What Is Black Toxic Mold
Black toxic mold is also known as Stachybotrys chartarum and is dark black or sometimes dark green. It is a highly toxic form of mold commonly found in attics.
This mold releases mycotoxins which are toxic chemicals that are present in mold spores that get released into the air and can then be inhaled.
Black toxic mold can cause danger to human health when ingested or inhaled. For this kind of mold to grow, the material would need to be wet for at least 72 hours and have consistent moisture for continued growth.
Cutting Mold From Soft Foods
Soft foods are another story. Mold finds it super easy to get below the surface, so the whole product could be tainted. These foods are destined for the trash can if they develop mold:
- Soft fruits and veggies. Buh-bye, moldy strawberries, raspberries, and tomatoes.
- Soft cheeses. Bid your moldy cottage cheese and cream cheese adieu.
- Bread. Farewell, moldy bakery products.
- Cooked foods. These are definite no-nos.
- Jelly, Jell-O, and peanut butter. Dont think you can just scoop it out moldy PB& J can be seriously bad for you.
- Deli meats, bacon, and hot dogs. Say adios to these.
- Yogurt and cream.Just no.
No one wants to eat mold. And yes, you can cut it off some foods. But whats the best way to stop it from growing in the first place?
Follow these steps and say sayonara to that effin mold:
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What Happens If You Breathe In Black Mold
For people sensitive to mold, inhaling or touching mold spores can cause allergic reactions, including sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash. People with serious mold allergies may have more severe reactions, including shortness of breath.
However, if you breathe in large amounts of mold for a long time, it can cause chronic allergy or cold like symptoms, or more serious side effects such as chronic fatigue, brain fog, or even mold growth in lungs or respiratory systems.
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Can Black Mold Be Airborne
Stachybotrys is an extremely heavy spore that may not always be airborne when it is wet and heavy. When black mold is dried out, and dead, there is a better chance it can become airborne and affect the air quality within a building.
Mold damaged building material which is disturbed increases the chances to become airborne.
Fragments of mold spores may also be found in dust particles that will not always show up on traditional air samples. This air can be circulating your home and contaminating your air conditioning system.
Symptoms Of Black Mold:
The tricky aspect of indoor mold growth is that everyone responds differently to exposure. Adverse health effects can vary greatly from person to person. Genetics, length of time exposed, volume of exposure, and preexisting conditions all play a role.
That being said, common symptoms include:
- Brain fog and cognitive difficulty
- Chronic fatigue
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How To Prevent Black Mold Growth
Conducting routine home inspections and maintenance are the best ways to deal with a black mold problem. Keep an eye out for evidence of water damage and visible mold on a regular basis. The conditions that cause mold should be corrected in a timely manner to prevent mold from growing further.
The extent of structural damage black mold can cause to your home, depends on how quickly you act to fix it.
Some of the ways you can keep mold out of your home is by:
To completely get rid of black mold from your home, you must address the root cause of the problem, so that there is no recurrence of mold. For example, just cleaning up the mold without addressing the moisture problem will not solve the issue because the mold will very likely return.
Toxic Black Mold: The Truths
Reviewed: November 7, 2019
Some truths and myths about toxic black mold.
We believe the best starting point for a healthy home is knowledge! And one topic where many people think they know the facts, and most marketing supports their belief, is about mold. But the reality is that a lot of the facts you think you know about mold are really myths and one of the most common myths is that there is such a thing as toxic black mold!
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I Found Mold Growing In My Home How Do I Test The Mold
If you can see or smell mold, a health risk may be present. You do not need to know the type of mold growing in your home, and CDC does not recommend or perform routine sampling for molds. No matter what type of mold is present, you should remove it. Since the effect of mold on people can vary greatly, either because of the amount or type of mold, you cannot rely on sampling and culturing to know your health risk.
How Do Molds Affect People
Exposure to damp and moldy environments may cause a variety of health effects, or none at all. Some people are sensitive to molds. For these people, exposure to molds can lead to symptoms such as stuffy nose, wheezing, and red or itchy eyes, or skin. Some people, such as those with allergies to molds or with asthma, may have more intense reactions. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay. Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath.
In 2004 the Institute of Medicine found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people with asthma symptoms in people with asthma and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition.
In 2009, the World Health Organization issued additional guidance, the WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould pdf iconexternal icon pdf icon. Other recent studies have suggested a potential link of early mold exposure to development of asthma in some children, particularly among children who may be genetically susceptible to asthma development, and that selected interventions that improve housing conditions can reduce morbidity from asthma and respiratory allergies.
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How Bad Is Black Mold Really
You don’t want mold in your home. Black, green, orange, yellow no matter the color, it’s all undesirable. Yet you don’t necessarily have to panic if you see it growing on your walls or windowsills. Because while mold can negatively affect your health, and sometimes dramatically, you may suffer no ill effects at all from mold exposure.
Mold is a type of fungus, and it’s everywhere indoors, outdoors and even in the air. That’s not too surprising when you consider there are more than 100,000 types of mold in existence, and possibly even millions. Mold gets into homes and buildings through open windows, doors, vents and ductwork. It can also attach itself to your clothes or pets when you’re outside, so you inadvertently bring it indoors with you.
Once indoors, mold grows wherever there’s a lot of a lot of moisture. That’s why you’ll often see mold around leaky windows or pipes, or on drywall after flooding. It also grows easily on paper and on fabric, carpet, upholstery, insulation and even in dust.
How To Keep Your Home Safe From Black Mold
If you have a reaction to black mold in your home, you can take steps to remove the mold from your home.
Youll be able to identify black mold by its characteristic black and splotchy appearance. Mold also tends to have a musty odor. It often grows:
- on top of showers
- inside air-conditioning units
If you notice small amounts of mold, you can usually get rid of it with a mold-removing spray. You can also use a bleach solution of 1 cup household bleach to 1 gallon of water.
If theres a lot of black mold in your home, hire a professional to remove it. If you rent, tell your landlord about the mold so they can hire a professional.
Mold professionals can identify all areas where mold is growing and how to best remove it. You may need to leave your home during mold removal if mold growth is very extensive.
Once youve removed the black mold from your home, you can help stop it from growing again by:
- cleaning and drying any water that floods your home
- fixing leaky doors, pipes, roofing, and windows
- keeping humidity levels in your home low with a dehumidifier
- keeping your shower, laundry, and cooking areas well ventilated
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Types Of Mold The Good The Bad The Toxic
When it comes to mold, many people wonder what types are good and what types are bad. Mold Inspectors of Florida performs inspections of homes and test for this very answer. Many patrons ask for the detailed lab results, mostly concerned about toxic mold. But did you know that mold can be good for you as well?
The world of fungi comprises thousands of species of yeasts and molds. With so much still to learn about their potential, what we do know is not all of these species are toxic. Our goal today is to educate you as a home or building owner to know the types of molds, and danger signs to look for. And finally, we will advise on when to bring in a professional and licensed mold inspector, such as MIOFL.
How Can I Prevent Black Mold
Of course, moving out is not a simple or accessible process for everyone. If you dont have the resources to move or simply dont want to, consider these prevention measures to protect yourself against black mold:
- Immediately repair leaks
- Constantly wipe down/dry wet or damp surfaces
- Invest in a dehumidifier to clear the air of excess water vapor
- Clean rooms that are susceptible to water collection with anti-fungal products
- Open windows to facilitate air circulation when possible
- Clean rooms/spaces that dont get much use to ensure mold isnt growing there
Like any prevention method, these steps do not ensure that black mold will not grow in your home, but they lessen the chances. The biggest takeaway here is that black mold flourishes in objects that retain water or places that harbor standing water, which is why avoiding humidity is so imperative in preventing fungus growth.
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How To Tell If Mold Is Toxic
Mold is a nasty problem to deal with for any home or business-owner. In the wake of a disaster such as a storm, its possible for mold to start growing in as quickly as 1-2 days. Whats even more alarming is when that mold turns out to be toxic, posing a serious risk to you and anyone else on your property.
To clarify, its not that the mold you are dealing with in and of itself is toxic. Its that certain strains of mold, like the notorious Stachybotrys chartarummore commonly known as black moldproduce mycotoxins. Its these mycotoxins which may cause a burning sensation in the throat and lungs, chest pain, persistent coughing, fever, rashes, and migraines. Prolonged exposure to Stachybotrys may lead to serious health issues, including breathing problems, fatigue, sinusitis and other pain in the sinus cavities, and even depression.
How to tell if you may be dealing with toxic mold in your home:
Problems With Clinical Studies
Such findings may explain the confusing results of earlier studies. For example, some authors have claimed links between childhood asthma and damp, moldy housing . While retrospective questionnaires reported more wheezing, cough, and chest cold symptoms in children from affected houses, the degree of bronchospasm was not different between groups. Thus, despite the claim that there was a causal association between moldy houses and wheezing, there was no supporting objective evidence. Some studies which claim that moisture and mold were associated with respiratory infections, cough, and wheezing also fail to show differences in asthma prevalence between case and control schools . Other authors report that despite claims of symptoms being more prevalent in case groups , actual asthma prevalence was no different .
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What Causes Black Toxic Mold
Generally speaking, improper ventilation in the attic is often the cause of black mold growth.
One possibility is the bathroom exhaust fan. Instead of venting outside the house, it vents towards the attic. Over time, this will produce ideal conditions for mold growth. Another possibility is leaks or flooding that havent been addressed for a long time.
Kill Black Mold With The Brickkicker
Whether or not black mold is dangerous, its usually best to leave remediation up to the experts. The BrickKicker offers professional mold testing that can help you determine not only how to get rid of your black mold problem but how to cut it off at the source. Schedule an appointment with our experts to fight the causes of black mold today!
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How Fast Does Black Mold Spread
Mold begins to grow as soon as its spores land on a damp, fibre-rich material and it can spread around the house within 24 to 48 hours. It colonizes in one to twelve days and grows at one square inch per day. In less than a week, it can cover surface areas of several square feet.
Unfortunately in most cases, mold is widespread and already a big problem before a problem is even suspected by the homeowners.
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Bleach Is Ineffective In The Long Run
In the long run, bleach only helps you mask the mold for a short period. After you have applied bleach to a porous surface, the molds dark green color is removed, and your wall returns to its bright colors. However, the roots of the molds which have reached deep into the insides continue to grow. Also, bleach does not stop harmful mold spores from spreading within the house.
In the long run, you should call an expert to look into any mold problem you have. Cleaning mold is not enough to eliminate their harmful effects because, even when molds are dead, they can still produce toxic spores. Molds have to be removed entirely, and there are different procedures for doing this depending on the type of surface on which the mold has occurred. Air quality also needs to be returned to healthy levels. To achieve these, you should let a certified mold remediation specialist handle any mold problem you have in your home.
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Black Mold: What Is It
Stachybotrys chartarum, commonly known as black mold, is a mold thats often black in color and can grow in homes in humid or damp areas. The mold feeds on organic materials in common household materials like drywall, carpet, insulation or sub-flooring that have been exposed to moisture, as HGTV describes.
As the mold proliferates, it can release toxic substances. It is these that cause health problems. The CDC explains it this way: The term toxic mold is not accurate. While certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins , the molds themselves are not toxic, or poisonous.
However, though the release of mycotoxins does not always occur, the possibility that it can is reason enough to take care of any mold problem right away.
How Do You Prevent Mold
When it comes to mold, prevention is the best defense you can have. If you see it growing, acting quickly is key. Otherwise, the longer you wait, the worse the problem will only become.
If the problem is small enough, you may be able to remove the toxic black mold by yourself. Some safe yet effective products to kill mold include hydrogen peroxide, tea tree oil, vinegar, and baking soda. If using vinegar, simply put it in a spray bottle.
Remember, you should always wear a mask and cover exposed parts of your body as a precautionary measure.
However, if the problem is big enough or you have existing health issues, its best to hire professional help.
Once the mold is eradicated, you have a responsibility to keep it mold-free:
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