Molds are part of the natural environment, outdoors molds play a significant part in the environment by breaking down dead plant matter such as dead trees and fallen leaves. Molds that grow inside homes should be best avoided.
Mold has some resemblance with plants as well as bacteria, but is neither a plant nor a bacterium. Mold belongs to a seprate individual kingdom known as the fungi kingdom. Many diverse types of fungi exist, however the common term mold is used to describe mostly fuzzy fungi grown on various moist surfaces.
In the home many molds look like tiny smug marks; up close one may notice a fuzzy or hairy appearance. The mold produces millions of tiny seed like structures called spores that are invisible to the naked eye. These spores float through air indoors as well as outdoors. Mold begins growing indoors when the mold spores touch a moist surface. There are various types of mold that require different water levels, but none survive or multiply without the presence of moisture.
The human eye can at best see objects that are 10 to 30 or more microns across. Human hairs are about 50 to 75 microns across. Mostly the indoor spores are merely 2 to 10 microns, while some spores are long, a few hundred microns.
Toxic mold produces chemicals called mycotoxins. They are produced primarily by various toxic mold types such as Aspergillus flavus, Memnoniella, trichoderma, Fusarium and toxic black mold also known as Stachybotrys, Mycotoxins and allergens are found in dead spores as well as inside living spores.
Mycotoxins are defences against being eaten by insects. They are also powerful weapons employed by toxic molds in a microbial combat to assist them when competing against several other molds and bacteria for growth space.
The toxic black mold Stachybotrys is commonly found by our inspection firm in South Florida. It is likely worldwide, as it was first reported as a problem with solders and their hungry horses in the Ukraine near Russia almost 100 years ago. However, even if the mold spores observed in residential areas are a result of toxic black mold growth, they may not always result in toxic illness effects on humans through normal indoor inhalation. A human gets poisoned typically when they inhale extremely large numbers of spores, or when they eat toxic mold.
History reveals the effects of toxic mold mycotoxins in farm animals and humans including birth defects, coma, internal bleeding, cancer, and death, mostly via eating foods contaminated with toxic mold. Remember the hungry Ukrainian horsed mentioned above, they ate hay contaminated with Stachybotrys or toxic black mold. They did not have a happy ending, and the solders that slept on mouldy hay lived but suffered from serious skin irritation and blisters.
The main reasons for mold growth at home are damp or moist surroundings. Molds are concealed behind the wall paper, on or behind drywall, on top of ceiling tiles, beneath the pads or carpets, inside AC units, and behind the furniture. Cleaning concealed mold with chemicals is not the suggested remedy in most cases. Chemicals such as chlorine bleach are not recommended to clean mold. Mixing chlorine bleach solution with any other detergent or cleaning solution is best avoided as this may cause the creation of dangerous chlorine or chloramines gas. If the mold on the surface of the wall is killed with bleach, the majority of the mold will still continue to grow hidden inside the walls.
It will turn from a small problem to a large more expensive growing hidden mold problem if not handled correctly the first time.
A certified mold inspector must be called to get to the root reasons for mold growth via investigations and testing, next a mold removal company also known as a mold remediation company must be given the inspectors report so that the mold remediators can use that report to aid in guiding them on how to best deal with the problem.
Editor’s Note: This article published here.
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Daryl Watters is president of A Accredited Mold Inspection Service, Inc. He provides home, mold, and indoor air quality investigations in South Florida. He is also the creator of MIR forms designed to aid inspectors in the production of computer generated indoor air quality and mold inspection reports. For more information visit: http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us/
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