Mold Vexes PEA Church
Several buildings, including Phillips Church, three faculty houses and Wentworth Hall dealt with a mold infestation during the summer.
The mold affected primarily the church basement, near the wooden kitchen cupboards and carpeted meeting space. Mold was also found in the office spaces, the Stuckey Room and parts of the Wicks Room. According to Tegan Marquis DeGenova, PEA’s Environmental Compliance Manager and Chair to the mold eradication process, the mold did not affect the main lobby and nave, which is the central part of the church building. The church has since been remediated as its increasingly poor condition called for high level treatment.
Despite the potential for health complications, Rev. Heidi Heath reflected on how the situation could have turned out more negatively had either the Jewish community’s Torah Scrolls been eaten by the fungus or the church not reopened before the school year. “While many, many things could be replaced if they could not be cleaned, those are sacred texts and irreplaceable,” she said. “Thankfully, [the scrolls] were undamaged…Our biggest joy was being back in the building in time for our Jewish community to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.”
History Instructor Bill Jordan resides in one of the homes that the mold affected. He moved into the house in June and, as a result, the basement of the house was in use, serving as storage for several boxes; it became an optimal location for mold to grow. Facilities recommended that Jordan vacuum out the mold, which he plans to do in the next few days.
Two other faculty houses neighboring Jordan’s also suffered mold in in the basement and window areas.
Three different companies were hired to help eradicate the mold issue, DeGenova said. American Technologies Inc. Restoration, a mold and asbestos remediation service, disposed of the mold and cleared affected areas. EFI Global, an environmental consulting company based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, conducted post-treatment sampling and testing to make sure the areas were clear of mold and within acceptable health limits. Envirotech Clean Air Inc. cleaned up the air ducts in the building. However, a majority of the Academy Facilities Department, particularly the Custodial Department, Mechanical Services, Building Systems and Environmental Compliance, were also involved in dealing with the mold.
According to Wentworth dorm head Sean Campbell, there was also a significant amount of mold growth in the Wentworth basement, where the dorm participates in a Dorm Grill tradition. Dorm faculty closed the room to students so that PEA’s facilities staff can replace their refrigerator and clean out the room.
Upper Sam Farnsworth remarked that the loss of Dorm Grill has considerable implications for dorm members. “No more late night snacks or drinks,” he said. “Couple that with the fact that Dominos closed down, and we’re looking at a catastrophe.”
A combination of two environmental factors caused the mold fester in specific locations on campus. First, Exeter experienced an unusually humid summer with particularly high temperatures. Second, carpets and rugs, wood, drywall, cardboard boxes and upholstered items are everywhere on campus.
According to Biology Instructor Townley Chisholm, the growth of mold is very dependent on the climate. The July weather in Exeter was humid, and consequently, it was rare to see mushrooms growing. August, however, was extremely humid. “Bacteria and fungi need warmth, moisture, food and darkness to grow,” Chisholm said.
In addition, mold, like all living things, needs a food source to sustain itself, and the various organic materials that both make up and are inside the buildings provide exactly that. PEA exhibits ideal conditions for mold.
Jordan agreed. “There is a global warming issue here—it is more humid around here than it used to be,” he said, recalling the weather during 9/11 to be much crisper and much less conducive for mold.
Though mold spores are everywhere, when they grow and increase in concentration, especially in spaces where humans are exposed to them, they can pose a real threat. According to DeGenova, exposure to mold can cause nasal congestion, throat irritation, coughing, wheezing, eye and skin irritation.
Farnsworth agrees, noting that he has seen more Exonians getting sick this year. “There seems to be a lot of people getting sick with minor symptoms that are exacerbated in the morning after they have spent the night in [Wentworth],” he said.
However, Chisholm argues that, mold aside, there are many factors that can cause detriments on human health, and just because mold is present in a community does not mean it is the cause of any ailments of the community members.