Hurricane Katrina
Household Levels Of Mold Following Hurricane Katrina Surpass Some
Agricultural Environments
In a study assessing flood clean-up procedures in New Orleans following
Hurricane Katrina, a team of scientists led by researchers at Columbia
University's Mailman School of Public Health, report that household levels
of mold and bacterial endotoxins in three single-family homes were so
considerable that they equaled or surpassed those in waste- water
treatment plants, cotton mills, and agricultural environments. The study
is the first comprehensive report documenting levels of mold and bacteria
in homes that received sustained flooding.
Following Hurricane Katrina, many New Orleans homes remained flooded for
weeks, promoting heavy mold growth. These three New Orleans homes were
selected for the study based on their levels of flood water, whether they
previously were structurally sound, and if they were located in an area
likely to be rebuilt. The study examined the extent to which homes that
experienced significant and prolonged exposure to flood waters could be
satisfactorily cleaned to enable reconstruction. Homes were inspected for
roof leakage, standing water and the extent of mold throughout their
interiors, as well as heating ventilation and air conditioning.
"From our data, it is clear that levels of mold were so high that we
strongly recommend that those entering, cleaning, and repairing
flood-damaged homes wear respirators that are more protective than plain
dust masks," said Ginger Chew, ScD, assistant professor of environmental
health sciences at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health. "While our
assessments of the data are based on a small demonstration project, the
results give a clear picture of what is acceptable in flood clean-up
procedures."
The project was sponsored by the NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in
Northern Manhattan and Enterprise Community Partners, and was carried out
by the Mailman School of Public Health, the National Center for Healthy
Housing (NCHH) and several other academic institutions including Tulane
School of Public Health, the University of Cincinnati, Harvard School of
Public Health, The University of Iowa, and Case Western Reserve
University.
"Our goal was to make recommendations for the safe removal of
flood-damaged articles, safe re-entry into homes, and safe levels of
worker protection," said Jonathan Wilson, deputy director of the National
Center for Healthy Housing.
According to researchers, these findings not only will inform those
involved in current clean-up activities in New Orleans and other
environments, but will benefit those responding to any future disasters
that may occur.
The findings will be published in the December issue of Environmental
Health Perspectives.
Source:
Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health |
