HEALTH ISSUES SURROUNDING CLEANUP AND REMEDIATION OF

Forwarded from Marcia Klingaman

PUBLIC HEALTH
Douglas Beardsley, MPH, CPHA
Director
Promoting Health. Preventing Harm.
HEALTH ISSUES SURROUNDING CLEANUP AND REMEDIATION OF
FLOOD DAMAGED BUILDINGS

July 30, 2008

Most Important Health Issues
The issues that the Johnson County Public Health Department (JCPH) and the Iowa
Department of Public Health (IDPH) have tried to stress the most are:
• Physical safety of re-entering homes such as electrical and gas hazards,
• Awareness of potential carbon monoxide poisoning from the improper use of gaspowered
generators (indoor use), and
• General personal protective equipment to use during cleanup activities.
The IDPH has worked closely with the JCPH assisting with development of the
appropriate information and informational material to provide the public. Fact sheets
have been assembled and are available at both the JCPH and IDPH websites:
http://www.johnson-county.com/publichealth/index.shtml.
http://www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/flood.asp

Mold Health Issues
Flood damaged buildings can develop significant amounts of mold. Significant levels of
molds can cause health impacts. The following individuals can be seriously impacted by
high levels of mold:
• Individuals who have mold allergies
• Individuals whose immune system has been severely immuno-compromised, and
• Individuals with some chronic pulmonary disorders
For people sensitive to mold, exposure to molds can cause symptoms such as nasal
stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or skin irritation. Some people, such as those with
serious allergies to molds, may have more severe reactions such as fever and shortness of
breath. Some people with chronic lung illnesses, such as obstructive lung disease, may
develop mold infections in their lungs.

Mold Remediation and Cleanup
The assessment of mold issues and correction of problems with mold in areas impacted
by a flood involves:
• Removing and disposing of materials that have become saturated by floodwaters
and cannot be cleaned, and
• Cleaning and disinfecting of non-porous surfaces with a bleach/water mixture. It
is recommended to use no more that one cup of bleach to one gallon of water.
• Bleach should never be mixed with other cleaners, such as ammonia, since toxic
gases (chlorine) will be generated.
Air sampling
Sampling for mold is not part of a routine building assessment. In most cases, appropriate
decisions about remediation and the need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can
be made solely on the basis of visual inspection. If visible mold is present, then it should
be remediated regardless of what types of microorganisms are present, what species of
mold is present, and whether samples are taken.

Material Needing Disposal
The types of materials that were covered with flood waters that would need to be
disposed of are: carpeting; furniture; clothing; linens; all food and food containers;
appliances that cannot be cleaned; all saturated drywall, paneling, and cabinetry.

Surfaces that Can be Cleaned
Non-porous surfaces such as concrete; tile or linoleum; countertops; toilets, bathtubs, and
showers can be cleaned and disinfected by a bleach/water mixture.

Use Good Ventilation and Adequate Drying
Prior to starting remediation and reconstruction, good ventilation and air circulation
should be employed. It is important to ensure that moisture levels in the home are
acceptable and wood studs have adequately dried prior to dry-walling and finish
carpentry work is done. Moisture meters provide qualitative moisture levels in building
materials and might be helpful for measuring the moisture content in a variety of building materials (e.g., carpet, wallboard, wood, brick, and concrete). Meters also can be used to monitor progress in drying wet materials. Moisture meters are available from contractor tool and supply outlets. Individuals and/or contractors who are following these guidelines are doing all that can be done in flood cleanup and protection of the public health. There is no State of Iowa training or certification of mold remediation contractors. The JCPH recommends that contractors follow guidance from the IDPH and other federal health and environmental agencies.

Controlling Adverse Health Effect during Cleaning and Remediation
Several strategies for mitigating health effects from exposure to large amounts of mold
during cleanup and remediation include:
• Avoidance (for individuals with conditions listed above)
• Environmental control (good ventilation, dust-suppression and wet moping,
sealing off mold remediation areas from other occupied areas)
• Use of personal protective equipment (gloves, rubber boots, pants and long
sleeves)
• Use of an N-95 respirator (some individuals should not use a respirator and
should not be involved in cleaning up mold - check with health care provider)
• Practicing good hygiene (bathing after cleanup, washing work clothes separately
using bleach)
No conclusive evidence exists of a link between indoor exposure to airborne mycotoxin
and human illness. Although the potential for health problems is an important reason to
prevent or minimize indoor mold growth and to remediate any indoor mold
contamination, evidence is inadequate to support recommendations for greater urgency of
remediation in cases where mycotoxin-producing fungi have been isolated.

What about the IDPH or JCPH Completing a Health Assessment?
Completing an assessment of acceptable mold remediation is very difficult since there is
no accepted standard for evaluating the presence of mold in the indoor environment such
as mold counts within the air or mold counts within dust on surfaces. Measuring the
mold within indoor air or on surfaces does not result in any differing strategies of
remediation. If mold can be identified by visual inspection then some type of
remediation needs to be completed. The fundamental guidance of removing saturated
items, abating and controlling the moisture within a home or building, and cleaning and
sanitizing non-porous surfaces remains the same regardless of the amount of mold or
species of mold present. In our opinion, a health assessment would not provide
additional data or information that would modify our guidance for safe remediation and
cleanup of mold.

The following are links to IDPH fact sheets and the information on the CDC and EPA
web sites:
http://www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/flood.asp
http://www.cdc.gov/mold/
http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldresources.html

Other references:
Mold Prevention Strategies and Possible Health Effects in the Aftermath of Hurricanes
and Major Floods: MMWR June 9, 2006 / 55(RR08);1-27

For questions on the contents of this article please contact:
Doug Beardsley, MPH, CPHA
Director, JCPH
319-356-6040
dbeardsley@co.johnson.ia.us

1105 GILBERT COURT ¨ IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240 ¨ PHONE: (319) 356-6040 ¨ FAX: (319) 356-6044


Marcia-Klingaman@iowa-city.org