Mold in Buildings: Ten Things You Should
Know About Mold
Mold problems in building are public health concern. There
is need for building occupants to be aware of the subject.
March 27, 2009
Mold problems in building are public health concern. There is need for
building occupants to be aware of the subject. Exposure to mold spores and
their mycotoxins can lead to a variety of non-specific health problems.
Ten things to know:
1. Exposure to elevated levels of molds can cause serious health problems,
such as sinus problems, respiratory problems (wheezing, coughing, and
difficulty breathing), headaches, cold and flu-like symptoms (fever,
muscle ache, fatigue), sore throats, eye irritation, frequent bloody
noses, trouble concentrating, and memory loss. Those most susceptible
include young children, the elderly, those with compromised immune
systems, and other sensitive individuals.
2. There are many molds that have the potential to cause health problems
including Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium,
Penicillium, and Stachybotrys. (Just because you can't pronounce it
doesn't mean it can't harm you.)
3. Mold spores can cause health problems even if the spores are dead.
4. Mold requires an organic food source, such as cloth, sheet rock, or
wood, and a moisture source to grow. Mold can begin to grow if any organic
material that remains wet for more than 48 hours. The way to control mold
growth indoors is to control moisture indoors.
5. Mold spores are very common outdoors and there is no practical way to
eliminate all mold spores indoors.
6. Molds can grow undetected inside wall spaces, under carpet, and inside
Air conditioning and Mechanical ventilation (ACMV) systems.
7. Mold growth can often be the visible sign of a structural defect that
allows moisture to intrude into a building.
8. When doing mold abatement, it is first necessary to find and eliminate
the moisture source. If the moisture problem is not resolved, the mold
growth will return.
9. Cleanup of large areas of mold growth can cause airborne levels of
spores to increase up to 10,000 times that of background levels resulting
in acute exposure to those doing the cleanup if personal protective
equipment is not worn.
10. The best way to abate mold growth indoors is to remove the impacted
materials. Cleaning the surface of a material with mold growth may not
always kill the mold, especially if mold is growing on porous materials
like sheet rock or wood.
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Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Solutions
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3. Get FREE mold advice, mold help, and/or answers
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envirodangers@yahoo.com.
You can also email pictures of your mold problems in
jpeg file format as email attachments.
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