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information about the health effects of exposure to toxic mould and
how to diagnose and treat mould illnesses, read our new book
Mould Health Guide.
Pregnancy and Mould
Problems
Q. Our offices at work are
located in the basement. The basement has no ventilation system,
it is re-circulated air. There are various odors, including
sanitary sewer gas, paint, cleansing agents, etc. The offices have
been flooded several times; mould and mildew may be growing in the
ceilings, walls, carpeting, etc. (the carpets dry themselves after
flooding; the maintenance department has made no effort to clean
up the flooding or shampoo the carpets; however, they have changed
the ceiling blocks.) All of the employees have complained of
various problems, including frequent colds, headaches, sinus
problems, sore throats, upset stomachs, fatigue, etc. In March of
2003 I became pregnant with our second child. In May, an ozone air
purifier was installed at work. When they turned it on, it smelled
immediately. By Monday, the smell was terrible. I had just found
out I was pregnant, so I went and complained, and they moved me
out of the basement. However, at 9 weeks I had a miscarriage. The
ultrasound showed that the baby had only been developed to 6
weeks. I was 6 weeks pregnant when the ozone air purifier was
installed, and I was exposed to the smell all day. I contacted the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and they
told me that ozone is not safe. With fetuses, ozone can cause fetal toxicity, abnormalities, and developmental problems, etc. In
addition, the ozone can mix with other things in the air and cause
even more hazardous conditions. Do you think that the ozone, mould,
or other things in my work environment could have caused my
miscarriage? I believe that if the ozone or mould itself did not
cause the miscarriage, the air purifier could have "shaken up" and
made air-borne whatever is down in the basement. All that they
have tested for at this point is carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide,
and relative humidity. High levels of carbon dioxide have been
found. (The air conditioning was on at the time they conducted the
tests, so that is probably why the humidity was ok.) I know that
they can also test for mould, but at this point they seem reluctant
to do so. They are planning on fixing the flooding problems and
replacing some of the carpeting, so they think that the problem
will be solved. However, I still feel that the place should be
tested further. Do you think my work environment could have caused
the miscarriage? Besides mould, what other tests should be
conducted?
A. There is plenty of anecdotal accounts of the problems of mould on
pregnancy such as causing miscarriages and birth defects, but
there is no detailed medical study that has ever been done on
the link between mould and pregnancy problems. In view of the
very adverse situation you have had to work in [extensive mould
contamination and exposure to dangerous ozone], you ought to
find out your legal rights from an environmental attorney [Mould
Lawyer].
Prior to seeing an attorney, you need to get mould test results
that document the mould problem at work. Use do it yourself
mould test kits to test the air in the basement work area and
the outward air flow out of each heating/cooling duct register
in the basement to determine the possible presence of elevated
levels of airborne mould spores, in comparison to an outdoor
mould control test. |
