Invisible MVOC's Can Damage Your Health in Your Home or Office Area-Part 1.

Will mold in your home or office affect your health? Absolutely! In fact there are multiple ways that it can. Molds not only produce Mycotoxins which are literal poisons, but they also produce MVOC's which are powerful chemical agents, that can affect the central nervous system! These are the same as their petro chemical equivalent VOC's which have long been documented at wreaking havoc on the human body! Read on to learn more!

Many of you have heard of the black mold scare. The media has created an incredible monster relate to black mold and health issues! There is a tremendous amount of controversy surrounding this issue which has resulted in a multitude of opinions, on this subject. I've heard things as various as "mold causes cancer" to mold doesn't cause any health issues at all. Usually its attorney's from insurance companies spouting that line of claptrap and balderdash, (remember how they used to claim smoking did not cause lung cancer?).

So if you're reading this it is likely that you have experienced some type of symptom and observed something that you believe to be mold which may or may not be related. There a several ways that mold can make a person sick that is being exposed. When i first started my mold remediation business, I had no idea just how many sick people I would meet!

I would estimate that almost 70% of my customers have health issues related to mold that they are aware of and I am willing to bet that a percentage more are affected but unaware of it. Molds can affect the body in multiple ways. The ones are most understood are from Mycotoxins exposure and direct infections. Mycotoxin is literal poisons that mold makes in an attempt to kill off competitors. Mycotoxins can make a person very sick and the more potent of these have been linked to cancers. Stachybotrys a black mold which is the mold the media has hyped as "the black" makes these powerful poisons.

Unfortunately the label of black mold has led many customers with very toxic molds to have a false sense of security because the mold in their home or office is white or green or red or gray etc, not black. Another commonly understood way that mold can affect ones health is from direct exposure. Many molds under the right conditions can directly colonize people! This means that they can grow in or on the human body. Gross! Common examples are athlete's foot, jock itch, thrush and candida which is technically a yeast infection. Other molds can live inside of the body. They usually attack when the body is much stressed or fighing other invaders. People who have auto immune disorders are particularly at risk, as well as anyone recovering from major surgery.

These two basic ways mold can affect a person are commonly and widely understood. This article is about MVOC's, which are not nearly as commonly understood. MVOC stands for microbial volatile organic compound. When you enter a home with a mold problem and you smell that musty odor, you likely smell the MVOC's that the mold is producing. Mold off gasses powerful chemicals like benzenes, tulolenes, aldehydes and many others. While research is still being conducted on the effects on humans, much research has already been completed on VOC's their man-made cousins which are often the result of the off-gassing of manufacured petro-chemical goods!

You may not realize it - but you and your family can be exposed to thousands of volatile organic compounds on a daily basis. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that evaporate into potentially harmful gases at room temperature and may or may not exude an odor. VOCs include a variety of chemicals which can cause short- and long-term health problems.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), concentrations of many VOCs are up to ten times higher indoors that outdoors - regardless of whether the home is located in rural or highly industrialized area, when the home is suffering from mold, that number is likely to be far higher.

VOCs can be produced by a number of common household activities or including:
- Paints, paint thinners, varnishes and other solvents
- Aerosol sprays
- Air fresheners, candles and incense
- Cleaning supplies and disinfectants
- Stored fuels and automotive products
- Hobby supplies
- Glues, adhesives and sealing caulks
- Dry-cleaned clothing
- New carpeting
- Secondhand smoke
- Pressed wood furniture
- Newspapers
- Moth repellants
- Wood preservatives
- Cooking

Charles Boday is a Certified Mold Inspector and Contractor, graduate from Certified Mold Inspector & Contractors Institute. He has worked with some of the countries top scientists seeking alternative poison-free mold remediation techniques. He has testified as an expert foundation witness and is the Author of the books, The Ultra Dry Basement.