Posted on: Friday, July 26, 2002
Air quality checks spurred by mold
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Staff Writer
The number of building inspections prompted by concerns about indoor air quality is expected to top 200 this year, up from just a few dozen five years ago, a state health official said.
Many of the inspections will involve mold problems, said Jeff Eckerd, the man who oversees the state Department of Health's Indoor Air Quality Program.
When he took control of the one-man operation five years ago, complaints led to a few dozen building inspections that year. This year, Eckerd expects more than 200 inspections to be conducted, and he expects phone calls from residents with questions about mold and other indoor air issues to number several hundred.
Eckerd has been swamped with phone calls following news about the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which closed its Kalia Tower Wednesday because of mold.
"Most are calling about general information,'' he said. "They're concerned about mold in the bathroom or the kitchen. They've read the news, and I try to take the scare out of it.''
Kalia Tower, the newest addition to Waikiki's skyline, was closed after mold was discovered in some of the 453 guest rooms. The hotel said no guests had experienced health problems related to exposure to the mold and that the tower is being closed as a precaution while experts try to determine the source of contamination.
Mold has become a growing health concern across America, with recent lawsuits and insurance claims for damages resulting in tens of millions of dollars in settlements. A USA Weekend cover story on mold appeared in Sunday's Advertiser, and Eckerd said that also has prompted calls.
Eckerd said the problem has been in Hawai'i for years, but only now are the serious health effects, which include chronic fatigue, headaches, sinus infections and respiratory ailments, becoming apparent.
Most mold problems are manageable, he said, a matter of keeping things cleaner and taking care of water leaks on a timely basis.
Many of the biggest infestations, he said, have their origins in a lack of maintenance. That was likely the case when 80 employees were moved from Maui County's Kalana Paku'i building last year after an active, fertile colony of fungus known to cause respiratory problems was found.
Eckerd, who inspected the building for the county, said the mold infestation — started perhaps decades earlier — was allowed to grow and fester until it reached a critical point. Part of the problem, he said, is that the building, a former police station listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was not designed for the air conditioning retrofitted into the structure.
The county spent nearly $750,000 to clean out the mold and make additional design changes to the building. Employees returned to work there this summer.
Planner Julie Higa, who still feels lingering effects of the mold exposure, moved into the building a week ago. "So far it seems OK, I think, but we'll see,'' she said.
The challenge of adapting modern air conditioning to an old structure was certainly not the problem at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, which opened its Kalia Tower only 14 months ago.
While the source of the hotel's infestation may not be known yet, new buildings with mold problems, in general, are known to suffer from design flaws, construction defects, plumbing leaks, improperly installed air conditioning insulation and other problems that lead to mold growth, said Ken Beal, executive vice president of MoldPro International in Kailua.
Beal, a veteran environmental consultant in Hawai'i, said he and colleague Randy Herold started MoldPro — an indoor air quality firm specializing in mold contamination — just over a year ago after recognizing a burgeoning industry.
Hawai'i, he said, is suited for mold growth because of its warm, moist climate. However, one reason mold hasn't affected homes here as much as in other states is that a smaller percentage has air conditioning. Many are vented to allow interiors to dry out relatively rapidly.
On the other hand, many newer office buildings were built with air conditioning. While most of these buildings are sealed tightly to conserve energy, they also retain moisture, and lots of building materials, especially dry wall, carpets and fiber insulation, provide ideal environments for mold growth, Beal said.
Beal said he knows of insurance claims and lawsuits in Hawai'i where mold is the central issue.
"There will be more,'' he said.
Reach Timothy Hurley at (808)244-4880, or e-mail at thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com.
