https://www.wral.com/story/5-on-your-side-confirms-40-cancer-cases-connected-to-nc-state-building/21269505

Sad story and seems like there is potential to uncover a lot more.

2/7/2024 7:06:48 AM

Quote :

"When NC State closed Poe Hall, former grad student Sarah Glad contacted 5 On Your Side. Glad earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at NC State and spent years in Poe Hall. By the time she contacted WRAL News, Glad had stage 4 breast cancer. Glad agreed to an interview that would never happen. She died in January, but not before fulfilling her dream of becoming a mother. She delivered a healthy baby boy in August 2022, as her cancer spread."

Jesus fucking Christ, heads should roll.

2/7/2024 7:20:40 AM

how far back does this go?

i only had two classes in there but still

2/7/2024 8:48:42 AM

That article is way too short and lacking in details considering the severe implications.

2/7/2024 9:14:00 AM

https://www.technicianonline.com/opinion/editorial-nc-state-s-public-records-request-system-is-broken-we-demand-change/article_885d4ec0-c456-11ee-8cff-1b7f28978ab3.html
Relevant to the public records request aspect of this issue.

^^
Originally, construction. Over age, with wear and tear, and renovation, it steadily gets worse and requires more maintenance. A significant renovation or something shifting it around could've made it worse. But that's what you're asking for. And that's what they're investigating (and not updating us very well on, FOI is giving more specific details). Currently, I think they found an extraordinary issue in a particular women's bathroom.
The cluster seems to be concentrated to breast cancer though, so men should be "good", I guess.

^
They're doing what they can with what they have, had the independent agency not worked at it, we wouldn't really have anything. To the general university, there were two emails... one informing that it would be "temporarily" closed (november), and the other saying they had launched an investigation into contaminants (november), and a site which was supposed to have updates... but has nothing on it except the original stuff + notice that they had hired a firm to investigate.
There simply aren't many details out there.

[Edited on February 7, 2024 at 9:32 AM. Reason : -]

2/7/2024 9:26:30 AM

That's fine but it's irresponsible to imply that this is the cause of the cancer until we know way more.

NC state should investigate fully and openly (or have an independent team investigate, whatever) and inform all once they know the true dangers, but there simply doesn't appear to be enough data to give causation to 40 cancer cases, or even one.

2/7/2024 10:02:57 AM

Ah okay, I thought you were just criticizing the article specifically for just not saying enough about those cancer victims, not for saying too much without the details to back it up.

2/7/2024 1:18:32 PM

What is believed to be the ultimate source of the PCBs in Poe Hall?

2/7/2024 1:22:37 PM

I'm pretty sure Dr. Gonzales (MAE), who died of cancer back in the day, attributed it to something in Broughton Hall or something like that.

2/7/2024 6:47:30 PM

Something from Broughton Hall caused cancer in Poe Hall?

2/7/2024 7:15:06 PM

No, his office was in Broughton. MAE professor (and later dept head).

2/7/2024 7:16:07 PM

Not defending the school, but sometimes cancer is the result of a random genetic mutation. Who should we blame for all the cancers in babies?

2/7/2024 7:33:07 PM

Yeah not giving credence to his claim. Just stating that someone claimed something similar 20 years ago.

2/7/2024 7:59:06 PM

Isn’t this kind of normal and expected for older buildings?

2/7/2024 9:32:03 PM

As it gets older, the required maintenance increases.

But it is possible that a specific renovation done wrong or whatever could've caused an increase in contamination, or a "leak", although I suspect that isn't the correct terminology.

2/7/2024 11:12:03 PM

I don't think that's really how PCBs work.

2/8/2024 3:00:04 AM

https://www.facebook.com/slglad

2/8/2024 2:44:33 PM

^^
Kind of is. When used in construction and stuff, over time they migrate more and more within buildings. This is exacerbated, of course, when there is some renovation or something, as it's shaken up more. Or, as the life span of products ends (like maybe in lighting fixtures), they're more likely to break/rupture in some way that has the same effect.
there can be a variety of different ways this could've happened

2/8/2024 7:05:00 PM

So is it all from transformers? Previous spills not properly remediated? They have a low vapor pressure and don't readily volatilize. I'm just curious to know more about the source of the exposures.

2/8/2024 8:53:55 PM

Hmm, okay. There was a report that was just released a while ago

Quote :

""goals" 1-Review historical documents and inspect HVAC system components to identify candidate building materials that may contain PCBs (potential sources). Collect and analyze bulk samples of potential sources, focused on potential sources that are present in systems that can distribute dust in the building, most notably the components of HVAC systems. Potential sources may have been originally manufactured with PCBs or have been in contact with materials that were"

So, nothing conclusive on that end so far. That will be a focus in the next stage of the investigation, and they're also going to test again with the HVAC on next

as to what they tested:

Quote :

"Higher detection frequencies (generally greater than or equal to 50%) were observed for windowsills, desks, elevator buttons, product dispensers, and air supply vents, and lower frequencies for other surface types including tables, shelves, bathroom counters, books, container lids, a microwave, a printer and a cardboard box. "

[Edited on February 8, 2024 at 10:04 PM. Reason : -]

2/8/2024 9:55:24 PM

The 2/8 message: https://www.ncsu.edu/poe-hall-updates/updates/2024/02/poe-hall-initial-phase-testing-report/

The report: https://www.ncsu.edu/poe-hall-updates/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/02/NCSU-Sampling-Report-Attachments-02082024.pdf

2/8/2024 11:14:15 PM

I spent 6 years in Poe. Interested in where this goes.

2/9/2024 12:39:28 PM

I'm primed to be skeptical bc of the health and safety approach in engineering for something like Berylium and just truly erring way on the side of caution.

Feel for the cancer victims REGARDLESS and if its truly NC States fault, and especially if NC State truly tried to sweep it under the rug (pun intended), then I agree heads should roll and they should sue for millions. Just want to see more evidence of correlation vs causation.

2/9/2024 2:14:27 PM

I mean, you could probably pick any building on campus and find 100+ people that had a class or taught in that building that developed cancer

but yeah, I definitely agree with that ^

Quote :

"Just want to see more evidence of correlation vs causation."

Is there even a way to do that in this type of situation?

[Edited on February 9, 2024 at 3:20 PM. Reason : ]

2/9/2024 3:18:02 PM

Quote :

"The cluster seems to be concentrated to breast cancer though, so men should be "good", I guess. "

Wait until you find out that men can also get breast cancer!

2/9/2024 4:40:12 PM

Quote :

"I spent 6 years in Poe. Interested in where this goes."

Why do you think your back hurts, dude? Think about it. . .

2/9/2024 6:43:53 PM

^^

I'm well aware that men can lmao, but less than 1% of cases are so

also why I said

Quote :

""good", I guess."

2/9/2024 7:29:49 PM

Some years back there was a new building constructed near where I work in RTP. This was around the time that there was a lot of discussion of formaldehyde contamination in drywall. The building had a typical "new building" smell ... paint, carpet, plastics, the usual volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Well a few people incidentally were diagnosed with cancer shortly after moving in. The idea spread that the building itself was to blame. Assessments were conducted and found no known carcinogens in any quantity for concern. Still, the employees refused to work in the new building, actually fearing that working there was a potential death sentence. The building, brand new, was abandoned for more than a decade. Its reputation preceded it and nobody wanted to touch it. Numerous additional tests turned up nothing. It stood vacant for more than a decade until it was finally purchased as a "distressed property" and renovated.

This story fascinated me and I spoke with some local building engineers and this is known phenomena. A quirk of human psychology. There may be something in Poe Hall that caused the cancers but we can't really know that. It's just when a building gets labelled as "toxic" there is this interesting human hysteria that goes along with it that may not be rational.

2/9/2024 8:47:57 PM

Quote :

"this interesting human hysteria that goes along with it that may not be rational."

Sounds like a MAGA supporter

[Edited on February 9, 2024 at 8:53 PM. Reason : -]

2/9/2024 8:52:37 PM

I need TGD to weigh in on qualified immunity.

IRRC, there's a document you have to sign when you're hired by the University that says something along the lines of you agree to hold the University harmless even if they actively and intentionally do you harm.

2/11/2024 9:41:18 AM

bruh

2/12/2024 12:14:03 AM

Correlation causation etc

2/13/2024 7:06:06 PM

Nature nuture etc

2/13/2024 8:01:44 PM