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Museum Flood Mold Investigation
When a sprinkler pipe burst, a world-famous museum experienced
a flood. Thousands of priceless books and documents were housed
in the basement floor, which flooded, but the books were not
damaged because they were on shelves above flood level. However,
the museum was concerned about the possibility of mold growth
in the basement drywall and carpeting, which would damage
these historical documents. Exponent was retained to investigate
whether or not clean-up of the facility would be sufficient
to prevent mold growth and the resulting damage to the artifacts.
Exponent's investigation found that some mold growth was harbored
in the carpeting, and recommended that the museum remove the
carpeting and continue facility surveillance to ensure that
no mold growth occurred. Exponent determined that the possible
health risk to employees due to fungal levels was small. Based
on Exponent's investigation and recommendations, the museum
salvaged its collection of priceless archives.
 Health-Affecting
Fungi A construction company retained Exponent to determine
whether mold growth was present in building materials prior
to the construction of townhomes or if the mold grew as the
result of excess moisture in the crawlspaces of homes. There
was substantial concern that the mold growth might adversely
affect the health of the occupants. Exponent's industrial
hygienists conducted a visual inspection and bulk sampling
for fungi and provided testimony during a deposition. Through
our sampling, Exponent identified the fungi growing at the
site as blue stain fungi, which have no known implications
for human health. Exponent also determined that these fungi
were present on some wood framing and subflooring materials
before the construction began, helping refute the claim that
excess moisture from inadequate site drainage caused the mold
growth.
Sewage Overflow Investigation Exponent conducted an
independent investigation of a building partially damaged
during the pressure testing of the sewage lines in the neighborhood.
As a result of increased pressure in the lines, the sewage
was forced into the house through the toilet and sinks. Fearing
the occupants might develop infectious diseases due to the
building contamination, the insurance company retained Exponent
to address these concerns. Our engineers and scientists evaluated
the building and recommended necessary remediation procedures,
developed a protocol for follow-up testing to ensure safe
environmental conditions, and provided criteria for the building
re-occupancy.
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