Serious respiratory problems, including severe asthma and allergy attacks that can be life-threatening, have been associated with exposures to mold after floods and storms.
These increased exposures often occur as cleanup workers and occupants disturb mold-contaminated building materials, use chemicals such as bleach without the right kind of protection or use fans to dry out materials, which increases the amount of mold released into the air.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that exposures to mold can be greatly reduced if workers wear the right dust masks or respirators while handling mold-contaminated building materials and take other precautions, such as wearing goggles and gloves and minimizing disturbance of mold.
Safe methods are described in “A Field Guide for Clean-Up of Flooded Homes,” available free from the National Center for Healthy Housing.
Before you attempt to clean up mold, read this short booklet. If you already have asthma or other allergies, check with your doctor to see whether you can safely wear protective equipment like masks.
Remember that mold is not the only hazard. Lead paint, electrical hazards and many other health risks are also likely in storm-damaged homes. But with the right kind of planning and protection, the buildings can be safely cleaned up without even more suffering and illness.
David E. Jacobs, Ph.D., is the director of research at the National Center for Healthy Housing.
