Red Mountain Ranch Elementary
Questions and Answers Regarding the Indoor Air Quality
May 20, 2009 Staff Building Tour
On May 20, 10 staff members from Red Mountain Ranch Elementary School participated in a tour of the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Others in attendance were:
- Rick Michalek, director of Mesa Public Schools Operations Department
- Bob Hutzel, an independent certified industrial hygienist with Hutzel & Associates
- Pete Lesar, East Area Assistant Superintendent
- Tom Pickrell, general counsel for Mesa Public Schools
The following information addresses the questions from staff members.
1. The parent community voiced concerns regarding the air quality of our building some months ago. Why was this community not invited to this walk-through and how will you keep them informed?
The school has posted information on its Web site to give updates to the community. After the initial posting, the principal has received no additional air quality inquiries from parents. All new information will be available on the site.
The May 20 tour was planned for all staff members who wanted to participate and district staff indicated the opportunity would be repeated in the fall if there is interest from staff and parents.
2. How do health issues of staff and students at Red Mountain Ranch Elementary compare to other schools?
Because of a federal law regarding a person’s health information (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Privacy Rule or HIPAA), the district cannot ask about the health of students or staff. Sometimes, the parents share information about a student’s health because of attendance or other issues.
Based upon information that has been informally shared by Red Mountain Ranch Elementary staff members, there does not appear to be an unusual incidence of illness compared with similar anecdotal information shared at other sites.
3. Has mold been detected in our building? If mold was found at Red Mountain Ranch Elementary School, would Environmental Protection Agency guidelines be followed for removal? What was the source and how was it treated?
Mold spores are naturally present in the air and the Environmental Protection Agency has not set mold standards for indoor air. Instead, a mold spore reading inside the building is compared with a reading outside the building. Inside mold levels are unacceptable if the reading is higher than those outside.
When there is a concern about building air quality, the District Operations Department has staff who can conduct an initial test. If needed, the District will contract with a certified industrial hygienist to conduct a follow-up test.
Mold has been detected occasionally at Red Mountain Ranch Elementary School, including the most recent situation this month. In each case, the District has worked to immediately remove the mold and correct the cause of the mold.
The Environmental Protection Agency does not provide guidelines for mold removal. The District’s practice for mold removal is (1) to cover the area in plastic sheeting, (2) place all debris and construction material in plastic bags for disposal, and (3) to have workers wear appropriate clothing such as a face mask and goggles. This procedure both protects the workers who remove the mold and ensures that spores are not released into the building. After the work is completed, the District conducts a follow-up air quality test to ensure that the work has addressed the mold concern.
4. Has mold sampling been done? If so, where and what type of sampling was used?
A mold test may be performed by collecting airborne particles in Petri dish or a spore trap. The particles are taken from the areas of concern and compared with those of a location outside of the building.
This test was used in February in rooms 1, 3, 6 and 12 as well as the hallways; and in 2005 for rooms 1 through 32, the multi-purpose rooms, music room, teachers lounge, school office and the media center. In both cases, certified industrial hygienists from Hutzel & Associates did the tests and concluded that the air quality “meets acceptable air quality comparison guidelines for indoor environments.”
5. What are “volatile organic compounds” and are there standards for using these products?
Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are gases or vapors emitted by household products such as paint, building materials and furnishing, glues and adhesives, and dry cleaning materials. The concentration of VOCs are up to 10 times higher inside a building than outside - this can be avoided by ventilating or airing out the building which vents the vapors outside.
The Environmental Protection Agency does not set standards for VOCs, except in industrustrial settings.
The District uses products with little or no VOCs and vents indoor areas for safety of students, staff and construction workers and to help avoid potential health concerns that may be associated with VOCs.
6. Is there formaldehyde at RMRE?
Formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound or VOC that is commonly found in new construction materials, particularly pressed wood products found in mobile homes. The school has not been tested for this chemical because there is no indication that the building has significant levels of formaldehyde because there has not been any recent remodeling work with wood products.
7. Are EPA standards used as the guidelines for care of the building?
Yes, the District follows the most stringent regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Arizona Department for Environmental Quality, the Maricopa County National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the School Facilities Board.
8. How do we know adequate fresh air is in our building?
Red Mountain Ranch Elementary School has numerous air handlers that bring fresh air into the building at 15 cubic feet per minute per person. This rate meets the standards of the School Facility Board and American Society of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers. The fresh air levels can be monitored by measuring the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
9. Are air ducts cleaned in our building? Is there a regular schedule? Are the ducts of other buildings of Mesa Public Schools cleaned?
Air ducts move air from the air handlers throughout the building. A thin layer of dust will accumulate on the inside surface of the air ducts, just as it does on all indoor surfaces. This normal accumulation does not pose a health hazard. Several ducts within the building have been inspected with a video camera and nothing unusual was found.
Mold does not typically grow inside air ducts because there is no water in the system – moisture is necessary for mold spores to grow.
The custodial staff cleans the outside surface of the registers, but the District maintenance procedures do not include air duct cleaning. There is little evidence to support the claim that the dust accumulation inside air ducts poses a health concern. An article published by the Environmental Protection Agency is posted on the school Web site.
10. Are there mandatory procedures in place to assure filters are cleaned regularly? Is this uniform throughout the District?
The Operations Department has dedicated filter crew workers that change the air filter for each air handler every three months - twice as often as that recommended by the Arizona State School Facilities Board.
11. How are building problems detected and resolved?
The District Operations staff responds to maintenance concerns from school staff and will resolve issues as quickly as possible. Please report information to Dr. Cook or the facilities assistant.
12. Do we have an integrated pest management system, and have pesticides ever been used on our campus?
The District has an integrated pest management system which involves preventing a situation that attracts insects and pests to the building. Operations staff will work with school staff to discuss these prevention techniques.
Pesticides are not used routinely, but are applied to address an infestation. As required by state law, a notice is posted if pesticides will be applied when staff or students may be present on campus. Red Mountain Ranch Elementary has had pesticides applications in the past.
13. Are all the janitorial products "green guard” and without any fragrance?
The District does not use all “green” products and some may have fragrance, however, each cleaning agent is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and standardized for all sites. The custodial staff has been trained in the use of these products. Because Mesa Public Schools uses microfiber cleaning technology, the amount of cleaning chemical is significantly reduced.
14. Why can we not locally adjust our own thermostats? How do high heat index temperatures affect the air quality in the classrooms?
Air temperature does not affect air quality. The classroom thermostats allow the teacher to adjust the temperature within a range of four degrees. The thermostats are standardized to conserve energy costs.
NOTE:
The foregoing Q&A summarizes the discussion that took place on May 20, 2009. RMRE has provided updated information about a mold incident remediated in July 2009. Check the RMRE Building Information website for more information about this more recent incident.