I work in a building with ceiling tiles that have been stained
by water. Some of them look moldy and in fact one is directly over my head. When I come to
work I begin to experience a variety of sinus problems. Could those ceiling tiles be
responsible? -- NoseyRepeatedly wetted ceiling tiles provide an excellent medium for
growth of mold, one of the most common causes of allergy and sinus infection. A single six
inch spot on a ceiling tile with active mold growth can liberate thousands to tens of
thousands of spores per day.
Whether one develops symptoms or not depends on the type
of mold present and its relative abundance. It also depends on whether your immune system
will respond to the mold or molds that you are exposed to. The closer you are to the mold
infested tiles the more probable that (if you have become sensitized) you will develop
allergy-type symptoms.
Good operation and maintenance practice in a building
would be to remove and replace all water-stained/mold infested ceiling tiles and correct
the water leakage problem responsible. In removing ceiling tiles, it is important that
maintenance personnel exercise due caution. Some black-stained ceiling tiles are infested
with Stachybotrys chartarum, a mold species that produces a very potent mycotoxin.
In removing such ceiling tiles, the infested surface
should be lightly misted and placed in a garbage bag and sealed prior to disposal. The use
of a plastic drop-cloth should be used to minimize contamination of building surfaces.
Returning to your original question, the position of the
moldy ceiling tile over your head and the sinus symptoms you experience at work strongly
suggest that exposure to airborne mold is the likely proximate cause of your
building-related sinus illness problems. The infested tile as well as other infested
ceiling tiles in your work area should be removed and replaced.
(Jan. 6, 2000) |
