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MOLD ARTICLES

Microbe Guard protects against mold
By Ken Francis - Staff Writer
Clearwater, MN Tribune - April 20, 2007

Mold. Ask any home builder or insurance agent and they'll tell you that it's one of the biggest, most costly problems with new homes. A recent Harvard University study of 10,000 homes across the U.S. found half had mold damage. A 1999 Mayo Clinic study cited that mold as the cause for nearly all the chronic sinus infections afflicting 37 million Americans. The insurance industry paid more than $3 billion in mld claims in 2002 and more than $9 billion in 2003. Beginning in spring, 2004, the insurance industry nationwide began excluding mold coverage from all homeowner and builder general liability policies. Why is mold such a problem? "Building codes have changed. Houses used to be able to breathe, but now they're sealed up tight," says Luke Stewart. (click here for full story)

MOLD: A Health Alert
Arnold Mann
USA WEEKEND

It started with a series of leaks. Within a year, Melinda Ballard's 11,500-square-foot Texas dream home was quarantined; her 3-year-old son, Reese, was on daily medication to treat scarred, asthmatic lungs; her husband, Ron Allison, had lost his memory along with his job; and the family was living out of suitcases and locked in a seemingly endless battle with their insurance company. The problem? Household mold. (click here for full story)

Health Effects of Mold Exposure in Public Schools
John Santilli, MD

Over the past decade, there has been an increased awareness among clinicians and the general public that sensitivity to mold is a significant cause of allergic diseases. These diseases include allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic fungal sinusitis, bronchopulmonary mycoses, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis [1•]. The publicity around “sick buildings” has made parents more aware of increased illness at the start of the school year, which has led to the identification of mold contamination in a number of public schools nationwide. Although there has been a dramatic increase in the awareness of the health problems caused by indoor mold exposure, as well as increased resources to remediate these problems, there is a notable lack of standardization for testing indoor air quality.

The extent of mold contamination in public schools has yet to be fully determined. (click here for full story)

Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments
New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Bureau of Environmental & Occupational Disease Epidemiology

This document revises and expands the original guidelines to include all fungi (mold). It is based both on a review of the literature regarding fungi and on comments obtained by a review panel consisting of experts in the fields of microbiology and health sciences. It is intended for use by building engineers and management, but is available for general distribution to anyone concerned about fungal contamination, such as environmental consultants, health professionals, or the general public.

We are expanding the guidelines to be inclusive of all fungi for several reasons:

• Many fungi (e.g., species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Trichoderma, and Memnoniella) in addition to SC can produce potent mycotoxins, some of which are identical to compounds produced by SC. Mycotoxins are fungal metabolites that have been identified as toxic agents. For this reason, SC cannot be treated as uniquely toxic in indoor environments.

• People performing renovations/cleaning of widespread fungal contamination may be at risk for developing Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS) or Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (HP). ODTS may occur after a single heavy exposure to dust contaminated with fungi and produces flu-like symptoms. It differs from HP in that it is not an immune-mediated disease and does not require repeated exposures to the same causative agent. A variety of biological agents may cause ODTS including common species of fungi. HP may occur after repeated exposures to an allergen and can result in permanent lung damage. (click here for full story)

Former ‘Parade’ home now family’s nightmare
Debbie Gebolys
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Saturday, March 04, 2006

A block away from New Albany Country Club in a Parade of Homes showplace house, something was wrong. Andrew and Michelle Hunt came down with asthma. Their two boys were getting sinus infections. Michelle felt burning in her sinuses. And for a year and a half or longer, she lost her voice. They couldn’t see anything but they could smell it — an odor so strong in an upstairs bedroom that Michelle said it brushed her back from the doorway. Then the dog died. (click here for full story)