Mold in Apartment

Last month, KBOI broadcasted a story about an Idaho woman and her concerns over the presence of mold in her apartment.  According to the report, a leak caused the growth of mold in her only bathroom and she claims that it was never properly remediated.  The woman’s young son has had a series of colds and respiratory issues that she feels is due to his exposure to mold in their home.

There are approximately 30 million apartment units that house families in the United States.  Virtually all of them are susceptible to mold growth if there is water damage or elevated humidity levels that are not addressed in a timely and effective manner. For tenants, the presence of elevated levels of mold can cause a wide range of health concerns that can range from triggering asthma or allergies, causing hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) and even infections in some people with a weakened immune system.  Some types of mold also produce a class of toxins known as mycotoxins, which can cause additional health concerns.

“It is the responsibility of property managers to maintain a healthy indoor environment for their tenants and tenants have an obligation to report water damage immediately,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc.  “With the presence of moisture, mold will grow on most building materials, furnishing and people’s belongings in a very short time.  At EMSL, we provide testing services and test kits for tenants, landlords and property managers.  Testing can detect elevated mold levels and other IAQ contaminants so that problems can be identified and properly addressed.”

EMSL recently sponsored an educational video about apartments, mold and indoor air quality that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/AFjuj-Asb5I.

To learn more about testing for mold or other environmental, health and safety issues, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800)220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, industrial hygiene, food and materials testing services and products to government agencies, industry professionals and the general public.  The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.