SHARONVILLE — Parents and teachers claim mold has sickened children at a Princeton grade school and that district officials knew of the potential health hazard for nearly a year before recently taking action.

        Documents obtained by the Enquirer show that Princeton City School officials knew during spring 2000 of possible mold problems from water-damaged carpet in Robert E. Lucas Intermediate School.

        But despite recommendations from an indoor environmental expert and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), district officials delayed for almost 11 months the removal of the carpeting.

MOLD EXPOSURE

There are no federal, state or local guidelines for evaluating health effects from exposure to mold.     Certain types of mold, such as aspergillus, penicillium, fusarium, trichoderma and memnoniella, can produce spores that can be toxic at high levels. People with asthma, allergies or an otherwise compromised immune system are at highest risk.     Molds can exist almost everywhere, including in carpets, behind walls, under floors or tiles, in air ducts and anywhere microscopic bacteria, proper temperature and moisture are present.     Precise diagnosis of mold-induced illness — which can range from common allergic reactions to deadly lung bleeding and scarring — is difficult because of individual differences in the human immune system. Complicated tests, often from a variety of medical specialists, are necessary to make such a diagnosis.

        Princeton officials recently acknowledged they waited until two weeks ago to tear out carpeting from a classroom linked by some to illnesses during the last year. They denied that it posed any danger to people in the school.

        In the months before the carpet removal, some Lucas teachers and students who used the small classroom claimed to suffer symptoms consistent with exposure to airborne mold toxins, including headaches, shortness of breath, burning eyes, sinus and respiratory infections, rashes, severe itching and fatigue.

        Since the carpet removal the classroom has been locked and off limits to Lucas' 565 students, in grades 4-6, and the school's 67 teachers and staff members.

        Nevertheless, some parents and teachers accuse school officials of ignoring expert advice on safety precautions, acting too late, and playing down possible connections between illnesses and water-damaged carpet.

        “It's the school's responsibility to protect the students while they are there,” said Linda Arnett, who claimed her son, a fourth- grader at Lucas, would come home covered with a red itchy rash after spending time in the classroom.

        “The school has major health problems,” Ms. Arnett said, adding that she raised her concerns with school officials but was largely ignored.

        Another Lucas parent, who requested anonymity to protect his son's identity, said his boy has struggled with chronic skin inflammations, including periodic head-to-toe rashes, bouts of severe itching and bright red skin blotches, after being in the classroom.

        Mold has caused problems in several local schools and at least one hospital in the past few months. In February, Sycamore Schools discovered potentially dangerous mold on a single ceiling tile in a storage closet at Maple Dale Elementary School in Blue Ash. The school was closed for two days while the building was checked.

        Last month two temporary classrooms outside Milford South Elementary in Clermont County were temporarily closed while being tested for mold.

        Also in February, University Hospital officials discovered evidence of the potentially dangerous fungus Aspergillis. Hospital officials have temporarily closed a heart transplant facility out of safety concerns.

        Aspergillis was detected last spring in the classroom at Lucas but not at unsafe levels, according to the district's May 8, 2000, environmental report. At higher levels the fungus can be dangerous, especially for children and adults with allergies or otherwise compromised immune systems.

        Princeton district officials strongly contend there was no danger from the water-damaged carpeting and that the environmental testing they conducted last spring bears that out. Besides one ill teacher, who was moved from the classroom, they said they have no record of other complaints of possible symptoms that might be connected to mold exposure.

        District officials also point to swift action in spending more than $900,000 to replace Lucas' heating and cooling system. The previous air system was evaluated by the specialist and NIOSH as in need of cleaning or replacement.

        Moreover, officials maintain the carpet removal and closing of a classroom recently were done not in response to any reports of illness, possible legal action or news media attention, but was merely coincidental.

        Superintendent Dennis Peterson said the time lag in removing the carpet was because of questions about whether it “really was a problem.”

        Some Lucas teachers have hired Covington attorney Robert Trainor, who specializes in mold litigation, to represent them should they initiate legal action. Mr. Trainor questioned school officials' explanation of the timing of last week's carpet removal.

        “It's highly suspicious that the abrupt removal of the carpet happened when it did,” said Mr. Trai nor.

        Ken Martinez, supervisor industrial hygienist for the Cincinnati office of NIOSH, said water-damaged carpet is often a breeding ground for microbial growth, and that spores can be released into the air.

        “It does pose an increased risk to those with allergies and asthma,” he said.

        Moreover, the removal of contaminated carpet should be done using proper remediation methods, requiring protective breathing gear and sealing off the area and the contaminated material, said Mr. Martinez.

        Otherwise, he said, “if you have a fungal reservoir ... it could disseminate these spores on a large scale,” contaminating other parts of a building.

        Mr. Peterson said no remediation precautions were taken when the carpet was torn out.

        He strongly emphasized that Lucas school is safe for students and staff.

        Sharonville health officials recently completed a semiannual school inspection of Lucas — giving it a favorable review — but the review does not include air quality testing.

        Princeton district officials are conducting another round of air quality tests. Those results will be available shortly.

        Shelley Hamler, Princeton assistant superintendent, said the testing is merely a further precaution. “We don't see this as a health emergency,” she said.

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