Mold in university settings is quickly becoming a concern for health amongst college students, faculty and staff.
Many students living in university dormitories have recently become susceptible to mold poisoning. Mold can grow in a building because of several factors including leaky pipes, flooding, high humidity, poor ventilation and poor cleaning.
Mold produces spores that move through the air and more easily affects individuals with an allergy to mold.
Mold can still affect non-allergic individuals, but they may take longer to show symptoms, if at all. The common symptoms of mold poisoning include fatigue, sinus issues, nausea, intestinal distress and migraines. These symptoms can get in the way of someone’s health, potentially affecting work and studies.
It is also important to note that mold is a general term for a group of fungi that can develop spores.
Mold growing in these college buildings can include many different species, all of which can have different effects on an individual.
To determine whether one is affected with mold poisoning, they should immediately consult a healthcare provider and ask to be tested via an allergy, urine or blood test. If test results come back positive, it is crucial to avoid the source of the mold or make efforts to have living or work spaces cleaned and repaired. The next step would be to take medication to clear the sinuses and to reduce the inflammation caused by the mold.
This mold “epidemic” has received attention at different universities in the country.
Earlier this year, parents of university students at Ohio State filed a lawsuit against the university due to mold growing in their children’s dorm building.
The building, Lawrence Tower, holds 130 rooms, around 27 of which were tested positive for having mold.
Another instance occurred in September at the University of the South at Tennessee, also known as Sewanee. Both current and previous students filed a lawsuit against the university with evidence that rooms in the Johnson Hall dormitory had high, dangerous levels of fungal growth. The lawsuit was made in response to the university’s negligence to the students’ health concerns.
According to Changing the Air Foundation, one of the factors contributing to this nationally rising problem is the lack of consideration for creating a healthy living and learning place for these students.
In their words, the foundation states, “A lack of proactive prevention from universities is a part of the problem, but another main obstacle students are facing is schools’ failure to respond appropriately to this contamination.”
The first step to solving this issue starts with the identification of the mold. The second is the respective university’s willingness to improve the space in which the mold was found and improve other spaces so that mold does not grow there either.
Some ways to prevent mold growth include creating a deep cleaning schedule, use of proper cleaning products, cleaning spills, not leaving wet laundry out, keeping low room humidity and regular cleaning of the AC unit.
As previously stated, mold growth is becoming a serious problem in university settings.
It is important for students, faculty and staff to do what they can to prevent the growth and take necessary precautions for the identification and removal of it.
It is also just as critical for the respective university to listen to its students and employees and take the initiative to solve the problem.