SOUTH PORTLAND – Students, staff and teachers at Wentworth Intermediate School don’t have to worry about health concerns from moldy classrooms and workplaces, according to Northeast Test Consultants, a Westbrook-based company that tested the Scarborough school for mold last month.

On Oct. 18 and Oct. 19, Northeast Test Consultants tested more than 16 academic and hallways spaces in the four wings of the school building. The tests indicated very low levels of airborne mold spore and particles. Also, the test results indicate the occupied spaces in the building are not experiencing significant moisture or water problems that could lead to the development of mold growth reservoirs, though mold could grow back in the long term.

“No significant levels of mold spore species were present in the indoor environment that would warrant further assessment at this time nor should they be a significant contributor to adverse indoor air quality for occupants,” read the report, which was issued on Oct. 21 to Todd Jepson, director of facilities for the Scarborough School Department. It stated that occupants of the rooms tested are exposed to 80 to 90 percent less fungal spore activity than if there were outside.

The tests were done per the recommendation of the state Bureau of General Services. In late September, Wentworth school officials asked the Bureau of General Services, which oversees building construction and renovation for schools, to visit the school, complete an indoor air quality audit and file a report with recommendations on how to make the school healthier.

Other recommendations, which were received in early October, included hiring an engineer to design an air exchange ventilation system for the portable unit area in the east wing, install a fan at the entrance to the underground tunnels to create better air circulation, and replace the windows that have exposed asbestos glazing.

The school district is moving forward with the other recommendations, as well.

The current ventilation system for the school’s portable classrooms, which is not functioning properly, was expected to be serviced on Nov. 2 while officials look into a more permanent fix to the issue.

A mechanical engineer is currently looking at the best and most cost-effective way to circulate the air through the underground tunnels.

On Oct. 13, the Scarborough Town Council approved the Board of Education’s plan of using $150,000 that wasn’t spent for three earlier capital improvement projects to replace the windows. Over the weekend of Oct. 23, a window in classroom 33 was replaced and did not release additional asbestos into the air. The order for the 28 windows was placed, with the frames being made at the Portland Glass facility in Westbrook and the windows made at a site in Massachusetts, according to an Oct. 25 update on the School Department’s website.

The windows are expected to arrive within six to eight weeks, which means the old windows could be removed and the new windows installed during the school break in December.

Until then, teachers, students and parents can feel safe about the health conditions in the school, according to the latest tests.

According to Northeast Test Consultants, the levels of airborne mold spore and particles ranged from 110 to 1,200 spores per cubic meter of air. The National Allergy Bureau has indicated that less than 500 spores per cubic meter of air is considered very low. Between 500 and 1,000 spores per cubic meter of air is considered low, between 1,000 and 5,000 is considered medium, between 5,000 and 10,000 is considered high and greater than 20,000 is considered very high.

The mold activity found in the school, in fact, was the same type that was found outside the classroom, except in room 42 in the north wing of the building, where 210 spores per cubic meter of air of Aspergillus Penicillium-like spore activity was found. The report states that the level is not unusual, nor does it warrant further investigation. It could have been caused by any number of things, including wet paper, sponges, paper towels, or even moldy food.

Clean buildings, according to the report, typically have Aspergillus Penicillium mold levels between 230 and 630 spores per cubic meter of air. Buildings with flooding or water damage can have levels as high as 2,200. Levels in mold-damaged buildings can get as high as 36,000.

Classroom 42 was re-evaluated Oct. 21 to make sure there were no underlying conditions that were not detected the first time. The second test indicated very low levels of fugal spores and no Aspergillus/Penicillum-like spore activity. The initial testing could have, according to the report, included spores that were no longer present in the room.

Outside of testing mold levels in various parts of the school, Northeast Test Consultants also did mold remediation work in south and west trenches, as well as the west side of the East Wing Oct. 9-19. It is here where school officials have seen significant mold problems. The work was done under the direction of the State of Maine Pesticides Bureau and licensed by the Environmental Protection Agency. From mid to late August, the tunnels on the east side of the East Wing and the southern office areas, received a similar cleaning.

While the remediation work was effective in eliminating the mold growth, school officials are cautioned by Northeast Test Consultants that the mold could grow back in the long term due to the configuration of the trenches and due to “the transference of moisture through the concrete slab/wall systems that can lead to mold growth activity, especially when active water intrusion occurs.”

Mold is caused by an excess of moisture in a building. Moisture can enter schools through leaky roofs, pipes, windows, foundation and other openings, as well as through poor drainage or through painting, carpet cleaning or high humidity.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mold is known to cause irritated eyes, skin, throat and nose, and allergic reactions.