Mold mushrooms growing in
the
corner of two walls and
also in the carpeting
Serious mold growth in an
attic. |
Mold News
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GAO Report
Reports the Top Dozen Mold Health Problems
The September 30,
2008, U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) summary of the
health effects caused by exposure to mold ("INDOOR MOLD," and
subtitled, "Better Coordination of Research on Health Effects
and More Consistent Guidance Would Improve Federal Efforts")
reported that the following are the top dozen most
commonly-reported mold health problems reported in thirty-two
(32) federal government mold studies and reports:
1. Asthma, asthma triggers, or asthma symptoms (such as
episodes or attacks)
2. Upper respiratory tract symptoms
3. Eye symptoms
4. Skin symptoms
5. Allergies or allergic reactions (symptoms not otherwise
specified)
6. Wheeze
7. Cough
8. Difficulty breathing, trouble breathing, or shortness of
breath
9. Infections (including those affecting people who have
chronic lung disease).
10. Adverse effects to the nervous system
11. Fungal colonization or opportunistic infections in
immune-compromised individuals
12. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Dampness
and Inadequate Ventilation are Two Causes of Microbial
Pollution
From the World Health
Organization in its report WHO Guidelines for
Indoor Air Quality: Dampness
and Mould, published July 16, 2009
The presence of
many biological agents in
indoor environments is attributable
to dampness and inadequate
ventilation. Excess moisture on almost all indoor
materials leads to growth
of microbes, such as mould, fungi and bacteria, which
subsequently emit spores,
cells, fragments and volatile organic
compounds into
indoor air. Moreover,
dampness initiates chemical or biological degradation of
materials, which also
pollute indoor air. Dampness has therefore been suggested
to be strong, consistent
indicator of risk of asthma and respiratory symptoms
(e.g. cough and wheeze).
The health risks of biological contaminants of indoor
air could thus be
addressed by considering dampness as the risk indicator.
Several widely
acknowledged global trends contribute to the conditions
associated with
increased exposure to dampness and mould:
►energy
conservation measures
that are not properly implemented (tightened
building envelopes,
ventilation deficits, improper insulation);
►urbanization (migration,
building type and density, urban degradation, housing
availability and
social inequity); ►climate
change (increasing frequency of extreme weather
conditions, shifting
of
climate zones); and
►the quality and
globalization of building materials
and components, construction
concepts and techniques.
These conditions
increase the risks of adverse health effects due to biological
contaminants of indoor air.
Airborne Mold Spores
(colony-forming units)
The airborne concentrations of viable fungi in indoor
environments are usually in the order of a few to several
thousand colony-forming units (CFUs) per
cubic metre of air. In a given
space, concentrations of fungi are highly variable and depend
on such factors as: climate and season, type of fungus,
construction, age and use of the building, and ventilation
rate. They also depend largely on the sampling and analytical
methods used, making valid comparisons between studies
difficult. ------from the World
Health Organization in its report WHO Guidelines
for Indoor Air Quality:
Dampness and Mould,
published July 16, 2009. |
Mold growth inside a
Montreal apartment. |
This mold growth in
Canada will cause health problems for tenants. |
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Chlorine
Bleach is
not effective
in killing mold on porous-surfaced building materials
[wood, drywall, insulation paper, ceiling tiles, etc.] for at
least three reasons:
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Bleach
is too diluted and thus too weak to permanently kill
mold unless the mold is simply sitting on top of a
hard surface like a counter top or sink. Even a
scientific study
paid for by Clorox [biggest manufacturer of
with a
dilute chlorine bleach solution appears to be the most
effective and efficient way to rechlorine
bleach] concluded:
"The study
results confirm that denaturing the mold spores duce
mold allergen on hard surfaces. [emphasis
added]"
-
What little
killing power chlorine bleach does have is diminished
significantly as the bleach sits in warehouses and on
grocery store shelves or inside your home or business
[50% loss in killing power in just the first 90 days
inside a never opened jug or container] Chlorine ions
constantly escapes through the plastic walls of its
containers.
-
Chlorine
bleach's ion structure also prevents chlorine from
penetrating into porous materials such as dry wall and
wood, and thus bleach just stays on the outside
surface, whereas mold has protected enzyme roots
growing inside the porous construction materials. When
you spray porous surface molds with bleach, ONLY the
water in the water solution soaks into the wood while
the bleach chemical sits atop the surface, gasses off,
and thus only partially kills the surface layer of
mold while the water penetration of the building
materials fosters further mold growth.
Chlorine
Bleach is NOT registered with the EPA as a disinfectant
to kill mold.
You can
verify that important fact yourself when you are unable
to find an EPA registration number for killing mold on
the label of any brand of chlorine bleach.
"Bleach is actually a poor cleaning agent and can be
inactivated by organic material..." reported the
Indoor Air Unit, Environmental Health Division,
MINNESOTA DEPT. OF HEALTH, in its report
"Recommended Best Practices for Mold Investigation in
Minnesota Schools," November, 2001.
Read bleach users' comments about the failure of
bleach
to solve their
property mold problems.
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Disadvantages of
Using Chlorine Bleach |
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The following disadvantages of using chlorine bleach
were published "Bleach Usage" on Facility-maintenance.com
1.
Chlorine bleach
lacks the ability to cut through dirt. A surface or
object being cleaned and disinfected must first be
cleaned if bleach is going to be used as disinfectant,
adding time and labor costs to any project. “Organic
material readily inactivates these disinfectants, so the
surface must be cleaned first,” said one industry
consultant. “You have to essentially double the time
that it should take to clean and disinfect a soiled
surface.”
[In a 2004 study of five different
household products to try to clean a moldy shower
curtain, The Wall Street Journal recently
reported that the least effective product was
chlorine bleach.]
2. More
disadvantages of chlorine bleach are as follow---
-
Bleach
loses strength rapidly: Carol Bush, area manager
for contract cleaner Central Property Services,
Pittsburgh, said a bleach/water solution left on a
shelf for any period of time will lose its
effectiveness. At the same time, said cleaning
industry educator William Griffin, Cleaning
Consultant Services Inc, Seattle, bleach loses its
effectiveness quickly when being used, “gassing off”
before most disinfecting can be accomplished.
-
Bleach can
hide dirt: The bleach can make some soil
transparent, leading a cleaner to think he/she has
actually cleaned a surface when in fact the soil
remains there, said Michael Smith, academic custodial
supervisor, Western Washington University, Bellingham,
WA.
-
Bleach
damages floor finishes: Bleach attacks floor
coatings, eating away at their effectiveness.
-
Bleach
damages fibers, carpets etc.
-
Bleach
corrodes hard surfaces: Metals and other surfaces
can not only be corroded, but discolored.
-
Bleach causes health concerns:
Improper use of bleach – either using too much or
mixing it with certain products – such as those that
contain ammonia hydrochloric acid, acetic acid and
phosphoric acid – can create hazardous health
conditions.
[Another bleach
health hazard: bleach can contaminate groundwater.]
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Comparison of Commercial
Products versus Home-Made Alternatives such as using Bleach
Often people choose to
use home-made alternatives to commercial cleaning products
because they believe that naturally occurring or naturally
derived substances are less toxic and better for the
environment than commercial products. However, scientists have
not found a correlation between naturalness, toxicity, or
environmental compatibility. In fact, some of the most toxic
substances in existence are naturally occurring substances.
Furthermore, commercial products are tested in terms of
effectiveness, safety, and environmental compatibility.
Nonetheless, if you
choose to use a homemade cleaning solution, you MUST
use precautions.
In addition to the
factors listed in the following table, there are safety
factors that should be considered before making or using a
homemade cleaning product. For instance, you should NEVER mix
cleaning solutions. This is especially important because
products that are safe when used separately can become
hazardous if mixed with another product. An example of this
type of product is chlorine bleach. NEVER mix chlorine bleach
or a product containing chlorine bleach with ammonia or any
product containing ammonia or with any acidic products such as
toilet bowl cleaners. If these products are mixed, toxic gases
can be released. Furthermore, mixing household chemicals can
also result in heat or explosion or household chemicals can
become less effective if mixed with another chemical. Still
yet, some household solutions simply do not work well or at
all. This is of particular concern when individuals are trying
to disinfect a surface, or kill disease causing
microorganisms.
The following table
outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of
commercial products and homemade alternatives.
| Commercial Products |
Home-Made Alternatives |
| Meet Federal Safety
Regulations |
Not Subject to
Federal Regulations |
| Proper Precautionary
Labeling |
No Precautionary
Labeling |
| Ingredients Known to
Poison Control Centers |
Ingredients May Not
be Known to Poison Control Centers |
| Child-Resistant
Closures Where Needed |
Usually No
Child-Resistant Closures |
| Packaging Compatible
with Formulation |
Packaging May Not Be
Compatible |
| Formulation Stable |
Product May Degrade
in Package |
| Won't Grow Harmful
Bacteria |
May Grow Harmful
Bacteria |
| Won't Harm Goods When
Used as Directed |
May Harm Valuable
Possessions |
| Careful Quality
Control |
Varies By Consumer
Skill |
| Evaluated for Safety
and Environmental Compatibility |
Not Evaluated for
Safety or Environmental Compatibility |
Source: The Consumer Products Handbook:
A Comprehensive Guide to Today's Household
Chemical Products. (1992) Chemical Specialties
Manufacturers Association, Inc
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Mold pictures
plus information on the health effects of
Absidia
mold,
Alternaria
mold,
Aspergillus
mold,
Aureobasidium
mold,
Chaetomium
mold,
Cladosporium
mold,
Exserohilum
mold,
Fusarium
mold,
Microsporum
mold,
Mucor
mold,
Penicillium
mold,
Rhinocladiella
mold,
Rhizopus
mold,
Stachybotrys
toxic
black mold, and
Trichoderma
mold----visit
www.blackmoldpicture.com
Also visit:
Mold Training &
Mold Certification information
and procedures.
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Helpful Environmental
Websites |
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