OT, sort of: mold and chlorine bleach

[Guest guest]

I found more info on chlorine bleach and mold remediation. Apparently it

does kill mold effectively on nonporous, hard surfaces such as kitchen

counters and tile. But, there are many other more-effective and less toxic

means to kill mold. And, many mold killers work easily on hard

surfaces. It is porous surfaces that pose the real problem.

Just wanted to clear this up since I'd reported that this mold website said

it doesn't work-- later info on same site qualified it as above. And, I'm

posting this info because of so many questions lately about mold.

Info:

>Appendix I

>

>

>New Study Proves Chlorine Bleach Kills Household Mold,

>Neutralizes Mold Allergens (but only on hard surfaces)

>

>

>

>By: University of Arizona News Services, March 24, 2004

>

>Today at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology's (AAAAI)

>60th Annual meeting, Reynolds, a research scientist at the

>University of Arizona, announced the results of a new study that proves,

>for the first time, a chlorine bleach solution not only effectively kills

>mold but also neutralizes the indoor mold allergen. The study, funded by a

>grant from The Clorox Company, also found mold spores, a common trigger

>for allergies in America, to be present in 100% of the homes surveyed.

>

>When sensitive individuals are exposed to allergens, such as mold spores,

>by either direct contact or inhalation, allergy and asthma symptoms may

>result. Some of these symptoms may include sinus congestion, coughing,

>upper respiratory distress, chronic headaches and flu-like symptoms. In

>fact, mold spores are suspected in the tripling of the asthma rate in the

>past 20 years and have been blamed by a 1999 Mayo Clinic Study for nearly

>all of the chronic sinus infections afflicting 37 million Americans.

>

>The primary cause of allergic responses from exposure to mold can be

>attributed to surface allergens. These allergens become a problem when

>they become airborne and contaminate indoor air quality. The study found

>that low concentrations of chloride bleach, such as those common to

>commercial household products certified to kill mold and mildew, were

>proven to be effective at not only killing the mold spores, but also

>denaturing, or neutralizing, the surface allergen, making it essentially

>unable to produce an immune response in sensitive individuals.

>

> " Renaming fragments of dead mold can linger indoors long after the mold

>spores have been inactivated, and can be as harmful as live mold, " said

> Reynolds, lead investigator for the study from the University of

>Arizona. " The study results confirm that denaturing the mold spores with a

>dilute chlorine bleach solution appears to be the most effective and

>efficient way to reduce mold allergen on hard surfaces. " [Please note:

>The <http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com/>Certified Mold Inspectors &

>Contractors Institute explains that a hard surface would be something like

>a kitchen counter top or ceramic floor and wall tiles. Almost any

>household disinfectant can kill mold sitting on hard surfaces. The problem

>is mold growth in porous building materials like wood timbers, drywall,

>chip board, plywood, furniture, and carpeting/padding].

>

>Molds can be classified as either the mycotoxin producing molds such as

>Penicillium and Stachybotrys and the non-toxic molds such as Trichophyton.

>While to toxicities differ, all mold spores contain allergens, which

>according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), can

>aggravate symptoms of both allergies and asthma.

>

>The University of Arizona study yielded 1, 330 mold samples and evaluated

>the growth rate and distribution of household mold on indoor surfaces in

>160 homes in seven geographical regions. The regions where sites were

>frequently positive for fungal counts include the far west (San

>Francisco), Southwest (Tucson, Dallas), Midwest (Chicago), Southeast

>(Atlanta, Tampa, Fla), abd Northeast (New York) regions of the United States.

>

>The study, which also looked at consumer perceptions towards mold,

>demonstrated that mold is far more pervasive in the home than people

>believe. While consumers understand that mold is a health concern, they

>are confused with the extent of the problem in their homes, with just 17

>percent believing mold is an issue inside their own homes. Significant

>confusion also exists with the best way to effectively treat the issue.

>

>The abstract for this study, " Efficacy of Sodium Hypochlorite Disinfectant

>on the Viability and Allergenic Properties of Household Mold, " (abstract

>617) was published in the February issue of the Journal of Allergy &

>Clinical Immunology.

>

>Contact Information

> Reynolds

>University of Arizona

>

>reynolds@...

>

>Adrienne Hymes Adrienne.hymes@...

>CLOROX Company

~~~ There is no way to peace; peace is the way ~~~~

--A.J. Muste