Q&A on the health effects of specific kinds of mold or other indoor particles.

This article series provides a photo-Atlas of common building mold contamination & other indoor particles that describes the medical health effects of mold and indoor particles such as animal dander, cat, dog, mouse dander and dust, asbestos, fiberglass from insulation or other sources, dust mite fecals, house dust, insect fragments, insect hairs, insect fecals, talc, and ultra fine sub micron particles.

FAQs on Molds & Indoor Particle Toxicity

These questions & answers about identifying harmful indoor mold contaminants found in building air, on surfaces, or vacuum in samples were posted originally

at MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX - a detailed reference guide that you should consult.

On 2018-11-08 by (mod) - oomycete?

Great photo, Ryan; I'm sorry to report that I can't reliably identify a white water fungus from just the photo alone;

In fact it could also be or be closely-related to an algae. White water mold, usually in a tissue-like form, is an Oomycete, a type of Stramenopile in the Domain of Eukaryota.

IF it's an oomycete, it is more related to Yellow Algae, also a Stramenopile. - Thanks to United Chemical commentary found at https://support.unitedchemicalcorp.com/portal/kb/articles/algae-bacteria-and-fungus#White_Water_Mold

On 2018-11-08 by Ryan - watery mold?

Hi, I was wondering if anyone here could help me identify this. I suspect that it is some variety of water mold, but I am unsure.

It was originally growing in one central mass about 7cm x 7cm, attached directly to the polystyrene lining inside a toilet tank, and completely immersed under water. I transported it to mason jar for better pictures.

On 2018-11-02 by (mod) - Stachybotrys doesn't smell like cat pee.

Stachybotrys chartarum may smell moldy but cat pee is distinctly a different odor.

We acknowledge however that individuals' sense of smell, sensitivity, and judgement vary; and we warn that some other illnesses can cause odor complaints.

There are some molds that smell like "dirty socks" but I've not found reference to one that smells like cat pee.

Details are at MVOCs & MOLDY MUSTY ODORS

I also recommend

Kuhn, Duncan M., and Mahmoud A. Ghannoum. "Indoor mold, toxigenic fungi, and Stachybotrys chartarum: infectious disease perspective." Clinical microbiology reviews 16, no. 1 (2003): 144-172.

Go to:
ABSTRACT
Damp buildings often have a moldy smell or obvious mold growth; some molds are human pathogens.

This has caused concern regarding health effects of moldy indoor environments and has resulted in many studies of moisture- and mold-damaged buildings. Recently, there have been reports of severe illness as a result of indoor mold exposure, particularly due to Stachybotrys chartarum.

While many authors describe a direct relationship between fungal contamination and illness, close examination of the literature reveals a confusing picture. Here, we review the evidence regarding indoor mold exposure and mycotoxicosis, with an emphasis on S. chartarum. We also examine possible end-organ effects, including pulmonary, immunologic, neurologic, and oncologic disorders.

We discuss the Cleveland infant idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage reports in detail, since they provided important impetus for concerns about Stachybotrys. Some valid concerns exist regarding the relationship between indoor mold exposure and human disease.

Review of the literature reveals certain fungus-disease associations in humans, including ergotism (Claviceps species), alimentary toxic aleukia (Fusarium), and liver disease (Aspergillys).

While many papers suggest a similar relationship between Stachybotrys and human disease, the studies nearly uniformly suffer from significant methodological flaws, making their findings inconclusive.

As a result, we have not found well-substantiated supportive evidence of serious illness due to Stachybotrys exposure in the contemporary environment.

To address issues of indoor mold-related illness, there is an urgent need for studies using objective markers of illness, relevant animal models, proper epidemiologic techniques, and examination of confounding factors. At NIH this paper is presented as www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC145304/pdf/0009.pdf

as that discussion should be helpful. You can download the article as a PDF at this link

https://inspectapedia.com/mold/Indoor-Mold-Toxigenic-Fungi-Stachybotrys-chartarum-Infectious-Disease-Perspective-Kuhn.pdf

On 2018-11-02 by Janice G. - verification that stachybytrys mold can smell like cat pee

Need an answer ASAP: I'm taking the landlord to court and need verification that stachybytrys mold can smell like cat pee. I had a leak for six months and they blamed my cats for the smell. Mold inspector found stachy. plus other molds.

On 2018-06-16 by (mod) - bugs on my skin?

Chris,

While there could be something in your environment that causes or aggravates a skin or breathing complaint, the right place to start is with your medical doctor.

Among questions to ask your doc include

- are my complaints likely to be related to something in my home or work place?

- if so, what sorts of things might I look-for?

- what other medical problems could be involved?

- do you recommend further consults with experts like a doctor specializing in envrionmental medicine?

Sorry, but no, from your photo, I can't diagnose nor identify what you've collected, nor do we know if what you collected is the actual problem.

Be sure to read about MORGELLONS SYNDROME

On 2018-06-16 by Chris

I feel like I’m going crazy! I feel as though there are bugs crawling all over me n when I look there’s nothing there. I’m tired and have had breathing issues.

To me it’s something toxic to my body. Can anyone relate or tell me what this is? Fyi I do have mold in the bathroom. I’m in a apartment with the attic right above me.

On 2018-02-17 23:56:34.050360 by (mod) -

Shannon Blumagen

to post a photo you can use the rectangle to the right of the comment box - but it needs to be a photo, not some other type of file

On 2017-12-04 13:28:29.527313 by (mod) -

Brenda,

the medical complaint about which you ask is something that you should discuss first with your doctor, and if he or she agrees you may need to discuss it with a specialist.

On 2017-12-04 10:33:22.432953 by Brenda

I'd like to no if anyone else has experienced tiny white chalky hard specks in nose, eyes, ears, (resemblance to caulk) seems taking over my body. Think from damaged duct work

On 2017-12-04 10:21:59.595086 by Brenda

im trying to respond to deb's situation, I'm basically in the same boat she is. Except, mold, insulation I'm breathing is from damage to my mobile home from hurricane. After repairs. I'll be able to go home. Until than I'm stay in a hotel that's very dusty & dirty.

On 2017-09-17 22:40:17.217708 by (mod) -

Deb,

The place we need to start is with your doctor. Your doctor can tell you

- what illnesses are involved
and
- the extent to which your environment might contribute to, aggravate, or cause the complaints you describe

Besides that first step, certainly if a visual inspection of your apartment shows visible mold on indoor surfaces, even in small amounts (a few square feet), or if you know of a history of leaks into the building walls, ceilings, floors, then it would be appropriate to have an expert take a more thorough look to decide if a cleanup is needed.

On 2017-09-17 10:37:33.309689 by Deb

I.ve lived in a apt.duplex for past 6 yrs. Just a few mo.s after moving in myself and partner started get sores every where on our bodies turned to scabs and if rubbed off black specks came out and if not washed off fast it quickly adheres to skin. Went to dermatologist that tested me 4-6 different times for Every but mold exposure because the Co. I live in does.nt have the funding to test for mold. For these past yrs. I've gotten sicker and sicker. Extreme fatigue and nausea , lung problems, my little dog gets the sores and scratches till she bleeds , breathing problems, and constant ear infections. This time she's running a fever and very sick. Same with my cat. Black debris comes thru the central air, mold is in the fountain, the ceiling the outside eaves,under the carpet. I.ve called the landlord out several times. She said there's no such thing as white mold on the cement foundation( which is now turning black, and there's no way it could get in the fountain. The outside oh the apt. Is all damp looking and cracking and spreading with white that was showing thru the cracks (also turning. Black. I called her out over 4 mos. Ago cos the was a sm. Dot that seemed to be growing. She said the water pipes in the attic must be leaking. 2&1/2 months I called her cos the dot was about 3ft.now and 2 other places showed up. I told her again that this was mold and we were severely I'll. She told me to vacate and hung up. A few days later I received an eviction notice. No reason why. I was an excellent renter. About two wks. Before the call I had emergency heart surgery. I have severe fibromyalgia, sciatica from two major back surgeries..etc. I was trying to pack and repaired my back. Then the transmission went out in my car. Last Fri. I started getting real sick and pets to. By sun. I was too sick to get out of bed except to give my pets anti fungal herbs. Feed and water. And back to bed. I knew I had to get us out of there so I set up a tent down in the parking area. Took me 6 hrs. But we're sleeping in it. Now. No more feeling like we.re getting stung every where. I have to be out by the 1st. I Don.t want to go back I'm cos y eyes burn, my nose runs , headaches, my feet get swollen etc. I will lose everything. I will be homeless with no car.I lost almost everybody I knew and loved acouple yrs.ago including my mom and dad. I have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Please help me. Thank you. Sincerely. Deb

.

On 2017-04-19 20:41:27.371838 by (mod) -

Some molds can indeed cause serious fungal infections of the eye.

On 2017-04-18 20:39:57.099507 by Sheryl Hay

Does toxic mold cause antifungal eye infections?
Does toxic mold cause diarrhea?

On 2016-09-09 16:34:43.301602 by (mod) -

Peter I agree that it's a fair question but the "minimum count' and "toxic" are frankly so unreliable as to be dangerous and misleading.

At MOLD STANDARDS - inspectapedia.com/mold/Mold_Exposure_Standards.php

we do answer your question by publishing the counts, levels, and standards for mold exposure from expert sources woirld-wide.

However my own field and lab work show without doubt that

1. Mold "counts" can vary so widely depending on how a sample is collected that one "expert's" spores per meter of mold count at 1000 spores of X per cubic liter of air could equally be another experts count, one minute later, at 400,000 spores per cubic liter of air.

I've also found that what is detected in a "mold test" may not be the dominant nor most-harmful mold actually present in the building.

So much depends on when, where, and how a mold test sample is collected. I found, for example a change from a few hundred Aspergillus spores per liter to tens of thousands of the same spores per liter occured in precisely the same building and location, three days apart.

The second test was made after a mold remediation company had installed commercial dehumidifiers to drop the humidity in a college library. The change in indoor humidity level drove the existing Aspergillus colony (on books there) wild and as the humidity dropped the Aspergillus began sending its spores into the air like no tomorrow.

And as such tests are not reliably controlled for consistency I for one would not bet your health nor money on the "count" alone. Not ever.

2. The "toxicity" of a single mold spore varies enormously by mold genera, species, and even more, size, weight, pathway of exposure (breathing vs. skin or eye contact), and even within the same genera/species of mold, toxicity may vary by what substrate the mold is growing upon as well as by variations in building conditions such as temperature and moisture.

So we would need in fact, to be honest and really accurate, thousands of standards for thousands of species of mold found in buildings as well as an absurd range of possible count number vs actual levels.

There are uses for airborne spore counts in very general terms, as you'll see in the standards article series I cite, such as the ability to conclude that a test result suggests that a building has been wet or has a remaining problematic mold reservoir to be found and addressed.

But a "count" that does NOT find such evidence is absolutely unreliable when used alone, without a more thorough inspection.

Finally, knowing the mold genera and species - except when cosmetic-only molds are found - does not change the mold cleanup/remediation/prevention procedure. That data is only needed and useful for medical reasons by your doctor or when it's necessary to be able to prove that cross-contamination did or did not occur during a mold remediation job.

It's unfortunate but often someone who says "don't require me to understand anything, just give me the answer" is headed for unnecessary expense, illness, and loss. If nothing else, such a demand scares the hell out of the consultant.

If the consultant is not stupid they find themselves forced to give the safest, and concomitantly most-expensive possible advice to the client as the client themselves indicates they want to be "risk free" (which is of course impossible). Search InspectApedia for OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY for more about this problem and how it plays out.

On 2016-09-09 0 by Peter - minimuym mold count to be considered toxic?

Do scare the people

You should have a minimum count per m3 before is considered toxic!!

On 2016-05-30 by (mod) - growth pattern of fungal mycelia

SB

What you describe is probably the growth pattern of fungal mycelia in a dense mold growth; of course without a photo (use page bottom or top CONTACT link to send photos) I am just guessing.

Keep in mind that "black mould" is by no means the only mould of which one needs to be cautious.

On 2016-05-30 16:14:29.475385 by S Braithwaite

Hello, we have some black mould on an outside wall (on the inside if the house) and it has a really peculiar "trail" in white going all the way through it.

Looks a bit like a fern pattern described by another reader in a previous post but I wouldn't call it fern like necessarily. Can anyone advise what could be causing this please? I have photos. Thanks.

...

Continue reading at MOLD by MICROSCOPE or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• MOLD CONTAMINATION IN BUILDINGS - home
• MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES, PHOTOS
• MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE - home
• MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS - guide to mold exposure levels, mold counts, mold exposure standards world-wide

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MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES ID FAQs at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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