My Health
This page is for our customers who would like further information about toxic mould — what it is, how to detect it, and how it can affect your health.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all moulds have the potential to cause serious health effects. Moulds can produce allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or even asthma attacks in people allergic to mould. Others are known to produce potent toxins and/or irritants. Stachybotrys (black mould), Aspergillus, and Penicillium are three of the most dangerous and commonly found indoor toxic moulds. Moulds can even grow inside your lungs, nose and throat.
In recent years, mould and so-called “toxic mould” has become the subject of mounting health concerns as well as numerous lawsuits. Because the scientific explanations of mould are both complex and technical, numerous misconceptions have crept into the popular perception of toxic mould and its dangers. These misconceptions only add to the widespread fear of mould at home, in schools, in the workplace, and elsewhere. And coverage in the media and on many websites has often been misleading or inaccurate.
What Is Mould and Where Does It Grow?
Mould is a form of fungus that grows both indoors and outdoors and thrives in warm, damp, and humid environments. There are over a thousand different varieties of indoor mould, and the good news is that the presence of a moderate amount of mould in your home is generally not harmful to your health. Most health problems related to mould exposure arise only when there is a build-up of high concentrations of mould for some reason.
Mould spreads by generating spores, and like so many nuisances in life, mould spores are able to survive for long periods even in harsh, dry environments in which mould itself could not grow — which is one of the things that makes mould so hard to eliminate. Mould spores are invisible to the eye and can become airborne — an important consideration during efforts to clean up and eliminate a mould infestation.
Where mould is found?
Some amount of mould is more or less everywhere all the time. Its many forms are so common and it travels so easily that trying to make your home or any other building totally mould-free would be next to impossible. But high concentrations of mould — which might result from water damage or moisture build up, for example — can be cleaned up and eliminated.
Detecting and preventing mould
You may detect mould by seeing it (usually in the form of spots of almost any colour) or smelling its musty odour. Once mould can be detected either by sight or smell, it may have built up a high enough concentration to present a health hazard, and you should take steps to eliminate it (a procedure called “mould remediation”).
How can mould affect your health?
Many moulds can cause health effects. Moulds produce allergens, irritants and, sometimes, toxins that may cause adverse reactions in humans. A reaction to mould depends on how much a person is exposed to, the age of the person and the person’s sensitivities or allergies. The same amount of mould may cause health effects in one person, but not in another.
Exposure to mould can cause a variety of symptoms. Sensitive people who have touched or inhaled mould or mould spores may have allergic reactions such as a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, watery eyes, skin rash and itching (dermatitis). Moulds can trigger asthma attacks in people who are allergic to moulds, causing wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. A disease like pneumonia may also develop after exposure to mould, but this is uncommon.
Infectious diseases from moulds can occur in people with weakened immune systems, such as those who are immune-compromised or immune-suppressed from drug treatment. Some types of mould are known to cause infections in immune-compromised people. Such infections can affect the skin, eyes, lungs or other organs. These are considered opportunistic infections that usually do not affect healthy people.
Toxicity
The toxic effects from mould are actually associated with exposure to toxins on the surface of the mould, in the air, or through skin contact. Studies have shown that these mycotoxins (organisms that are toxic to higher plants and animals, including humans) can produce upper respiratory tract irritation and rashes. When the mould was substantially reduced, the symptoms disappeared. For more information on the toxicity of moulds, please contact us and we can provide you with additional research.