What All Homeowners Need To Know About Los Angeles Mold Removal

Are you a Los Angeles homeowner? If so, do you currently have a mold problem? Even if you don?t have a mold problem right now, there may come a time when your home develops one in the future. Although mold is often talked about in a negative way, it is something that many homeowners have to deal with. The problem is that many homeowners do not realize how serious mold can be. That is why many choose to not have their homes undergo a Los Angeles mold removal project, even when it needs it.

One of the many reasons why some Los Angeles homeowners choose to not have their homes undergo a Los Angeles mold removal project is because many are misinformed. It is time that those misconceptions got cleared up. If you are a Los Angeles homeowner, there are a few things that you need to know about Los Angeles mold removal. Those important things or points are outlined below.

One thing that you need to remember about mold is that it is often difficult to tell what kind of mold you have. There are a number of books or online websites that can help you determine what type of mold that you have, but it can still be difficult to make an accurate diagnosis. What does this mean for you? This means that you could actually have a dangerous, potentially deadly mold growing in your home and not even realize it.

Another thing that you need to remember, as a Los Angeles homeowner, is that Los Angeles mold removal projects are important. As it was previously mentioned, there are many types of mold that can be considered dangerous and even deadly, like black mold. Having your home undergo a professional Los Angeles mold removal project could help to save your life or even your kid?s lives, if you have any. It is a known fact that children are more open to illnesses due to direct contact or even close contact with mold.

It is also important that you remember cost. It has been noted in the past that a professional Los Angeles mold removal project can cost a fairly large amount of money. In all honesty, the cost of a Los Angeles mold removal project depends on a number of different factors. Those factors include the Los Angeles mold removal expert hired, the type of mold being removed, the size of the area that needs treatment, and the time it takes for the mold removal project to be completed. It is also possible for you to find an affordable Los Angeles mold removal expert with a little bit of research. However, no matter what the cost, it is important that you have any mold in your home removed, as quickly as possible.

If you are unsure as to whether or not your home actually has a mold problem, you are still advised to contact a mold removal expert. Many Los Angeles mold removal experts not only specialize in mold removal, but also mold testing.

Tobin Rutherford is a writer for Acme Abatement . com where you can find an accurate guide to Los Angeles Mold Removal and other related information.

Warning!!! Deadly Swimming Molds

Invades crops causes billions in lost revenues and millions starve to death.

Ok the title is a bit over the top but in a round about way it is true. Many swimming molds live in and swim through the thin film of water on wet plant leaves and ruin many important crops during extra wet growing seasons. These molds often have a very negative effect on agriculture and are directly responsible for the deadly Irish Potato Famine.

Some make their homes in moist frog skin and cause a deadly disease that has been decimating frog populations around the world for several decades now. While others cause a common fuzzy white growth of mold on tropical fish.

These molds in at least some stages of their complex life cycles propel themselves through water with the aid of tiny whip like structures called flagella. Flagella are those long whip like structures that are found on some cells such as sperm cells and are one celled plant like Eugenia protozoans which push themselves through water.

In his book The Fifth Kingdom Dean Kendrick noted mycologist (mold biologist) discusses three phyla (large groupings) of swimming molds.

1) PHYLUM CHYTRIDIOMYCOTA

The first group is known as chytridiomycota these are true fungi and they have a single flagellum at the rear of the cell, this flagellum propels the mold cell through the water just like the flagellum at the rear of a sperm cell propels sperm cells. Around 1998, Joyce Longcore determined that a type of chytridiomycete mold was causing the death of many frogs around the world by infecting their skin. You may not have heard of it but widespread frog deaths have been a serious concern for decades now.

2) PHYLUM HYPHOCHYTRIOMYCOTA

The 2nd group that Dean goes on to discuss is the kingdom Chromista phylum hyphochytriomycota. They have a single hairy flagellum at the front. Though similar to the above molds, these are not true molds.

3) PHYLUM OOMYCOTA

The Third group is the kingdom Chromista phylum oomycota, they seem to be split and cannot make a clear decision on if it is better to have one smooth flagellum at the rear or to have a hairy one at the front, so the oomycetes have opted for two flagella at the side, one of the two is a hairy flagellum that points to the front and the other is a smooth one that points to the rear.

Oomycetes make up the water molds that cause many common fungal infections in fish including tropical aquarium fish, as well as downy mildew that cause serious crop damage around the world every year. Most importantly oomycetes caused the Irish Potato Famine. This famine caused the death of one million Irish people and caused millions to emigrate from Ireland including the ancestors of Al McNamara of Abode Inspections, one of America?s first ASHI home inspectors. He was my mentor and introduced me to the home inspection field in 1993.

Some of the above organisms have a flagellum during its reproductive state only while a few exist as a single celled flagellated mold its entire life. Most of the above live in water, moist soil, or in the thin film of water on wet plant leaves. A few even live on the surface of single grains of flower pollen. Obviously, none of the above water molds are common in moldy homes. However, it is interesting to understand that these microscopic molds swim and cause serious negative impacts on humans, plants, and animals around the world.

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 http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Mold Testing Methods Surface Samples

When a mold inspector takes bulk, tape, carpet/dust, or swab samples, spore numbers are not compared quantitatively to outdoor levels. Thus, the number of spores in these types of samples often are not as meaningful as the numbers found in air samples. Also, because the air is not being tested, your inspector cannot say for sure how much if any of the mold sampled from surfaces is in the air you are breathing. However, these samples can be helpful because they typically provide the analyst with more than just the mold spores so that identification of mold type can be more accurately conducted by viewing various structures of the mold, not just spores. In addition to providing more structure for direct microscopic examination, bulk samples are sometimes grown in the lab or run through PCR testing for analysis to the species level.

Mold Testing with Tape

When a tape sample of actual mold from a moldy surface is taken using Biotope, a clear piece of Scotch Tape, or a sticky Cyclex slide, the sample will often show entire mold structures including spore forming structures and hyphea. These can be used to confirm mold growth more confidently and rule out the possibility that the sample was just settled spores only.

Mold Testing of Bulk Samples

When a bulk sample of actual mold or moldy material is sent to a lab, the lab may use clear Scotch Tape to take a sample from the bulk mold material for examination under the microscope. The lab may culture some of the bulk mold specimen in a petri dish for analysis of the colonies to the species level.

Mold Testing of Carpet Dust

When a dust sample is analyzed it may be place on a slide for direct examination to view spores hidden in the dust directly. This is a very common method used by most mold inspectors labs and has become accepted in the industry. This popular method may be helpful but many spores are not seen because spores are hidden behind dust, or the spores blend in well with dust. The lab will often report very low spore levels even if the carpet sampled was obviously very moldy. This inspector has seen this happen many times with various dust samples tested at different labs. When studies are done on what are normal and what are elevated spore levels in carpet dust, the scientist working on the projects and the mold labs they utilize for dust analysis use very different methods for analysis.

They wash the dust and dust filter out of the collector with a mild solvent and culture the spores in a petri dish. This method will typically reveal tens of thousands of spores or even hundreds of thousands or millions of spores. Your inspector must be aware of the different methods and the different results to be expected when interpreting dust sample results.

Mold Testing with Swabs

A sterile swab provided by a microbiology lab is sometimes used for sampling. This inspector dislikes this method because unlike when using tape, the mold structures are always broken up when using swabs. Therefore, meaningful mold structure identification and spore counting cannot be done when testing mold with swabs. Many poorly trained mold inspectors will use a swab on nearly every inspection done, not because of a well thought out sampling plan, but simply because the lab gave them swabs.

Daryl Watters has a bachelors degree in education for teaching biology and general science and is a certified mold inspector, certified home inspector, and certified indoor environmentalist providing building inspections in South Florida since 1993. For more information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Will Toxic Black Mold In My Home Poison Me?

Toxic black mold or stachybotrys is found by certified mold inspectors about 6% of the time in indoor air samples and about 1% of the time in outdoor samples.

According to literature and according to this inspectors experience it grows almost exclusively on very wet cellouse containing materials including paper, carpet backings, ceiling tile, and especially on drywall.

It is the most feared of all molds, due to the numerous news reports, newspaper articles, and magazine articles attributing possible brain damage, infant deaths, expensive property damage and other horrible consequences surrounding its growth in residential settings.

Many molds produce mycotoxins (toxic chemicals that molds use in a type of microbial warfare). Living things that do not possess claws, fangs, or a hard shell to use in self defense or fast legs to run away from predators, will typically revert to the use of camouflage or the production of poisons. This is very common in nature.

In reality, toxic molds like Stachybotrys also known as toxic black mold and others may have to be either consumed in mold contaminated foods, or physically handled so that excessive physical contact is made between human skin and the mold in order for toxic reactions to develop. At this time most scientists do not believe that breathing in toxic mold spores can have toxic effects on humans when inhaled at the levels typically encountered in homes and offices.

Public opinion may not be in support of the above statement and in the future we may find that the above statement is not true and perhaps one day we will find that toxic molds cause toxic reactions via inhalation but currently scientific evidence does not support the view that toxic molds can poison you via inhalation at levels found in indoor environments. To support this statement please review the following abstract from the International Journal of Toxicology Volume 23, Number 1 / January-February 2004 pages 3 to 10.

"Risk from Inhaled Mycotoxins in Indoor Office and Residential Environments

Bruce J. Kelman A1, Coreen A. Robbins A1, Lonie J. Swenson A1, Bryan D. Hardin A1 A1 GlobalTox, Inc., Redmond, Washington, USA

Abstract:

Mycotoxins are known to produce veterinary and human diseases when consumed with contaminated foods. Mycotoxins have also been proposed to cause adverse human health effects after inhalation exposure to mold in indoor residential, school, and office environments. Epidemiological evidence has been inadequate to establish a causal relationship between indoor mold and nonallergic, toxigenic health effects. In this article, the authors model a maximum possible dose of mycotoxins that could be inhaled in 24 h of continuous exposure to a high concentration of mold spores containing the maximum reported concentration of aflatoxins B1 and B2, satratoxins G and H, fumitremorgens B and C, verruculogen, and trichoverrols A and B. These calculated doses are compared to effects data for the same mycotoxins. None of the maximum doses modeled were sufficiently high to cause any adverse effect. The model illustrates the inefficiency of delivery of mycotoxins via inhalation of mold spores, and suggests that the lack of association between mold exposure and mycotoxicoses in indoor environments is due to a requirement for extremely high airborne spore levels and extended periods of exposure to elicit a response. This model is further evidence that human mycotoxicoses are implausible following inhalation exposure to mycotoxins in mold-contaminated home, school, or office environments."

Regardless of if toxic mold can poison you with mycotoxins via inhalation, it is a fact observed by this inspector many times that mold can make some people very sick. Asthma attacks, allergies, and sinus infections from mold appear to be very common. Such conditions in turn can cause people to loose sleep, loose energy and concentration, miss work, and in general feel as if they were being poisoned by mycotoxins.

Daryl Watters has a bachelors degree in education for teaching biology and general science and is a certified mold inspector, certified home inspector, and certified indoor environmentalist providing building inspections in South Florida since 1993. For more information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Do It Yourself Home Mold Testing Kits

What are they good for?

If you feel that you have a mold problem, you can save money on a mold inspection by buying a mold testing kit from your local South Florida building supply store. The kit consists of a standard, plastic Petri dish containing a mold growth media, most likely MEA (Malt Extract Agar.) Simply open the kit and let mold spores fall in it from the ambient air above it. Within a few days, mold colonies will start to grow. Typically, you will see black, white, gray, brown, and green colonies. Colonies with both green and white are also very common. Most colonies will be fuzzy, and the mold types in the mold testing kit will usually be mostly penicillium/aspergillus-type molds, cladosporium, mucor, and a few others. It's very cheap, easy, fast, and quite interesting to see what is floating around in your air.

However the conclusion drawn from the results of this mold testing procedure is very limited. Because the kits do not draw in a given amount of air for a given amount of time, there is no way of knowing for sure if the number of spores that settle in the plate and grow into mold are just the normal expected levels of spores found in every house. Most clean houses without a serious mold problem should be expected to contain very roughly 200 to 500 mold spores per cubic meter of air. Anything over 1,000 is typically considered suspect by many mold inspectors. These numbers are just estimates and do not reflect the real world perfectly, however, similar numbers have been supported by several scientific mold studies over the years.

Since there is no control sample using outdoor mold spore testing, you will not know if the mold spores floated in from outside as is expected, or if the mold indoors is different in number and type from outdoor levels and types, which would indicate that the mold most likely grown indoors.

Also, because the mold testing was not conducted by a person trained and experienced in mold testing, you will most likely have no idea of from where the mold came, if it is likely growing inside the walls, why the mold is a problem if in fact it is a problem, or how to properly remove the mold and correct the problem that resulted in mold growth.

If you feel that you have a serious mold problem in your home or place of employment, you may want to purchase a test kit from your local building supply store. However, you will benefit much more by obtaining the services of an experienced, trained, and properly certified mold inspector, certified indoor environmentalist or certified industrial hygienist who is familiar with proper mold testing methods and:

1) Building construction and building forensics Because your mold problem is not in a Petri dish or lab it is in a building and is the result of building failure, mold testing should be done by someone who has knowledge of buildings, vapor barriers, roofing, etc.

2) Psychometrics. Psychometrics pertains to humidity, temperature, dew point and air, and a deep understanding of the interrelation of such factors is important. This is very important during Florida mold testing.

3) Biological sciences. Your mold testing professional should understand at least some basic biological and ecological science principles pertaining to microbiology or mycology (the study of mold).

4) HVAV systems. Your mold testing expert must be familiar with HVAC systems because probably 50% of mold problems are related to HVAC system malfunctions, leaks, or contamination.

5) Sampling reports. Your mold inspector should be properly trained and experienced in investigating and sampling mold, and they should know how to interpret the lab results.

6) Inspection reports. Your mold testing professional should give you a comprehensive mold inspection report documenting visual findings, environmental monitoring results, interpretation of lab results, inspector's conclusions, recommendations on how to control the mold problem and more. A report from the lab alone will only result in you hiring another inspector to get the interpretation of the results. Look to A Accredited for a qualified inspector who has a college degree in education for teaching biology and general science, has health inspection experience, has extensive home and building inspection experience, has earned not one but three mold inspection certifications and also who is a certified indoor environmentalist certified by The Indoor Air Quality Association.

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 http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Mold Spores In Your Home

The below information was not provided as final and defenitive mold spore level specifications because health responses to mold spore exposures differ from person to person. Also, health responses to mold spores can be affected by the length of time you are exposed to spores, the size or type of spore you are exposed to, the levels of dust mite and roach allergens, individual sensitivity to allergens, emotional stress, general health, as well as other substances and factors that have not yet been discovered by mold inspectors. Thus, as a result mold spore levels alone at your property cannot always be relied on to always answer questions such as "Are molds in my environment making me sick."

The following information is just offered as some general helpful information and should not be relied on as any type of medical advise, see your doctor if you feel sick.

"Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments" published in 2000 by the New York City Department of Health."

The most widely accepted guideline by mold inspectors to help determine if indoor mold spore levels are indicative of a possible mold problem is the comparison of indoor and outdoor mold spore levels. Indoor mold spore levels should be similar to or lower than levels found outdoors, and the types of mold spores found indoors should be similar to types found outdoors. Most mold inspectors, certified indoor environmentalist, and industrial hygienists also will generally support the above mentioned comparison method and have determined that indoor mold spore levels should be similar in number and type to outdoor mold spore levels and types. The below listed organizations and governing bodies also support the above view.

ACGIH 1989, Canada M&H CO. 1991, ACGIH 1993, OSHA 1994, and Brazil 2000.

Burge 1990

If indoor microbial aerosols qualitatively differ from outdoor, and indoor levels are consistently more than double the outdoor levels and exceed 1000 cfu per cubic meter of air, investigate.

The following are additional helpful general guidelines all from well known and respected industry experts.

They show actual numbers of spores or coloney forming units per cubic meter of air.

Remember that> means greater than so

> 1,000 contamination means greater than 1,000 spores per cuic meter or air indicates indoor fungal contamination.

OSHA 1992 findings

> 1,000 Contamination

ACGIH 1993 Findings

> 1,000 High

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

(Air Sampling Instruments for Evaluation of Atmospheric Contaminants 1995)

100 cfu or less per cubic meter of air is low.

100 cfu to 1000 cfu per cubic meter of air is intermediate.

1000 or more cfu per cubic meter of air is high.

Much of the below information is from Worldwide Mold Exposure Standards for Mold and Bacteria, Robert C. Brandys, PhD, MPH, PE, CIH, CSP, CMR and Gail M. Brandys, MS, CSP, CMR:

Brazil Government Findings 2002

100-500 normal indoor mold spore levels per cubic meter of air, can be higher in summer.

Norway Government Findings
2,000 Health complaints.

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology/National Allergy Bureau findings 2002

1 - 6,499 Low- Only individuals extremely sensitive to these pollens and molds will experience symptoms.

6,500 - 12,999 Moderate - Many individuals sensitive to these pollens and molds will experience symptoms.

13,000-49,999 High Most individuals with any sensitivity to these pollens and molds will experience symptoms.

50,000 Very High - Almost all individuals with any sensitivity at all to these pollens and molds will experience symptoms.

Extremely sensitive people could have severe symptoms.

Please note that the above National Allergy Burear findings are not trying to indicate what are expected spore levels, but what levels may effect various populations if exposed to such levels outdoors. By no means should you try and use the above findings to determine what moderate indoor spore levels are. They they are not talking about indoor spore levels but outdoor spore levels. Your indoor levels should in most cases be several times lower than outdoor levels.

Caoimhin P. Connell

As a general rule, the normal indoor total fungal spore counts across the central portion of the U.S. (bounded by a latitude of, say, 35? north to 45? north), for healthy buildings (buildings not experiencing fungal problems) is usually less than 500 counts per cubic meter (counts/m3); with indoor concentrations exceeding 900 counts/m3 less than 15% of the time.4

According to my database, the viable fungi concentrations of non-symptomatic, healthy environments is not dissimilar; 383 colony forming units per cubic meter of air (CFU/m3), with a 95% probability that one sample in five (21%) samples will exceed 900 CFU/m3.

The above information is from Caoimh?n P. Connell. who is a Colorado area mold expert with over 20 years experience as an industrial hygienist, he is also a law enforcement officer specializing in the identification and processing of clandestine drug labs.

He has served on three of the ASTM International Standards Committees: D22 (Indoor Air Quality), E30 (Forensic Sciences) and the E50 (Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action).

Recommended References Materials on Indoor Spore Levels For Mold Inspectors
*Worldwide Mold Exposure Standards for Mold and Bacteria, Robert C. Brandys, PhD, MPH, PE, CIH, CSP, CMR and Gail M. Brandys, MS, CSP, CMR

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.florida-mold-inspection.com http://www.freemoldinspectionreporting.com

How To Identify Toxic Black Mold

Stachybotrys not always, but almost always exhibits a circular growth pattern forming round colonies of about 1 inch or less to about 1 foot across approximately. Sometimes the circles are complete.

Other times, the circles are incomplete and form semi circles or crescent moon shapes when one side of the colony grows but the other side does not grow well, possibly due to a lack of moisture or competition with other mold types on the weaker growing side of the colony. Also, the mold often forms concentric circles of one circle inside another circle. When this or most molds grows in areas where building materials have been very wet for an extended period of time, such as months as opposed to days or just a few weeks, then the colonies grow into each other this is referred to as confluent growth and the circles are not longer distinguishable and all you see is irregular black patches of mold growth on the wall.

Stachybotrys is an extremely dark black mold. It is often reported to be shiny or slimy in appearance, however, from personal experience, this is only true when the mold is wet. When it is dry, it can be very dark black and powdery. Please note that all the above descriptions will sound wrong to a mold lab tech because the above are descriptions of how the mold looks when it grows on walls. In a Petri dish the same mold probably does not grow in concentric circles and it looks more fuzzy and may start out whitish, and it turns black later as it produces spores. In Identifying Filamentous Fungi by Guy St-Germain and Richard Summerbell the mold growing in a petri dish can be white, pink, orange, or black on the surface; bottom of the colony can be pale, orange, pink or black.

Stachybotrys requires high-cellulose, low-nitrogen food source, such as drywall or cardboard and very soaking wet conditions for an extended period of time. It is a slow grower. I have seen thousands of Stachybotrys colonies and have never seen it growing on metal objects, air conditioning ducts, or clothes. Its most common habitats in homes appears to be on the underside of wet carpets, or the bottom of wet cardboard boxes or other papers, or on the surface of drywall materials. When it grows on drywall, it is actually growing on the thin paper that coats both surfaces of the drywall.

Daryl Watters has a bachelors degree in education for teaching biology and general science and is a certified mold inspector, certified home inspector, and certified indoor environmentalist providing building inspections in South Florida since 1993. For more information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Mold Biology And Mold Related Heath Issues

BASIC MOLD BIOLOGY:

Fungi share some basic similarities with plants and bacteria but are not plants nor are they bacteria. They are in their own kingdom, the Fungi Kingdom.

The terms mold and mildew are often used interchangeably by lay persons, but according to some more specific definitions, mildew is a powdery growth that attacks and grows on living plants while molds are often fuzzy and grow on all sorts of moist surfaces. Molds, mildews, and other fungi usually reproduce by forming and releasing spores into the air. Most indoor spores are just 3 to 15 microns across, some spores are a few hundred microns long but these are still just a few microns across. The human eye can at best see objects that are 10 or more microns across. Toxins known as mycotoxins and also allergens are found primarily in the spores of various molds. These substances can be found in live or dead spores.

TOXIC MOLDS

Mycotoxins are chemicals that are sometimes produced by various species of toxic mold. These toxins are real and are powerful weapons used by toxic molds in a sort of microbial warfare to help them compete against bacteria and other molds. Toxic molds are common in Florida, but mold spores in residential settings, even if they are potentially toxic producing types and at high levels, are not automatically at high enough levels to result in toxic effects on humans via inhalation. It takes a lot of inhaled spores to poison a person. Currently, disagreement exists as to if residential mold spore exposures levels are ever high enough to result in toxic effect on humans. Toxic effects of mold mycotoxins in humans and farm animals leading to serious illness and even death via accidental ingestion of toxic mold, etc. have been well documented in scientific literature. Effects of heavy exposure to mold toxins are many, but just two of the more common effects are immuno suppression and liver cancer. Mycotoxins are believed to result in headaches, sore throats, hair loss, flu symptoms, diarrhea, fatigue, dermatitis, general malaise (tiredness) and psychological depression." (Croft et al, 1986, Jarvis, 1995). "Other reported responses to mycotoxin exposure includes skin rashes, lesions of the skin and gastrointestinal tract, and interference with blood cell formation." (Sorenson 1993).

Human and horse exposure to Stachybotrys mold infested hay that caused toxic reactions in the Ukraine around the 1920's or the 1930's is well documented. Industrial level exposures of mycotoxins such as at peanut processing facilities, composting facilities, or farms has caused documented toxigenic and severe allergenic problems. Countless farm animals have died as a result of eating food contaminated with toxic molds, in one extreme example that occurred in the mid 1960's 100,000 turkeys died in England after consuming moldy food shipped from Brazil. The causative agent was aflotoxin from Aspergillus flavus mold. In several such cases of human and animal exposure mycotoxin poisoning is well documented by scientists and doctors. For more information on documented cases and on mycotoxocosis refer to The Fifth Kingdom, by Brice Kindrick or Bioaerosols from ACGIH by Harriett Burge.

It is very important to not panic but to keep in mind that to accomplish the above serious detrimental effects, toxic molds like Stachybotrys and others may have to be either:

1. consumed in mold contaminated foods,
2. physically handled so that excessive physical contact is made between human skin and the mold, or
3. the mycotoxins have to be exposed to living cells in the laboratory.

Various studies have shown that the levels of mycotoxins encountered by breathing mold spores in your home or office appear to be far too low to cause toxic reactions in humans. Of course future studies may or may not change this current opinion held by many researches. Synergistic effects of various indoor pollutants and different mycotoxins mixing together may be more powerful than individual mycotoxin exposures. Fortunately scientists are not in the business of performing full fledged toxicity studies on human subjects.

However, asthma attacks, allergies, and sinus infections from mold appear to be very common and can give you just as much trouble as if you were being poisoned.

INFECTIOUS MOLDS

According to a Mayo clinic study, sinusitis caused by growth of fungus fibers or balls of fungus fibers in the sinus cavities is not unusual. This is typically caused by common Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Curvularia species. Aspergillosis caused by the growth of aspergillus species in the lungs most commonly A.fumigatus, A. flavus, A. Niger and A. territus species typically occurs in persons with compromised immune systems or a history of lung disease that resulted in past lung damage. Common Candida albicans that causes yeast infections is a major cause of serious nosocomial (hospital acquired) fungal infections. Histoplasma capsulatium and Cryptococcus neoformans are very dangerous yeast like molds that should be assumed to be present in any bird droppings but are primarily a concern when spread to humans via inhalation of particles from accumulations of pigeon, starling, and bat droppings. Coccidioides immitis mold spores are spread from dusty soil in the southwestern United States, it sometimes causes valley fever but at other times the same fungus can be deadly. Nearly any fungi can cause infections in persons with severely compromised immune systems.

Detection of infectious fungi such as but not limited to the above listed ones and identification of fungi to determine the species is not part of most mold inspections.

ALLERGY ASTHMA AND HYPERSENSITIVITY DISEASES

An allergic reaction occurs when your body?s immune system mistakes harmless proteins in mold spores or other allergens as if these proteins were harmful microbes trying to infect your body. Your body?s immune system, feeling threatened releases histamines into the blood stream and these histamines are what actually causes coughing, sneeze, and watering of the eyes. Other person?s immune systems will not mistake proteins in mold spores as a microbial threat, and thus not develop allergic reactions. Asthma is a condition where the small air sack like structures in the lungs called alveoli can contract and exhale air, but cannot properly expand to bring in new air. Mold as well as other substances are common triggers of asthma. Mold-related allergenic and asthmatic conditions in homes are very common and very serious and should be addressed and not ignored. Many serious hypersensitivity diseases in humans, such as baker's lung, wood workers lung and others are the result of exposures to molds by persons working in industries that result in long term exposure to elevated spore levels. Hypersensitivity diseases have long been well documented in science and the medical field. According to Bioaerosols assessment and control hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a hypersensitivity disease that results from the long term repeated exposure to elevated mold spore levels or other antigens, this condition can occur at in industry or agriculture where spore levels are high, it may also occur in moldy offices or homes, it produces pneumonia like symptoms with fever, cough, tightness of chest, lung infiltrates, and difficulty breathing. Once sensitized, individuals may react to extremely low, often un measurable, concentrations of antigenic materials.

Organic dust toxic syndrome is a flu like illness that results from a short term exposure to very high levels of spores, such as the levels that may be encountered by workers doing large mold remediation jobs without wearing protective respirators. Symptoms show up several hours or a day or so after exposure and symptoms go away after a day or a few days.

Daryl Watters has a bachelors degree in education for teaching biology and general science and is a certified mold inspector, certified home inspector, and certified indoor environmentalist providing building inspections in South Florida since 1993. For more information visit http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com

Deadly And Toxic Black Molds

When to talk on Molds, its removal and troubling aspects, the first thing we should know what is mold. Molds are neither animal nor plant. Molds, microscopic organisms of fungi kingdom produce the enzyme to digest organic part of the human body and spores to reproduce.

The studies show that Fungi like mildew have the well defined link with the ubiquitous airborne allergens and cause human disease especially in respiratory tracts. Stachybotrys are renowned as the black molds that are highly toxic and cause fatal pulmonary disorder. In addition to this there are some several health issues like allergies, sinus, asthma and deadly cancer are the courteous to molds.

Molds generally grow most common areas like papers, wooden surface, concrete stature, winter insulation and potted painted houses. In nature molds play an important part in decomposition in plant leaves, wood, food particles and other plant debris. Mildew is kind of a mold that is used to grow on the inaccessible areas of the houses or in commercial buildings.

Mildew are retained the presence with out any urge of food. Initially it is found that the mildew has become the visible threat when it comes in front of the eyes for the first time with tiny shape. After some time it turns itself into the bigger colonies.

There are some several ways to set steps for mold removal. They are the most renowned and easy steps to remove molds from the house or the commercial buildings.

Stop all water leaks first. Repair leaking roofs and plumbing fixtures. Move water away from concrete slabs and basement walls and allow then remain dry most of the time.

Increase air circulation within your home, especially along the inside of exterior walls, and ventilate with fresh air from outside.

Provide warm air to all areas of the home. Move large objects away from the inside of exterior wall just a few inches to provide good air circulation.

Install and use exhaust fans in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms to make the air circulation uphold. Ventilate and insulate attic and crawl spaces. Cover earth floors in crawl spaces with heavy plastic.

Clean and dry water damaged carpets, clothing, bedding, and upholstered furniture within 24 to 48 hours, or consider removing and replacing damaged furnishings.

Vacuum and clean your home regularly.

To stay free from the molds and mildews the natural mold removal ingredients are of immense help. The natural mold cleaners contain no harsh fumes, chemicals and even no harmful acid and it also ensures the hygienic atmosphere in the premises.

Mold can take over a home or business. Find out which mold removal products can destroy before it spreads. Learn which mold cleaners can block mold from returning.

Delicious Moldy Cheese Was Thought To Be First Eaten Over 1000 Years Ago

Blue Veined Moldy Cheese

Some varieties of blue veined moldy cheese are protected by their country of origin and may only be called by those names if they actually originate from those countries; some examples of those are Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and Stilton.

Gorgonzola blue veined moldy cheese is thought to have been created around 879 it is commonly known as the eldest of the blue cheeses though the blue-veins were not recorded to be present until the eleventh century. Roquefort was likely invented around 1070, the flavor is sharp, rich, and often has a crumbly texture.

Stilton is the newest of the moldy cheeses which was developed during the eighteenth century; many other styles of blue cheese are available to purchase today but none may be given the same name unless they are imported from that country.

Roquefort cheese was so popular for a time that many other cheeses were made to attempt to fill the demand for the prized Roquefort cheese. The attempts at recreating the moldy cheese was abandoned after a time either because of the cost of reproducing the method was too high or because of political maters, the definite reason is unclear.

Most moldy cheeses are made from cows milk enzymes are added to the milk to start the curdling process. For the moldy cheese to achieve the blue veins an editable mold is added to the curd mixture during processing or injected with the proper molds; the culturing crates a pungent aroma, strong and salty flavor, and are often served crumbled or melted on other foods.

Like many other old French cheeses the moldy cheeses are often aged in caves for the cool consistent temperatures; today the cheese is processed in temperature and moisture controlled environments which enhance the growth of the desired mold.

A Scottish blue cheese is made from sheep mild; the moldy cheese has blue-green veins is traditionally strongly flavored and salty. All blue cheeses are white with the exception of the blue or green veins of mold which give the cheese its distinct name; the moldy cheese is a favorite of cheese connoisseurs.

Blue veined moldy cheeses are present in many common products in America, blue cheese dips and dressings are among the most popular; in America only blue cheeses which are pasteurized are sold to the public because of United States Department of Agriculture steep requirements for health and safety.
Ann Marier has written many articles on health issues and useful house and garden Topics. Latest articles are about types of cheese and their uses

What Black Mold Likes To Grow On: Your House's Trouble Spots

If you dug out some old boxes full of musty stuff from your attic, you might expect there to be a little mold on things, especially if you live in a humid environment. But, mold is probably growing somewhere in you house right now, and you don't even know it. That's why it's important to know what black mold likes to grow on. It's the first step to getting rid of it.

What mold likes to grow on is determined by what mold needs to thrive. Mold needs food, a good temperature, and water. In general, wherever there's water you can expect to find mold.

Mold isn't picky either. It doesn't just strike old, musty, dirty houses. If it has a chance, it will grow all over your nice, new, clean house. So, don't give it a chance!

Here are things mold commonly likes to grow on.

In The Kitchen

Of course, mold likes to grow on food. It's not always the dreaded black mold; it may be its less toxic cousin, the slimy green one. Either way, it's ugly and disgusting. The mold that grows on food is not so dangerous, but seal it in plastic before you throw it out just in case.

Mold also likes to grow in cabinets. You should check from time to time. Basically, any place that is dark and closed up, and might get a little water in it, is a breeding ground for mold.

Sinks, drying racks and other places that get lots of water are also favorite hang-outs of black mold.

In The Bathroom

The biggie here is shower tiles. You've probably seen black mold growing there before, or its friend orange mold. The wall material behind your tiles is delicious for black mold, so it gets carried away and starts growing around the tiles where human eyes can see it.

Just like in the kitchen, mold likes to be close to the water source in a somewhat hidden place. This means sinks, counters, cabinets and anywhere else that gets a little water. For more info see http://www.toxicblackmoldhelp.org/resource_sites.html

Anywhere In The House

Mold likes hidden-away places. On the walls, mold likes to grow behind things such as pictures or mirrors. If you haven't moved your pictures for cleaning in a while, check and see if our black moldy friend is hanging out there. Wallpaper, because it is porous, is also a great place for mold to live. Keep tabs on your wallpaper so you don't have to remove it all someday because of an infestation of our little friend.

Carpets are wonderful vacations spots for mold. If you ever have any water damage, you may have to remove the carpet if it gets bad. One good way to tell if you have mold in your carpets is just to sniff.

Mold can live in dust and lint. If you keep your house well dusted, you'll reduce black mold problems.

In The Basement

You may have a tenant you don't know about, living in your basement and not paying rent. Mold loves the dark, humid basement. It especially likes the walls and ceilings, where water is often running amok. You may also have mold growing around the concrete on the floor.

In The Attic

The attic is also ideal. It's a place that doesn't get much ventilation, so it's great for black mold. Houses with wooden beams in the attic are particularly favored.

In The Hidden Places

Mold loves crawlspaces, wall cavities, and any other place it can hide. You may be suffering from black mold-related health symptoms and not even know it, because our little friend is hanging out in your house and you can't find him.

Another fave place is inside your heating and cooling ducts.

Mold can get used to the weather just about anywhere, but it especially loves warm humid environments. Florida, California and the Pacific Northwest have some of the worst mold problems in the US. Desert areas and high altitude areas also get hit hard with mold infestations after a big rain or storm.

The key to keeping mold spores out of your respiratory system is to find it before it finds you. That's why it's important to know what black mold likes to grow on.
You can also find more information at toxic mold growing and get mold inspection.

Mold Can Be More Harmful Than You Think

What is mold exactly? Is mold a plant or an animal? Believe it or not mold is neither plant nor animal but it actually is a fungus. Mold can be found on old crusty food, on walls and ceilings of your home. Mold can be found anywhere there is moisture. Mold can be made into Penicillin which has saved many lives. It is amazing how mold can be harmful and yet help save lives. Mildew is also another name for mold.

Mold is a living organism and has a very important role in our environment.

First of all, mold grows in areas that tend to have a great deal of moisture, darkness, and heat. Most areas you may find mold are bathrooms, pool areas and even in kitchen cabinets, floor tiles and even books. Mold can pretty much grow anywhere as long as its conditions are right. Mold spreads pretty fast and can take over a home if you don?t have the proper mold remover to fight against the spread of mold.

Mold spreads by reproducing or regenerating the cells which are called spores. These spores once airborne can latch on to clothes, skin, pets and even air condition filters. There is no way to keep mold spores from entering your home. The best way is to buy certain mildew or mold removal products. You can fight off the spread of mold and keep it at bay.

Mold can be very harmful to your health. Mold is very harmful to your lungs. Sometimes you don?t even realize there is mold in your house or work place. Mold is also very harmful to people with allergies and may trigger an allergy attack. Most of the time you do not realize that mold is making you sick until it is too late. Some of the symptoms are an excess of coughing and chest pains from coughing.

Some other symptoms are shortness of breath or even a scratchy throat.The only way to find out if you have a mold problem is to have your home or place of work inspected. It may be a little pricey but a mold technician can come out to your home and take some samples.

The technician will take some samples from outside and inside the home. This will determine if the mold spores in your home are growing more rapid than outside. You have a problem if the mold spores are growing more in the home rather than outside.

You can fight the outbreak of mold spores with special mold removal products.

There are also mold cleansers that block the mold spores to prevent the mold spores from coming back. One of the main ingredients in these mold spray is bleach. When buying a mold remover product check and see if it is odorless.

The odorless ones will not make your eyes tear when using them. Spray the infected areas and start scrubbing. You should repeat this process in one week?s time for a month and you will see a difference.

Mold is a very important part of our environment but can be a problem to humans as well. Mold can never be destroyed but it can be controlled. You can fight mold spores to keep the mold from spreading by using the correct mold removal products. It is so ironic that mold can help save human life and also help take it as well.

Looking to purchase mold spray at a discounted rate? Learn what mold removal products can prevent mold from invading your home.

What Does Toxic Mold Looks Like?

Molds are simple, microscopic organisms present virtually everywhere, indoors and outdoors. Molds, including all mushrooms and yeast, are fungi and are needed to break down dead material and recycle nutrients in the environment. The longer that mold grows, the more mold damage to the building.

Most kinds of mold are harmless and human bodies can tolerate molds and mycotoxins in small quantities. In larger quantities, they can be a health hazard. A few species can cause serious and even irreparable harm in humans. One of the most dangerous kinds of toxic mold is a black mold known as Stachybotrys chartarum.

Stachybotrys chartarum is not uncommon and certainly not rare. Stachybotrys may produce compounds that have toxic properties known as mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are produced depending on what the mold is growing on, conditions such as temperature, pH and humidity. Mycotoxins can appear in both living and dead mold spores.

Mold testing can be used to identify and quantify fungi and extent of exposure so that necessary action can be implemented.

To find out if you have a Black Mold problem, you must test. You may either purchase a Do-it-Yourself Toxic Mold test kit online, go to your favorite retail store, or if you think you need a more in-depth on-site inspection contact a professional mold inspector.

Stachybotrys Chartarum occurs more frequently in animals than in humans. However, if spores are released into the air, humans certainly can come into contact with them and develop symptoms that include flu-like symptoms, respiratory problems, headaches, cognitive problems, and skin irritation.

Since common building materials are capable of sustaining mold growth and mold spores are ubiquitous, mold growth in an indoor environment is typically related to an indoor water or moisture problem.

If water enters the inside of a wall through siding degradation, leaks above, or water leaks in plumbing inside the wall, mold will grow very well in the wet indoor wall cavities.
A Certified Mold Inspector can detect mold growing inside a wall through his or her fiber optics inspection device.

Many people do not take a little visible mold growth very seriously. However, this can be an indication of a much larger mold growth in less visible places.
Mold can take on a variety of appearances, such as black, grey-brown, grey-green, white & orange spots, or even pink or purple splotches.
Lena Hilltorp is a freelance publisher based in Sweden. She publishes articles and reports and provides toxic mold resources on http://www.toxic-mold.biz/whatdoestoxicmoldlooklike/index.php and http://www.toxic-mold.biz/symptomoftoxicmold/index.php

How To Repair Black Mold On Wet Walls

If you have wet walls, you'll surely get mold. Wallboard, drywall, plywood, paper and cardboard give mold a perfect place to grow. The material made in the construction of your walls is porous, so it offers the mold a great place to live.

Stachybotrys chartarum, an infamous type of toxic black mold that has a slightly greenish-black color, is often found in wet walls. Unlike your shower mold, which is non-toxic, this mold grows often in building materials.

If you have wet walls in your house, you should remove the material immediately and make sure the black mold doesn't come back.

Getting Rid Of The Moldy Walls

One huge mistake people often make is trying to paint over the water damaged spots on their walls. This won't do anything! In face, mold can grow really well on paint.

What you have to do is take off the wet portions of the wall. Remove all the wet wall as quickly as possible, before mold has a chance to grow. Before you take it off, spray it with water from a spray bottle. All the porous wall material should be wet when you remove it, so that you won't be spreading mold spores everywhere.

Wear protective clothes, make sure the area has plenty of circulation and dispose of the moldy wall material safely. Put all the moldy stuff in plastic bags for safe removal. It's important to not let the mold spores contaminate the rest of the house.

Look closely at the dry parts to see if there's mold hiding out behind it. You can just take off a small piece of the wall near the moldy area and check. In areas where the walls are wet, there is a good chance that the adjacent dry walls will also have mold growing.

After the wet walls have been removed, spray the walls with a bleach solution. Be careful with the bleach. Mixing it with any other cleaning products can cause toxic fumes. You should only use water in your bleach solution. Make it weak; no more than 1 part bleach to 1 part water. Bleach can irritate your nose, eyes and ears. For more info see http://www.toxicblackmoldhelp.org/removing/removing_Black_Mold_On_Shirts.html

Use a scrub brush for the wall and make sure you get rid of all the mold. If some of the muck runs down to the floor, clean it up with a vacuum.

If possible, dispose of everything that has been in contact with mold. This includes drop clothes, but also the clothes that you were wearing. If you don't want to get rid of your clothes, wash them well in hot water and bleach.

Keeping The Mold Out Of Your Walls

Before you install any new stuff, make sure the wall has dried out completely. You can run a dehumidifier in your basement or wherever the wet walls were to speed up the process. Just make sure it's totally dry before you begin construction again.

When building again, there are a few materials that will help keep mold away, depending on what you plan on putting there. A concrete backer board might be helpful to keep the wall dry. If you want to use tile, put up a 1/2 inch concrete backer board. If you want to put a surround, get a green board rock. You can find concrete backer board and green board rocks at your local home supply or hardware store.

The most important thing you can do to keep mold from growing again is to keep the room dry and well-ventilated. Remember that mold likes wet, dark places and grows well on porous material. After you've cleaned up and put in new walls, check from time to time to make sure the mold hasn't come back.

You can also find more information at toxic mold exposure and stop black mold.

Black Mold Not Going Away?

Removal Black Mold

Why is Mold and Mildew in my Home and on my walls?

There could be too much moisture in your home or moisture intrusion occurring from a perimeter wall or a household appliance You should be sure to check your perimeter walls and windows to ensure you do not have a moisture problem causing black mold in your house

Check your A/C system and make sure mold spores are not liberating into the A/C duct work. One solution to musty odor and decreasing amplification is spraying Safe Shield in the Duct Work of the A/C system and handler. Safe Shield It will apply a clear coat on all the surfaces of the A/C work to prevent amplification of mold spores. Make sure why mold is in your home from here on Molds can cause property damage to the surfaces they are attached to, these surfaces will most likely be wet and high in moisture. Ensure the surfaces are and humidity of your home are protected and kept dry, with Safe Shield It the all natural solution to kill mold will create a clear coat on the surfaces where sprayed and destroy the DNA makeup of any mold spores attached to the surface.

Mold and Mildew Health Problems

Mold is usually not a problem in your home untill the toxic mold spores settle on a wet surface which becomes a great place for mold amplification to occur. Toxic mold does have the potential to become a hazardous health problem. There have been cases where the mycotoxins of mold have caused headaches, nasal problems, allergies, scratchy throat and lung and breathing problems for immuno compromised. The excrement from the mold is called Mycotoxin and this is the excrement of the toxic mold and this is the cause of the allergic reactions and health problems from the mold. Best look to an environmental consultant for more advice.

Symptoms of Black Mold

There can be allergic responses from mold including hay fever-type symptoms, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash. As allergic reactions to mold are common and can be lessened as the individual moves out of the contaminated area. When the individual goes to get fresh air or outside the high spore count area the symptoms will decrease. The symptoms can be immediate or delayed depending on the mold and individual some environmental consulting services have stated. Black Molds and toxic mold can also cause asthma attacks in people who are allergic to mold. In addition, mold exposure can irritate the throat, eyes, skin, nose, and lungs of both mold-allergic and non-allergic people.

To get rid of Black Mold
As mold spores are everywhere it is impossible to remove them all, we actually need mold spores in our everyday lives to destroy dead microscopic organism Mold problem are caused when too many mold spores are located in a contained area. The contained area can be a piece of drywall or the breathing air of your home. When these spores are liberated into the air it becomes a serious problem.

To get rid of your mold problem, you need keep your humidty and moisture balanced. You would also want to look into an all natural solution to prevent mold spores from ever attaching themselves on your different surfaces. If your surfaces become wet and have a high amount of moisture you may want to remove the source entirely and also fix the water problem. Our Safe Shield all natural solution is a great way to block and prevent mold from attaching to those suspect surfaces at home. Also the solution is a powerful system to remove and destroy there DNA makeup of mold to kill black mold forever, so long as there is no great water leakage that occurs..
Black Mold not Going Away. Try organic Safe Shield to kill and prevent mold and mildew. Helpful Free Mildew and Mold Removal tips for your indoor air quality.

 

Does Mold And Mildew Have Same Health Effects?

Mildew is Mold and has same effects

Mildew and Mold are similar organisms. They grow in your home and can cause major problems to breathing and overall health if susceptible.

How Black Mold and Mildew Get in the Home

Black Mold and Mildew grows indoors because of the humidity levels. The levels of humidity will cause moisture and mold will them magically appear. Well, not magically?.

They actually need a food source. This food source can be wood, drywall, and other materials inside the home.

How to Prevent Black Mold and Mildew

Keep things dry and if you have mildew or mold in the house. Use the correct cleaning methods. At worst you may need to remove wet building materials such as carpets or drywalls. That is if they have been wet or have moisture stains.

Moisture stains are a sure sign of mildew and mold. Sooner or later it will appear.

A Mold Cleaning simple solution.

Depending on the extent of mold and mildew. You could find a mold cleaning product that kills mold and blocks mold growth.

There are organic products available which clean mildew and block mildew. They are organic and can be very beneficial in maintaining an healthy indoor environment,

Mold Cleaning products should be a natural solution can clean mold and also prevent it. This lessens the work for you inside your home. You sometimes find someone constantly cleans and cleans and to no avail the product just does not cut it.

Find a mold killer that kills and protects for the long term. Of course no product is perfect but the simple fact that a mold cleaning product has an encapsulate that cleans and protect future growth will help your cleaning methods by decreasing them significantly.

Or you could simply use a product and keep cleaning every week or so. Especially with bathrooms and household mold. There are organic cleaning products available safe to use and should research the market for your best brand.

Discover which black mold removal product not only kills mold but also prevents it's growth ORGANICALLY. Free Mold Cleaning Information online and latest mold findings and cleaning techniques.

Mold Symptoms - Molds And Colds

Toxic Mold or Black Mold or even mildew have all been associated to one thing, the black dirt that can appear on drywall, showers, tile, and carpeting. Mold needs a source to grow a little bit of moisture and one will begin seeing the spores amplify. Living with mold can be harful to one's health. Black mold can grow in the lungs and attach itself becoming a problem to the body. The immune system can break down and even mold has been known to be found in the blood stream. Some have misunderstood black mold as being dirt or mildew. Mold and Mildew are the same, both need water to grow and a food source. Both can have spores that will cause allergies. Being around mold has caused many to have common symptoms close to a cold or flu. Be aware of mold symptoms and health effects is important to understand with black mold and mold removal.

The terms are in the same sentence because mold symptoms are very similar to cold symptoms. It can be said that mold and colds are alike because black mold can create problem in the immune system. This decrease in the immunity system will create a breakdown and system failure.

Mold and Colds are cause mostly by having to much toxins in the system. Since mold are know to cause Fungisitis, which is referred as black mold in the nose. Colds become a frequent symptom. The excess mucas which has spores which create fungus that can be counteractive to the system, especialliy if immuno-compromised. The stschybotris mold, aspergillus mold are all common and related with mold and colds. These are toxic molds that can thicken moderately in homes and become an issue if not taken care of fittingly.

If searching for mold protection, be devout to take care of any water damage events that happen in the home or offices. If a wet drywall is left untouched and not removed, you will have black mold on your walls with in the near future. Once these toxic spores superpose and sprout up they will let excrement in the air which you or your family can breathe in. Then mold and colds are working as one and cause problems in your system.

With colds, usually it is from immunity problem, stress, or over working and quite a few other things. Having mold in your system adds on to the body fighting to keep itself healthy. The mold spores will hurt the core and most likely a cold will be coming on. Your nose will begin to get stuffy and you may have some excess mucas. The best thing to do is talk to a doc who understands mold and you may want to look into an alternative solution such as an all natural mold removal product or hiring a certified mold inspector.

Safe and Organic Mold Cleaning Products that are tax free... Need free information about Mold and Mildew... Have a look at the Certified Microbial Consultant Blog.

Natural Remedies For Your Mold Allergy

Whether you have a mold allergy, gluten allergy, or any other type of allergy the time has come to learn about natural allergy treatments that will boots your immune system and adrenal system.

Most people treat the symptoms with a quick fix 12 hour relief and forget all about the reason they are suffering from allergies. Alternative treatments don?t treat symptoms they treat the underling causes which means over time you will see your allergy diminish and you?ve got to admit getting rid of that mold allergy would be really nice.

When one focuses on the nutritional supplements that will strengthen the body it can be a very personal prescription because each of us have different issues going on in our body that are making our immune system week and that applies whether you are dealing with your mold allergy or an allergy to your pet.

The object is to make your body healthy so it the signals are no longer mixed and it is able to help your body fend off those allergens. Herbs, nutrients, and natural decongestants and antihistamines can all work together. Additionally other supplements and herbs can help reduce the amount of inflammation which is part of allergies.

Your treatment for your mold allergy needs to be personal. Of course one of the things you will want to do is ensure that any mold in your own home has been killed. Your allergy program should be designed to strengthen your immune system and one of the simplest and cheapest ways to do that is with Vitamin C. It also neutralizes histamines giving you some relief from your allergy.

Let?s have a look at what relief you can get for your mold allergy and other allergies as well.

1. Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine and will improve adrenal function. Take up to 5000mg daily. Increase in 500mg increments and stop when the bowel is no longer tolerating it.

2. Vitamin B5 helps deal with stress and improve adrenal function. Take up to 1000 mg a day and split into two doses.

3. COQ10 is powerful boosting the immune system, reducing histamines, and improving heart health. Take 100mg two times a day.

4. Vitamin A is an anti inflammatory and immune booster. Take 10,000 IU twice daily.

5. Vitamin B12 reduces inflammation. Take 1000mcg in the morning.

6. Pantethine produced Coenzyme A and reduces stress. Take 300mg three times a day with your meals.

7. Omega-3 Fatty Acids will reduce allergic reactions. Take 1000mg daily.

8. Vitamin E & Selenium are immune boosters. Take 400IU of Vitamin E per day & 50mcg of selenium.

9. Magnesium relieves bronchospasms. Take 400mg daily.

10. A full spectrum digestive enzyme will enhance digestion of nutrients. Take with each meal.

There are also many herbs that can help. Remember although natural herbs are still medicines so you need to check with your doctor before taking any herb if you have a medical condition. There are herbs that will boost your immune system and there are herbs that are natural antihistamines or decongestants to help deal with your mold allergy.

1. Burdock will help clear congestion and is also good for colds.

2. Marshmallow root will help your body move mucus out.

3. Goldenseal Root will soothe inflamed membranes and it is also antibacterial.

4. Capsicum stimulates circulation and helps fight infection in the respiratory system.

That?s only a handful of natural remedies for your mold allergy. Why not get to the bottom of it?

Get all the latest information about Allergies from the only true source at http://www.1allergyinformation.com Be sure to check out our mold allergy pages.

Get Rid Of The Black Mold-like Stuff In The Basement!

If you have black mold-like stuff growing in your basement, you definitely have to get rid of it. Here are 4 good reasons to take care of your basement's black mold infection before it gets worse:

1. It's gross and unsightly. This is the simplest reason to get rid of any kind of black moldy like stuff that you find in your basement.

You might find this stuff growing around tiles, behind wallpaper, in crawlspaces, on the back of furniture, under carpets, behind drywall... basically any place dark and moist, and none of it's pretty.

Actually, if you live in a dry area or at a high altitude, you might have a worse basement mold problem than somebody in a humid area. Southern California and Arizona have some of the worst cases of moldy black stuff in basements.

2. It's bad for you. This is probably the BEST reason. Most mold is non-toxic. It causes cold-like symptoms or respiratory trouble. Some people don't even know their house is being attacked by mold, and that's why they have a stuffy nose all the time.

If you have asthma or any other kind of breathing trouble, even non-toxic mold can be fatal. Some studies have shown that kids who grow up in moldy environments end up with asthma later in life. If your kids live in the basement, you should take extra special precaution.

And, some types of mold are toxic. This means bad news for everybody in the house, and it may be hard to detect. A good place to start looking for our moldy friend is in the basement. Look for nasty black stuff!

3. It's bad for your house. When you go to sell your house, moldy black stuff will lower the property value. It costs you money to get that stuff cleaned up at the last minute. The longer you let it go the worse it gets.

Housing inspectors know that the basement is the preferred vacation spot for yucky black moldy stuff, and they go there looking for it. You may not spend much time there, but they WILL, and they have gadgets and tools so they can find all the black stuff growing in the cracks and crevices.

Bad mold and water damage can have a lasting negative impact on the structure of your house as well. If you get rid of that moldy stuff in the basement before it gets bad, you'll save yourself some serious headaches later.

4. Finally, it's contagious. If moldy black stuff would just stay where it was down in the basement, or behind the walls, we'd have no trouble. The problem is that it likes to travel. Any dark, wet place will do!

Mold can creep into your basement from the ground underneath. It's called "wicking," and it happens a lot in basements that are not properly protected from moisture. This is especially the case in dry areas where there isn't much moisture; the house builders probably didn't take mold into account when they poured the foundation.

Once it gets into the concrete, it heads up into the carpet and tiles. From there, the walls, behind wallpaper or furniture; and from there, it jumps off and flies through the air into your lungs. Visit http://www.toxicblackmoldhelp.org to learn more about black mold removal.

You might have somebody living in your basement and, not only freeloading, but sending nasty spores into your respiratory tract and making your life miserable. Go down to your basement right now and look for black mold-like stuff. And if you find it, get rid of it today!

Learn more about health symptoms from black mold sickness and removing black mold from walls.

Exposure to Mold Infestation Is a Proven and Serious Health Threat to Residents and Workers

 Many property owners, landlords, employers, and mold victim relatives in Canada, the USA, and worldwide often question or minimize the proven and serious health threat arising from exposure to elevated levels of indoor mold infestation, according to Phillip Fry, Certified Mold Inspector, Certified Mold Remediator, and author of the book Mold Health Guide.

Molds Harmful Effects

All molds have the potential to cause health effects. Molds can produce allergens that can trigger allergic reactions or even asthma attacks in people allergic to mold. Others are known to produce potent toxins and/or irritants, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A number of commonly found mold species are, in fact, toxic mold, a description applied to any mold that produces mycotoxins in its spores. Stachybotrys (black mold), Aspergillus, and Penicillium are three of the most dangerous and commonly found indoor toxic molds.

Mycotoxins are cytotoxic, meaning they have the capacity to pass through the human cellular wall and disrupt certain cellular processes potentially causing serious health damage to workers and customers.

Studies on animals and cell cultures in labs have found toxic effects from various microbial agents, raising concerns about whether these same agents growing in buildings can cause illness in people, according to the 2004 mold health report from the Institute of Medicine (U.S. Governments National Academy of Sciences).

Mold Health Symptoms

Fungi can cause health problems to both humans and animals by several different biological mechanisms: infections, allergic or hypersensitivity reactions, irritant reactions, or toxic reactions---reported a 2004 University of Connecticut Health Center report

If exposed to elevated levels of indoor mold, some or many residents and workers can experience one or more of most common, mold health symptoms: allergies, asthma, bleeding lungs, breathing difficulties, cancer, central nervous system problems, recurring colds, chronic coughing, coughing up with blood, dandruff problems (chronic) that do not go away despite use of anti-dandruff shampoos, dermatitis, skin rashes, diarrhea, and/or;

Eye and vision problems, fatigue (chronic, excessive, or continued) and/or general malaise, flu symptoms (chronic), sudden hair loss, headaches, hemorrhagic pneumonitis, hives, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, irritability, itching (of the nose, mouth, eyes, throat, skin or any other area), kidney failure, learning difficulties or mental dysfunction or personality changes, memory loss or memory difficulties; and/or

Open skin sores and lacerations, peripheral nervous system effects, redness of the sclera (white of your eyes), runny nose (rhinitis) or thick, green slime coming out of nose (from sinus cavities), seizures, sinus congestion, sinus problems, and chronic sinusitis, skin redness, sleep disorders, sneezing fits, sore throat, tremors (shaking), verbal dysfunction (trouble in speaking), vertigo (feelings of dizziness, lightheadedness, faintness and unsteadiness), and vomiting.

Mold Health Studies

Where is the proof? ask skeptical moldy home sellers, landlords, employers, and unaffected relatives of mold victims. There is actually abundant evidence about the serious impact of mycotoxins and mold exposure in human disease.

Medical studies in both the military and agricultural environments have discovered that that significant health problems can readily arise from the inhalation of elevated levels of fungal spores and toxins by soldiers and farmers.

Laboratory studies in animals and at the cellular level provide supporting evidence for direct toxicity of fungal spores and mycotoxins in mammalian lungs (University of Connecticut Health Center report in 2004).

As to asthma (one of the most common health consequences of mold exposure), a health study by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health links adult-onset asthma to workplace mold exposure---

The present (health study) results estimated that the percentage of adult-onset asthma attributable to workplace mold exposure to indoor molds and development of asthma in adulthood. Our findings suggest that indoor mold problems constitute an important occupational health hazard.

The Finnish workplace mold study estimated that the percentage of adult-onset asthma attributable to workplace mold exposure to be 35% (Reported in Environmental Health Perspectives, May, 2002).

A European Community respiratory health survey in 2002 reported that asthma patients experience more significant asthma symptoms after they become sensitized to molds such as Alternaria and Cladosporium species, and to dust mites.

Scientific evidence links mold and other factors related to damp conditions in homes and buildings to asthma symptoms in some people with the chronic asthma, as well as to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people, stated the Institute of Medicine report.

We were able to find sufficient evidence that certain respiratory problems, including symptoms in asthmatics who are sensitive to mold, are associated with exposure to mold and damp conditions. Excessive dampness influences whether mold, as well as bacteria, dust mites and other such agents, are present and thrive indoors, reported the Institute of Medicine in its mold health report on May 25, 2004.

In addition, the wetness may cause chemicals and particles to be released from building materials. A rare ailment known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis also was associated with indoor mold exposure in susceptible people, reported the Institute of Medicine.

A 1994 Harvard University School of Public Health study of 10, 000 homes in the United States and Canada found that half had conditions of water damage and mold, which was associated in the study with a 50 to 100% increase in respiratory problems for the residents of water and mold damaged homes.

Dr. David Sherris of the Mayo Clinic conducted (1999) a study of 210 patients with chronic sinus infections and found that most had allergic fungal sinusitis. The prevailing medical opinion had been [prior to the Mayo Clinic study] that mold accounted for only 6 to 7% of all chronic sinusitis. The Mayo Clinic Proceedings reported on Sept. 13, 1999 that---

Researchers have found that chronic sinusitis, a condition that affects about 37 million people in the United States, is apparently caused by an immune response to fungus (mold).

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found an apparent link, announced in 1997, between mold contamination in the homes and cases of infant pulmonary hemorrhage.

The American Academy for Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Environmental Health released a statement (April 6, 1998) concerning the toxic effects of indoor molds and acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage in infants.

The AAP recommended that until more information is available on the cause of this condition, infants under one year of age should not be exposed to chronically moldy, water-damaged environments.

The AAP also recommended that pediatricians inquire about mold and water damage in the home when treating infants with pulmonary hemorrhage, and that when mold is present in a patients home, that pediatricians should encourage parents to try to find and eliminate sources of moisture.

At the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, approximately 15-20% of patients with leukemia die of fungal leukemia caused most frequently by the species Aspergillus.

In patients with leukemia who have undergone allogenic bone marrow transplantation or allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, 15-30% of deaths are caused by refractory fungal infections such as Aspergillus, one of the most dangerous indoor molds.

In recent years, comparative risk studies performed by EPA and its Science Advisory Board (SAB) have consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health.

Ninety four percent (94%) of all respiratory ailments are caused by polluted air according to the American Medical Association, which also reported that one-third of the U.S.A. national health bill is for causes directly attributable to indoor air pollution.

Suggestions

Any person at risk from mold should not be in an area that is likely to be contaminated with mold. If you or your family members have health problems after exposure to mold, contact your doctor or other health care provider, advises the Centers for Disease Control.

Residents and workers often differ significantly (from co-residents and co-workers) in their sensitivity and reaction to mold exposure. Even the smell of mold can make some residents and workers sick.

Consequently, there are no federal standards or recommendations, (e.g. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, EPA and the Centers for Disease Control) for airborne concentrations of mold or mold spores in either the home or the workplace.

Thus, if one or a few residents, employees, or customers experience one or more possible mold health symptoms, the property owner, landlord or employer should still inspect and mold test the residential or work premises for the health protection of both the mold-sensitive residents and employees, as well as others who may ultimately be harmed from time-cumulative mold exposure.

Homes and workplaces should be carefully and thoroughly mold inspected and mold tested all around by a Certified Mold Inspector, Environmental Hygienist, or an Industrial Hygienist if there are: (1) significant amounts of visible mold; (2) serious water leaks, flooding problems, or high indoor humidity; and (3) residents, employees, or business customers [such as hotel guests] report experiencing one or more possible mold health symptoms.

For more information about mold health and coping with mold problems, please visit---

http://www.moldinspector.com
http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com
http://www.mold.ph
http://www.moldmart.net
http://www.envirosurf.com
Certified Mold Inspector, Certified Mold Remediator, and author of the book Mold Health Guide