Black mold shuts down wing of school

Mold shuts down wing of Greenville Co. Middle School

Mold located in storage rooms and an in-school suspension room has been identified as stachybotrys, and it has forced the closure of one wing of an Upstate middle school.

The mold was first discovered Monday behind a bookcase in a book storage room at Berea Middle School.

School district maintenance workers, staff members who are certified in indoor air quality and mold remediation and an environmental engineer inspected the school, and said they found stachybotrys in three rooms.

The mold is in a book storage room, a custodial storage room and the in-school suspension room, according to school officials. The rooms are in a section of the building that also includes the band room, the strings room, the chorus room, a custodial office and one other storage room.

A release from the district said: The entire section of the building containing those rooms has been vacated, secured, and isolated from the remainder of the building. Band, strings, and chorus classes have been relocated to another part of the building for the remainder of the year.

In every case, the mold, which has been identified as stachybotrys, was contained within a wall or ceiling, or behind a piece of trim. The mold is not airborne and at no time could students or staff touch or otherwise come into contact with the mold.

The district will continue to follow approved procedures as we address this situation. Cleanup and remediation will begin after the last day of school. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Stachybotrys chartarum (also known by its synonym Stachybotrys atra) is a greenish-black mold. It can grow on material with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content, such as fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust, and lint. Growth occurs when there is moisture from water damage, excessive humidity, water leaks, condensation, water infiltration, or flooding. Constant moisture is required for its growth. It does not grow on concrete, linoleum or tile.

The CDC says: Mold exposure does not always present a health problem indoors. However some people are sensitive to molds. These people may experience symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or skin irritation when exposed to molds. Some people may have more severe reactions to molds. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay. Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath. Immunocompromised persons and persons with chronic lung diseases like COPD are at increased risk for opportunistic infections and may develop fungal infections in their lungs.

Greenville County School officials said: The safety and welfare of students and staff is our top priority. As a precaution, students and staff will not return to spaces in and around the affected area.

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Black mold shuts down wing of school