FAQ
MOLD FACTS
While occupational exposure to airborne pollutants such as coal dust and asbestos has long been known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pneumoconiosis (black lung), the effects of being exposed to airborne contaminants, especially bio-aerosols like mold, in homes and non-industrial work sites such as office buildings, are just being realized. In the last 10 years, microorganisms and mold have been concluded to be the primary source of indoor air contamination in as many as 50% of homes and offices studied since 1994. This realization can in part be attributed to a new interdisciplinary approach used in the evaluation of physical, chemical, and microbiological constituents of indoor air environments.
What is Black Mold?
Mold is a type of fungi that grows in the natural environment all year round and is the single biggest cause of poor indoor air quality. There are thousands of species of mold that grow in a wide variety of colors. Mold is found everywhere both indoors and outdoors. Outdoors, and molds live in the soil, on trees, and plants, and on dead or decaying matter. In nature, mold helps break down organic material which helps recycle nutrients throughout the ecosystem. Mold growing indoors, however, presents a major health issue. Some species of mold like Aspergillus and Stachybotrys Chartarum can not only grow but can also reproduce into colonies indoors. Many times, mold is easily detected by a musty odor in places with high moisture like basements, crawl spaces, attics, and bathrooms. Mold produces microscopic cells called “spores” that easily spread through the air. These spores act like seeds, forming new mold growth colonies when they land in areas where the conditions are right for mold growth.
