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The Story of Mould (Mold)

Mould is everywhere, in everything, and is impossible to eliminate.  It is one of the first building blocks of our world and is an essential part of our food chain. Without mould we would not have:

1. proper soil conditions to support food growth,
2. breakdown of organic materials to support insect growth for consumption by animals,
3. yeast for bread or other leavens,
4. fermentation for wine, cheese, etc,
5. decomposition of sewage & waste products.
6. Penicillin and other medicines
7. functioning immune systems
8. functioning digestive systems

History books are filled with the adverse effects of mould.  Charles Darwin spent 35 years studying how the excrement from earth worms created essential vegetable mould so necessary in the cycle of life.  Even the Bible talks about mould and mildew in Leviticus 13 & 14. Leviticus 14:45 tells how the Priest must inspect the premises for mould and if necessary: “ It must be torn down, and all its stones, timbers, and plaster must be carried out of town to the place designated as ceremonially unclean”. Mould grows in every climate on earth and is limited only by extreme high and low temperatures, however it simply goes into a dormant state until the fuel essentials are reestablished.

The problem with mould is when it gets out of it’s natural state of growth confines and starts to invade our living spaces. The process is quite simple. Anywhere that has a constant source of moisture and no air flow is a perfect location for mould growth. Keep in mind that mould is not the problem but only a symptom of a greater concern.  Mould is simply what happens when problems with the building or occupants allow the conditions that promote mould growth. 

This leads to the question, “Is mould harmful to us”?  The answer is a resounding “YES” and “NO”. Certified allergists and immunologist may take the stance that it is probably not the case, however unless onsite evaluations are made with the person in question, the symptoms of mould can deplete before a person can get to the doctor to have the symptoms checked out. People in this situation can be labeled Hypochondriacs.  Effects of mould can be very temporary as is the case when leaving the building you start to feel better almost immediately thinking the fresh air is doing you good, when in reality the lack of mould or other contaminants saturating the air is what’s making you feel better.  It’s a kind of slow asphyxiation, overloading the air with air borne particulates that are bacteria ladened. The diagrams below will help display this better.

We as humans, as well as our pets and farm animals, are not designed to live in environments with excessive mould growth, as with anything.  Too much of any one thing is not good for us. How the effects of excessive mould concentrations harm us is a very gray area and in most cases simply cannot be defined due to a number of factors and variables. Most listed diseases have causes and effects.  Mould is NOT a disease but rather the uncharted arena of how mould affects us that weakens our immune system to the point where we attract book diseases. However we do know of some cases where the variables ARE the same and the same result transpires nearly every time as in the case of  “Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis” (HP) or “Farmers Disease” as it is sometimes called. This is a granulomatous, inflammatory lung disease caused by inhalation of a mould called thermophilic actinomycetes. Other mould’s have sequences of events that lead simply to irritations of the skin, mucus membranes, and oddly enough, hair shafts.

  The list below and any combination of these variables can create a symptomatic code that is not easily broken, however there are some tangible similarities.

1. Genetics or overall health
2. Heritage
3. Location
4. Time of year or season
5. Cleanliness
6. Management of natural resources
7. Management of personal resources
8. Timing
9. Habits
10. Diet
11. Age
12. Effects of natural Earth cycles
13. Lack of knowledge
14. Attitude

Should I Get An Air Test?

That depends on the person inspecting your residence or office and whether there are extenuating circumstances with the building. A proper Air Quality inspection would determine whether it is necessary to have air samples taken, the inspector/sampling technician would let you know if this is necessary or not.. Building dynamics change with the weather and other influences like people, mechanical failures, structural problems, and animals. How these influence a building can have adverse affects on the quality of the air at certain times, so sampling at the right time is crucial to receiving an accurate report.   The real purpose of air sampling is to:

1. locate mould or other pathogen sources when the problems are not visible but air quality is questionable
2. differentiate which parts of the building are at risk of containing mould or chemicals
3. try to confirm symptoms with varieties of air borne biological pathogens or chemical irritants
4. provide support documents to medical personnel, allergists, & immunologists for their review

The biggest complication to Indoor Air Analysis is “Lack of Knowledge and Attitude”.  A lack of knowledge can create public hysteria if this information is put in the wrong hands.  A well meaning individual or company can throw a society into turmoil by making a mould infestation more than what it is.  As well, this group can grossly underplay the effects we now know exist and have been documented in some Journals of Medicine.  There are constant studies taking place as to the effects of mould and our reactions to it, but there are no blueprints of standard causative agents to cross reference to and this is the problem.  If there was a structure we could follow that dictates “what mould produces what symptom” then we would have a list of causative agents with corresponding ill effects. This does not exist, however we have case histories to fall back on. These historical individuals have suffered personal loss, changed families and lifestyles, terminal illness, and even death, and we can follow the similarities of other cases to build conclusions.  And these conclusions can be validated by making changes in the air, work, or living space followed by a remarkable improvement in the clients health and well being.  It is my opinion to honor the loss these historical cases have endured by continuing the research.

Legalities Behind Mould
The attitude of some individuals to capitalize on how someone else’s mould is effecting me is a disputable and unsettled point in the fact that humans do not create mould. It would be similar to accusing someone whose rainfall injured me to point where I contracted pneumonia.  It is a nugatory issue. You must keep in mind that mould is simply the byproduct of a greater issue. At this point mould is not the issue but the case becomes a topic of “neglect” or “Due Diligence” on the behalf of some ones attitude to ignore the facts.  The problem then stems back to the “Lack of Knowledge”, as our society is simply not well versed enough to recognize the effects of mould, hence we don’t even know mould is a problem, we don’t believe it or say, “it’s always been that way”.  Mould is a part of nature and cannot be controlled for the most part, however there are control mechanism we can implement to limit the growth and spread of mould.  Options are available that you can incorporate to clear the air you breath, anything done to improve this just makes life better and hopefully less ill health.  We cannot eliminate mould completely but we can make personal changes to improve the air we breath on an individual basis.  If you know you are living in a mouldy environment then why would you not do something about it?

Just what are the effects of mould on our metabolism?  Can air borne mould make us light headed, short breathed, nauseous, and develop rash when we breath it in or are exposed to high concentrations to it? The answer varies with the individual and for certain people the answer is a resounding YES. Others can remain in the space for hours with no ill effects.  To say that mould does not have any effect on every person is a ludicrous statement.  This is the focus of ongoing study and cannot be answered due to a number of factors.  What is known is this. 

Mould grows and replicates, as it replicates portions of the colony break off with the slightest breath of air and become air borne.  Looking at a typical mould colony under a microscope it resembles a burnt out forest with spires standing out from the colony. As these break off they resemble broken glass.  This includes spores which promote new colonies, spires or hypha, mycotoxins, and gases.  These fragments float through the space and the more colonies there are the more introduction of debris that there is into the air. This is then breathed in by people.  The confusion is whether the dizziness is caused by the mould components or if there is a displacement of oxygen creating a symptom called Hypoxia, basically breathing air with lots of filler in it and not enough oxygen. These fillers coat the insides of our lung and other respiratory canals and trigger our metabolism to produce phlegm as a defense mechanism to try and clear it.  There is a myriad of other factors that complicate this as well.  As these fragments are loaded with Bacteria breathing this debris in can trigger all sorts of colds, infections, infected and abscessed membranes.

I have documented cases that would support the effects different strains of mould have on people. 

Case #1  An individual would work in a certain area of a warehouse for 30 minutes and develop red rashes on his skin and become light headed with nauseous feelings within 30 minutes. When removed from the area the symptoms would disappear in approximately 2 hours. The other workers in the same area spent the entire day working there and experienced no ill effects, however one worker complained of nausea on occasion. When the area was tested for mould it was found to be at 100 times greater than the acceptable limit. When I entered this area to test it myself I immediately felt the effects of nausea to the point of the feeling of vomiting.

Case #2  A family moved into a house and quickly started having flu-like symptoms within a short period of time.  The 3 year old boy started to suffer with asthma-like symptoms and was put on inhalers.  The adult who stayed home with the child had chronic respiratory problems and bleeding nasal membranes. The home was inspected and a long term water leak was discovered in the basement under the flooring, roof leaks into the walls where mould was present in virtually every wall. Repairs were made with Biocides and mould specific air handling equipment, basement was gutted and the symptoms slowly dissipated. 

Case #3  A family dog was developing all kinds of  illnesses to the tune of thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.  The vet found small nodules on the skin of the dog in the back of the neck area and growths in the nose cavities.  Certain members of the home had acute nasal problems, eye irritations, asthmatic-like symptoms, and the start of blood disorders. When the home was tested and inspected it was noted that there were structural problems with the home. This allowed water to collect at the foundation and freeze in the winter cracking the foundation and allowing water to completely soak the interior walls below grade, but none of this was visible from the inside of the finished basement. The basement was gutted and the furniture was thrown out.  When this area was tested it was noted to be at extremely high levels. Installation of mould specific air handling equipment and remediation of the mould with Biocides cleared this problem up.

Case #4  A family was experiencing chronic cold symptoms, excessive sick days, lethargy, irritability. A complete building inspection found several renovations that were improperly done.  This allowed moisture into the exterior walls, and attic. As well frost and ice was collecting inside the walls and soaking the insulation completely. Unfortunately, the renovations less than 3 years old, had to be redone, Biocides were applied, mould specific air handling equipment was installed, and a complete cleaning of the remaining walls and carpets had to be performed.

Mould is as deadly as a person is ignorant to the harmful effects of mould.  In the case of poor indoor air quality, “What you don’t know CAN hurt you”. Mould can outlive you if you feed it properly.

Mould is serious enough to make a movie of the dangers and effects.  Follow the link below for more information.