Much-in-Demand Author/Editor
SHARON BEVERLY
Writing Selection 3: Technical Writing
Powered by Anestaweb
By: Sharon Beverly and Maurice Baum, PIH, CHMM, CMC
Professional Industrial Hygienist
Certified Hazardous Materials Manager
Certified Microbial Consultant
With excerpts by:
Dr. James L. Schaller, MD, MAR, DABFM
True stories
Remember the inspirational story and movie of Erin Brockovich, the mother of three young children who takes on the corporate bad guys and wins? She discovered a connection between illnesses in her community and contaminated water. It took going door-to-door to sign-up over 600 plaintiffs and the eventual help of a major law firm, but their lawsuit brought corporate America to its knees, with a $333 million settlement; the largest ever in U.S. history.
Facing America today is a different contaminant, but no less toxic; mold. It seems harmless enough, doesn’t it? You may see it in your shower or on a stale piece of bread. A squirt of spray, a swipe or tossing out the offender into the garbage and we forget about it.
Some of us aren’t so lucky, however. There are over 100,000 types of mold and there isn’t one state that is impervious to this nasty toxin. There are coast-to-coast horror stories about families dealing with the mold monster and its effects. A particularly potent mold, Stachybotrys, is found in every state. Molds have been determined to be the cause of “sick building syndrome” which surfaced in the 1990s, and it was found to be the cause of death of 16 Cleveland babies who suffered pulmonary hemorrhages.
Menopausal women with physical and psychological complaints were formerly ignored or labeled, “hysterical” by their doctors Science now has evidence that correlates mold and its physical effects in humans. A woman in Boston had to fight with her primary care doctor for a referral to the Menopause Wellness Center in that city. He insisted that the rash on her legs and then other parts of her body was poison ivy. Disrupted menstrual periods, hair falling out, red streaks on her face and chest all contributed to stress. It got so bad that, “I had terrible mood swings and had seriously entertained thoughts of suicide.” Toxic mold was found in her family’s home. It was so bad that, despite the financial hardship, they moved to a second one. Her complaints began to disappear. Unfortunately, problems occurred in the second home, as well. When water backed up in their basement, they began tearing the house apart and rebuilding. No matter what they did, black, pink, and orange mold outpaced their efforts. Family members endured nosebleeds, fevers of more than 106 degrees F., and vomiting. Her symptoms returned.
Texans Melinda Ballard and her husband, Ron Allison won a $32 million dollar judgment against their insurer---$25.9 million in punitive damages, mental anguish and attorneys’ fees---because it failed to “promptly cover the necessary repairs for a water leak”. The buildup of black mold forced them from their home with just the clothes on their backs. As a former New York City public relations executive, Ballard know how to wage a campaign against the corporate insurance giant. She appeared on network TV news programs and local and national radio stations, telling her story. The internet was also an effective tool. It was through the media that she told about her four-year old son coughing up blood and her husband, too, bearing respiratory damage and memory loss.
Not limited to homes, public schools also battle with mold. An elementary school teacher in Miami spent years in a mold-infested classroom. She suffered with constant respiratory infections and bouts of pneumonia. Her doctor warned her to stay out of her classroom or risk permanent damage to her lungs. There is also the case of teacher in a school’s oldest portable classroom. At the age of 41 she became debilitated by a severe stroke some attribute to her toxic room. Many teachers and students in that same school passed out and some of the children became quite ill. The town closed the school due to mold issues.
Home Owners’ Complaints
Maurice Baum, PIH, CHMM, CMC is a Professional Industrial Hygienist. He is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager and a Certified Microbial Consultant who owns Environmental Research and Restoration in XXXXXXXcity. He says, “I was conducting an indoor air quality study in mid-Summer 2005 at the request of a homeowner in her mid to late 40s in Boca Raton, Florida. When I asked her what she thought could be the problem, she said that, there might be mold (microbial elements) in her home. She revealed that she recently experienced allergic symptoms including: increased migraine headaches, sluggishness and fatigue, restlessness, occasional itchiness, dizzy spells, nose bleeds, occasional dry eyes and increased stress.”
Inspection and Investigation
Mold, Menopause, and Myths
