Dr Jackson Kung'u- Mold Specialist

Helping People Resolve Mold Problems

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Dr. Jackson Kung’u (PhD)- Mold Specialist.
Phone: 905-290-9101
Mobile: 437-556-0254

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Indoor Air Quality

Black Mold Question

Question: We have black mold in our basement along the wall where water damage occurred 5 years ago. It has been there for some time and the basement smells terribly musty.

I have developed an allergic reaction in my eyes, and my father’s coughing has worsened.

We would like to have the black mold tested as soon as possible. Since the black mold is in the concrete wall, how would we extract samples?

Thank you for your help.

Answer: To get a sample of the black mold, please get clear scotch tape. Cut about 3 inches and stick the tape on the surface with mold. Peel the tape and stick it on a plastic bag (e.g., ziplock bag). Put the sample in an envelope and send it to us by mail or you can bring it to the lab. If the concrete surface is wet, use a cotton swab to get the sample since the mold may not stick to the tape. To use a swab, roll the tip of the swab several times on the surface with visible mold. Put the swab in a plastic bag and mail it to the lab.

If you suspect that you have a serious mold problem, I would suggest you get a professional to come and assess the extent of mold growth, determine the underlying cause(s) and then recommend the best way to remove the mold. You may find a mold testing company near your area listed on the following web pages:

1.  https://drjacksonkungu.com/business-directory/
2.  http://www.moldbacteria.com/servicelist/index.html

New indoor air quality guidelines on dampness and mould

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published it’s first indoor air quality guidelines on dampness and mould. The guidelines recommend the prevention or remediation of dampness- and mould-related problems to significantly reduce harm to health. According to the experts who compiled these guidelines occupants of damp or mouldy buildings, both private and public, have up to a 75% greater risk of respiratory symptoms and asthma.

A copy of the guidelines could be downloaded at http://www.euro.who.int/document/E92645.pdf

Air sampling for Airborne Mold Spores

Question: I’ve looked at the report and I’m very surprised. There is hardly any results. Have I done something wrong when I did the air sampling?

 We had a company selling air cleaners offer to test our air. They did air sampling for for two viable air samples. Then they said we had Aspergillus versicolor. Is it possible that a mold will show up on a viable test and not on a non-viable test?

Thank You

Answer: I don’t think you did anything wrong in your air sampling. The analysis of the air samples indicated there were some mold spores in your house BUT that is normal for almost every home. Air in every home or building is highly likely to contain some amount of mold spores and other fine particulates. Therefore, air sampling is not used to determine whether there is mold in a building but it is rather used to determine the amount of mold spores present in the air. The reason why one would want to know how much mold is there is because it’s the amount and the types of mold that the building occupants are exposed to that matter.
 
The air sampling you did and the one that other company did are different in many aspects and hence results from the two tests can be difficult to compare. Unlike the viable sampling method, the test you did does not allow for identification of moulds to species. That’s why we did not report Aspergillus versicolor. However, this method generally gives a better idea of how contaminated the air is because identification and enumeration of spores does not depend on whether the spores are viable (i.e., alive) or not.
 
I would like to know a little bit more about the viable air sampling conducted by the other company. Did they use an air sampler or just opened the agar plates and left them open for some time? The latter (called the settle plate method) is generally not a very efficient method for air sampling but it’s less expensive to perform and can at times provide useful information regarding the air quality in the home. The second question is, if they used the settle plate method, how many colonies were reported and how long were the plates exposed? The amount and not the presence is very important when it comes to indoor molds. Aspergillus versicolor is one of the most common molds indoors and presence of a few spores/colonies is not an indication of a mold problem. If you have not experienced any moisture problems in your home, it’s very unlikely that you have a mold problem worth worrying about.

As to whether a mold can show up on a viable test and not on a non-viable test, yes, it’s possible.

Black mold in the basement

Question: We have black mold in our basement along the wall where water damage occurred 5 years ago. It has been there for some time and the basement smells terribly musty.

I have developed an allergic reaction in my eyes and my father’s coughing has worsened. We would like to have it tested as soon as possible. Since the mould is in the concrete wall, how would we extract samples? Thank you for your help.
 
Answer: To get a sample of the mold, please get clear scotch tape. Cut about 3 inches and stick the tape on the surface with mold. Peel the tape and stick it on a plastic bag (e.g., ziplock bag). If the surface is wet, you can use a swab or Q-tip. Put the sample in an envelope and send it to us by mail or you can bring it to the lab. You can get more information on the web page http://www.moldbacteria.com/moldtesting_for_homeowners.html  Please contact us by phone at 905-290-9101 if you have further questions.

Bacteria As Contaminants In Indoor Environments

People spend around 80 and 90% of their time in indoor environments (office, school, home, etc) and there is increased awareness of the potential health effects of indoor biological contaminants such as bacteria. Therefore, when considering work or indoor living conditions, the air quality requires special attention.

In indoor environments, biological contaminants are often found in areas that provide conducive conditions for microbial growth. These include damp or wet areas such as cooling coils, humidifiers, condensate pans, draperies, bedding, carpet, and other areas where dust collects.

Bacteria are an important component of indoor biological contaminants. Some of them are pathogenic (that’s they are capable of causing disease) and are involved in respiratory diseases. If the environmental and nutritional conditions are favourable bacteria can colonize and grow on many surfaces (including standing water) from where they and their by-products can become airborne. A number of diverse activities can result in the dispersion and generation of bacterial aerosols indoors, for example, the operation of heating-ventilation-air conditioning systems, hot water systems and water spray devices.

Health Effects Associated With Indoor Bacteria
There are several health effects associated with exposures to bacterial aerosols. Some of them include irritative and nonspecific respiratory symptoms, respiratory infections, and allergic reactions such as alveolitis and chronic bronchitis.

Some of the infectious bacteria include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Legionella pneumophila, Bacillus anthracis. These bacteria cause pulmonary tuberculosis,  legionellosis (Legionnaire’s disease) and anthrax respectively. Infection is primarily through inhalation.

Bacteria As Causes Of  Bioderioration
Bacteria are rarely thought of as biodeterioration agents. However, they are involved in biodeterioration of various types of materials. Bacillus sp, Nitrosomonas sp, Nocardia sp and Streptomyces are involved in biodeterioration of diverse materials in several regions. They cause physical damage and some are capable of producing acids that cause biochemical deterioration.

Conclusion
In general, several microorganisms including bacteria are present in indoor environments. They can contaminate indoor air and pose health risks especially when certain species are present or when they are in high numbers. Apart from the health effects microorganisms have the ability to cause damage to materials they are growing on.