Mold Infestation in Dorm Room

Discussion in 'Health & Fitness' started by Slaughterist, Sep 3, 2003.

  1. Slaughterist Mayhem Activist Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    75
    My dorm building is old and I believe it has a mold infestation. Whenever I go in my room i start to caught and get burning eyes. I wake up at night and I have a sore throat and snotty nose. My room mate has the same problem and I have been in other rooms that are worse.
    I will complain to the RA, but I doubt they will do anything.
    Various mold allergy websites suggest cleaning air conditioning systems or buying an expensive air filter system. I can't do that. I've read that UV radiation kills mold, so I am considering buying a black light or some type of sun lamp and putting it near my bed to at least create a bubble of clean air. Does anyone have any ideas as to how effective either will be? The sun lamps seem kind of expensive, but I have not researched them much. Does anyone know how much UV a black light puts out? How long do they last?
    Upon further research I see that "black light" is UVA which is not really dangerous to life forms. Crap....
     
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  3. wet1 Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    8,616
    This sounds very familar and simular to "bad air" conditions. It is usually caused by folks having windows and doors open while the air condition is running. What happens is that the air condition ducts start sweating from the temperature change. This gives way to a breeding ground for various bacteria to build up. There will usually be quite a list of different ones all at the same time coming from the air ducts.

    The solution is not cheap. That is why this issue is and will be ducked for as long as possible. First it takes a person to collect samples of what is there and it will have to be id'ed to determine what is the most effective method of dealing with it. Then depending on the extent of the ducts as to how long and how many people are required to deal with it.

    Usually it takes someone getting sick, going to the hospital, (where it is id'ed what has happened) and then threating to sue those responcible to get action.

    Good luck...
     
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  5. Slaughterist Mayhem Activist Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
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    Yeah there are definately condensation problems here. THe wall has water stains dripping down from the HVAC vent and it often has water all over it.
    I've heard last year this building had air conditioning problems so they probably had a lot of humidity in the rooms, which would contribute to the growth of nasties.
    The only thing I can really do right now is open my window and use a fan to suck in the cleaner air from outside, though its very humid and that could make things worse in the long run.
     
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  7. cthulhus slave evil servant Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    754
    move.

    theirs simply not much else you can do.

    unless you consider scuicide an option that is.
    it solves many problems
     
  8. Quigly ......................... ..... Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    901
    Well, I would say that you should make the owner of the building or maitenance aware of the problem and if they don't fix it then you can leave the lease without penalty because of hazardous living conditions.

    I am pretty sure that the building has to pass certain EPA regulated air quality levels and be inspected periodically. You may be able to contact the EPA or Dep't of Public Health for further action.

    Mold is one thing that you do not want to remain in as you seem to be showing signs of an agrevation already. Some people aren't affected and some people are, but if you remain in it, you can potentially lose memory and have to go to the hospital/doctor. Also can cause breathing problems, coughing, strept throat, sinus infections... I wouldn't stay in it, but at the same time, it is dangerous for any one to remain in it.

    One idea.. Buy a humidity tester and find out where your humidity levels are in your room. They should be between 40-55% to be normal. If they are low, then it is dry in your room(which isn't the case) and if it is high, then you know that you will need to get a dehumidifier and try to provide some quality air control in your room.
     
  9. Closet Philosopher Off to Laurentian University Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,785
    you said this was in a dorm room... right?

    That means you could be in college, so this is what i'd do: go to your science department and see what they have there, you never know what crap they have in those laboratories!

    Hehe - hou might be able to find one of those lights they use in CSI to find sperm... I'd hate to see what the dorm rooms look like!
     
  10. candy Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,074
    Use the fan on exhaust not intake.
     
  11. Slaughterist Mayhem Activist Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    75
    I thought If I used the fan as an exhaust it would pull more air in through the HVAC system, which would cause more mold to go into the room.
    The HVAC ducts have like an inch thich layer of brown fuzzy crap inside them. I don't know if its all mold or partly insulation, but I didn't think they put insulation on the inside of the ducts. I'm going to talk to the AC tommorow.
     

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