It’s not that unusual that when units went into foreclosure, mold starts growing out of control. Either there’s a leak, or trapped humidity or a lack of maintenance, or a combination of factors. In any case, having no one living in a property helps boosts mold’s ability to get a foothold in a property, sometimes even becoming so bad it affects neighbors. It certainly affects property values.
After hearing from government whistleblowers (employees complaining of illness and unhealthy working conditions,) the FAA is attempting to clean up the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to rescue it from its current mold infestation by replacing the roof, putting in new drywall and installing new ceiling tiles and carpet. The US Office of Special Counsel is handling.
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The honeymoon is really over when you come home to your dream home that is making you sick. Which is what happened to Danielle Beety who refers to her experience as like an episode of HOUSE. Her mystery illness was a 5-centimeter abscess in her neck (surgically removed) and fever that returned every time she and her newlywed husband returned to their new home.
The environmental engineer who did air and wipe testing in their leaky basement and found elevated levels of mold and gram-negative bacteria – resistant superbugs that cause respiratory and other ailments. Doctors and the environmental engineer told them to grab their dog and move out.
So they did.
Foreclosure on their house will begin soon, but they’re leaving everything behind. The builder denies that the house caused the illness. Internationally known microbiologist Chin S. Yang links the housing boom and environmental-health issues. He believes that rapid building to keep up with the housing boom resulted in less than high quality buildings suffering with sick building syndrome. Toxic bacteria and mold are a trigger of health problems. For some of these toxic homes, demolition is the only solution.
Mold mold everywhere, coming out of the vents, on the ceilings, making it hard for people to breathe. Residents of Sovereign Townhomes complain of a mold infestation that they are calling a “mold invasion.” Managers claim they remove mold when it is discovered. Some of their tenants receive Houston Housing Authority assistance.
The HHA has 12 inspectors performing about 12 daily inspections. 44% of the 29,000 yearly inspections performed for Houston Housing Authority fail.
“Boggy” and “swampy” Orlando Firehouse too pricey to fix, too pricey to replace. Station 9 on Mercy Drive in northwest Orlando has had mold and water intrusion since at least 2000. The City Council approved the $550,000 purchase of a 1.88-acre lot, and applied for a a $4 million federal grant that would pay for it.
Environmental studies show a damp crawl space beneath the building. Although some work was done,there is often standing water in the crawl space.
Is it a case of mold poisoning or did the deer simply eat themselves to death?
Deer in Otter Tail County apparently gorged themselves on local corn in the absence of herbage, and basically ate until they died. At one point, the deaths were considered a result of eating mold, but the mold involved is blue and green mold in corn and is not toxic. it is the red or pink mold that’s toxic, mold which contains aflatoxin. None of the mold that has been found actually contains aflatoxin.
The deer’s normal diet is alfalfa, and apparently, having no alfalfa unbalanced their diet.
Not that you should expect deer to show up to eat your house mold–though if that happened, you would certainly have a photograph to sell to the National Enquirer.
So I’m sitting here with the flu, thinking about writing about mold. Most of the symptoms I have—runny nose, headache, sore throat, congestion, cough—could have been from mold exposure. (Actually I know who gave me this. Thanks for sharing. You know who you are.)
So those of you out there who are coming down with winter colds with significant respiratory symptoms, don’t forget to check your house or signs of mold, especially if you know of a leak somewhere. Because that cold you have could be an allergy, the result of being in a closed environment with a population of mold spores floating around, dispersed to your lungs by your enthusiastic heating system.
Leaks lead to mold, as does excessive humidity. And just because it is winter, that cellulose your house is made of is going to be just as tasty as ever to all those hungry mold spores. In fact, with your heat on, as far as mold is concerned, it is spring 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Daunting, isn’t it?
Yes, mold can grow at any time of the year. AND if your house has an infestation, if you have your central heat running, or ceiling fans on to circulate the heat, you may also be circulating those mold spores, because the spore survives for one reason and one reason only. It is just looking for a place to establish the next colony.
No, you don’t have to feel like the martians are coming. Just keep the place as clean and dry as possible, and we’ll all survive till spring. And pass me some of that hot tea, will you?
To get rid of the mycotoxins, you must get rid of the mold. Mold is what creates mycotoxins. As construction developed to become more airtight, trapped moisture became a problem that cannot be ignored, since moisture trapped inside is a primary location where mold can thrive.
To avoid allergenic responses to mycotoxins in eye, nose, throat, and lungs, environmental mold must be removed, water must be removed and the clean, dry, vented area will probably not harbor a mold infestation, unless water leakage or high humidity reoccur.
Testing provides a resource for litigation; it also serves as a record of exposure for health investigations which may also be necessary.
Chronic bronchitis
Learning disabilities
Mental deficiencies
Heart problems
Cancer
Multiple sclerosis
chronic fatigue
Lupus
Fibromyalgia
Rheumatoid arthritis
Multiple chemical sensitivity
Bleeding lungs
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A nasty list, isn’t it? This is just a few of the myriad of symptoms and illnesses which have been at one time or another associated with mold exposure, illness or sensitivity.
Legally, it is difficult to prove mold as a medical cause. However, medically, there is a treasure-trove of research. There are, in fact some common misconceptions.
-Mold does not have to be black to be toxic.
-Toxic black mold is a common name used loosely and is practically meaningless. It is often used to refer to Stachybotrys chartarum, which is greenish black. Not every mold that is black is Stachybotrys; not every mold that is black is toxic.
-Stachybotrys grows on material with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content, such as fiberboard, gypsum board, paper, dust, and lint. It needs water.
-Stachybotrys refers to a genus of molds.
-In many cases, the mold itself does not cause problems. The mold however creates poisons, called mycotoxins, which do cause problems. Stachybotrys creates trichothecene mycotoxins which are very nasty and relate to a number of toxicity mechanisms.
-In addition to mycotoxins, people can develop specific allergic reactions, becoming sensitized to the spore casing (in much the same way one develops allergies to, for example, pollen.)
Mold testing is useful 1. legally to create a record 2. statistically 3. medically to help doctors pinpoint allergens 4. physically- recognizing what type (s) you have makes it easier for a builder to guard against a particular type of infestation.
Although agents like bleach are non-specific, linings and paint that is resistant to specific types of mold growth is being developed for use in the construction industry.
Believe it or not, the National Association of Home Builders maintains a website on mold.
The site is called NAHB Household Mold Resource Center
No one out there knows more about remediation than a qualified contractor. (No one knows less than an unqualified one.) The site discusses significant information about mold, conditions, prevention, mediation. Understandably, they don’t focus much on mold testing.
It does make sense that an association of contractors might gloss over the importance of testing. Mold testing can provide a legal record of mold conditions, mold which might have come into being because of shoddy workmanship or materials. So if the homeowner has repairs made, but does not keep a complete record–including testing, photographic proof, etc–the homeowner might find themselves unable to bring a case that they might have otherwise, given proper record-keeping.
However, the National Association of Home Builders can and will recommend “a qualified laboratory, technician or industrial hygienist.”
Testing also can help doctors pin down whether a mycotoxin originated from home or workplace, or even simplify making a diagnosis, especially if a particular allergen or obscure toxin is involved.
