Exposure To Mold Remediation Chemicals Causes Child Brain Damage

Case Overview

This case involves a 2-year-old child in Utah who suffered seizures after exposure to mold remediation chemicals. Following a severe seizure, the child was left in a coma for several weeks. As a result of the coma, the child suffered developmental delays and impaired brain function. A chemicals expert was sought to identify the type of chemicals which would be used for mold remediation and the foreseeability of seizure reactions from those chemicals.

Questions to the Slip And Fall expert and their responses

Please describe your experience with mold remediation chemicals.

I have experience with mold remediation chemicals, as my firm does extensive work with mold remediators developing remediation plans.

What are the foreseeable risks that come from being exposed to mold remediation chemicals?

The risks associated with mold remediation chemicals can be varied depending on the chemical substances. These can include enzymes, solvents, or ammonium-based materials. Each will have different toxicological profiles. If materials are mixed there can be consequential effects from the reactions. Once the chemicals are identified, we could determine if these materials have the potential to expert the stated health impacts based on the toxicological profiles of the materials, to the extent these are known. Literature reviews and standard toxicity profiles will provide this information.

About the expert

This expert is a board certified industrial hygienist safety professional with over 25 years of experience in his field. He holds a BS in business administration from Elizabethtown College, an MS in safety sciences from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and an MS in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. In addition to his academic background, he has been an OSHA-authorized instructor for general industry and construction safety courses since 1990. He is certified as a construction health and safety technician and as an XL tribometrist. He is also an active member of the American Industrial Hygiene Society and the American Society of Safety Engineers. He has formerly served as a safety and training coordinator at HM Stauffer & Sons, Inc., and as the corporate manager of safety, industrial hygiene, and environmental services for High Industries, Inc. He is currently the president and founder of an environmental health and safety services firm in the Northeast.