Mold Biology And Mold Related Heath Issues

By Author: Daryl Watters
Total Articles: 113
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Basic Mold Biology:

Fungi share some basic similarities with plants and bacteria but are not plants nor are they bacteria. They are in their own kingdom, the Fungi Kingdom.

The terms mold and mildew are often used interchangeably by lay persons, but according to some more specific definitions, mildew is a powdery growth that attacks and grows on living plants while molds are often fuzzy and grow on all sorts of moist surfaces. Molds, mildews, and other fungi usually reproduce by forming and releasing spores into the air. Most indoor spores are just 3 to 15 microns across, some spores are a few hundred microns long but these are still just a few microns across. The human eye can at best see objects that are 10 or more microns across. Toxins known as mycotoxins and also allergens are found primarily in the spores of various molds. These substances can be found in live or dead spores.

Toxic Molds

Mycotoxins are chemicals that are sometimes produced by various species of toxic mold. These toxins are real and are powerful weapons used by toxic molds in a sort ...
... of microbial warfare to help them compete against bacteria and other molds. Toxic molds are common in Florida, but mold spores in residential settings, even if they are potentially toxic producing types and at high levels, are not automatically at high enough levels to result in toxic effects on humans via inhalation. It takes a lot of inhaled spores to poison a person.

Currently, disagreement exists as to if residential mold spore exposures levels are ever high enough to result in toxic effect on humans. Toxic effects of mold mycotoxins in humans and farm animals leading to serious illness and even death via accidental ingestion of toxic mold, etc. have been well documented in scientific literature. Effects of heavy exposure to mold toxins are many, but just two of the more common effects are immuno suppression and liver cancer. Mycotoxins are believed to result in headaches, sore throats, hair loss, flu symptoms, diarrhea, fatigue, dermatitis, general malaise (tiredness) and psychological depression.

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About the Author:

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Daryl Watters has a bachelors degree in education for teaching biology
and general science and is a certified mold inspector, certified home
inspector, and certified indoor environmentalist providing building
inspections in South Florida since 1993. For more information visit
http://www.floridamoldinspectors.us http://www.florida-mold-inspection.com