Black Mold

tifa asked:


I’m looking for a natural (non toxic) method for removing mold, mildew, and other that other junk from my shower/bath. Any one have any good (proven) methods?

Male Yeast Infection Treatment

Sam T asked:


I had a bottle with some scented stuff in it, and i sniffed it about 1-2 weeks ago. I am now experiencing symptoms. But I don’t know which one it is, as the symptoms are almost identical. By the way, if it was black mold, i threw the bottle out, will I get better? Thanks!

Black Mold

Jenn B asked:


Hello,
Does anyone know how can you kill mold (it is not toxic black mold) in your basement/attic? I have heard that bleach will not kill it, rather just die it a lighter color so that you cannot see it. Any suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated! I know there’s mold remediation places out there, but we wanted to try to do it ourselves, first. The mold in the basement is not up to the first floor or the rafters, just on the cement wall.

Thanks!

Black Mold

Daryl Watters asked:


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.

A. Rodrigues asked:


Have you noticed how often toxic black mold has been mentioned in the headlines recently? Since quite a significant number of people still do not fully appreciate its dangers, perhaps this article may change that perception in some way.

There are many types of mold that we encounter indoors and outdoors but, although not all of them are toxic, some clearly are. What is worse is that it seems that some molds do have the ability to propagate toxins but do not necessarily do so. (Without too much trouble, I could draw a plausible comparison with living beneath a dormant volcano here.)

The term toxic mold is specifically used to describe a species of mold that produces mycotoxins, the most famous of which carries the scientific name Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra). This toxic mold is green-black in color, hence it is often known as “black mold” or “toxic black mold”.

It is extremely unhealthy for anyone to come into contact with toxic black mold but certain groups of people are more susceptible to its effects than others, particularly

* Children (under 12 years, particularly infants)

* Pregnant women

* The elderly (generally, over 65 years)

* Those with weakened immune systems; allergies; asthma; chronic, obstructive, or allergic lung diseases

The most dangerous form of exposure to this species of mold is breathing its spores. When disturbed, it will release countless tiny, lightweight spores which become airborne, just waiting to be ingested. Since disturbance can occur in a number of ways, often without anyone knowing it, for example during a cleanup or house repairs, it is quite alarming to realize how easily these spores can be ingested.

Migraines, nosebleeds, memory loss, asthma, breathing difficulties, food allergies, fungal infections, nose and throat irritations are just some of the many symptoms that may be exhibited by those who have been exposed to harmful airborne spores.

Common sense dictates that you must stop mold from growing if you do not want to be exposed to it. To avoid mold growth of any kind, you need to control moisture in and around your home. If you keep the relative humidity indoors below the 60% threshold, then you are well on the way to preventing toxic mold from appearing because it will not prosper in an environment containing less than 60% humidity.

Therefore, before anything else, you need to assess the humidity level inside your home. You could use an inexpensive hygrometer (also known as a relative humidity sensor or moisture meter) to do this. Once you have determined that you need to correct your humidity level, there are some simple steps you can take to try and reduce it to below the 60% threshold, for example:

* Ensure that there is proper ventilation, especially in smaller areas like the bathroom and the kitchen. If necessary, install a good quality exhaust fan in the bathroom and an efficient range hood in the kitchen; and maintain them in good working order, e.g. as applicable, change batteries regularly, do not allow dust to accumulate and block airflow and change filters regularly.

* Be on the lookout for condensation as this is a sure sign of high humidity. Check your windows, walls or pipes and, if you spot any, dry the wet areas immediately. Any delay increases the chances of mold growing. And do not neglect to determine and fix the source of the condensation.

If you allow mold, especially toxic black mold, to infest your home, you have bought yourself a massive problem. However, I am confident that you will not let that happen when you think of the potential health implications for your family, the probable decrease in the value of your home and the financial burden on you to remove the mold and restore your home to its former glory.

Copyright A. Rodrigues 2009