The term "Black fungus" does not refer to a specific fungus. Any fungus that appears black is simply labeled as black fungus by the general public. Below are some of the fungi that people tend to consistently refer to as black fungus. Black nail fungus Fungi that cause nail infection are not necessarily black. However, since the nail tends to turn black, people talk of black fungus under the nail. Black fungus under the nails is about the last thing that anyone would want, yet fungal nail … [Read more...]
Air Quality Test Showed No Mold But Can See Visible Mold
October 6, 2011 by
Air quality test is often conducted to determine the level of airborne mold spores. Interpretation of air quality test results is often difficult as the levels of mold spores in the air vary greatly depending on the activity in the room, changes in temperature and relative humidity, ventilation rate and season of the year. During summer for example, indoor mold spore counts can be relatively very high even in homes with no visible mold growth due to infiltration of spores from … [Read more...]
Aspergillus Penicillium in the Basement
September 27, 2011 by
Question: Is Aspergillus Penicillium spore count in the basement high? We have this smell in our house for some time. We have also arranged for the gas company to come to see if there is gas leak. Last week, we had an air sample taken from our house. The Aspergillus Penicillium reading from outside was 267 spores/m3 and the reading from the basement was 26,667 spores/m3. I do not know if these readings indicate any significance. Do you have any suggestions for the cause and solutions? Thank you … [Read more...]
Stachybotrys – The Black Mold Demystified
September 25, 2011 by
Since the 1993-1994 unusual outbreak of pulmonary hemorrhage (lung breeding) in infants in Cleveland, Ohio, that was then thought to be due to exposure to Stachybotrys, the health effects associated with this mold have remained controversial. Frequently referred to as the Black Mold by the general public, Stachybotrys has probably caused more economic and psychological agony than ill-health. The mold has resulted in multimillion dollar remediations and litigations. Stachybotrys was first … [Read more...]
Mold Allergy Symptoms
September 24, 2011 by
Allergies can be caused by one or possibly a combination of many different things including an array of triggers such as food, medicine, environmental factors and inhalants. Allergies are among the most common chronic conditions worldwide. Mold allergy symptoms vary from one person to another and range from mild to severe. Mold spores and very fine hyphal fragments trigger allergic reactions in about 20% of the adult population. The reactions are due to protein and polysaccharide … [Read more...]
Health Effects of Mold
September 23, 2011 by
All molds are potentially a health hazard. While majority of common molds are not a concern to individuals who are healthy, the health effects of most of the indoor molds are not known. Some symptoms associated with mold exposure are also highly controversial. Health effects of mold include: 1. infection; 2. allergic reactions (i.e., allergy); 3. mycotoxin poisoning. Infection Infection of healthy individuals by indoor molds is very rare. Occasionally, however, … [Read more...]
Mold In Bathrooms
September 21, 2011 by
Growth of mold in bathrooms is very common if there is no proper ventilation. Mold in bathrooms could be due to poor ventilation and high humidity in the bathroom. The mold could be found growing on the walls and also the bathroom ceiling. Severe growth of mold in bathrooms can also occur in drains which emit odors. Drains are a hot spot for fungal growth in bathrooms. The extent of fungal contamination in bathrooms is dependent on the amount of moisture present. Predominant types of … [Read more...]
Mold Spores: what are mold spores?
September 18, 2011 by
Several molds that grow both indoors and outdoors, produce spores. Mold spores have been likened to the seeds of a dandelion, but they are microscopic in size. Because of their size, mold spores cannot be seen with the human eye save with the aid of a microscope. Mold spores occur in various colors and shapes, such as round, spheroid, banana-shaped or tadpole-shaped. They can occur in enormous quantities depending on the type of mold producing them, and at all times of the year where the … [Read more...]
Molds In Basement
September 18, 2011 by
Both finished and unfinished basements tend to be damp and hence prone to mold growth. Molds in basement are predominantly influenced by chronic moisture problems, such as window well leakage. Whether a basement is occupied or not, growth of molds in basement is a health hazard since the spores tend to move upwards to the living spaces. It has been established that basements could be the predominant sources for mold spores in both summer and winter. When people who are susceptible to mold … [Read more...]
How To Get Rid Of Mold Growth
September 17, 2011 by
Many people and even institutions would be happy if they could find a way of getting rid of mold. Unfortunately it's almost impossible to get rid of mold completely. However, if we understand the conditions that support mold growth, we could then try to manipulate those conditions so as to control mold growth. Mold growth has the following requirements: 1. Presence of spores or mold fragments that are capable germinating (viable) and developing into new mold growth. 2. Moisture. Like … [Read more...]
