Q: How can I tell if I have mold spores in my home or office?
A: Almost all of us already have two effective mold detectors: Our
Eyes and Our Noses.
If black or green discoloration is noticed in a location that is
damp or had been damp, it is almost certainly mold. If a building
smells musty, there probably is mold somewhere. Not all mold is
toxic mold and sometimes mold
is not so easy to locate. O\Furthermore, once mold is located, it's not always
easy to tell what caused it in the first place, or the proper way to
get rid of it, and whether or not it it toxic mold that presents any health risks.
If you smell mold or see mold growth, water stains, dripping faucets,
of just feel dampness in your home or office, you are a likely
candidate for mold problems. If you think you may have a problem,
especially a toxic mold problem,
remember that it's always better to address mold as early possible. As a rule, by the time most people suspect they
have a mold problem, they do. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a
big problem, or that it's a toxic mold problem. But the earlier you catch any mold problem, the
more manageable it is and the less expensive
it is to correct.
Most of the toxic mold
horror stories you hear about in the news, costing
thousands of dollars to repair, are the result of mold problems
that were undetected or ignored over long periods of time. AMI can spot early warning
signs and test virtually any surface, as well as indoor air, and
provide you with an accurate assessment of your mold situation.
Q: How does mold become a problem?
A: All mold needs for growth is food sources and appropriate climate.
Oxygen-rich environments with either standing liquids or humidity
over 70% are optimal for mold growth. Toxic mold is not often found
in the outside air, however, mold growth found indoors on
construction materials is often times toxic mold.
Mold grows well at
temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which are also
ideal temperatures for human comfort. Mold does net need to be
viable (alive) to be irritating to humans and animals. However,
viable mold can cause tremendous damage to property when materials
get wet and/or the moisture and humidity rise above 50%. Left
untreated, mold will eventually destroy anything it grows
on.
Mold becomes a problem to your health when microscopic spores
are breathed into the lungs. No one ever got sick by looking at
mold. They get sick, as a rule, by inhaling airborne mold spores. It is
also possible to get sick
from ingesting mold and/or skin contact. Most people of reasonable
intelligence would not touch mold, let alone eat it. However, toddlers
and small children who crawl around on mold
infested carpet make skin contact and may in fact ingest mold by
putting their hands in their mouth or handling food. Carpeting and other floor
surfaces can be full of mold spores without actual showing any
physical evidence of surface mold. Laying around on mold infested
furniture or wearing moldy clothing can also contribute to mold
related skin irritations and sickness. Toxic mold can have even more
serious implications for both humans and animals.
Q: Who is most at risk?
A: High levels of molds, especially toxic molds, are not healthy for anyone inside a building.
Some people can live and work in a
mold contaminated environment for years and experience little, if
any
serious health effects. Conversely, others people can't even enter a
building where an elevated mold condition exists without
getting sick. "Sick" can mean a number of reactions including, eyes
watering and scratching, nose and throat clogging like cat
allergies, mild to severe headaches, nausea and more. Often times
the effects clear up after leaving a mold infested building.
Individuals who appear to be at higher risk of contracting some kind
of mold related illness are infants, the
elderly, those with compromised immune systems (HIV infection, liver
disease or those undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy),
pregnant women and individuals with existing respiratory conditions,
such as allergies, multiple chemical sensitivities and asthma,
pneumonia or bronchitis. Healthy, active people are less likely
adverse reactions at first. However, extended exposure to molds can
be a health risk to anyone. If you have concerns about your health
as it relates to mol, toxic mold or mold allergies, you should consult a physician for advice.
Q: What are the symptoms of exposure to mold?
A: Effects from exposure to toxic mold can result in any of the
following symptoms:
• headaches • memory loss • problems focusing or concentrating •
chronic fatigue
• nose and throat irritation • persistent cold-like symptoms •
burning, itching or watering eyes
• dizziness • nausea • tremors • heart palpitations • shortness of
breath (during mild exertion)
• exhaustion after routine activity • serious swelling in legs,
ankles, feet • serious swelling in torso or stomach • prolonged
muscle cramps and joint pain • sensitivity to odors • cancer • women
who are pregnant could experience multiple problems, even
miscarriages.
It should be noted that this information is
widely circulated "industry standard" information and does not
suggest or imply that you will or will not experience the same
symptoms.
Q: Does it matter what kind of mold is found in my home?
A: Some molds, often referred to as toxic mold, will produce mycotoxins (poisonous toxins) that are know
to cause more severe irritations than non-toxic molds and even cause chronic health problems in
humans and animals indiscriminately. Simply spraying or fungicides on mold will not remove or
inactivate the mycotoxins that have already been produced by toxic
mold and may
now be airborne. Again, mold does not have be
alive (viable) to cause health problems. Both humans and animals can
have
adverse reactions to dead (nonviable) mold and mold spores. Not
all molds produce mycotoxins all the time. It is common to find
a strain of toxic mold growing on a surface sample, but not in an air sample taken from the same room. The reason is that
some toxic molds, such as Stachybotrys, tend to be heavier than
other molds and therefore are not as easily stirred into the air.
Most molds are light and airy. Stachaybotrys,
however, is moist, even gel-like at times, making it "sticky" and
harder to get in the air. This in no way implies that Stachybotrys
or any other toxic mold does not get airborne. It does in deed. All
molds can send millions of spores into the air, especially when disturbed
in the removal process. Cleaning mold can fill the air with spores
that will subsequently land on all the contents of your home. Lighter molds become easily airborne with
the slightest movement of air from fans, heaters, air conditioners, people traffic
and dusting.
Q: Is bleach effective for eliminating mold.
A: YES and NO. Bleach works well at cleaning mold off of a surface.
The problem with bleach is that it dries quickly. If mold is
embedded beyond a surface, bleach often dries before it reaches
deeply embedded mold. To make matters worse, when bleach dries it
releases nitrogen. Nitrogen is food for mold. That's why you often
see mold in your shower coming back even worse than before when you
clean it with bleach. The mold is not ON the surface - it's BEHIND
the surface trying to get out. And it's possible that the mold
behind the surface is growing unrestricted by your cleaning efforts.
For proper mold killing cleaners, look for the word "MILDEWCIDE" on
the bottle - not fungicide. Most fungicide products are fine for
preventing mold in bathrooms and kitchens, but are by-in-large
ineffective for mold removal. If you believe that you or
your children have symptoms that you suspect are caused by exposure
to mold, you should see a physician. Keep in mind that many symptoms
commonly
associated with mold exposure may also be caused by many other
illnesses. You should tell your physician about any symptoms and
approximately when, how and how long you think you or your children
were exposed.
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