mold-symptom.com

WELLSVILLE — High humidity in the basement of the new Wellsville High School, which is still under construction, has led to problems with mold.

Humidity levels are at 90 percent in the high school basement, said Michael F. Bell, project manager for Welliver McGuire Inc. in Rochester. Normally, the humidity levels should be around 40 percent to 50 percent.

Because of the high humidity, mold has started to form in the basement, Mr. Bell told the Wellsville Board of Education on Monday. At this point, he assured the board, the mold does not pose any health threats and workers are taking measures to correct the problem.

“The mold has been confined to the basement and is not airborne,” Mr. Bell said, adding that initial tests have found the mold to not pose any health threats.

The appearance of mold in the school is of concern because it has been linked in other school districts to health problems in students and faculty.

The basement has been sealed off from the rest of the building to prevent the mold from spreading. Measures are also being taken to lower the humidity and to keep it within safe levels.

“First, we have to identify why there is high humidity,” Mr. Bell said. “We are trying to keep kids safe and confine it to the basement.”

School officials were told that there should not be any cause for alarm. “The air quality in the building is excellent,” Mr. Bell said. Air samples taken in the building are “equal to air outside.”

It could take up to three weeks to lower the humidity in the basement.

The high school expansion project is in the last of three stages. The first two stages included remodeling the elementary and middle school buildings. The high school expansion was an addition to the middle school building.

The elementary and middle school projects are essentially complete, Mr. Bell said. The projects are under budget and ahead of schedule.

The high school auditorium is slated to be finished by Thanksgiving with the rest of the high school opening early next year, according to school officials.

High school students are using the old building next to the middle school until the high school is finished. The old building will be torn down to create green space as required by the state Board of Education.