Indoor Environmental Air Quality

Although there are thousands of different species of molds, when media and news sources refer to “black mold,” they are generally referring to a specific type of mold called Stachybotrys chartarum. This type of mold has shown to produce adverse health effects. It is extremely rare to find black mold in the residence halls.

Stachybotrys has a greenish-black color and often has a shiny sheen on its surface. Fortunately, it only occurs in areas where there is a constant water source. It typically grows on materials with a high cellulose content, such as fiberboard, gypsum board (drywall), and paper. It is not commonly found on hard, non-porous surfaces such as ceramic, aluminum, sheet metal (vents), etc.

Many types of common molds are dark brown or black in color. Some are capable of producing adverse health effects; others may cause no effects at all. No matter the type, visible mold inside a building is unacceptable and the area should be cleaned or the building construction product removed.

Molds produce allergens and irritants and can cause allergic responses that include common hay fever-type symptoms such as:

• Sneezing
• Nose, mouth, or throat irritation
• Nasal stuffiness and runny nose
• Red, itchy, or watery eyes

Symptoms other than the allergic and irritant types listed above are not commonly reported as a result of inhaling mold. For more information, visit the EPA’s Mold and Health page or the CDC’s Mold Symptoms page.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, older buildings are generally less prone to experiencing mold problems than newly constructed buildings. This is primarily due to the type of building materials used in construction.

Newer buildings are primarily constructed using gypsum board, commonly referred to as drywall. When this material becomes water damaged, the paper component of the drywall can serve as a food source for mold to become established. It’s important to quickly dry these materials when water leaks are identified.

Older buildings are primarily constructed of hard plaster. This material lacks the organic food source necessary to support mold growth. When hard plaster is exposed to prolonged moisture, the matrix of the material breaks down, causing the material to bubble and blister; however, it will not support mold growth.

Custodial services clean all campus buildings on a regular basis. However, if you find or suspect mold in your building, notify your building point of contact and/or submit a work request through the Physical Facilities website.

Generally, non-porous materials (hard plaster, ceramic tile, porcelain, etc.) can simply be cleaned. Porous materials (ceiling tile, dry-wall, carpets, etc.) may need to be removed from the building for disposal. The decision to clean or remove the materials is based in part on the amount of mold identified on the building material as well as the condition of the building material. For example, a few small spots of mold found on drywall can generally be cleaned even though it is considered a porous material. However, if the drywall has considerable mold growth associated with water damage it will need to be removed.

If occupants are repeatedly experiencing allergic-type symptoms, an inspection of the building's heating ventilation, and air conditioning system may be needed.

If you have questions about how an investigation is completed, please see the "How Does the University Investigate Mold Concerns?" below.

One way to reduce the potential for mold is to regularly clean your room. The University cleans all residence hall rooms at the start of each school year, but does not re-enter these rooms for cleaning during the school year. The accumulation of dirt and dust on hard surfaces such as window sills, desk tops, and floor tiles can promote mold growth. Should you encounter mold on these types of surfaces you can easily clean them by wiping the surface down with a wet rag.

Residence hall living, where there are a large number of students living in a relatively small space, lends itself to spreading infectious diseases such as the common cold, influenza, and upper respiratory infections. The symptoms of these infections can be very similar to symptoms commonly associated with mold exposure. If you are having prolonged, unexplained symptoms (listed above), you can request to have your room inspected for mold. Submit a work request through Physical Facilities.

Although you are not required to be present for the inspection, EHSO typically likes to conduct these inspections when the occupant can be available to ensure that any specific areas of concern are thoroughly addressed. The inspection will follow procedures based on regulatory guidance and will include a visual inspection of the room’s heating ventilation and air conditioning system (often referred to as the room's fan coil unit).

Fan Coil Units

Residence hall room fan coil units provide heating and cooling to the room in which they are installed and do not exchange air with other rooms in the building. Each unit undergoes preventative maintenance before the start of the school year. This maintenance includes:

1. Replacing air filters.
2. Cleaning coils.
3. Cleaning condensate drip pans.
4. Cleaning any dust or dirt that may have accumulated on the air vents.
5. Treating condensate drip pans with “pan-treat” tablets. The tablets are non-toxic, non-corrosive, biodegradable, and are used to control odors and prevent clogged drain lines.

Watch a short video on the basic operation of a fan coil unit or read more about fan coil units see the next drop down.

If you have questions about how an investigation is completed, please see the "How Does the University Investigate Mold Concerns?" below.

The two main types of fan coil units found in residence halls are units mounted on the wall and units mounted below the window. It is important when arranging your room that you keep the air intakes and discharges unobstructed for the units to work properly. Due to the large volume of air circulating through these units, it is common for dirt/dust to accumulate on the metal diffusers associated with the air intakes and air discharges. Surface sampling by an environmental consultant has found that this dirt/dust contains mold types that are common to the outdoor environment, but that the metal diffusers themselves are not capable of supporting mold growth.

The upright wall-mounted unit in the photo above is shown after servicing with a new filter installed. The heating/cooling coil is located behind the filter.

Window mounted unit in the photo above is shown prior to servicing with the dirty filter still in place. Although dirty filters do not pose a health hazard, they do put more strain on the fan system and can reduce airflow. You can help reduce the amount of loading on the air filters by regularly cleaning your room. The discoloration in the drip pan is associated with mineral deposits and the use of treatment tablets and is not a health hazard.

Although it is less common, some dormitory rooms are cooled using window air conditioners like the one in the photograph below:

The air filters on these units are made of a metal mesh and are designed to be cleaned and reused, however these units are not designed to be fully disassembled for cleaning.  Although the units are cleaned at the beginning of the school year, it is common for dirt/dust to collect on surfaces that are directly in the air flow. This includes the air intake grill, air filter, Styrofoam plenum, and air discharge grill.

The above photograph shows a relatively minor build-up of dirt and dust on the air discharge diffuser and Styrofoam plenum. Air and dust sampling conducted by a third-party consultant on uncleaned units consistently showed that dirt/dust samples contained mold spores that are commonly found in outdoor air.  In addition, air samples taken indoors showed much lower concentrations of mold than that found outdoors.

If you have questions about how an investigation is completed, please see the "How Does the University Investigate Mold Concerns?" below.

EHSO follows regulatory guidance from the EPA and CDC when conducting mold investigations. This entails performing a thorough visual inspection of the building which includes occupied spaces, mechanical spaces, and mechanical systems. The visual inspection consists of: 

1. Identifying any areas of visible mold.
2. Identifying areas of water intrusion, water leaks, or water-damaged building products.
3. Taking environmental readings such as relative humidity and temperature.
4. Taking moisture readings and thermal imaging of building products as appropriate.
5. Checking areas for musty or moldy odors.

Based on regulatory guidance, EHSO does not perform air sampling during mold investigations because it is not considered an effective way to determine if a mold problem exists. This is due to the unpredictable nature of biological activity, variability in sampling, and difficulty with data interpretation. Standards for judging what is an acceptable, tolerable, or even normal quantity of airborne mold have not been established.

The use of petri dish style do-it-yourself home mold test kits is a topic that occasionally comes up during a mold investigation. These test kits are widely available online or in places like hardware stores and grocery stores. The kits consist of opening a petri dish containing growth media for a period of time and then sending it to a laboratory for analysis. These kits are not considered a credible method for assessing indoor air quality and are not recognized by reputable indoor air quality professionals.

In the majority of investigations, no mold problems are found to be present. In rare cases, the university may employ the services of a third-party environmental consultant to evaluate a building or spaces within a building. The table below shows the most recent environmental consultant investigations including findings and recommendations that the university has implemented. To request a full copy of an environmental consultant report, please contact EHSO at ehso@miamioh.edu.