THE INDOOR INVADER: MOLD

BY ISHAN VAISH – When the students of Russell Hall all started getting sick, whispers of an alleged mold problem broke loose. Within a few days, their GroupMe was blowing up with do-it-yourself mold kits suggesting that Russell Hall was breeding a few of its own fungal pathogens. However, could mold have even been the problem in the first place?

Mold growth is a common phenomenon that most people have probably experienced because mold spores are always floating around in the atmosphere waiting to find a warm, dark and wet surface they can inhabit. College dorms particularly provide conditions that enable mold to flourish. A lack of an exhaust in the bathroom, poor ventilation systems, and the heavy use of shared showers all play a part in allowing mold to seep through a college dormitory. Merely spilling a glass of water and not drying it up quick enough can be enough to instigate growth.

It would seem, then, that something as common as mold would be completely innocuous, but
even small mold growth can be dangerous. Mold is a known asthma trigger that induces sneezing, coughing and wheezing. In larger quantities, mold can cause skin rashes, sore throats and respiratory infections. Toxic black mold can even be deadly. Toxic black mold or Stachybotrys chartarumtakes the prize for being the most lethal mold found commonly in living quarters. If left untreated, it can cause internal bleeding within the lungs and in some cases even death. Toxic black mold generally festers in insulation and subflooring hidden from the eyes of a careless viewer like the student. Once it has been spotted, the process of removing it is incredibly costly, and often a step taken too late to prevent casualty. To make matters worse, the past few years have been particularly bad for mold related infections in general. Invasive mold growth has steadily become more common, and scientists even predict the fall of 2018 to be one of the worst if not the worst year for mold problems.

That being said, mold growth does not entail impending death. By keeping the windows open and drying up water spills, average mold growth can be efficiently inhibited. If someone is really anxious, they can purchase air filters that can trap mold spores before they even germinate. Mold testing kits can be bought from most hardware stores for under twenty dollars. In the case that someone does become infected because of mold growth, most primary care centers are equipped to identify mold related sickness quickly. After a few cocktails of antihistamines and decongestants, the average victim of mold will be feeling as good as new.

As for Russell Hall, no one is really sure if the newly renovated building is housing some less than friendly fungal residents. Even if it turns out to be mold free, it is quite likely some of the older dorms and apartments on campus are home to mold. However, as long as the right steps are taken to prevent further growth, and administration is promptly notified, mold can be the least of a University of Georgia’s student’s problem this semester.