Before you start thinking that I am jumping on-board with the media or other companies that use scare tactics to drum up business, the article title was merely meant to get your attention! You will never see me write about toxic black mold on my website or in a report, despite the power it seems to have in getting people to open their wallets.
You see, there are actually many things wrong with that label. One is that molds themselves are not toxic. Under certain conditions they produce mycotoxins, but the actual research into doses and health effects is not very clear. Second, even though it has become synonymous with Stachybotrys, many molds can appear black at various stages of their life cycle.
Don't get me wrong - I have no doubt that reactions to mold and mold by-products exist and I am not down-playing any potential health issues that people have experienced, it is just that it is not feasible to quantify this reaction and exposure. As a matter of fact I routinely experience multiple physical symptoms during an assessment. In addition, mold is problematic as it is well documented that it is allergenic alive or dead, degrades building materials, and is indicative of an underlying water intrusion issue that needs to be corrected.
So, with some exceptions your concern should be why do you have mold growth and not be so much whether you have toxic black mold - After all, if I were to provide an assessment and told you that Stachybotrys was not identified, but that the predominant genera appeared to be Penicillium or Cladosporium would you be content to leave that nice fuzzy growth on your walls? Of course not. That would be like saying you have a Pit Bull biting one leg and a Doberman biting the other, but you are only worried about getting rid of the Pit Bull because you have heard their bite is a little worse!
Determining the predominant types of mold present can provide useful information in certain situations, but will typically not alter the recommendations for corrective actions and remediation procedures. Therefore, I would recommend that you recognize that ANY type of mold growth on building materials is a potential signal that a deficiency is present that needs to be identified, corrected, and remediated in order to return your indoor space to normal fungal ecology.
As always please let me know if you have questions. Also, bear in mind that any information provided is general in nature and is not a substitute for a thorough visual assessment and is not meant to apply to specific concerns.
You see, there are actually many things wrong with that label. One is that molds themselves are not toxic. Under certain conditions they produce mycotoxins, but the actual research into doses and health effects is not very clear. Second, even though it has become synonymous with Stachybotrys, many molds can appear black at various stages of their life cycle.
Don't get me wrong - I have no doubt that reactions to mold and mold by-products exist and I am not down-playing any potential health issues that people have experienced, it is just that it is not feasible to quantify this reaction and exposure. As a matter of fact I routinely experience multiple physical symptoms during an assessment. In addition, mold is problematic as it is well documented that it is allergenic alive or dead, degrades building materials, and is indicative of an underlying water intrusion issue that needs to be corrected.
So, with some exceptions your concern should be why do you have mold growth and not be so much whether you have toxic black mold - After all, if I were to provide an assessment and told you that Stachybotrys was not identified, but that the predominant genera appeared to be Penicillium or Cladosporium would you be content to leave that nice fuzzy growth on your walls? Of course not. That would be like saying you have a Pit Bull biting one leg and a Doberman biting the other, but you are only worried about getting rid of the Pit Bull because you have heard their bite is a little worse!
Determining the predominant types of mold present can provide useful information in certain situations, but will typically not alter the recommendations for corrective actions and remediation procedures. Therefore, I would recommend that you recognize that ANY type of mold growth on building materials is a potential signal that a deficiency is present that needs to be identified, corrected, and remediated in order to return your indoor space to normal fungal ecology.
As always please let me know if you have questions. Also, bear in mind that any information provided is general in nature and is not a substitute for a thorough visual assessment and is not meant to apply to specific concerns.
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