Mold & health: Dick van Dyke clears the air about the mold in your house and what you can do about it.

There is a lot of uncertainty about the health effects and risk assessment associated with exposure to mold spores. Each person's sensitivity to mold varies, as do their apparent symptoms and the severity of symptoms. There is no clear cut set of symptoms associated with all molds. Although scientific studies thus far have failed to show a definite causal relationship between exposure to mold and adverse symptoms, many studies indicate--and many doctors strongly feel--that there is an association.

The written history of contaminated housing and its health effects can be traced back thousands of years. The negative effects of mold and bacteria in dwellings were recognized hundreds of years before modern science. One of the oldest known references in regard to contaminated housing by microorganisms and suggested remediation may be found in the Bible--Leviticus Chapter 14, verses 33-47--with Biblical procedures for remediation of fungi.

Why has mold and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) become such a major health issue in our day? Consider the changes during these past thirty years:

* The 1970s oil embargo resulted in an "energy crisis." Both residential and commercial buildings were tightened up to save energy resulting in less ventilation.

* New synthetic building products and furnishings were placed in these tight structures. This included glues, adhesives, paints, textiles, carpets, rugs, etc. that have the potential to off-gas.

* There was massive migration to mechanical air-conditioning systems with insufficient knowledge relative to long term hygiene issues and the ecology of microorganisms.

* There has been an increase in the amounts of time we spend within an indoor environment.

* New medical technologies are emerging that compromise the human immunological system and render it susceptible to infection and disease from common organisms.

* Fungi are opportunistic in that a well-developed mycelium (a collection of hyphae, which are the basic unit of a fungus) occur when the appropriate environmental conditions are present. Some factors that affect fungal growth are moisture/humidity, temperature, and nutrients.

Toxigenic Fungi

Some points to consider about toxigenic fungi:

* If a fungus known to produce toxins is present in an environment, then the toxin is probably present as well.

* In general, all fungi will produce some type of mycotoxin.

* Mycotoxin health effects: carcinogenic, induction of tremors, damage to immune system or various organs (heart, liver, kidneys, etc ...)

* Dose/response relationships vary with toxins, exposure time, concentration, and route of administration.

* Some inhaled mycotoxins are two to twenty times more toxic when compared to intravenous exposure.

In addition, a wide variety of symptoms have been attributed to the toxic effects of mold. Symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, headaches, respiratory distress, and eye irritation have been reported. Some of the symptoms are "non-specific," such as joint or muscle pain, inability to concentrate and chronic fatigue.

Immunological reactions include asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), and allergic rhinitis. Skin contact with mold spores may also cause dermatitis, noted by visible red itchy patches of skin. The most common symptoms associated with allergic reactions are runny nose, eye irritation, cough, congestion, and aggravation of asthma. HP may occur after repeated exposures to an allergen and can result in permanent lung damage.

Only a small group of fungi have been associated with infectious disease. Aspergillosis is an infectious disease that can occur in people with compromised immune systems. Health effects can be severe. Several species of Aspergillus are known to cause Aspergillosis. The most common is Aspergillus fumigatus. These species have been called opportunistic pathogens, meaning they are organisms that can produce disease in an immuno-compromised person.

So what can you do if you suspect there is mold in your home or place of work? The first step is to eliminate the conditions that caused the growth initially, and that could be either water intrusion or excessive moisture. Once you have made the necessary corrections then you can address the removal of the mold. Probably the best source for information on mold removal is the New York City Department of Health "Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments" found on the web at http://www.cl.nyc.us/html/doh/html/epi/mok.

Indoor Air Services provides indoor air quality assessments and testing for both homes and businesses, including testing for mold, allergens, formaldehyde, chemicals, bacteria, etc. For more information, see their website at indoorairservices.com

References:

ALA s Healthy House 25 Oct 2001. American Lung Association and 3M

American Lung Association. 25 Oct 2001. www.lungusa.org

ASHRAE. American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. 25 Oct 2001. www.ashrae.com

Cox, Christopher S. and Christopher M. Wathes. Bioaerosols Handbook. Boca Raton. CRC Lewis Publishers. 1995.5.

Hess, Kathleen. Environmental Sampling for Unknowns. Boca Raton. CRC Lewis Publishers, 1996. 24-28, 78, 184.

Indoor Air Quality 25 Oct 2001 www.epa.gov

Indoor Air Quality Association, Inc. 29 Oct 2001 Last updated 29 Oct 2001 <www.iaqa.org <http://www.iaqa.org>>

"Indoor Air Quality: Historical Perspective of IAQ Problems." Environmental Safety Technologies, Inc. March 2001 www.estechlab.com/IAQ-Historical_Perspective.htm

Passon, Ted. "Microbial Contamination: Examining Stachybotrys chartarum (atra)." Indoor Environment CONNECTIONS. (February 2001):16.

Rinaldi, Michael, Ph.D. Mycologist. Personal Interview. 05 Oct 2001.

Robertson, Larry, Ph.D, Mycologist. Personal Interview. 05 Oct 2001.

Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 25th Edition Illustrated. 1990.

Bioaerosols, Fungi, and Mycotoxins: Health Effects, Assessment, Prevention, Control. Edited by: Eckardt Johanning M.D., M.Sc. Eastern New York Occupational and /environmental Health Center, Albany, New York. Department of Community Medicine.

Additional information by Dr. Johanning s research group can be found at www.fungalresearchgroup.com