Excellent web site on Health Effects of Molds

[Guest guest]

>

> I was interested in 's problem and your response. It must be pointed

>out that finding stachybotyrs does not totally define the problem.

>Obviously, this find confirms a problem, but this mold only grows where

>cellulose is saturated, usually a moderately small part of a building. The

>fact that there is saturation suggests there is humidity nearby not high

>enough to grow stachybotyrs, but high enough to grow other molds, which may

>also be allergenic.

> So many commercial enterprises place emphasis on air sampling, and

Workers

>Comp demands proof of allergy testing. Both tests have severe shortcomings.

>Allergy testing is generally only available for the most common airborne

>molds: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetium, Curvularia, Cladosporium,

>Epicoccum, Helmentosporium, Monilia, Mucor, and Penicillium, which are

>commericially available in purified form for testing. Exotic molds such as

>stachybotyrs are only available from select research centers, such as CDC

>(and perhaps Case Western Reserve University, which investigated several

>infant deaths in Cleveland). Thus allergy testing misses many sick building

>syndrome mold allergies, leading unenlightened doctors to suggest

>non-allergic asthma, or psychological or other causes. (If anyone knows of

a

>commercial site for allergists to obtain other molds, please let me know.)

> Environmental testing is open to interpretation. mentioned that the

>conclusion was made that there is no health hazard since total mold levels

>were below 1/3 the outside levels. This is an outdated definition of

>acceptable. More current writings (1994 Health Implications of Fungi in

>indoor Environments, and 1999 Bio-Aerosols, Assessment and Control) suggest

>the finding of any molds indoors not found outdoors indicates building

>amplification which needs correcting. You pointed out one major deficiency:

>mold levels can vary tremendously dependent on temperature, relative

>humidity, and even amount of light, though the allergies and illnesses they

>cause last considerably longer. Since air sampling often relies on sampling

>times less than 30 minutes, and are scheduled when an analyst is available,

>not necessarily when problems are at their peak, the likelihood of a

problem

>being missed is high. Another major deficiency, air testing relies on

viable

>mold spores for analysis. Many spores, such as stachybotyrs, die almost as

>soon as they are blown from their damp dark growing location into room air

>of less than 80% relative humidity with bright fluorescent lights. Thus

>testing in a bright room with 40% RH at 75 deg may totally miss mold in the

>insulation inside a dark air conditioning system, where air may be 55 deg

>with 100% RH. Dead mold spores can be as allergenic or toxic as live cells.

>These statements are paraphrased from the web site of the New York City

>Department of Health. They are also suggested in papers from California

>Department of Health and the Health Ministry of Canada. See

> http:/nycdoitt.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh/html/epi/moldrpt1.html

>

>Gil

>

>PS I have summarized some of what I have learned about mold effects on

>health, trying to focus on prevention, in a web site. Please read it, and

if

>you think it is worthwhile, list it on the sick buildings page. The address

>is

>

> http://pages.ivillage.com/bh/gilvice/index.htm