Samples taken from the Wiscasset Middle School basement by an inspector from the State Division of Safety and Environmental Services last week tested positive for mold. Due to the results, Wiscasset Middle School will undergo a more comprehensive inspection previously believed to be unnecessary.
The more comprehensive inspection will take place within the next 10 days, said Larry Mare, an engineering technician with the Division of Safety and Environmental Services. An independent industrial hygienist will conduct the inspection and make a recommendation as to whether mitigation is needed based on the results.
Mare conducted an air quality investigation and visual inspection for mold at the Wiscasset Middle School in January 2015 and concluded further inspection was not needed. According to Mare, inspectors do not conduct specific tests for mold unless mold is visible.
Due to the continued concern expressed by staff and parents about mold in the basement of Wiscasset Middle School, Mare returned to the school March 27 to take draw samples, which lift particles from the basement onto a slide, to test for mold.
Draw samples were taken from rooms one, six, and seven in the basement, Mare said.
Each draw sample tested positive for low levels of mold, Mare said. According to Mare, two draw samples tested positive for cladosporium mold. Two other draw samples tested positive for penicillium and aspergillus mold.
The mold species detected are the most common forms of indoor mold found during air quality inspections, according to the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
The mold levels were at the lowest level of the testing scale, Mare said, with ratings of one and two. The scale used to test for mold runs from 0-5, Mare said, with zero reflecting no detection and five reflecting a high concentration.
According to Mare, the results of the mold tests were not abnormal. Mare said 60 to 80 percent of the schools he inspects would most likely have the same results.
“There was a very low indicator for mold,” interim superintendent Lyford Beverage said. “But to put people at ease we felt it was wise to do the next inspection.”
The Division of Safety and Environmental Services performs assessments and oversees the mitigation of indoor air quality concerns in public schools. Based on the results of the initial inspection, a phase II inspection may be recommended.
During the phase II inspection of Wiscasset Middle School, the industrial hygienist will conduct an air cassette test, in which a five-minute air sample will be taken and sent to a laboratory for testing, Mare said. Another test will collect dust samples, which will be sent to a laboratory to test for mold.
Based on the results of the phase II investigation, the industrial hygienist will recommend whether mitigation is necessary. According to Mare, due to conflicts of interest, the phase II investigation and the mitigation are performed by separate independent contractors.
Mare expects the phase II investigation to take place within the next 10 days. “We want to get this taken care of as soon as possible,” Mare said.
Wiscasset Middle School Principal Bruce Scally said classes are meeting as usual and the band room is still in use in the basement. Scally said he has been assured that it is safe for students to be in the basement. “We will follow whatever the recommendations are [from the inspection],” Scally said.
