WHAT DOES MOLD MEAN? J&M Environmental Control Group 14 Monarch Bay Plaza, #470 Monarch Beach, CA 92629

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1 WHAT DOES MOLD MEAN? by J&M Environmental Control Group 14 Monarch Bay Plaza, #470 Monarch Beach, CA

2 Black killer mold eats husband s brain, poisons crystal chandelier, woman given $32,200,000

3 -Mold is on your cheese. -Mold is on your leather boots. -Mold is in your shower. -Mold is in your school. Is it a $32,000,000 problem?

4 WHAT IS A MOLD? AND WHAT IS A FUNGUS? Molds (=Mildew) are a simple kind of fungus. The Fungi are a kingdom separate from plants, animals, and bacteria. Fungi have a beneficial role in nature.

5 This is where fungi live. Wood rot fungi

6 FUNGI ARE GOOD Fungi recycle nutrients. Fungi clean the forest of debris Some fungi are symbiotic with plants Even disease fungi strengthen the gene pool of the host

7 The mycelium is the body of the fungus

8 Mushrooms Some of the best known fungi are mushrooms

9 Some of them specialize in rotting wood

10 Many fungi are too small to notice FUNGI ON WOOD

11 Molds are just mycelium and spores MOLD

12 Fungus spores are small 8 µm Spore 80 µm Pollen

13 FUNGUS SPORES ARE EVERYWHERE 10 µm

14 THE EARTH IS COVERED WITH SPORES. A SPORE HERE AND THERE IS NOT A CRISIS

15 WATER IS THE PROBLEM MOLD IS THE SYMPTOM

16 JUST ADD WATER AND THEY WILL GROW

17 Mold is a problem when: -It produces toxins -It is pathogenic -It is just too numerous

18 Paper is a favorite food of fungi

19 HOW DO YOU KNOW IF THERE IS MOLD IN YOUR BUILDING? You can see it as dark patches or minute fuzz. You can smell it as a musty odor. The air in the space feels damp.

20 FIX THE MOISTURE PROBLEM FIRST THEN CLEAN UP THE MOLD

21 YOU DON T T HAVE TO KILL MOLD. IT IS A TOXIC PARTICLE NOT A DISEASE

22 WHEN DO YOU NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP? When the mold won t fit under a dinner plate. When mold is widespread. When you sense mold, but can t find it. When there is potential for conflict.

23 WHAT IS NOT A BIG PROBLEM? Mold in your refrigerator. Mold on your window sill. Mold in your shower Mold on a removable item (A cardboard box in the basement) Dust that looks like mold

24 THIS IS A PROBLEM

25 WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN PROBLEMS? Mold inside of walls. Mold in air handling ducts. Mold in crawl spaces.

26 The simple technique for identifying mold

27 Ulocladium, The tape sample

28 A tool to sample air

29 SPORES IN AN AIR SAMPLE

30 AIR SAMPLE: VIABLE-TYPE Air is drawn in and particles impact agar. Only spores that grow in agar plates will show up. Culture is the most sure method of identification for some molds.

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32 MOLDS AND HEALTH Allergens: Often found in buildings. Pathogens: Rarely found in buildings. (Histoplasma & Cryptococcus) Toxin producers: Often found in Buildings (Aspergillusversicolor, Trichodermaviride, Stachybotryschartarum)

33 Black killer mold. Stachybotrys

34 STACHYBOTRYS CHARTARUM

35 Stachybotryschartarum One of the most common molds with potentially life-threatening toxins. Spores may contain toxin. Complaints are headache, loss of energy, respiratory, and sinus problems.

36 Stachy: How bad is it? It is in about one in normal 50 houses (According to one study). It can travel in spores and dust from substrate. It cannot form a gas. It cannot normally be found in blood. It cannot grow in the human body It does not have to be live to be toxic

37 Cladosporium sphaerospermum

38 Aspergillus

39 Penicillium

40 Alternaria

41 REMEDIATION Prevent airborne spores and dust. Replace porous surface materials like wallboard, ceiling tiles, cloth, that have obvious mold growth. Clean hard surfaces. Repaint if appropriate. Take air and surface samples before and after. Follow New York City Health guidelines.

42 SUMMARY Mold spores are everywhere. Water is the problem. Mold is the symptom. You don t t have to spray it. If there is mold, just clean it up. Fear of mold can be larger problem than mold itself. Education is the cure.