 2004)

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HOMESTEAD, Fla. - (KRT) - The manager of a check- cashing store in this southern Miami-Dade, Fla., city says he has cashed as many as 30 disaster relief checks a day for residents since Hurricane Frances hit Florida on Labor Day weekend.

Handling check after check from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has made Robert Trimino of the R&T Check Cashing Store wonder: What kind of damage did the storm do here to warrant government aid to so many people? Trimino lives near the West Mowry Drive store and had no damage at his home but said he can't blame others for collecting assistance.

Mold Litigation: Judge OKs $24 mil mold settlement - Trinity Homes and Beazer Homes, its parent, agree to fix about 2,000 houses (Indianapolis Star, IN - Oct 21, 2004)

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Noblesville -- A Hamilton County judge Wednesday approved a $24million settlement between an Indianapolis home builder and the owners of more than 2,000 houses potentially affected by moisture and mold.

Superior Court 2 Judge Bernard L. Pylitt ruled that a 50-page proposed agreement in the class-action lawsuit is fair and should be implemented. The deal had been negotiated by attorneys for the homeowners and for Trinity Homes and its parent, Beazer Homes. Attorneys for both sides were pleased by the ruling.

Mold & Technology: AirQual acquires mold-resistent technology from DuPont (Boston Business Journal, MA - Oct 22, 2004)

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Canton-based AirQual Corp. has acquired mold- resistant powder technology from DuPont Co.'s chemical solutions enterprise unit.

AirQual now owns DuPont's former MicroFree brand, a silver-based anti-microbial powder technology that guards against molds, mildew, fungi and bacteria. The transaction included associated patents and Environmental Protection Agency registrations.

Mold Seminars: FREE Allergy Seminar Oct 26 - Hear the Latest About New Treatments for Allergic Asthma and What They Mean to You From Noted Expert Aidan Long, M.D., Harvard Medical School & Massachusetts General Hospital (PR Newswire - Oct 21, 2004)

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HealthTalk presents a free education forum entitled, "Your Next Breath...Advances in Asthma" will provide sufferers of moderate-to-severe asthma and caregivers an opportunity to ask questions and discuss new advancements in the treatment of allergic asthma with a panel of experts, including Aidan Long, M.D.

Many adults living with asthma today are so fearful of a severe asthma attack that they significantly restrict their own daily activities and seriously alter their lifestyles. To avoid the traumatizing experiences of being treated for a severe attack in a hospital emergency department or an intensive care unit, asthmatics often impose limits on their physical activity that can result in isolation from friends and family, and even forgo vacations that require extensive travel to be near familiar emergency rooms.

Mold Seminars: ASHRAE to host satellite broadcast (April 13, 2005) on mold (Contractor Mag, IL - Oct 19, 2004)

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ATLANTA - Concerns about mold in the building environment are no longer limited to just humid environments or North America. Mold is now a global concern for designers, contractors, building owners and operators as well as building occupants.

Information on how to properly control moisture and humidity conditions in order to minimize mold will be presented in an April 13, 2005, satellite broadcast and Webcast, "Mold in Our Building Environment," offered by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. ASHRAE's Chapter Technology Transfer Committee will sponsor the program.

In the foodie arena, mold is a very good thing for cheese (Alameda Times-Star, CA - Oct 20, 2004)

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MENTION mold, and the imagination runs amok: Old food. Fuzz. Bad real estate. Trouble. But mention mold to a scientist and his eyes light up.

"Without mold and the process of fermentation, there would be no wine, no beer, no cheese, no bread. We'd have to live on roots and berries," says cheese mold expert David R. Benson.

For Fun: Lurking organisms create scary pumpkins (or, Have a Moldy Halloween!) (Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, IA - Oct 19, 2004)

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ISU Extension Plant PathologySketching, cutting, scooping, scraping and carving pumpkins can be a time-consuming and messy job. However, this fall tradition is usually thought of as a fun chore, with results ranging from simple triangle eyes and square teeth to complicated silhouettes of eerie figures. It seems Mother Nature doesn't like to miss out on such Halloween fun, and has found her own way of creating scary pumpkins. There are numerous natural organisms lurking in the garden that can turn a pumpkin into a distorted, sometimes disgusting, tribute to Halloween.

Viruses can cause pumpkins to grow into strange and unusual shapes. These disease-causing particles are so small they cannot be seen by the naked eye or even with an average microscope. The viruses that infect plants do not cause diseases in humans. More than a dozen viruses can infect pumpkins, the most serious known as zucchini yellows mosaic virus. Small, soft insects called aphids feed on the sap of plants and spread this virus from plant to plant. Pumpkins that are infected by the zucchini yellows mosaic virus tend to be malformed, with bulging blisters and an interesting color mosaic of orange, yellow and green. These unique creations by Mother Nature are definitely an eye-catcher in a fall display.

Monday Morning Mold Archives

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Contact Information

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