Buildings might cause illness

Professors who were exposed to certain areas of Myers, Jordan, Sycamore and Morrison Halls might have recently developed respiratory problems due to the condition of the buildings. \nBiology professor Jose Bonner is one of the victims of what could be considered "sick-building syndrome."\nBonner said he noticed a change in his health in December, which is when he said he felt SBS possibly developed. Since December, a variety of leaks, including water and plumbing, have probably allowed mold to grow in the buildings, Bonner said. \n"We don't have an official 'sick-building' designation for these buildings, but it's well-known that there are people who are hypersensitive to these things," he said. "They can go into a building that is fine for lots of other people, and they get respiratory problems."\nLarry Stephens, director of the IU Office of Risk Management, said SBS is an "old catch phrase" to describe a number of environmental problems inside a building that cause people to get sick. \nHe said when somebody becomes sick, the Environmental Health and Safety department will come in and conduct tests to see if it can find anything in that particular building that might be causing the sickness. \nThe problem is if EHS can't find anything substantial, Risk Management can't do anything. If EHS does find something, then worker's compensation comes into play for those ailing.\nAt this point, Stephens said, "It's my understanding that they've done tests and have found nothing."\nDan Derheimer, hazardous materials manager of the EHS environmental management sector, said that extensive tests have been done to the buildings and that the "fungal flora is equivalent to (what can be found in) other buildings," which means SBS has not been found in the buildings so far.\nAccording to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site, "sick-building syndrome" is a term used to describe a situation in which people experience severe health problems that might be linked to their presence in a certain building. While the cause of SBS symptoms is not known, those suffering often experience headaches; eye, nose or throat irritation; dry cough; dry or itchy skin; fatigue and sensitivity to odors.\nBonner said he experienced similar symptoms. His office was initially in Myers Hall, then he was transferred to Jordan Hall, where his symptoms have persisted.\n"My voice goes away, and after a while my chest starts to hurt," he said. "I get asthmatic problems and have to use an inhaler." He said he did not have asthmatic problems previous to December.\nBonner said knowing about the species of mold that live in an indoor environment is important. He said mold needs a carbon source for food, like paper or ceiling tiles, in order to grow. If these materials get wet, the mold will grow and begin to decompose the object. This, in turn, causes harm to the building. Although it is possible to design buildings which don't use paper-like backing for ceiling tiles, he said, it is extremely expensive and not a top priority for the state. \nSince no one has found any visual evidence of these molds, Bonner said he understands the specific problem and subsequent solution is difficult to determine. Bonner said EHS has gone to each building and cleaned up the "infected" areas according to official methods. He said there are official protocols for what is called "remediation," and "they've done that."\nBonner said EHS has also poked holes in his office to take samples, but nothing was found to indicate "a smoking bomb."\n"What worries me is that despite the best efforts of the University to solve the problems, there are still going to be people who get sick," he said. "And these might include students. It won't be good if people come into class and have asthma attacks. There is a potential for angry parents or people to file lawsuits."\nHowever, Bonner said he thinks the University is safe right now because it has tried to solve the problem. As soon as the problem was detected, he said, "There were about 'a zillion' meetings. The University jumped on it immediately." \nHe said he believes IU will do what is necessary once the exact problem is determined.\nThe problem lies in the fact that no one knows what Bonner, or others possibly suffering from SBS, is sensitive to. Nor can anyone determine what airborne spores might be in the building's air, and no one is able to find any significant colonies of mold.