June 25, 2001 The Lorain Morning Journal Wallpaper mold linked to cancer Radon test CINCINNATI (AP:) — A home improvement project turned into a possible health threat fora family when they discovered mold linked to cancer beneath their wallpaper. With the help of a contractor, the Vanden Bosch family of nearby West Chester discovered mold had eaten holes in their drywall and the sub-flooring. Lab results showed Stachybotrys and Aspergillus, two common indoor molds that have been linked 10 some forms of cancer, hemorrhages and convulsions. The upper respiratory problems of Mary Vanden Bosch and her 7-year-otd son, Peter, have gotten worse since the family began their home improvernent work in March, and the family is now living in a hotel as workers clean the house. Their mold problems are not uncommon. The Ohio Department of Health is working with federal and Cincinnati area officials to clean up mold and improve air quality in schools. Three schools had temporary closings this year due to mold. And in Texas last month, a jury awarded $32 million to a woman who sued her insurance company because it did not cover mold damage claims. Experts, however, disagree on the severity of effects of the fungus. "Mold has great public health impact," said Eckhart Johanning, head of the Fungal Research Group in Albany, N.Y "If we can make a small dent in this, I think we will make a great difference in people's quality of life." Ronald Gots, an environmental health and toxicology expert, disagrees. "People abandon houses and close schools, and there's no reason lor it." said Gols, head of the International Center for Toxicology and Medicine in Washington. "It's just out of control. It's totally out of control." Gots said cases like the Texas lawsuit and advertising from contractors lor mold testing is contributing to what he says is undue panic. "There Is a wildly active and verv chaotic Industry made up of all sorts of people with varying expertise about what to test and hew to test and how much cleanup is necessary," he said. And there's very little-medical Input." Cincinnati Health Commissioner Malcolm Adcock said mold is usually just an allergen. "I'm not downplaying it, but I think it's been raised to more of a concern than it warrants, given the types of problems that it normally causes," he said. "People don't think a thing at all about taking a walk in the woods. If you're out walking through the woods with decaying material on the floor of the forest, you're being exposed to literacy thousands of kinds of mold." Mary Vanden Bosch doesn't see it that way. She's awaiting test results taken from a skin lesion to find out if she has cancer. Her blood also has been tested for mold and its toxins. "I wonder if I'll ewer feel safe there again," she said of their home. Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development are hoping to find information that can shed light on mold problems. The EPA has developed a way to identity different strains of mold using DNA sequencing, and it's working to determine how much mold is present from a sample. EPA molecular microbiologist Richard Haugland said the lab results make it easier to connect certain molds to health complaints and to determine "which molds are a problem and at what levels they are a problem." "We hope that this can be a big piece of the puzzle," he said.
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