It really is. I once broke my foot running up some stairs. It was an emergency and as I was running I caught the edge of one step with just two toes(I did have shoes on) the ball of foot missed the stairs completely. Instead of slowing down or trying again I just pushed hard throwing my weight forward. Find out later that I had a radial fracture of my second metatarsal. The crazy thing is I spent the next few hours walking on a broken foot and didn’t feel it at all.
I did feel it the next day though. Fuck that hurt .
You I would probably cut them with a hacksaw. Honestly it would probably be fine with the grinder, but just in case it is better to not have sparks.
Do you know if the block has been sealed? It may not have been. Concrete is porous and will weep Water. You might call a concrete guy and ask if there is any kind of interior coating that can be used to seal it.
In the meantime get a UV air filter, a dehumidifier and some microban. You don’t need mold getting a foot hold.