With college students once again starting up the school year, plenty of parents are worried about the perils of alcohol poisoning, drugs — even STDs.
But there’s another health threat that may be hiding in plain sight.
In fact, in the past year alone, multiple lawsuits have been brought against colleges and universities over the potential for poisoning inside students’ own dorms — and experts tell The Post it’s getting worse.
The stealth danger? Mold poisoning, which can cause everything from a stuffy nose and headaches to cognitive issues and kidney damage.
In July, 48 students sued Dallas Baptist University, alleging that the school knowingly housed students in mold-contaminated residence halls.
At Sewanee University of the South, students filed a $35 million suit alleging that the mold growing there caused asthma and nosebleeds. Similar cases were seen at Lipscomb University and Spring Hill College.
And the problem is only increasing — especially on college campuses, where conditions can create a perfect storm for mold to grow.
“High humidity, poor maintenance, contaminated air conditioning systems, hygiene issues and rampant leaks make this problem an epidemic on college campuses,” Dr. Alan W. Gruning, President and Medical Director of the International Center for Health and Wellness, told The Post. “This is especially true on older, more prestigious campuses.”
He noted that this “huge issue” is “getting worse over time as the buildings age and more hurricanes and flooding occur.”
And it can be tough to catch, since symptoms like recurring colds and headaches are often chalked up to “dorm flu” — a combination of infection passing between people, late nights, and academic stress.
That’s a big reason why “severe infestations can go unresolved for months,” explained Dr. Racheal Onah, a consulting physician at RealTime Labs.
Frightening health impacts of mold
Mold is always present, and for many people, exposure doesn’t have any health impact. But for others others, Onah explains, sensitivity to certain types can spiral out of control.
At first, mold exposure can look like irritated eyes, skin, or a stuffy nose, sinus pressure, a cough and/or headache. Over time, it can become more serious: causing debilitating fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, heart palpitations and gastrointestinal distress.
“In extreme cases, high toxic loads can trigger neuroinflammation, cognitive dysfunction, neurodegenerative patterns, severe immunosuppression, and even liver and kidney damage,” Onah said.
Symptoms depend on the person as well as the type and amount of mold. Sometimes symptoms may appear in days, and for others, months.
Gruning says people with “Biotoxin Illness” or “Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)” are born with an immune deficiency that makes them susceptible to molds. “It results in chronic inflammation and a host of symptoms that can be misdiagnosed and misinterpreted.”
The CDC calls this “invasive mold infections” or IMIs. “IMIs are rare but cause severe, life-threatening illness,” they said.
How to check for mold
If your bags are still packed and you’re just checking in, Gruning recommends a three step process to screen for mold.
- Walk in and smell it. “If it smells musty or stale, there is almost a 100% likelihood it will test positive for mold or bacteria,” he said.
- Look for signs of water damage, which might be stains on ceilings, paint coming off under windows, warped floors. Plus, he says carpets are almost impossible to rid of mold. “If you see any of that, leave.”
- Spend an hour in the space and see how you feel. If you are feeling off, just leave.
Many college students, though, will have already moved in by now. If you start feeling sick, Onah says to document when and where symptoms occur and ask others living in the dorm if they’re dealing with the same issues.
“Take photos of mold growth, stains, water damage and condensation, and seek a medical evaluation, especially if the symptoms are persistent or severe,” she said. This can include taking a urinary mycotoxin test (ELISA panel), which she says shows current and active exposure to any mold.
It’s possible, even likely, you won’t be able to find mold even if it’s there. “Most toxic mold is completely invisible because it thrives in dark and concealed spaces like behind drywall, underneath subflooring, or inside air conditioning units,” Onah said.
Both doctors recommend specialized testing of the environment, in this case. Gruning suggests to an ERMI test from EnviroBiomics. Onah suggests the EMMA (Environmental Mold and Mycotoxin Assessment) test.
How to deal with mold
If you find mold, you may think bleach will wipe it out — but it’ll only make it worse.
“This is the single biggest mistake I see people make when dealing with indoor mold,” Onah said. “It removes the stain’s color while leaving the root system intact, which feeds the mold with moisture and causes it to release highly toxic spores into your breathing space.”
Also avoid steam cleaning hardwood floors, which “can push moisture deep underneath the floorboards,” Onah said. And don’t shampoo carpets without proper ventilation and drying.
Both experts agree that HEPA air filtration can help, but won’t fix the underlying issue. “Keep in mind that an air purifier is a supplemental measure and does not replace professional mold remediation,” she said.
The best way is to seek professionals to thoroughly clean areas you can miss: like inside your “drywall, ceiling tiles, carpets, upholstery, mattresses,” she said. “Attempting to handle a major mold problem yourself can increase your exposure and make the problem worse.”
Most importantly: “Act proactively,” Gruning said. “Examine the environment and if something is not right, don’t stay there.”
