Knowledgebase - Mold
Information
"Mold is the greatest known health threat
to the indoor environment today."
—Environmental Protection
Agency
"What's behind the sudden mold epidemic? Experts
point to modern home design, including materials used, such
as fake stucco (great mold food when wet); the way insulation
can trap moisture behind walls; and the fact that today's homes,
like office buildings, are more airtight, with air-conditioning
and heating systems recirculating contaminated air. Families
can go for months, even years, without knowing where their
symptoms are coming from."
—USAWeekend: Issue 991205:
Why new homes are moldier
Mold is present everywhere,
indoors and outdoors. If there is sustained indoor mold growth,
the risk of property damage and health related problems increase.
For more information on mold, select a subject to jump to on
this page, or click on the other mold links on the right:
Jump To: Mold Facts
Jump To: Mold Trends
Jump To: Mold and
Your Health
Jump
To: Mold Prevention
Mold requires oxygen, cellulose,
and moisture to grow. Most homes are built with materials containing
cellulose (wood, ceiling tiles, insulation, carpet, etc.). Your
home is Mold Food!
The one element that can be controlled is moisture.
By eliminating excess moisture in the home the likelihood of
sustained mold growth decreases exponentially.
If you find mold in your home or suspect you
may have a mold growth problem, call 770-205-1710 or email HealthyAir
for a Mold Remediation Consultation by a Certifield Mold Remediation
Specialist. Click here to
find out more about our Mold Remediation services.↑ back
to top
Mold Facts
Fungi are neither plant nor animal
There are more than 100,000 types of molds.
Mold colonies can be fluffy, woolly, velvety
or powdery.
Mold comes in a wide variety of colors including
white, tan, yellow, brown, black, green, blue, and pink.
All molds are allergenic.
300 molds can cause illness in humans.
Approximately 50 molds are extremely toxic.
12 species are responsible for about 90% of
all mold related illnesses.
Mold can germinate in as little as 4 to 12
hours of moisture (humidity) exposure.
Colonization can begin within 24 to 48 hours.
Molds can spread by producing spores and by
division.
According to the EPA all molds have the potential
to cause health effects.
Dead mold can be allergenic and/or toxic
and must be removed from the indoor environment.
Viable spores can remain dormant for more
than 20 years until a suitable environment allows them to grow.
Illness can occur through inhalation, ingestion
and/or physical contact with skin.
The cellular structure of fungi is essentially
the same as that found in mammals. Fungal infections can be
very difficult to treat because the treatment can be harmful
to human cells.↑ back to top
Mold Trends
EPA has published guidelines for mold remediation.
Click on the picture to link to the EPA site:
Mold claims jumped for $9.1 million in first
quarter 2000 to $79.5 million in first quarter 2001
Turmoil over insurance for mold damage is
stalling loan transactions, putting the state's home-mortgage
industry in a 'critical situation.'
Insurance companies excluding mold coverage,
limiting liability, and refusing to write policies based on
previous water damage in the home.
Mold becoming toxic problem for lenders - Bizjournals.com
Federal
Legislation - Click on this link for more information
on the Moulton Toxic Mold Protection Act for America↑ back
to top
Mold & Your
Health Mold causes disease through two mechanisms:
Mycoses - fungi infects
a human host and causes disease
Toxicoses - toxins
produced the fungi cause disease
General Symptoms - Headaches,
lethargy, fatigue, poor concentration, systemic effects
of hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Eye Findings - Irritant or
allergic conjunctivitis (burning, sensation of dryness,
redness)
Nasal Manifestations - Rhinorrhea,
nasal obstruction, irritant rhinitis, allergic rhinitis,
chronic sinusitis
Respiratory Manifestations -
Chest tightness, cough and/or fever, shortness of breath
with exertion, asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, infectious
pneumonia (Legionella, aspergillus, tuberculosis), respiratory
hemorrhage, lung cancer
Oropharyngeal Manifestations -
dryness, irritation of the throat.
Skin Manifestations - Dryness,
irritation, rash
Other Adverse Effects - damage
to the nervous system, kidneys, liver, brain, blood, skin
damage, cancer and even death.↑ back
to top
Prevention
Mold needs oxygen, food, and moisture to grow.
The only item you can control is moisture.
Moisture can enter your home in a variety of
ways. Some sources of moisture are easily identified and corrected,
such as roof leaks, foundation problems, flooding, or landscaping
issues.
However, high humidity levels are often the
major source of moisture and can be the most difficult to identify
and control. The humidity in your home should be between 40%
and 50%. Higher levels will increase the biological pollutants
in your home (mold and dust mites). Click
here for additional humidity information.
Mold can not grow if the humidity level is maintained
between 40% and 50%.
As documented in Healthy Indoor Air for America's
Homes, a program developed through the EPA and Montana
State University, the humidity level of a 1000 square foot
area will be raised from 5% up to 60% with the introduction
of 4 to 6 pints of moisture. A family of 4 generates 1/2 pint
of moisture per hour simply by breathing. And seasonal outdoor
humidity can add 64 to 249+ pints of moisture(water)into your
indoor air.
Click here for more sources of household moisture.
Remember, 'killing mold' will not prevent it
from returning. Mold can remain dormant for over 20 years. It
is only through moisture control that mold growth can be prevented.↑ back
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