Sixteen University of Minnesota students are living in temporary digs after mold was detected in rooms at Frontier Hall, a university spokesman said Tuesday.
Mold was spotted the week of Sept. 23 in the freshman hall and reported to the school's Department of Environmental Health and Safety, school spokesman Matt Hodson said.
The department tested 35 rooms, found mold in 16 and had eight of those fully emptied for cleaning, Hodson said. That means removing the carpet, furniture and insulation around heating and cooling pipes, he added.
The ousted students are now in temporary living quarters on campus and will probably remain there for another two to three weeks while their rooms are "thoroughly cleaned and disinfected," Hodson said.
Hodson said some students exposed to the mold "did report allergy-like symptoms," but none required medical care.
The mold invaded during the hot and humid move-in week during the summer, when doors were open and climate control for the buildings was difficult, Hodson said.
"This is the first time something like this has occurred," he said.
Paul Walsh
