Is School Air Slowly Poisoning Our Kids? Unveiling the Hidden Health Threat
PHOTO: IL D96 Woodlawn Middle School, Long Grove, IL
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Children’s Health Defense or this chapter.
In the fall of 2019, our lives took a distressing turn. Our son, a 5th-grade student at Country Meadows Elementary School D96 in Long Grove, IL, began experiencing headaches, chest pain, dizziness, and visual disturbances. His condition worsened, leading us on a medical odyssey that saw us consulting numerous specialists, from neurologists to cardiologists. Test after test was conducted, but the source of his suffering remained elusive.
It wasn’t until September 2020 that the mystery was finally solved: mold mycotoxin poisoning. Unbeknownst to us, our son had been living in a home and going to school in a building with hidden mold and water damage. When conditions are right, a water-damaged building can create the perfect environment for mold to grow. Unfortunately, certain molds under certain conditions can produce secondary metabolites known as mycotoxins. Simply put, mycotoxins are poisonous chemicals designed to kill other living things1,2. Our son was being exposed to these mycotoxins and these mycotoxins were making him incredibly sick.
We embarked on a journey to create a mold-free haven at home, and it took over two years for him to fully recover. However, when the time came for him to return to school in 7th grade, we were hit with a sobering revelation that the school environment might not be safe for him. Could the very air he breathed within the school walls be a hidden health threat?
In August 2021 our son was in 7th grade and as the start of the school year approached, we toured IL D96 Woodlawn Middle School in Long Grove, Illinois. Our aim was to assess the school’s environment and see how it might affect our son before he returned to classes. Within minutes of the tour, he developed a severe headache and became dizzy. It was a stark contrast to his ability to move freely in other public places like Target, the mall, and even a private tutoring center without any health issues. However, same as it was in 5th grade where this all began at school, once inside the school, the symptoms would strike, sometimes even necessitating him to be taken home in a wheelchair.
After repeated incidents within the confines of the school environment, there was no doubt to us that something in the air at the school was affecting our son’s health. These events marked a turning point in our journey, one that underscored the urgency of the questions we needed to address regarding the air our children breathe at school.
I asked the school to conduct an IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) and Environmental Test to specifically check for mold, and after persistent requests and a street public protest, they finally did it.
The test results showed that inside the school had somewhere between medium to high concentrations of Aspergillus/Penicillium spores. We were very alarmed since these were the molds that can produce the mycotoxins showing up in our son’s medical tests.
I raised concerns with the superintendent about the presence of mold in classrooms based on the report’s findings.
The superintendent disputed my interpretation of the report and claimed that there was no mold in the classroom, and said they were informed that the levels of mold spores inside and outside the school were statistically the same, despite the report showing the mold inside the school was 31% higher3.
And although the report included a disclaimer that it couldn’t conclude on potential health effects and recommended consulting a medical professional, the school declared the air quality as safe.
The school refused to take further action regarding my concerns for the potential harm the school environment posed to our son. He continued to get sick when in school.
I didn’t understand how the school could say it is safe, when there is clearly toxigenic mold at higher concentrations inside the school.
I quickly learned that there is no established safe limit for mold levels, so the school’s position was that, based on their IAQ and environmental testing, the school was safe, and that something else must be triggering our son’s headaches, dizziness, and other symptoms.
However, to me the pattern was very clear and distinct, our son would go to school healthy and then come home sick. I continued to speak out at board meetings and tried to further public awareness about the potential dangers of mold. I called for public support for the school to investigate further, conduct independent testing, make environmental improvements, and remediate as determined by the independent mold specific investigation and testing.
Other parents started reaching out to me, sharing their own troubling stories. One parent told me that their child, a few years older than our son, had severe asthma attacks while attending the same school, but when they went on to high school, their asthma disappeared. Another father approached me, revealing that his two children had simultaneously developed severe mold allergies out of nowhere while attending the schools in question.
As I continued to raise awareness and called for further mold testing and as needed remediation, I received a letter from the former superintendent of IL D96 that left my family in shock4. The letter demanded that I cease and desist from spreading what the district considered false and misleading information about the indoor air quality at Country Meadows Elementary and Woodlawn Middle Schools. Furthermore, they directly accused me of causing a disruption to the District’s ability to provide for its students and staff. The district insisted that the indoor air quality exceeded standards and that there were no mold issues.
Our family felt vilified and bullied into silence, and his reported medical events were continually disregarded and dismissed as psychiatric issues by the school. But believe me, I know our son. Besides that, he underwent over 8 hours of neuropsychiatric evaluations and never ended up in a wheelchair during those intensive sessions. So, I knew it wasn’t psychiatric when, while he was laughing and enjoying himself in school just by breathing the air, he ended up needing to be brought home in a wheelchair. I knew it was the toxigenic, mycotoxin poisonous air that he was breathing.
I thought I was asking for something very basic for my child, please ensure that he is not breathing in toxic chemicals at school. But when it came to doing independent mold inspections, additional environmental testing, and implementing CDC recommended air quality and mold control guidelines, the school consistently denied any problem, stating the air quality is good, and that no further investigation or action would be taken.
After composing myself from the shock of receiving such a letter, I realized if the school was willing to make statements like “there is no mold in the classroom” when the report clearly showed mold in the classroom, then I needed to figure out a way to get more data that was indisputable. I would not give up the fight for his health right to have safe, toxic chemical free air.
This left me researching—why was there no established criteria to gauge mold safety within schools? I believed that there must be some test or measure that could better determine if the mold conditions at the school are harmful for children.
That’s when I learned about ERMI (Environmental Relative Mold Index) testing. Mold spores and fragments can settle onto surfaces and accumulate in dust. The ERMI collects dust and uses DNA analysis to identify 36 different molds. I thought surely doing the DNA analysis would be a way to determine what is in the air our children breathe.
I asked the school to conduct ERMI tests, and they refused to do so.
Frustrated by their unwillingness to explore this avenue, I went ahead and collected samples myself from the school. This was done 3 times through various methods, all with acceptable sampling methods per the ERMI test company used.
All three test reports concluded that the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index was Medium-High and that further investigation may be needed to determine the sources of mold if occupants have been reactive, sensitized, genetically predisposed or otherwise immune-compromised. More importantly, the tests showed the DNA presence of water damage molds and common indoor molds at 10 times to 100 times the normal values established by the EPA for a healthy home5.
I even learned that in 2017, the schools suffered roof damage with evidence of water intrusion into the building6.
I thought, surely, this is enough, the school suffered indoor water damage and DNA testing shows the presence of dangerous toxigenic molds in the school vents; in the air our children breathe.
Rather than taking my complaints and the data generated as a call to safety action, the school discredited the reports with a myriad of legal mumbo jumbo, refused to conduct independent mold inspections and repeat the school vent dust DNA analysis.
This was so frustrating because our son continued to get sick while in the school building. Even after another family reported to the school that their children were suffering from aspergillus and penicillium mold poisoning the school refused to take any action arguing whatever they could to discredit the DNA analysis methods and data. After hiring a special education lawyer, we were able to get some portable air filters added to his classrooms, but they were not enough.
The Winter of 2022, he fell ill again inside the school and I had enough. I continued researching for a way to absolutely tell whether or not the air is toxic, and I finally came across Respirare Labs (www.respirarelabs.com.)
This was it, using a groundbreaking, patented extraction method alongside ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay), Respirare Labs can identify the most prevalent airborne mycotoxins (if present) in indoor environments. Straight from the air to their labs, they can accurately determine the elevation levels of airborne mold toxins so we may breathe with confidence. (www.respirarelabs.com)
Through various methods, I collected air samples and sent them in for testing. I was very careful when handling the sample media and collaborated with the president of Respirare Labs to ensure I was collecting good air samples from the school.
THE RESULTS WERE SHOCKING!
The reports showed that there were mycotoxins in the school air; he was breathing poisonous air at school7.
There were high levels of Trichothecene Group (T2/HT2), high levels of DON-Vomitoxin, and low levels of ochratoxin.
Reading about these mycotoxins, I learned that Trichothecene is a poison produced by certain molds that can cause the exact symptoms he was suffering after spending time in school.
Also, this mycotoxin is so dangerous, the government has classified it as a biological weapon8.
WE WERE HORRIFIED.
We stopped sending him to school in March 2023.
He stopped breathing that school’s air, and he no longer got these headaches. He no longer became dizzy. He no longer ended up in a wheelchair.
And under the care of a detoxification medical specialist, he completely healed.
I notified the school and shared the test reports that showed not once, but all 7 times, the test showed alarming levels of Trichothecene Group (T2/HT2) and the other mycotoxins.
Sometime after, I received a letter from an environmental law firm the school had hired. Again, it was full of legal mumbo jumbo, but effectively said, we do not recognize your testing and our testing shows our school air quality is good.
They had roof damage and reported water intrusion in 2017, their October 2021 mold test reports showed medium to high levels of toxigenic mold spores in the school air. In February 2023, their roof inspection reported more roof damage, water intrusion, water damage, and mold growing inside the building. Their May 2023 mold test report showed that it has gotten 50% worse and now has high to very high concentrations of toxigenic mold (Aspergillus/Penicillium) in the air our children breathe9.
But according to Illinois school district 96, the air quality is good.
UNBELIEVEABLE, BUT WAIT, IT IS FAR FROM OVER
We were done with IL School District D96, he stopped going there, he healed, and we focused on getting him into High School under a different school district, Stevenson High School IL D125.
Just as nervous when he tried to tour the Middle School, we had toured the high school building in February 2023, D125 Stevenson High School. Where at the Middle School he got sick right away, at the High School he was perfectly fine. We were so relieved. He toured the entire building and was perfectly fine. No headache, no dizziness, nothing! Tears of joy were pouring out of our eyes, but he was only at school for an hour tour, so we were still on our guard and had to be sure that this school had safe air.
During the tour, I collected an air sample and sent it to Respirare Labs for chemical testing.
The report showed that there was nothing detectable10.
Where the testing I did at IL D96 Country Meadows Elementary and Woodlawn Middle Schools showed the presence of 3 toxic chemicals at low to high concentrations in the air our children breathed, the testing I did at IL D125 Stevenson High School showed there were ZERO mycotoxins in the air.
ZERO.
I’ll say it one more time.
ZERO mycotoxins detected in D125 Stevenson High School.
In May 2023, he took a 3-hour math placement test in the High School and was perfectly fine there.
Not only was the air mycotoxin free (per Respirare Labs test report,) but the High School’s August 2023 mold test showed very low levels of aspergillus/penicillium mold spores.
In August 2023, he started attending full days in the High School and was perfectly fine there.
Since, he has continued to be fine in the high school environment. He even stays after school often to use the school gym and to participate in after school clubs.
Now the tears of joy didn’t have any “what ifs” or “are we sure he’ll be okay?”
My older son is in a safe environment now. We no longer needed a wheelchair to pick him up from school.
BUT THIS IS WHY I AM WRITING THIS ARTICLE:
My younger son still attends IL D96 Woodlawn Middle School. My friends’ and neighbor’s kids still attend IL D96 schools. My community has children that attend IL D96 schools and since sharing publicly, I hear more and more stories about children in D96 and other schools that get sick while in the school and get better when not in the school. So, we need to keep fighting for safe air for our kids.
Safe, toxic chemical free air. Air that is not high in concentrations of toxigenic mold spores. Air that doesn’t contain dangerous mycotoxins such as T2, DON-Vomitoxin, or Aflatoxin.
We need your support to drive change.
We have a few parents that have started CleanAir4Kidz.org with a simple goal. To ensure the air our children breathe is safe, free of mycotoxins, and not full of toxigenic mold spores.
We have started a petition change.org/kcsd96mold. Please consider signing it and showing your support.
And we are not stopping at the local level. We are working at the state and federal level alongside Change the Air Foundation, and other like-minded organizations, to propose and drive the passing of new laws that will ultimately ensure our children and all families breathe safe indoor air.
Change the Air Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people make the connection between their health and their indoor air quality. The average American spends more than 90% of their time indoors breathing air that is potentially bad for their health.
As of September 12, 2023, Illinois KCSD 96 still holds the position that their Woodlawn Middle School air quality is good based on their environmental reports that include the high indoor levels of aspergillus/penicillium mold spores. There are no standards set for safe air with respect to mold.
Please help us change that: www.change.org/kcsd96mold
About the Author
Patrick Lee, BS/MS Biomedical Engineering
Patrick Lee, a seasoned biomedical engineer and researcher, boasts over 25 years of experience in the medical industry. Married with three children, his family embarked on a challenging journey in 2019—navigating through suffering, misdiagnosis, mistreatment, proper diagnosis, and ultimate healing. Now, with a profound appreciation for the importance of air quality in our daily lives, Patrick is driven by a simple yet crucial question: What will it take for our schools to recognize and take action against the serious health threat posed by poisonous air to our children? His mission is clear—to ensure that not only his own family but also his friends’ and neighbors’ kids breathe in safe air while at school.
References:
- Hope, Janette. “A Review of the Mechanism of Injury and Treatment Approaches for Illness Resulting from Exposure to Water Damaged Buildings, Mold, and Mycotoxins.” The Scientific World Journal, vol. 2013, 2013, pp. 1–20., https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/767482
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236940899_A_Review_of_the_Mechanism_of_Injury_and_Treatment_Approaches_for_Illness_Resulting_from_Exposure_to_Water-Damaged_Buildings_Mold_and_Mycotoxins
- October 2021 Indoor Air Quality Survey of IL D96 Country Meadows Elementary School and Woodlawn Middle School (Obtained via FOIA)
- IL D96 Cease and Desist Demand Letter to Parick Lee, May 16, 2022 (Obtained via FOIA)
- 2021-2022 Parent led ERMI testing of IL D96 Country Meadows Elementary and Woodlawn Middle School (Obtained via CleanAir4Kidz.org)
- 2017 Roof Inspection Reports of IL D96 Country Meadows Elementary and Woodlawn Middle School (Obtained via FOIA)
- 2022-2023 Parent led Airborne Mycotoxin Environmental Analysis of IL D96 Country Meadows Elementary and Woodlawn Middle School (Obtained via CleanAir4Kidz.org)
- https://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/emergency-preparedness-response/public-health-care-system-preparedness/trichothecene-mycotoxin.html
- 2023 Roof Inspection and IAQ and Environmental Reports of IL D96 Country Meadows Elementary and Woodlawn Middle School (Obtained via FOIA)
- 2023 Parent led Airborne Mycotoxin Environmental Analysis of IL D125 Stevenson High School (Obtained via CleanAir4Kidz.org)
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the view of Children’s Health Defense or this chapter.
