Breadcrumb navigation
Page tools
School Decontamination
Mold overran the entire school—from books and desks to pipes and ducts inside walls.
Project Details
- Client: Township School District, Pennsylvania
- Contaminant: Bacteria (Mold)
- Regulatory Agencies: EPA; Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources
- Contract Value: $223,400
Related Services
Background
Pervasive mold and mildew kept this three-year old elementary school from opening on time. Extensive microbial growth was linked to poor ventilation. Despite repeated cleaning by custodians, the mold reappeared.
A safe, healthy learning environment is what every school board desires for its students, but when a school gets sick on the inside, a host of health problems can develop such as hypersensitivity, allergic reactions, and upper respiratory problems. Indoor air quality is serious business today, and when air samples taken at the 135,000-square-foot elementary school in Pennsylvania indicated very high levels of microorganisms, the area school board decided to keep the doors to its newest school closed. MARCOR was then contracted to thoroughly clean and disinfect the school. More than just remedying the effects, MARCOR would also address the causes of the problem and provide detailed recommendations for preventive maintenance and monitoring.
Job Description
This massive project required the cleaning of all surfaces, including papers and about 10,000 books. Duct cleaning was only about 10% of the total job.
MARCOR began the remediation process by cleaning one section at a time. Desks, chairs, and other furniture were washed with hospital disinfectant. Then they were sterilized by putting them on a conveyor belt and sending them through an ozone chamber enclosed by heavy plastic sheets. Since ozone is an inert (unstable) gas and converts back to oxygen in a short period of time, each classroom was contained and all air removed to create a vacuum before ozone gas was injected into it. Also, since ozone is an oxidizer, any materials that might be oxidized, such as rubber products, had to be removed. Papers, books, maps, and associated teaching materials that were salvageable were thoroughly cleaned, then examined under magnification to make sure all mold had been removed.
Results
Your experience was invaluable in helping us to understand the IAQ situation. You demonstrated true professionalism.
—Director, Business Operations -Township School District
For additional information, call MARCOR's corporate headquarters at 1-800-547-0128 or send email to info@marcor.com.
