Black Mold False Alarm Scares Benedict Dorm

Black Mold False Alarm Scares Benedict Dorm PPS was called to Benedict to investigate a potential culmination of mold on air-conditioning grills in 4 rooms. The substance in question was not , but rather mildew. When asked how the mildew came to be, the director of PPS, John Vineyard III, and the Assistant Director, Reggie Vachon Jr, gave this analogy: "Imagine a ice cold can of coke on a hot day. After a while, a large amount of precipitation will accumulate on the can. Now imagine if you constantly have the air-conditioning system running at a constant 55 F to keep Benedict cold; now add the constant flux of students opening their windows, opening their doors and allowing hot air to rush into the room. The hot air will interact with the cold air thus causing a lot of precipitation to accumulate on the grills of the vents. When a lot of water accumulates, and remains stagnant, this causes the perfect condition for mildew to grow."

PPS cleaned the contaminated grills with moldicide, bleach, and hot water and soap. To ensure that Benedict was safe, PPS took added measures by looking inside the vents and checking every single air-conditioning grill in Benedict. The vents inside were: "as clean as a whistle, besides the expected dust that were in the vents."

When asked about what preventative measures are in place in order to stop the outbreak of mildew, guano, or mold in dorms or academic buildings, PPS reported a couple of things. With the approval of Residential Life, PPS will introduce a mist mixture of bleach, soap, and water that would stiffen any potential growth of mildew or in the air-conditioning system. When asked whether or not it was safe to introduce those chemicals in the air system, PPS reported, "It is safe." Other preventative measures include: "depending on Dorm Staff and the janitorial staff to keep on the look out and ensure the buildings are clean." When asked what the student body can do to prevent potential outbreaks, PPS responded: "Call PPS whenever you see a potential outbreak so that they can respond back within 24 hours of the call."