the effect of katrina in the gulf coast: a study in mold proliferation
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The effect of Katrina in the Gulf Coast: A study in Mold Proliferation. Dr. Blanca Cortes Microbiology Laboratory Director and General Manager [email protected] (407) 599-5887 EMSL Analytical Inc .-Orlando, Florida 32804 WWW.EMSL.COM. Record Breaking season: 27 named storms/14 hurricanes. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The effect of Katrina in the Gulf Coast: A study in Mold
Proliferation
Dr. Blanca CortesMicrobiology Laboratory Director
and General [email protected] (407) 599-5887
EMSL Analytical Inc.-Orlando, Florida 32804WWW.EMSL.COM
Record Breaking season: 27 named storms/14 hurricanes
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita battered Gulf coast states
Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005)
Costliest ($80 Billion) since Andrew in 1992 ($26.5 Billion)
Deadliest since 1928: at least 1300 deathsAmong the top six strongest hurricanes,
sharing headlines with Wilma (Oct 2005) and Rita (September 2005)
Mississipi was in shambles
Louisiana was under water...
When the water subsided….
Ceilings collapsed...
Water intrusion was evident...
In walls...
Behind base boards...
On ceiling tiles...
Leading to Mold Proliferation...
Mold Survey September 2005 to March 2006
318 Buildings were examined1877 air trap samples were
analyzed 1639 from Louisiana 238 from Mississippi
Genera typically associated with water damage conditions
ChaetomiumEpicoccumFusariumStachybotrys Ulocladium
This survey looks at genera and concentration of mold spores/m3
to assess mold amplification in standing buildings affected by
Katrina
Rapid onset versus gradual proliferation
Post-Katrina Spore Survey September 2005-March 2006
0
2000000
4000000
6000000
8000000
10000000
12000000
Sept/05 Oct/05 Nov/05 Dec/05 Jan/06 Feb/06 Mar/06
Spor
es/m
3
Louisiana In Mississippi In
A closer look...
Most Common Genera Identified by Spore-trap Analysis
Aspergillus/Penicillium species most prevalent contaminant
Asp-Pen % of total spores was
higher in LA
10-fold difference in Asp-Pen
concentrations seen between LA and MS
Indoor amplification was evident
Cladosporium...
Amplification was evident for LA with Indoor concentrations 62% higher than Outdoor concentrations
No significant difference was appreciated in MS between indoor and outdoor concentrations
No significant amplification was observed in Mississippi
Hard (Basidiomycetes) and soft (Ascomycetes) wood-rotter amplification was also evident in
Louisiana
Different water damage indicators were detected in each State
LOUISIANA Ulocladium/Pithomyces
(180M spores/m3)Chaetomium (25M
spores/m3)Stachybotrys (20M
spores/m3)Epicoccum (<1M
spores/m3)
MISSISSIPPIPaecilomyces
(3.7MM spores/m3)Stachybotrys echinata
(Memnoniella) (292M spores/m3)
Scopulariopsis (283M spores/m3)
S. chartarum vs S. echinata
Stachybotrys chartarum, a wet spore, was detected indoors in Louisiana
Stachybotrys echinata (Memnoniella), a dry spore, was highly amplified indoors in Mississippi
Peak amplification represented only 3%
of the total number of spores
Chaetomium
Gradual concentration increases observed in Louisiana, peaking in December 2005
No significant amplification was detected in Mississippi
Sept Oct Nov Dec Feb Mar
1315 8024 24108 25641 6235 4948
Indoor concentrations in Louisiana
Indoor amplification was evident in Louisiana...
Ulocladium...
Gradual amplification was detected in LA
(Spores/m3) Sept Oct Nov DecLouisiana 525 6025 5884 171291Mississippi 39955 21 882 372
10-fold higher Paecilomyces amplification seen in Mississippi than in
Louisiana
10-fold higher Scopulariopsis amplification seen in Mississippi than in
Louisiana
Epicoccum was detected in both states
LouisianaAspergillus/
Penicillium>Cladosporium>Pithomyces>Curvularia>Stachybotrys chartarum
MississippiAspergillus/Penicillium>Paecilomyces>
Scopulariopsis>Stachybotrys echinata (Memnoniella)>Cladosporium>Curvularia
Genera with amplification>50M spores/m3
Conclusions...
Mold proliferation was detected in both states.
Gradual amplification in Louisiana possibly due to standing waters, allowing for greater diversification of water-damage associated genera to proliferate versus rapid onset in Mississippi where flooding was not an issue
Situation getting better, but far from over
Feb’ 06 first signs of reconstruction