Mould
Is it Really a Problem?

Mould exists everywhere in the natural environment.  We encounter it everyday and our bodies have evolved to deal with mould and for the most part mould isn't an issue.

There are an unknown number of species and subspecies of mould, there are literally thousands of identified species with more being identified everyday.

All moulds have the potential to create problems to our health, some more so than others.

It is often argued in restoration circles, mostly by those who don’t understand mould, or have a vested financial interest in down playing mould that as it occurs everywhere it shouldn’t be a problem.

The argument however fails to understand that as we now live in buildings that are shut up tight against the environment, with heating and cooling costs sky rocketing, we are no longer ventilating our buildings and we are essentially living in “mould greenhouses.”

Mould only requires warmth, food, oxygen and moisture to begin to grow.  Three out of four of these elements exist in every building.
Once we add moisture, whether it be through a flooding type event or condensation from a poorly ventilated building, mould will grow.  And it will grow rapidly.

Once mould starts growing, it starts putting off vast concentrations of spore.  
In our modern buildings that concentration of spore will continue to multiply and our bodies will begin to be overwhelmed by the allergens and toxins inherent in most mould species.

For most people, going about their day to day activities, mould isn’t a problem.  For some people however mould can be a very real and catastrophic problem.

Out of the thousands of species of mould, there are only a handful that we are concerned about.  Unfortunately, they are also quite common and are found in most mould infestations.

In 1928, Alexander Fleming had a fortuitous accident when a bacterium culture he was growing became contaminated with penicillium mould.  The mould killed the bacteria.  Thus Penicillin was created and it was discovered that mould put off toxins.

The toxin the FLEMING discovered is now known to be a mycotoxin and it is known that many species of moulds put off mycotoxins.

In small quantities, most people are not affected by mycotoxins.
However, even in moderate level mould infestations many people will start to suffer health effects from mycotoxins.

In addition to the mycotoxins, many people will have an allergenic response to mould spore.  This effect can be as minor as a constant runny nose or as severe as inflamed airways.

And for the coup de grace, certain species of mould spore are so small that they will be inhaled into the alveoli of the lungs.  Once in the lungs in most instances the lung will protect itself by building scar tissue around the spore.  

However once scarred that section of will lung no longer  be able to pass oxygen into the blood stream.  
Trapped spores, that the body has not been able to protect itself from can germinate in the lung and form mould growth in the lungs.

If the spore doesn’t remain trapped in the lung, it can pass though the membrane into the blood stream, once in the blood stream it will be transported to our organs and brain.  If we are in some way immunocompromised  our bodies may not be able to deal with the spore and it can germinate and create an infection within our organs.

Mould has a triple whammy
With moderate levels of exposure
It’s Toxic, Allergenic and Invasive

When is Mould a Problem

Why is Mould a Problem

Who is Most at Risk?

Whilst mould can effect everybody, some people are very sensitive to mould.  In addition people in the groups listed below may also be more sensitive to mould;

• Certain age groups. -  below 2 years of age or above 70 years of age.
• Pregnancy - Especially those in the first trimester.
• Suffer from Respiratory Conditions, such as;
• Emphysema.
• Asthma.
• Partial or Total Lung Removal.
• Cystic Fibrosis.
• Receiving treatment for cancer.
• Taking Medications to treat chronic medical conditions, such as;
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Psoriasis
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Anti Rejection Medication

One Final Note

It is not simply good enough to kill Mould

It is not possible to get a 100% kill rate on mould and spore!

Alive or Dead, it doesn’t matter.  The Health Risk Remains!

• The mould spore remains toxic.
• The mould hyphea and spore remain allergenic
• The mould spore can still be inhaled.

To solve a mould problem two things have to happen;

• Solve the moisture problem
• Remove the mould

If those two things don’t happen, the mould WILL come back.