- January 17, 2018
An Indianapolis woman is concerned that mold growing in her apartment is making her family sick.
Marcya Hill-Brown and her family have been living in a sixth floor apartment in a complex located at 36th Street and North Meridian for a few years.
Hill-Brown started to become concerned about her family’s well-being when she discovered mold growing in her apartment a few weeks ago. Members of her family had mentioned that they weren’t feeling well prior to Brown’s discovery. She contacted the health department with her concerns about the mold that she and her family had been exposed to.
According to Hill-Brown, the mold started as a few spots in the corner of her exercise room. She cleaned it with bleach, but the problem continued to get worse, so she decided to contact her landlord.
Hill-Brown said that she let her landlord know that she had contacted emergency maintenance to tell them that she thought she had black mold growing in her apartment. She was told that they would send someone over.
In a matter of a few weeks, the mold has continued to spread. According to Hill-Brown, every week, she finds more and more mold growing in her apartment. She said that a part of the wall behind her desk is covered in fungus.
“My daughter has reactive lungs. I have had a sinus infection almost every other month”, she said.
Mold exposure can lead to several health problems. Those who are most at-risk of developing issues include people with pre-existing respiratory problems, allergies, and whose immune systems are compromised. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that the symptoms that are associated with mold exposure include skin rashes, watery eyes, runny nose, nasal congestion, and coughing; among other symptoms. However, the CDC says that standards have not been established by the government concerning mold levels or mold spore levels in households, which makes enforcing health regulations virtually impossible.
According to officials, they could research the mold growth problem in Hill-Brown’s apartment during normal business hours; however, first, a formal complaint needs to be filed with the county regarding the mold and mildew concerns in the unit that Hill-Brown and her family live in at the Meridian Street apartment complex.
Given the fact that there seems to be a rampant mold problem in Hill-Brown’s apartment and the health problems that she and her family are experiencing, it is likely that the two are related. If she would like to have the matter resolved, she must file a formal complaint with the county in order to do so.
Mold Inspection & Testing Indianapolis has years of experience performing mold assessments in residential buildings throughout the city. We strongly recommend that Hill-Brown or her landlord arrange to have mold testing performed in the apartment unit to determine the level of mold spores in the unit. If you are experiencing similar problems, please call 317.759.8525 to speak with an MI&T representative.
