The discovery of black mold marks the fourth sick building scare reported in Plano in recent weeks. The city's animal shelter, another school and a local hospital have dealt with similar problems recently. And Plano is not alone. In the last year, mold that can cause respiratory problems has been found in a least seven buildings in North Texas. There's an increase in public awareness, but mold and fungus' effect on air quality has always been an issue.
All mold needs to grow is moisture and a food source, so every building is a candidate for problems.
The EPA ranks indoor pollution problems among the top five environmental health risks to the public. Federal reports show that at least 19 percent of the nation's public schools report indoor air-quality problems, Mr. Scoggins said. Children are particularly at risk because they often cannot or will not talk about symptoms, state health officials said. Some molds can cause respiratory problems and trigger asthma attacks, and people who are allergic can suffer from watery eyes, coughing or sneezing. Last week, the Plano Animal Shelter was evacuated and closed because of a recurring infestation of black mold that was blamed for flu-like symptoms among shelter employees.