The other weekend I was in the Montgomery Street BART station and saw some gross black stuff growing on the ceiling. So I sent an email to customer service.
Subject: Mold growing in Montgomery Street station
Feedback: Hello,
I was waiting in the Montgomery Street station on Sunday around 1 p.m. I overheard somebody complaining that there was mold growing in the station, and that despite repeated complaints to BART, it was still there and had gotten even worse. I looked up and saw what they were talking about.
I took a picture:
I hope you do something about this ASAP -- this is a real health hazard.
Let me know if you have any questions!
I got a reply...
Hello and thank you for contacting us. I regret if the comments of others might have caused you undue alarm.
The condition viewed displays not mold, but a combination or escalator grease and normal dirt, confirmed via lab analysis. The lubricant is trace lube which has seeped through concrete via access penetrations for other embedments such as the hangers for the perforated baffles. Common airborne dust will adhere to the light filmy coating and accumulate, turning dark. Yes, it is embarrassing and should be cleaned more often. We have requested this be addressed. It was thoroughly addressed when the APTA conference was held in SF in the fall of '02 and all stations were nearly immaculate. However, the condition returned within a couple of months. The location of these baffles require a safe platform (scaffolding) be erected to clear the area and with present resources is most difficult to accomplish without disrupting passenger access in the station.
Unfortunately, "mold" seems to be the topic of the moment and I have been told it is a subject of many false concerns. Mold is as old as organic matter itself. There are many varieties of mold with many being non-hazardous. May be similar to exaggerated thoughts in the early days of microwave ovens, cell phones, and the red M&Ms, although it is safe to proceed cautiously.
Again, thanks for contacting us and for riding on BART.
Uh-huh.
My reply to their reply...
I'm glad to hear it's not mold. Dirt's no big deal.
I do have to disagree rather strongly with your comments on mold's health implications. Far from being a "false concern", mold can be a real problem in indoor spaces.
I worked at a home retrofitting magazine (Home Energy), and also lived for several years in an apartment with a mold problem, and I can attest both from professional and personal experience that it's far more of an issue than red M&Ms. Moldy cheese is no big deal, but getting spores into your airways is not good. I was on major allergy medication for years -- and my allergies magically cleared up when I moved into a mold-free building!
While there hasn't been a definitive linkage beyond all doubt (i.e., they haven't found the mold's fingerprints on people's lungs), there's enough evidence to suggest there is a connection.
If you'd like to educate yourself on this issue further, you can visit Lawrence Berkeley Lab's website: http://eetd.lbl.gov/newsletter/nl18/mold.htm or the Center for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/mold/links.htm,
Thank you and have a good evening,
Honestly. Did I ask for BART's expert opinion on indoor air quality
or the latest literature on mold toxicity? Sheesh! Stick steroids up
your nose for two years and see how you like it!
