Mold is a
microscopic organism found virtually everywhere indoors and outdoors. Mold can
be found on food, plants, and other organic material. Mold can also be found
on cardboard, paper, ceiling tile, sheetrock, carpet, carpet padding, wood, plaster, and air conditioning ducts.
The following
are some sources of indoor moisture that may cause mold problems in your home or workplace:
- Flooding
- Leaky Roofs
- Humidifiers
- Damp Basements or Crawl
Spaces
- Plumbing Leaks
- House Plants
- Steam from showers,
baths, and cooking
- Clothes dryers vented
indoors
Mold spores
are easily detached and made airborne. When moldy materials become damaged or
disturbed, spores (reproductive bodies similar to plant seeds) can be released into the air.
People at
high risk for adverse reactions to mold exposure are:
- Infants
- Children
- Elderly
- Immune Compromised
Individuals
- Pregnant Women
- Individuals with Existing
Respiratory Conditions
Mold can cause
a wide range of health problems including:
- Wheezing
- Nasal & Sinus Congestion
- Watery & Red Eyes
- Nose & throat Irritation
- Skin Irritation
- Aches & Pains
- Fevers
- Asthma
- Emphysema
Black Mold
or Stachybotrys Chartarum (atra) aka: Toxic Mold
Stachybotrys
Chartarum (atra) is a greenish-black toxic mold that colonizes particularly well in high cellulose material such as straw,
hay, wet leaves, dry wall, carpet, wallpaper, fiber-board, ceiling tiles, thermal insulation, etc. It does not grow on plastic, vinyl, concrete, or ceramic tiles. It
is not the green mold on bread or the black mold on the shower tiles.
There are
about 15 species of Stachybotrys or Black Mold known throughout the world. This
toxic mold grows in areas where the relative humidity is above 55%. Before drying
Black Mold (aka: Stachybotrys) is wet and slimy to the touch.
Stachybotrys or Black Mold produces a mycotoxin that causes human mycotoxicosis. This type of mold is though to be a possible cause of the “Sick Building Syndrome”.
The following
is a list of symptoms associated with exposure to Stachybotrys or Black Mold spores:
- Pulmonary
hemosiderosis (bleeding in the lungs)
- Respiratory problems
- Nasal & sinus congestion
- Eye Problems
- Dry, hacking cough
- Sore throat
- Chronic fatigue
- Skin Irritations
- Central Nervous Systems
Problems (constant headaches, memory problems, mood changes)
- Aches & pains
- Fever
- Diarrhea
- Immune suppression
