Elma Cook's plea was typical. Conditions in some schools were so bad they made a few parents ill during the tours. Parents and teachers pointed out that ventilation systems failed to keep moisture levels down, that filters never seemed to be changed. They said moldy and worn carpets were health hazards and should be replaced with tiles or other hard floors. In the past, I have had many bouts with sinusitis during the school year, never during extended vacations.
Mold is nothing to sneeze at.
Mold and mildew are interchangeable names for strains of tiny fungi, many of which thrive in humid areas like the Lowcountry. These chemicals are responsible for the musty odor. The EPA says mold, dust mites and other biological air pollutants can cause infections and harm people's immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases and other chemical poisons. With their young lungs and immune systems, children are six times more vulnerable to air quality problems than adults, according to researchers at the University of California at Irvine. Three years ago, in fact, doctors in Cleveland fingered Stachybotrys atra mold in the deaths of nine babies.