Dr Jackson Kung'u- Mold Specialist

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Dr. Jackson Kung’u (PhD)- Mold Specialist.
Phone: 905-290-9101
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Penicillium-Aspergillus in basement

Question:  I purchased a home here in Hamilton in July ’06. I found out from neighbours that my home had been a grow-op. This was never disclosed to me. I have had air quality testing done and I am showing high levels of penicillium/aspergillus spores in the basement (2800). Outside is over 11,500.

There is no visible mold and alot of renovation was done to the home. I just don’t know how to get rid of something that is not visible. I also do not know of the dangers involved in living here. Please advise.

Answer: Most basements are damp and majority of them will show high counts of airborne Aspergillus/Penicillium spores. Some species of Aspergillus such as Aspergillus versicolor require relatively very little moisture for growth and that’s why basements will almost always have some Aspergillus/Penicillium spores. It’s possible that the growth of Aspergillus/Penicillum in the basement of your home is not due to the grow-ops. 

From the information you’ve provided, it doesn’t sound like there is any mould related danger in your home. The basement had 2,800 spores per cubic meter of air compared to over 11,500 spores from the outside. In this case I would think your basement is not terribly bad (compared to the outside!) but you may want to find a way of keeping it relatively dry if it’s already damp. Also, keep monitoring for any visible mould growth, musty smell, and excessive moisture.

Basement mold

Question: I suspect we have basement mold. We moved in to our townhouse almost a year ago. In the past several months I have noticed that my daughter’s allergies are acting up a lot more, especially when we are in the basement. I too have been experiencing a lot of congestion and sneezing etc. when in the basement. I can smell a musty smell (nobody else can, but I can) and I cannot locate it. I can’t see mold, I’ve torn apart the house. My only guess is it’s in the carpets or walls. I notice you have a mold test kit to measure mold in the air. How accurate is it at picking up positive results i.e. does there have to be a lot of mold to pick up a positive (as I am the only one who can smell this musty smell so it would have to be a very sensitive test). Do you know of any professional companies that can come in and determine if we have basement mold?

Thank you!

Answer: Thank you for your question regarding basement mold. Our mold test kit is basically a DIY kit using the same air sampling equipment that a professional would use. However, the kit is not intended to replace the services of a professional. By a professional we mean someone qualified who will not just come and take air samples (which anyone can take) but will also troubleshoot the problem and offer solutions even if air samples are negative. By “negative” we mean having very low fungal counts since very rarely would there be no spores in the air at all. Basement mold is very common due the dampness found in most basements.

The equipment samples for airborne spores (and other particulates) and not for Microbial Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs). These are volatile chemicals produced by the metabolism of fungi and bacteria and are responsible for the musty smell. As for the accuracy of the equipment, there are a number of factors that can influence the results. For example:

  1. The type of mold present: some molds produce spores either enclosed in fruiting structures or in “wet” form which means these kinds of spores do not readily become airborne until disturbed during renovation or when they completely dry out. If these are the dominant types of molds present in your house the air samples could be negative.
  2. The time of sampling: the concentration of airborne spores at time of sampling could be low and hence the results could be misleading.

Basement mold can be controlled by reducing humidity in the basement. You can find professional companies listed on the following web pages http://www.moldbacteriaconsulting.com/business-directory/ and also http://www.moldbacteria.com/servicelist/index.html. You can also give us a call at 905-290-9101 for more information.

Mold on clothes

Question: I live in a Queenslander home in north Queensland. We’re continuously getting mold on clothes, shoes, furniture, television, teddy bears, mattresses, freezers etc., throughout the year. We are stuck on how the mold is coming in and have no idea how to stop this? Could you help us?

Answer: Growth of mold on clothes, shoes, furniture, teddy bears and other such household items is an indication of extremely damp conditions in the house. To dealt with this problem, first identify the cause of dampness. Moisture from cooking, showering/bathing or wet clothes left in the bathroom to dry can cause dampness especially if ventilation is not adequate. Use fans whenever cooking and/or showering/bathing if possible. Reduce humidity to 30-60%. You could try using a dehumidifier and also improving on the ventilation to reduce the humidity.

Mold in the basement

Question: I have air sample results for a test conducted by an Inspector in a home that we’re renting. The total spore counts (per cubic meter of air) for the finished basement space are as follows:

  • Total airborne fungal spore count: 742600
  • Amerospores: 251800,
  • Ascospores: 209400,
  • Aspergillus/Penicillium: 63400,
  • Cladosporium: 6400,
  • Unidentified type(1): 240,
  • Unidentified type(2): 211600.

Should we be living in this home? I just found out that the previous tenants became very ill, moved out, and disposed off all their furniture. I have tried to understand this report. Could someone please help me? Should we be living here? The landlord won’t do anything. I have asked him to remove the drywall but he won’t. Should we? Thank you for any help you can give.

Answer: If you’re renting the home you may probably consider looking for an alternative home. You may also check if there is a rental housing tribunal or even a public health department in your area and see what help they could offer.

What are mould colonies?

Question: I had some mold samples tested through a lab here in the US. The results returned showing Aspergillus 19 colonies for the first sample. The second sample results were Aspergillus 3 colonies, Geotrichum 1 colony, and Penicillium 1 colony. What are colonies and what does the number of them stand for? There is a serious problem in our home and none of us is doing great health wise. Any info you could give me would be very much appreciated.

Colonies of Penicillium and Stachybotrys
Answer: In biology, a colony (from Latin colonia) refers to several individual organisms of the same species living closely together. In case of mould, colonies refer to individual growths (see picture). The number of colonies is a count of those individual growths (colonies) and they may belong to different types of mould or same type. For example in your case the first sample had only Aspergillus (19 colonies) and the second sample had 3 different types of mould. That’s Aspergilus (3 colonies),  Geotrichum (1 colony) and Penicillium (1 colony). The picture on the right shows colonies of 2 different types of moulds. The blue-green colonies belong to Penicillium and the rest (with greenish centers) are Stachybotrys colonies.

The number of colonies reported for the 2 samples do not appear to be high but this does not mean you don’t have a mould problem. You may want to seek help from a qualified local environmental consultant who may be able to assess the extent of mould growth in your home and advise you on what to do.