Household mold can be a big concern, headache

Several months ago, I wrote an article on mold and its effects. I've been asked by several readers to reprint this article because of their concern that their property may have this condition. To those of you who may have this condition, I hope this article helps.

Mold and its effects:

Frequently my company is called to clean a home because the family has headaches, runny noses, eye dryness and irritation, nose bleeds, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and sneezing.

After further investigation, it is determined that they have a tenacious mold problem that has developed in one or more room of their home. In this week's article, I thought I would share with you some baseline information about mold.

Mold invades attic spaces, climbs up bathroom walls, invades carpets, infests and sets up house in drywall. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) indicated there are six different types of mold that live in homes and of those, three produce toxins that are harmful to humans. The CDC has linked one (Stachybotrys atra) in particular that has produced lung disorders in small children. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible for the homeowner to tell between the molds that produce toxins and the ones that don't.

In small quantities, mold can be cleaned up with regular household bleach. Actually, most of us don't realize the mold we just cleaned up produced toxins, primarily because we didn't allow it to get big enough to become a problem. For mold to grow it has to have three things — moisture, heat and a food source. If the conditions are right, mold will start colonization with 24 to 48 hours. Mold likes humidity levels of 40 to 50 percent in the home.

Regardless of the type of mold that has invaded your home, your safety depends on the size of the colony. If the black mass is less than a two-foot square, you can probably take care of it yourself with bleach.

Larger infestations indicate you have a gross colonization and a remediation contractor should be called to assist you with the problem. When mold is touched, it releases mold spores. When taking particle counts, one inch of mold can spew more than 50,000 spores into the home causing further infestation of the home.

Testing for mold:

Generally it is not necessary to identify the specific species of mold growing in a home, and the Center for Disease Control does not recommend routine sampling. If sampling must be done, it is usually done in three ways — air sampling for airborne spores, swab sampling and adhesive tape sampling for spores that have settled on vertical and horizontal surfaces.

Mycotoxins:

Stachybotrys chart arum is a greenish-black fungus that grows on material with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content, such as fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust and lint, that becomes chronically wet with moisture because of excessive humidity, water leaks, condensation, water infiltration or flooding. There are no statistics supporting how often this fungus enters a building because buildings are not routinely testing for its presence. I could only find one study taken in California (Kozak) which indicated that out of 68 homes tested for this fungus, 2.9 percent proved positive. This fungus produces a chemical called mycotoxin. This chemical is released into the air by its spores and fungus fragments. These spores become airborne when the fungus dies and dry up. These spores are very small and can be drawn into the lungs when inhaled.

Health effects:

Individuals with chronic exposure to this fungus's toxins have reported cold and flu symptoms, sore throats, diarrhea, headaches, fatigue, dermatitis and sometimes intermittent hair loss.

The toxins produced by this fungus will suppress the human immune system. People with allergies may be more sensitive to mold. People with immune suppression or underlying lung diseases are more susceptible to fungal infections.

Prevention methods:

1. As a part of routine building maintenance, building should be inspected for evidence of water leaks and visible mold.

2. Conditions causing mold must be corrected immediately.

3. Keep humidity levels in the home between 40 percent and 55 percent.

4. Make sure there is adequate ventilation, including exhaust fans in kitchen and bathroom.

5. Do not carpet bathrooms.

6. Remove and replace any flooded carpets immediately, because mold spores start to colonize with in 24 to 48 hours.

If you are allergic to any of the above products, please don't use them. Always test fabrics and paints before using any chemical compound. Please remember to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and eye protection for your eyes.

If you would like to share a cleaning idea or concept with the reading audience, call Ed Madan at Northwest Environmental Services (255-2266) or send them to Bonner County Daily Bee, 310 Church St., Sandpoint, ID 83864, Attn: What Would Ed Do?

Copy written by Edmond E. Madan, certified executive housekeeper, Northwest Environmental Services, specializing in commercial, residential and disaster cleaning.