The Growing Concern of Mold and other Harmful Pathogens our Schools Concerns about Mold in Florida Schools Unfortunately, Florida is a great incubator for mold, with high humidity and plenty of rain almost year round, mold can’t help to grow just about anywhere. All of these things make this a great environment for mold, and all our schools generally have all the ingredients to develop mold. Mold spores occur in the indoor and outdoor environments, and there is always a little mold everywhere in the air. Molds are very common in buildings and homes and will thrive anywhere indoors where there is moisture. The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Alternaria. Florida has a large number of schools, couple that with Florida’s wet and humid climate, it’s only natural mold can become problematic in our schools if left unchecked.
If mold is extensive inside a school children can be exposed to very high and persistent airborne mold spores. The good news for parents is unless your child has allergies or an immune deficiency, mold in their school shouldn’t be too much of a concern. However, it is also possible to become sensitized to mold spores and develop allergies or other health concerns, even if you are not typically sensitive to mold. Of course, you should always be aware of any symptoms of exposure to mold. This includes headaches, pressure between the eyes, respiratory infections and constant sinus problems. Children are at special risk from exposure to molds in schools, especially since a child’s lungs and other organs are still developing. Children are more susceptible for a variety of reasons, they inhale more air per pound of body weight than adults do; smaller children have hand-to-