Defining Toxic Mold Spores

by: Chris Anzalone, eHow Contributor

Toxic mold is a concern for homeowners and anyone who must work or spend time in an environment with mold spores.

Though there are more than 400,000 types of mold, the majority are not toxic. "Toxic mold" refers to a very specific type of spore.

Defining Toxic
No mold spore is toxic, in and of itself. Certain molds, such as Stachybotrys chartarum and Aspergillus flavus, are classified as toxigenic. A toxic substance consists of toxins, whereas a toxigenic substance such as certain molds is non-toxic, but has the ability to release airborne toxins. Toxigenic molds release toxins known as mycotoxins.

Determining Toxicity
Only a mold expert can determine the exact mold type, and therefore determine whether or not the mold produces mycotoxins. The symptoms associated with toxigenic mold exposure match the symptoms produced by other molds, such as sinus infection, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (an inflammation of the lungs), respiratory infection, coughing and wheezing.

As a result, you cannot determine the toxicity by symptoms alone, nor can you determine toxicity by appearance. For example, Stachybotrys, a toxigenic mold, has the same color and consistency of Cladosporium, which is a non-toxigenic mold.

Contact a mold expert to determine toxicity. Cancer Risk Cancer risk sets toxigenic molds apart from non-toxigenic molds. The Environmental Protection Agency warns that molds such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus contain a carcinogenic mycotoxin known as aflatoxin B1. Aflatoxin B1 can contribute to the growth of liver cancer.

For this reason, you should treat all molds as a potential hazard, since you cannot determine toxicity by observation alone. Non-toxigenic molds can cause symptoms, but are seldom life-threatening.

Other Mold Types Every household mold falls into one of three categories. The toxigenic molds comprise one category, but the other two categories are allergenic and pathogenic molds. A pathogenic mold can cause illness and infection.

However, it contains no mycotoxins and is not believed to contribute to cancer growth. An allergenic mold affects only people with allergies and potentially people with respiratory sensitivities such as asthma.

from:http://www.ehow.com/m/info_8354571_toxic-mold-spores.html

One Family's Mouldy Nightmare

We didn't have money for legal fees; if you don't have money, you can't recover," she said. "The only person willing to help us was the president (of the United States).

Mold Remediation: The Process Explained

From: http://www.internettollfree.com/articles/mold-remediation-the-process-explained/

Finding out that fungus and spores are growing in the darkest, dampest places in your home is never the best news to receive. The worst thing you can do upon discovering that it’s become a problem is to then ignore it.

Your next step should be mold remediation and removal, done through a professional company in most instances. People may tell you that the hullabaloo about toxic mold is much ado about nothing, and while it is perhaps true that the variety in your home is more than likely harmless to your family, it could cause allergic reactions and create sickness even if it is not the toxic black form of the spores.

The best–and safest–route to take is immediate removal. If mold remediation is not your specialty — and it probably is not — then hiring a reputable company should be your first step. You should be able to find at least one such company no matter where you live, willing to put their expertise and knowledge to work removing and stamping out the mold in your home.

Check their references and do a search with your local Better Business Bureau to see if the company has any complaints against them. If all seems well, hire them and proceed to wage war against the spores growing in your bathroom, bedroom, basement, or wherever else they decided to take hold.

When the mold remediation team arrives, they will address the problem they were hired to do, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook quite yet. The growth began in your home for a reason, and the professional team of experts will likely be able to tell you what that reason is.

From there, it will be your job to see that the problem is fixed, thus decreasing the chances for a new outbreak in the future. In many cases, this will mean removing moisture and water from the home.

Whether it arrived there through flooding, open windows, or another means, it is important to fix the problem as soon as possible to prevent future issues. You can avoid the need for mold remediation in many cases by keeping a dry, well lit home.

The spores thrive in a dark, wet environment, as do many other fungi and problems that you probably don’t want to have to deal with. If moisture in your home is a problem, consider running the air conditioner at a lower temperature and purchasing a dehumidifier to run in the rooms most affected.

When looking for a specialist in mold remediation Salt Lake residents should take the time to select a qualified individual to deal with this complicated task. For more helpful tips on this subject, go to http://www.waterdamagespecialistsut.com.